TDKR Prologue Reaction (Warning: Spoilers!)

Hi everyone! So last night my dad and I went to Mosi to see the exclusive imax showing of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocal which featured the very eagerly awaited six minute Prologue to The Dark Knight Rises. We arrived in plenty of time and waited in line among other excited movie goers for a few minutes before being allowed entrance into the mildly disorienting egg-shaped theater to scale its steps and find a pair of seats that agreed with us. After a wait that felt like an eternity in which more and more eager looking people filed through the doors and filled up the rows the theater finally darkened and the familiar DC comics and Warner Bros. logos flashed across the screen amidst a passionate flurry of whoops and cheers, some of them even coming from other people in the theater (ha ha.)
The prologue begins with a shot of somber looking Commissioner Gordon standing before a podium and adressing what I am assuming are a number of Gotham citizens and law officials. Gordon says that he believed in Harvey Dent and it will be a long time before someone inspired people the way he did. Then the scene suddenly shifts gears to a long stretch of land in an undisclosed location. An armored jeep pulls up to a small plane manned by a team of CIA agents and a hanful of hooded prisoners are brought into their custody. To be perfectly honest I am a little hairy on the details of exactly what was going on but basically one of the prisoners is revealed to be Bane who, after decieving the authorities into believing they were at their mercy, forcefully takes them apart in true villainous fasion with his team of mercenaries in tow. The amazing arieal sequence that ensues is both thrilling and chaotic as Bane's crew manages to blow apart the entire rear of the plane as a larger aircraft begins to overtake it. In a scene quite similar to Batman's use of the "skyhook" during his Hong Kong detour in The Dark Knight, Bane makes off with a certain Doctor who I'm assuming is important to his agenda somehow while the ruined plane and its ill fated passengers plummet to their doom below.
The entire scene is absolutely incredible but the only thing I kind of was a little iffy on was Bane's voice. Granted, I really dug the emotionally detached almost Hannibal Lectarish way in which he spoke but the fact that his voice is processed through the mask gives his speech a warbling mettalic sound that, while cool, made his dialogue awefully difficult to understand at times. Judging from other reviews I have been reading, it seems alot of people share this opinion and I am certain the filmakers will take notice and easily rectify this in the months of post production ahead.
From there the action transitioned to a montage footage from the film including Batman taking aim with his fancy new laser gun, some cool shots of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, some shots of what I in which I believe both Catwoman and Batman hauling tail on the Bat-pod, a shot of what looks like the new Bat-plane or whatever the heck that thing is, a shot of what looked like Bane and and a team of his men repelling down the old well that we know from the first movie leads into the Batcave, and a truly awesome shot of Batman and his army of law inforcers colliding with Bane and his army of convicts on the steps of what appears to be Gotham City Hall.
Perhaps the most striking and heart-wrenching image came at the end though, in which we see Bane holding the shattered remnants of Batman's cowl before casually tossing it on the ground as though it were a filthy diseased ridden thing. The action finally concluded with the shattered visage of the Bat symbol unfolded across the screen along with the ominous tagline "The Legend Ends" July 2012.
The reaction, or lack there of, from the audience was palpable. Never since the ending of The Passion of the Christ have I observed a theater full of formerly excited and socially active people turn so silent and somber so fast. The marketing for this film is truly building a sense of dread and suspense the likes of which no prior comic book based movie has ever even remotely attempted before. There were a few sparse claps when the screen again went dark and I offered up a lone cheer despite the emotional gut-punch of the concluding scene.
In closing I thought the proglogue was pretty damn near the epitomy of awesome, and a thrilling and memorable way to introduce what truly looks to be one of, if not the most dangerous and formidable adversary The Dark Knight has faced in his illustrious cinematic career. Mission Impossible was pretty good but honestly I would have paid the 11+ charge just to see this and waked away a happy camper, if not a mildly traumatized camper.

Until next time.

