Dark Knight

[JoshF]

Coens and Kubrick. Gutsy.



(also superbly overrated)

[Ed Oscuro]

Hmm... well, to each his own. Never understood what everyone liked about the Last Samurai. Perhaps b/c I spent most of my professional life in Japan it seemed horribly fake to me.

I heard that Japanese folks were less bent out of shape about it than conscientious Americans (myself included, I more or less hated the film even though it wasn't too hard to watch - just the philosophical 'points' it presented were repugnant, of course we have to deal with the gimme Native American guilt thread the directors threw in as a gimme). Is this true? Does Japan look back at this time with fondness, as a way of getting into the modern age? Are Americans too likely to get hung up on cultural destruction, and too unwilling to acknowledge the benefits of the modern order? Are the Japanese unaware how crazy Cruise has been over the last decade?

All rhetorical questions, but I don't have any definite answers.

Big Lebowski...excellent, but I don't think it's quite the Coen Brothers' best, but it's good.

Wut?

Miller's Crossing, right?

Coens and Kubrick. Gutsy.

Was laughing before I read the fine print, which is overkill imo

BONUS: here's skykid complaining about the dialogue

and then putting up Dr. Strangelove as one of the best movies of all time

I like it when people allow a movie's billing to determine how they view the script. "Hey it's billed as a farce. FUNNY APPRECIATE CIRCUIT TURN ON!!1"

also who was bitching about how 'people don't talk like that' (Harvey Dent's speech and William Fitchner's bank manager are the only things that comes to mind, but a lot of the rest of the film was pretty realistic)

[JoshF]

Was laughing before I read the fine print, which is overkill imo

Nope. Being overrated has nothing to do with actual quality. Those movies just tend to be flagrantly overrated because pseudo-intellectuals like to cut and paste from the critical orthodoxy .



(either they want to be in the smarty club or lack the ability to analyze for themselves)

[seattlexc]

Here's another opinion on the Dark Night... Very good movie overall, but the ending got corny (maybe the last 1/5th or so of the movie). The Joker was probably one of my all time favorite movie characters but Two Face looked silly, they should have used makeup instead.

[JoshF]

Harvey Sun Damage?

[Nuke]

One boat needed to be blown up, and you know the one I'm talking about. Preferably by themself, for the added dark humor points that Mr. J is so famous for.

[JoshF]

Hey, I almost cried during that spurprise happening, maybe cause they tried really hard to make you feel like a racist.

[jonny5]

One boat needed to be blown up, and you know the one I'm talking about. Preferably by themself, for the added dark humor points that Mr. J is so famous for.

QFT

seriously....i was watching the movie and that was the first thing that popped into my mind....each ship has the detonator for there own ship....and the dumb civilians is gonna get blowed up.....YAY!!!

dont really see it as a bad thing that i was wrong....i thought one thing and the film took me for a loop...i like that kind of thing....i hate predictable movies

[GaijinPunch]

Miller's Crossing, right?

It was a tie between Raising Arizona and Fargo until recently (based on number of times I've watched, Raizing Arizona by a mile). Ask me in a year, but I think No Country has edged into the lead. Chigur is one of the best villains to hit the big screen... and I grew up in Texas in the 80's, so I have a soft spot.

[Ed Oscuro]

Was laughing before I read the fine print, which is overkill imo

Nope. Being overrated has nothing to do with actual quality. Those movies just tend to be flagrantly overrated because pseudo-intellectuals like to cut and paste from the critical orthodoxy .

No, no, I agreed with you and the small text just confirmed it, that's all

It was a tie between Raising Arizona and Fargo until recently (based on number of times I've watched, Raizing Arizona by a mile). Ask me in a year, but I think No Country has edged into the lead. Chigur is one of the best villains to hit the big screen... and I grew up in Texas in the 80's, so I have a soft spot.

I'm a terrible person and haven't seen any of the ones mentioned.

[GaijinPunch]

I'm a terrible person and haven't seen any of the ones mentioned.

Sounds like you've got work to do!

[nlen83]

Please name one of your classics. If your list is as bad as nlne83's, I'm never locating another game for you again.

Interesting how you rip my list (which i spent a good 20 seconds on) and haven't posted anything about your own movie choices.
...besides responding to coen brother movies.

There is no reason to continue to reply to this thread. I'll stop now. lol The only thing we're gonna get out of this is people telling each other how shitty their taste in movies is. I'm gonna go back to shmup love etc..which is why I come here in the first place.

[RGC]

.

[Skykid]

BONUS: here's skykid complaining about the dialogue

and then putting up Dr. Strangelove as one of the best movies of all time.

