We're On The Eve Of Destruction

Well, here we are. The last of the Nolan Batman films has arrived. I know a lot of you are still to see it, so this will be as spoiler-free as possible. I will not talk about the ending, or the twists. The closest I will come to a spoiler is going over the story references I caught (not all of them, mind you). With that, let us begin.

Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Gotham is prospering, thanks to organized crime being virtually eradicated. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has retired from being Batman, and has remained at Wayne Manor all this time. But when the mercenary, Bane (Tom Hardy) shakes things up in Gotham, the Batman makes his presence known once again.

Yeah, that's pretty much the abridged version, but I think by now if you don't know what the basics for the movie are, it's because you don't care.

It's fair to say I've been waiting for this movie for a long time. Like, since 2008. Literally, since the day after The Dark Knight. So, hype was already high long before I saw the movie.

And you know what? It exceeded my expectations and then some. Not that I knew what to expect, but it was still a sight to behold and more.

Even though there's less for Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman to do, they still bring their A-game to the table, with Oldman getting one of my absolute fave scenes in which he said Batman was his best friend. It warmed my cynical heart to hear such a thing.

Christian Bale spent more time out of the Batsuit, and that gave a greater focus on Bruce Wayne as a composite of the boy Alfred raised and the Batman persona. Bale has always delivered a solid performance and he's certainly not phoning it in here.

As for the new players: Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, a well casted role. Oozing confidence, charisma and likability, she plays off well against Bale when the two are just getting to know each other as Selina and Bruce, and she's a fierce fighter in her Catwoman gear (also, the blonde girl played by Juno Temple that hangs around with her? Totally Holly Robinson, am I right?)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a pretty damn good character, having good deductive skills, and is seemingly unmovable in his ideals. He makes a great cop and his scenes with Bale are nicely done.

Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate... it takes a while to get into her character. She doesn't do so much at first, but as time goes on, she becomes more bearable.

But the big new performance of note is Tom Hardy as Bane. Completely undoing the last attempt at a live action Bane (I prefer to call him “Ralph Wiggum on steroids”), Tom Hardy's is brutal, menacing and actually somewhat funny (the stadium scene. Before blowing it up, he comments on what a lovely voice the child singing the national anthem has). One reviewer down here referred to him as the “minister of sinister” and that's actually a pretty accurate description. Much like the comics, he's a mighty mental and physical challenge for the Caped Crusader, which makes for a mean combination.

However, if there's one performance that eclipses all others, it's Michael Caine as Alfred. Despite a smaller role, his is the most emotional, and I damn well nearly cried at certain scenes. You, sir, are a living legend. Never leave us.

The film actually ties in more with Batman Begins than The Dark Knight, mostly with the mentions of Ra's Al Ghul, the “why do we fall?” theme returning, but its biggest connection to The Dark Knight is Harvey Dent and the truth surrounding the events of his death. It's a good choice to connect to the first film, as it brings up things we may have forgotten over time.

Action-wise, it's astonishing. Bane's beatdown with Batman, the Batwing (yeah they call it The Bat, but I think Batwing is cooler) in battle, but the best of all is the huge criminal vs. cop brawl, with Batman and Bane gearing up for round two. Now THAT'S an action sequence. Not loads and loads of guns and explosions, just good ol' fashioned fisticuffs with hundreds and hundreds of people (see Gangs Of New York for something similar).

Also, I love the choice for stories that the Nolans have cherry-picked aspects from: The Dark Knight Returns (Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement), Knightfall (the first Batman and Bane battle) and No Man's Land (Gotham cut off from the world) just to name a few. All are classic stories in the Batman mythology so to see them get a mention is wonderful for a long time Batman fan like me.

Surprisingly, I've heard very little in terms of people bitching that this isn't as good as The Dark Knight. And really, does it matter? Does everything always have to be bigger and better? Can't it just be good on its own? And with a movie like this, calling it “good” is a slap in the face to the movie.