Ross     

New Poster for The Amazing Spiderman

Hi eveyone. I just wanted to share this new promotional poster that Sony and 20th Century Fox recently put out for The Amazing Spiderman. So far I have really been digging the edgier, less campy approach the film seems to be taking toward Marvel's most misunderstood wall-crawling hero. This new poster seems to further emphasize the film's darker, more serious tone with its subtle use of shadow and veiled light to render Peter climbing a wall with his silhouette taking on the shape of his aracnid alter-ego. Perhaps this is meant to represent Peter's internal struggle in the film with the stone walls being symbolic of him feeling trapped by the circumstances of his life and Spiderman is his only escape. Printed at the bottom of the poster are the words "The Untold Story." This suggests to me that we will be getting a much more personal and intimate look at Peter Parker and the circumstances surrounding his becoming Spiderman that is perhaps more ambiguous and multi-layered than the typical, formulaic superhero origin story. That is what I am hoping for anyway. I can't get over how grim and moody this poster is. Contrasted with the bright lighting and radiant colors of the 2002 Spiderman poster below one can clearly see how much this new series is attempting to differentiate itself tonally from the previous Raimi/Maguire franchise. Definately looking forward to seeing more in the near future.

Ross

 

Top 10 things I'm Looking Forward to in The Dark Knight Rises

Hi everyone! So with the exclusive imax releaese of the "The Dark Knight Rises" prologue just around the corner yours truly has been pondering on what he is most looking forward to seeing in the epic final installment of the Nolan/Batman trilogy. Therefore, for your reading enjoyment I have compiled a top ten list of things I am most excited to see unfold in The Dark Knight Rises.

10. Whatever the heck this thing is!

9. Mysterious Supporting Characters

                                                             

Joining the ranks of mainstays like Michael Caine, (Alfred Pennyworth) Gary Oldman, (Commisioner Gordon) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) are newcomers Marion Cotillard (Miranda Tait) and Joseph Gordon Levitt (Officer Thomas Blake). Very little to nothing is known concerning the impact these new characters will have on the film. It stands to figure that Marion Cotillard's character will serve as a new love interest for Bruce Wayne, whose relationship with Rachel Dawes ended in tragedy after she went kaboom at the hands of The Joker. However, theories have be posed suggesting the character may secretly be Talia, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul' whom Batman defeated in the first film. This would be an interesting twist since the conclusion of The Dark Knight placed Bruce in a very vulnerable position both emotionally and as Batman. It would be completely characteristic of a fem fatale as deadly and conniving as Talia, who logically blames Batman for her father's death, to go about exacting revenge by infiltrating every level Bruce Wayne 's personal life before rearing her ugly Medusas head. Joseph Gordon Leavitt's character, Tom Blake, is a young Gotham beat cop who we can probably assume will be working closely with Comissioner Gordon. Like Miranda Tait, there is a great deal of speculation over what purpose his character will ultimately serve in the movie. Theories range from him secretly being a member of The League of Shadows to him even possibly taking up the cape and cowl should Bruce Wayne no longer be able to be Batman at the end of the film. An important trait of Christopher Nolan's films is that each character is there for a reason. Even though these ideas are just conjecture and could be completely false, chances are either character will have a significant part to play before all is said and done.

8. Batman and Catwoman Waist Deep in Sh#% Kicking Dudes

Although the two have frequently been at each others throats in the comics and other media, Bruce and Selena share an unspoken connection stronger then the ideological differences that put them at odds and, although they will not easily admit it, will not hesitate to throw themselves into danger if the other is in a tight spot. That being said, I would love to see a scene in the next movie were after the customary rocky start, Batman and Catwoman combine forces to take down a large group of escaped convicts or Leaue of Assassins ninjas or whatever, just so long as it involves the two forging a temporary alliance to wail on a bunch of bad guys.

7. A Totally Tricked Out Bat Cave

Okay Okay, so I realize that the realitic approach applied to the current Batman franchise pretty much rules out the possibility of seeing the trademark robot t-rex, oversized joker card or giant useless penny that adorn the Batcave of the comics, but still, assuming that Wayne Manner has now been completely  rebuilt after having been torched by The Leaue of Shadows at the end of "Batman Begins" I am fully expecting Bruce to have ditched his Bat-bunker in "The Dark Knight" in favor of returning to the creepy suberranean caves were he started establishing his base of operations in the first film. Also, considering the substantial eight year time gap between this movie and the last, it is not at all a stretch for one to expect to see Wayne Manor's underground caverns modified into a veriable crime fighting fortressreminiscient of the comics though likely devoid of the far fetched flourishes.

6. Secret Origins

Unlike the Burton Shumacher Batman films of the 90's were the villains backstory's were divulged in great detail and dominated a hefty chunk of the plot, the Nolan films effectively retain an aura of mystery around The Dark Knight's adversaries regarding who they are and were they came from thus inviting the audience to use their own imaginations to color in the lines. However, that being said I think it would still be cool to see something in the way of an origin story given to Catwoman and Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. In Frank Miller's classic story 'Batman: Year One' Selena Kyle is a tough and tenacious street walker scratching out a living in the seediest part of town before she is inspired by Batman's examrple and adopts the persona of Catwoman becoming a quasi Robin Hood figure for other downtrodden citizens of the East End. In Chuck Dixon's 'The Vengeance of Bane,' we see the inception of the man who would go on to one day break Batman's back as he literally comes of age in a stinking hellhole of a prison after being condemned for the crimes of his dead father before he is even out of the womb. Far from expecting a direct translation of these comics it would not surprise me in the least if Nolan adapted certain thematic elements to re-interpret and perhaps even improve upon the source material. 

5. A Batman Catwoman Rooftop Chase Scene

Assuming the filmakers  utilize the "cat burgler" persona from the comics I would love there to be a scene were Batman catches Catwoman in the act of stealing some priceless diamonds or jewlry and engages her in a thrilling, fast paced and heart pumping chase sequence over the roof tops of Gotham City. Such a daring and physical game of "bat" and mouse would offer something we have never really seen before in the previous Batman movies and provide a great juxteposition to the "Batman as outlaw" ending of The Dark Knight if he is chasing Catwoman while the police are chasing him.

4. What Happened in the Eight Years Between Films?

In a recent interview, director Christopher Nolan revealed that The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after The Dark Knight. This immediately begs of question of what exactly transpired during those eight years? In one of my favorite lines in The Dark Knight the Joker says to Batman "I think you and I are destined to do this forever.  I would certainly like to think that the eight year gap saw Batman having to contend with The Joker three or four more times before putting the clown away for good. However, unlike the comics were Arkham seems to be more or less a revolving door for all of Batman's deadliest foes, the current film series is grounded in reality and in reality maximum security prisons are extremely difficult to break out of, even for a villain as crafty as The Joker. It would also please me to think that the eight year gap saw Batman having to vie with many of his other iconic rogues that were not exploited for this new franchise (Riddler, Penguin, The Ventriloquist, etc.) Or maybe Batman was only active for a portion of those eight years. Or not active at all. In the teaser trailer to The Dark Knight Rises that came out over the summer we catch a brief glimpse of what looks like Bruce Wayne doing pushups in a jail cell. Perhaps the new film opens with Bane breaking Batman's back like in the Knightfall miniseries and Bruce having to spend eight years traveling the world to build himself back up. Or maybe, since he essentially becomes a fugitive at the end of The Dark Knight, Batman is actually captured by the authorities at some point during those eight years and Bruce Wayne is forced to do some time for his escapades as a vigilante. To quote Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor in "Superman Returns" after he infiltrates the fortress of solitude and discovers the secret power that lies protected within its walls, "possibilities... endless possibilities."

3. Bane's Brutal Characterization

Of all Batman's crazed and nightmarish gallery of villains,  no one stands out in terms of sheer physical power and cunning, strategic intellect like Bane. In a recent interview with interview with Empire magazine, actor Tom Hardy had the following to say about the film's hardcore and ruthless characterization of one of Batman's most dangerous adversaries.