So, as you've guessed, it's the number one film for me this year so far. To Christopher Nolan, the cast, the crew, everyone involved: you've created a triumphant and terrific trilogy. We will forever be grateful for what you've done for the Dark Knight Detective. I know you said this was the last but if you ever do decide you have one more film in you, I'll be there. Hell, I'll be there regardless of what Nolan does next. The keys to the kingdom should be his. He redefined the game a long time ago. No, wait, scratch that: he BECAME the game. The one to beat. Batman Begins showed how a reboot can not only work but be acclaimed. The Dark Knight utterly shattered expectations not just for comic book movies, but blockbuster films. And The Dark Knight Rises shows how you end a trilogy: with the biggest bang you can muster. 4.5/5

Jokerman Dance To The Nightingale Tune

So, since we looked the beginning of a new Batman series, it's only natural we'd go into the sequel, The Dark Knight, the first Batman movie not to feature the word Batman in the title.

Some time after the events of Batman Begins, organized crime has taken a huge hit, thanks to the efforts of Batman (Christian Bale), James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). However, a new player enters the game, calling himself The Joker (Heath Ledger), shaking up the status quo and threatening to bring Gotham to its knees. How far will Batman go to stop a madman with no clear goal in mind?

Yeah, I'm just going to come right out and say it early: this is one of the greatest films I have ever seen in my life. I remember sitting in the cinema, watching the events unfold, filled with awe and wonder, not wanting it to end. Some people say it was too long, I say it was too short! Considering how it took until 2012 to get the next film, how could it be too long? Maybe I'm just a wee bit obsessed with Batman to notice...

As criminal as this might be, I'm only going to cover the returning actors briefly, partly because this will probably be another long blog, partly to go over the new arrivals, and partly because what I said in the Batman Begins blog still holds true (also, for the handful of people who haven't seen this yet, some spoilers may show up).

Christian Bale is still dynamic as the Caped Crusader, at odds with himself over the fact that he feels he can retire and settle down with Rachel (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal this time around), but also with the fact that the mob is cottoning on to the fact that Batman doesn't kill. In the Batman persona, he's a lot more fierce and brutal, and I like it. This fury, THAT'S the Batman I've been wanting for a while. The Batman that does not rest, the Batman that will hunt you down. Don't get me wrong, I love Keaton's Batman and Conroy's definitely has shades of this, as well as being one of the greatest examples you can follow, but DAMN!

Michael Caine plays more of a mentor role than a father-figure here compared to the last film (not that he's any less of one, just that the Batman/Alfred soundboarding that they do in the comics gets more of a look-in) and he has some fantastic lines, both as one of the primary sources of humor (the bit on the boat about the supermodel “applying her own bloody sun tan lotion”) and for his observations on the human race and how the criminal mind thinks. Have I mentioned just how legendary this man is?

Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman continue their upstanding work, as confidantes and aides to Batman, with Oldman getting one of the best scenes in the movie when he has The Joker at gunpoint: “We got you, you son of a bitch”

Also, Cillian Murphy returns, albeit briefly. It's still awesome, and also offers the first hint that Batman is getting too well known in his methods, when Crane recognises when the real Batman shows up amongst the copycats.

While she's not new, the actress is, so I'll use Maggie Gyllenhaal as the converging point between the old and the new. As much as I no longer dislike Katie Holmes as Rachael, Maggie is just a better fit for the role. She exudes a warmer personality, as indicated by her smile, and she comes across less angsty.

Now, for the new players. And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Heath Ledger as The Joker. Holy crap, is he ever ace! The Joker in this incarnation forgoes the classic gag arsenal of previous Jokers in favour of knives, guns and the clever use of a pencil (who doesn't love that scene?) and also has the best lines (“Got a little fight in ya. I like that”). It's implied that he's wearing make-up, as opposed to being exposed to a chemical pool and staying that white. Combine that with his tatty clothes and attitude, and we have the most realistic Joker yet, who borders on being the bastard son of Alexander DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange. Heath raised the bar for supervillain acting in comic book movies and it's a masterful role.

Aaron Eckhart is the other new major player and damn if he's not charismatic as all Hell. It's almost like he took his Nick Naylor role from Thank You For Smoking and transplanted it here, but gave him a heroic angle. Dent is dashing, debonair, determined, and has a mean right cross. His eventual downfall into Two-Face is tragic and the make-up for the scarred side is among the best Two-Face designs I've ever seen (only beaten by the artwork for the incredible Dark Victory. Seriously, between this movie and that book, that's how I think Two-Face should look. Less like Jekyll and Hyde fused together, more like an actual burn victim).