“He’s brutal, brutal. He’s expedient delivery of brutality. And you know, he’s a big dude. He’s a big dude who’s incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and orientated fighting style. The result is clear. Do you know what I mean? It’s: f**k off and die. Quicker. Quicker. Everything is thought out way before. He’s hit you, he’s already hit somebody else. It’s not about fighting. It’s just about carnage with Bane. He’s a smashing machine. He’s a wrecking ball. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stomping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. It’s anything he can get away with. He is a terrorist in his mentality as well as brutal action. So he’s horrible. A really horrible piece of work.”

Nuff said!

2. Batman VS. Bane

This one is pretty much a no brainer. Thus far in Batman's long and storied history on film, he has never really been physically challenged by an opponent like I'm certain Bane will challenge him. Yes, it can be argued that  Ra's Al Ghul gave him a pretty good fight when the teacher and former student traded blows on board the speeding monorail in the climax of Batman Begins but in that case it seemed that the two were evenly matched and Batman emerging victorious was a forgone conclusion. In The Dark Knight The Joker was not afraid to get physical with Batman though the hits he got in were won pretty cheaply since either his thugs or attack dogs were always present to soften Batman up before he went in to inflict some damage of his own. Heck, even that big black dude in the cathedral scene in Batman 89 gave Michael Keaton a pretty good butt whoopin' but the latter had just survived a plane wreck for pete's sake. That would take the fight out of anyone. Back in the mid nineties when Bane was first introduced in the Knightfall series that ran through all the Batman titles he pretty much shows up and beats the living sh#% out of Bruce Wayne in his own home, cracking his spine across across his knee for which he is later dubbed by Gotham's criminal underbelly as "The Man Who Broke the Batman." While I am not expecting or frankly wanting a direct translation of the comic in The Dark Knight Rises, I am fully expecting to see some raw, emotionally charged, balls to the wall fight scenes between the two in which Batman, similar to the first time an unprepared and overconfident Sly Stallone faces off with the savage wrecking ball of Mr. T.'s "Clubber Lang" in Rocky III, not only takes a beating but is completely knocked on his a$$. I keep thinking back to that ominous final scene in the teaser trailer were Batman's fists are raised but he is wobbling on his feet and virtually gasping for breath while Bane is running on all cylinders and just barelling towards him like a freight train from hell. If The Joker's motivation was to destroy the symbol of what Batman stood for in The Dark Knight, it stands to figure that Bane's motivation in The Dark Knight Rises will be to destroy the man behind the symbol and, like in the comics, steal his throne as the symbolic "ruler" of Gotham.

1. Batman...THE END!!???

Director Christopher Nolan has repeatedly stated in interviews that The Dark Knight Rises will have a definate ending. Whether this can be interpreted to mean that the end of the film will see Bruce Wayne either dead or no longer Batman is still a matter of great controversy and speculation. Will Bruce Wayne decide to hang up the cape and cowl by the end of the film? If Bruce became Batman around the time he turned thirty according to Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight which takes place a year into his career as Batman, then one would imagine that Bruce will be pushing the big four O in this film and really beginning to suffer from the wear and tear of his crimefighting exploits. Unlike the comics were Bruce has somehow managed to stay in his early thirties for for more than seven decades or the 90's film franchise, were a younger actor was cast to replace the former and the films were kept in more or less the same continuity, the Nolan franchise has always emphasized that this is a Batman who inhabits a realistic world, heightened reality sure but reality none the less. And in the real world a body, even one as tuned to physical perfection as Batman's, can only endure so much punishment and will inevitably begin to wear out and retaliate after years of being pushed to the extreme. Heck, most professional athletes careers last about ten years before the game exacts a physical toll and they are unable to perform like they once did. In the scene in The Dark Knight, were Alfred and Bruce are talking in the Bat-Bunker and Alfred warns Bruce to know his limits, Bruce removes his shirt revealing a back that is already noticeably scarred and bruised only a year into his being Batman. Now consider how much more dinged up he will be after eight more years of being Batman andf then a human bulldozer like Bane shows up...not good. Another argument for why Bruce will give up being Batman at the end of the film is that, unlike the comics were Batman's war against crime is essentially neverending, the Bruce Wayne of the Nolan films only ever intended to be Batman for a finate amount of time. In The Dark Knight, Bruce is essentially ready to relinquish his role as the citiy's protector to Harvey Dent after they, along with Comissioner Gordon had driven the final stake through the collective heart of Gotham's  cancerous mob element until The Joker shows up and completely blows Bruce's dreams of domestic bliss with his doomed love Rachel Dawes to smithereens. Is it possible that Bruce Wayne is satisfied enough in his endeavors as Batman to put away the mask for good and move forward in his humanitarian work, dropping the goofy, shallow playboy routine and becoming the "hero with a face" that Harvey Dent was meant to be? Or does Bruce in fact have to pay the ultimate sacrifice for taking the law into his own hands and dies to protect the city he loves? We already know that death is a very real threat within the realm of Nolan's Batman universe. Ra's Al Ghul died (or so it seemed) in Batman Begins trying to enact his own twisted brand of justice. Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent, both passionate advocates of law and order, died in The Dark Knight, each falling victim to The Joker's madness and cruelty. Is it much of a stretch to believe that Batman might not make it out of the next movie alive? Can the film's title "The Dark Knight Rises" be read to imply that his spirit will "rise" into a spiritual realm of existence? Will the man die and his legend live on in the hearts and minds of the people or will Bruce Wayne allow his alter ego to die a figurative death while he he begins a new stage in his life. Endless possibilities.

I hope you enjoyed reading this little countdown I put together. There are quite a few other things I am really looking forward to having to do with this film but it would probably take me forever and a day to list them all.  In the meantime, peace out, and stay tuned for more blogs to come!

Ross

   

The Dark Knight Rises Official Poster

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share this brand spankin' new poster for The Dark Knight Rises. I firmly believe in this instance the image says it all and any thoughts I had to share would pretty much be rendered insufficient and unessesary by the pure awesomeness on display here. Suffice to say that I am awed and more than a little frightened for the well-being of my favorite superhero...

Ross

Empire Magazine Gets "Knighted"

Hi everybody! Check out the December edition of Empire Magazine. Looks like there will be a pretty heavy spotlight on The Dark Knight Rises if the duel covers featuring Batman and Bane is any indication. I read that this was supposed to hit stands on the 24th which I thought was pretty weird because of the holiday and all. Nevertheless I hot footed it to my local Books-A-Million after Thanksgiving dinner hungry for some Batmany "dessert" despite having fully maxed out on my levels of Turkey intake. For the next few minutes I scoured the racks with all the driven intensity of a Black Friday shopper on their third can of red bull but unfortunately all that turned up was the November issue. Rest assured I will probably be making near daily stops their until a magazine sporting each cover is nestled safely on my book shelf. 

I suppose it goes without saying that I am really digging what I am seeing with these covers and I have no idea what the deal is with that flashlight gun Batman is packing only that it tops my Christmas list if beaten out only slightly by Batman: Arkham City which I am still dying to play. I can't get over how physically menacing and flat out scary Bane looks in this picture. I am sure that the "Shredder" like mouth guard will have some practical application in the film but from a purely visual sense it evokes the idea of a rabid animal that has to be muzzled. I cannot wait for this movie. July 20th needs to get here tomorrow!