Wow, what was supposed to be a brief look at the returning players ended up being longer than I thought... but on to other things.

The action sequences are excellent, and the whole movie has a heist/crime film feel to it. In fact, if you took Bruce Wayne out of the Batsuit, that's what it would be. Certain scenes with Dent and Gordon play out like it's a new version of Heat. My absolute fave scene is the interrogation between Batman and The Joker. From the moment it's revealed that Batman has been standing in the room when the lights were out, to the final moment of the scene, it's excellent directing and writing. Panning around the room, The Joker trying to convince Batman he'll be an outcast, Batman's outrage, pure gold. The dialogue in this movie is sensational, and I praise all the writing talent on hand.

Two things this movie has over Batman Begins: first, this movie shows a little more of Batman being a detective, like the bullet testing scene. This is something I had been wanting since Batman Begins, and I was glad to see it here, though I'd have loved a little more.

Secondly, I found this film a little more emotional, not that the first was lacking. But with Two-Face... oh man, he's written so well. The scene in which he puts the gun to his own head, flips the coin and looks disappointed when he's spared? How can one small scene be done so well?

There is obviously so much more to say about this movie and how brilliant it is. It is my fourth favourite movie of all time (I should do a top ten list somewhere down the line) and nothing I can say will do it justice. An easy 4.5/5

As early as this may be, tomorrow will be the finale of the Batman films as directed by Nolan. So, if you haven't seen it yet (and chances are, many of you won't have), I'll try and keep it as spoiler free as I can but just in case, come back to it at a later date. But for everybody else, tomorrow's blog will be The Dark Knight Rises.

He's Gonna Hit The Highway Like A Battering Ram

With one day left until The Dark Knight Rises graces our screens, it's time for my next theme week: the Nolan directed Batman films. So, naturally, the best place to start is at the beginning, with... well, Batman Begins, of course.

Now I know that just about everyone and his dog has talked at length about this movie, but not everybody in the world is going to have seen it, shared the same opinion or seen many reviews/viewpoints, so if they should stumble across this one, it could very well be their first (which is good for them, because that means the next ones they read will be better). On the subject of people and firsts, I'll put the spoiler warning here for anyone yet to see the movie. Not that it is a high number, but you never know.

Much like my post on the latest Superman film, I'll skip the creation of Batman because this won't be a short blog.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) returns to Gotham after receiving training overseas in the methods of crimefighting from Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson), intent on reclaiming his city from the grips of criminals, in particular Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson). But in between re-establishing himself in the city, and with a childhood friend of his, Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) and fighting off the new threat of Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), Bruce Wayne finds he's in for a bigger challenge than he thought.

To say that after Batman And Robin, any Batman film would be good in comparison is the least praise you can sprinkle onto this. To say that it reinvigorated the Batman series, and film in general, and is the model for doing a reboot right is also too little to fully appreciate just how fantastic this film is.

When I first heard that Christian Bale was going to play Batman, I was already in approval because of American Psycho, and that only heightened when I got the chance to see The Machinist two weeks before Batman Begins made its debut (by the way, if you watch those and all the Nolan Batman films together, that's like one of the greatest movie marathons I can think of. And I should do that when The Dark Knight Rises comes out on DVD) and he does not disappoint. What he gets more so than any other portrayer of Bruce Wayne and Batman (with the possible exception of Michael Keaton but definitely excepting Kevin Conroy) is that Bruce Wayne and Batman should have a different voice, as part of the idea that Bruce Wayne couldn't possibly be Batman. And when he's Batman, hot damn! That voice often gets complaints for how gruff it is but I love it, it helps project the image that this Batman is a force of nature. It's like when Nolan resurrected him, he didn't come back as Batman, he came back as Bat-Demon! (And considering what some people see him as when they're hallucinating in this movie, that's a distinct possibility). As Bruce Wayne, he plays up the “rich idiot with no day job” angle well, channeling the Patrick Bateman (insert your own Bateman/Batman joke here) character from American Psycho for the Bruce Wayne scenes when he's in public. But then there's the in-between, the Bruce that only Alfred sees, and Rachel to a point, the one who has a determination that cannot be swayed, but also the vulnerability of the little boy who will never fully come to terms with the death of his parents.