Ross    

Immortals Review

I love Greek mythology. Ever since freshmen English were we had a section devoted to the study of Zeus, Hades, and the extended pantheon of superhuman deities my imagination was captured by these magnificient, otherworldly beings who wield almost unlimited cosmic power and yet are still mired by the same unsavory inclinations toward greed, pettiness, and depravity that ensnare much of humanity. It is this inescapable human condition and the fireworks that ensue on a colossal scale that makes them so interesting to study and read about.
There have been quite a few films that have taken a crack at depicting the Greek gods in all of their overwhealming splendor, more often than not with quite underwhealming results. (Hercules in New York anyone?) The latest of these is "Immortals," a truly ambitious film that has a great deal in common with contemporary films of the same vein like 300 (yah!) and Clash of the Titans (meh) while still managing to be quite unique its own art-house, surrealist kind of way
The story centeres around a young man named Theseus who lives a quiet life with his mother in a coastal village and wants no part in a brewing conflict with the vicious sado masochistic mask wearing Heraklion army led by the ruthless and bloodthirsty king Hyperion. But it does not take long for this simple man of the land to convert to full on Rambo mode as Thesus's village is razed by the sadistic tyrant and his mother is killed in the slaughter. After escaping from slavery with the help of a virgin oracle whom he in turn helps "un-virgianize" Theseus vows to do whatever it takes to stop Hyperion in the rulars relentless quest to a acquire the mythical Epirus Bow, a weapon with the power to kill a god with which he intends to slay the immortals of Olympus themselves.
Meanwhile, the Greeks gods watch the drama unfold from above on an immaculate citadel resting in the clouds. Zeus, who, disguised as an old man, has secretly been mentoring Theseus since he was a small boy expressly forbids the other members of his heavenly host to interfere in the affairs of men but Hermes, Poseidon, etc. are beginning to get antsy at the thought of having their immortality threatened by humans and do not heed their paragon's ruling for long.
This movie is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The filmakers dynamic use bold colors and epic landscapes amplify the film's surreal like quality and makes one feel as if they are witnessing actual mythology unfold on screen. I really wish the overall story had measured up to the sheer awesomness displayed in the visuals but unfortunately the movie is brought down a few pegs by a flimsy, generic and cliche' ridden narrative lacking in subtance or moral ambiguety. Henry Cavill and Micky Rourke both do a fine job of portraying the film's central characters of Thesesus and King Hyperion but neither really manages to add much in the way of dimensionality to their standard, typical action piece character molds of selfless hero and megalomaniacal villain. In fact, Thesus's character arc is almost exactly like that of the main character in Clash of the Titans from his humble upbringing, to being spurned to action by the death of a loved one, initially rejecting the gods before later accepting their influence on his life. Oh, and getting the girl.
In closing, even though Immortals leaves something to be desired in terms of storytelling and characterization, the movie is worth seeing for its breathtaking depiction of the ancient world in all its savage beauty.

Ross

Batman: Noel Review

In Lee Bermejo's Batman: Noel, Charles Dickens classic story of "A Christmas Carole" gets a radical re-interpretation with none other than the brooding, obsessive, winged avenger of Gotham filling in for Scrooge, the grouchy old miser who in the course of one night, is visited by three spirits and chooses to change his stripes and turn over a new leaf.
Going along with the Scrooge theme, the Batman we are presented with in this story is very much a calloused, jaded, and cynical man. Although he once burned with youthful enthusiasm and the desire to be a catalyst for change in a fallen city, we see now that years of battling the absolute worst society has to offer has left him cold, suspicious, and unable to see the good in people anymore.
His mood is not improved in the slightest by the fact that The Joker, Gotham's most notorious psychopathic killer and Batman's sworn enemy has recently escaped from Arkham asylum and is at large.
Mirroring Scrooge's longsuffering employee is a down on his luck single father appropriately named "Bob" who, in a desperate attempt to bring in some extra income for him and his son becomes implicated in a cash drop for The Clown Prince of Crime. The job quickly goes awry when Bob is caught by Batman who suscpects the Joker will come after him because of his failure and decides to use him as bait to lure his enemy out.
Later that night, Batman is forced to re-evaluate his rash decisions regarding Bob and his black and white perception of humanity in general when he is visited by three characters, each symbolizing a particular period of his crime fighting career, who help him get back in touch with the hero he once was and the hero he can be again.
 Simply put, Batman: Noel is an engrossing gem of a story that manages to pay homage to its inspiration while putting its own exciting superhero twist on Dicken's thought provoking moral fable. Words simply fail to do justice to Lee Bermejo's stunning artwork. His Gotham feels like an actual living breathing city wrought with all the societal ailments of any sprawling metropolitan area. His Batman is a forboding gargoyle coursing with power and intimidation while his unique rendition of The Joker is more likely than not the most downright terrifying version of the character ever to appear in comics. Every panel pulsates with so much energy and attention to detail that it staggers me how much thought and pre-planning must have been put into this book. So if you are a fan of The Caped Crusader or just good, meaningful stories in general then I strongly encourage you to give Batman: Noel a try.

Ross