Speaking of, much like the recent Amazing Spider-Man, it takes a lot to make us care about something we all know is coming, and to keep it from looking like you're going through the motions. In Begins, the details are changed to be an opera instead of a film, and the reason for leaving is Bruce's fear of the bat creatures. So, when Thomas and Martha leave and are killed by Joe Chill, it adds a little to the scene, by giving Bruce the idea that it was his fault, even though we as an audience know he is not to blame. Not to mention tying into one of the central themes, of fear and how it controls us.

Now, talking about the cast could end up making this the longest blog I've ever done, so I'm going to try and praise them in one paragraph each (criminal, I know, I should really look into vlogging at one point).

Michael Caine as Alfred is just more proof of how awesome Michael Caine is. He's dry, witty but ever so fatherly. Hell, I'm actually wondering if he was just playing himself under an assumed name. And he gets some of the best lines in the movie, too (“What good are all those push-ups if you can't even lift a bloody log?”, priceless)

Gary Oldman as James Gordon is a much better utilization of the character when compared to the Burton/Schumacher era. Seemingly the only good cop amongst the rats, he's determined, clever and noble. Also, he gets to drive the freakin' Batmobile (which is awesome, by the way. I swear it would eat cars if it was sentient, it's that much of a beast.)

Morgan Freeman portrays Lucius Fox, a character who hasn't been used in that many adaptations (he was seen in Batman: The Animated Series but from there, I couldn't tell you) but he's Morgan Freeman, what can I say? He's dry and hilarious, like Michael Caine, and serves as useful exposition on Batman's arsenal. Also, it makes sense he knows that Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person, he spends a lot of time with the guy, so he would know when something's up. And that scene at the end when he shows up William Earle (Rutger Hauer)? Loved it.

Katie Holmes as Rachael Dawes... I have to admit, initially I was not fond of her. Maybe that was me being prejudiced against her due to being the wife of an ego-maniac (whose claws she finally escaped), or her time on Dawson's Creek, but over time, I've come to realize she wasn't that bad in her role. She's still the weakest link, no question, but not something that drags the movie down (she is, however, responsible for one of my criticisms of the movie, which I'll get into later).

Liam Neeson, much like Morgan Freeman, just has to show up and awesomeness pretty much ensues. He's one Hell of a fighter and when it's revealed that he's really the leader of the League Of Shadows, Ra's Al Ghul (though that's not much of a spoiler if you know the comics, you get that vibe from him), the action just gets better.

And lastly, Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow, aka Jonathan Crane. Now, out of all the Batman villains, Scarecrow is my absolute fave, so naturally I was so eager to see him on the big screen. And while they took a few liberties, as they often do (mostly with his looks, making him a handsome young psychiatrist with mob ties as opposed to a scrawny looking, creepy looking older male), he is still fun to watch. He may not be much of a fighter but he knows his way around a confrontation and lets nothing intimidate him (until dosed with his own fear gas, but hey, these things happen on the job). And as much as I love his comic costume, or that really cool hangman motif he had for the animated series, the simple sack look works too, and doesn't distract from his badassness.

Now, while I have mostly minor criticisms (Ra's Al Ghul not being pronounced correctly, Zsasz getting little screen time and looking like he belongs in a System Of A Down cover band), the one semi-major one I have is the scene in which Scarecrow's riding on a horse, terrifying Rachel (this isn't the bad part), Rachel zaps him with a taser and he goes down for the count, with the horse riding off and that's the last we see of him (that's the bad part).

I get that he's not THE major villain, but come on, you're trying to undo everything he did with a pathetic manoeuvre like that! Yes, he's in the sequel, but that's not the point! He looked like a chump, and the master of fear deserved a better send off!

On to the action scenes, some have complained that it's hard to figure out what's going on, that it's too confusing. That makes sense to me, since part of what Batman is trying to accomplish is to create confusion and fear with his fighting style. By being constantly on the move, ever adaptable, he ensures that he will have the upper hand.

Really, there's a lot I could say, like how well it handles the theme of fear, or Tom Wilkinson's marvelous turn as Falcone, or discuss the most awesome scene in the movie (three words: “SWEAR TO ME!”), but we could be here all day. Chances are, you've seen it by now, and you know how awesome it is (and if you didn't like it, fair enough, you're under no obligation to like what I like). Outstanding work, and clearly a 4.5/5

Up next... gee, I wonder?