Didn't say that Ed. I was asked for a classic, I gave one.

Totally missing your point though - are you actually saying that Strangelove can't hold a candle to the dialogue of the new Batman movie?
For your integrity, I hope not.

[Ed Oscuro]

Read the rest of the post to find out exactly what I meant!

Words hold a strange power.

Even so I admit that was one of my stranger posts in some time.

[CMoon]

Assuming it is still possible to talk about Batman here; even though I've only seen the movie once (less times than the average American), having time to ruminate over the film has been helpful. What I'm most amazed by is the huge demographic this film is appealing to. You make a heavy, depressing film and can guarantee that the film will only appeal to a certain demographic is really going to enjoy the film. But the numbers suggest that a lot of people are seeing the film they want in batman; that is, the directors have cleverly produced a film that for a lot of people is just a big summer action film--and a good one at that. But clearly for those who want to see all the other messages in this film, those are there too.

For the naysayers of this film, I certainly agree this isn't the greatest film in movie history. I don't even know if I'd buy the DVD of it, but questioning whether it is a good film seems silly. This is a big, meaty film with a lot of thought behind it; that's not something we see running off the hollywood assembly line everyday, and I am really pleased to see the film receiving the attention it is.

[D]

Assuming it is still possible to talk about Batman here; even though I've only seen the movie once (less times than the average American), having time to ruminate over the film has been helpful. What I'm most amazed by is the huge demographic this film is appealing to. You make a heavy, depressing film and can guarantee that the film will only appeal to a certain demographic is really going to enjoy the film. But the numbers suggest that a lot of people are seeing the film they want in batman; that is, the directors have cleverly produced a film that for a lot of people is just a big summer action film--and a good one at that. But clearly for those who want to see all the other messages in this film, those are there too.

For the naysayers of this film, I certainly agree this isn't the greatest film in movie history. I don't even know if I'd buy the DVD of it, but questioning whether it is a good film seems silly. This is a big, meaty film with a lot of thought behind it; that's not something we see running off the hollywood assembly line everyday, and I am really pleased to see the film receiving the attention it is.

Couldn't have said it better myself (It's true, I can't). Unless I was sitting next to a sweaty pig in the theatre I can't imagine how anyone could feel like it was a waste of time after they left the theatre.
I'd still like to motivate to let the naysayers express their beliefs, but naming your classics won't cut it. Clearly state what's wrong with movie compared to the usual holywood flicks.

[RGC]

.

[Skykid]

Read the rest of the post to find out exactly what I meant!

Words hold a strange power.

That they do, especially when extra effort is required to decipher what they mean.

I'd rather not get dragged through the rigmaroll of why I think the film is grossly overrated - but there are many reasons, some of which have already been cited in this thread.

What's most interesting is moviegoers that find utter baloney like the Last Samurai entertaining still pick out the correct faults with the Dark Knight. It's clear that as disposable popcorn fiction, the Dark Knight is as messy a film for a fair portion of its target audience as it is for the critics.

Were it not put on such a pedestal, it wouldn't bother me too much. Still, I expect more from a 3 hour Batman film, and this Nolan effort failed to engage or even achieve the consistency of the Tim Burton efforts.

But when audiences have been treated to half-assed crap for the better part of nearly ten years, who's counting?

[JoshF]

Tim Burton bragged about never reading a Batman comic, and it showed.

[szycag]

I thought Tim Burton did read Killing Joke. Something about him being dyslexic and not knowing which order to read the panels.

This thread seems to have run it's course... it's a pretty good movie for Hollywood, which Batman fans really enjoy because it stands up to the comics. It's overhyped, and there are always people like those on IMDB who would give it 1 star just to bring down the average rating as much as possible. It is of no consequence.

[GaijinPunch]

Interesting how you rip my list (which i spent a good 20 seconds on) and haven't posted anything about your own movie choices.
...besides responding to coen brother movies.

I was never asked.

[Ed Oscuro]

But when audiences have been treated to half-assed crap for the better part of nearly ten years, who's counting?

I guess I'm an optimist then - it's an improvement over what we've had, certainly.

But that's my pessimistic note - I agree that most superhero films are probably garbage (I only can really recall Spider-Man from '01; haven't gone to see any others; the last superhero flick I saw before that was probably Batskin & Robbin)

[Skykid]

Tim Burton bragged about never reading a Batman comic, and it showed.

But he still achieved a consistency in film making not exhibited in the Dark Knight.
And the shooting of Wayne's parents was handled so much more credibly in the original due to it being darker and more violent.

The better director wins out, regardless of his knowledge of the subject matter.

I guess I'm an optimist then - it's an improvement over what we've had, certainly.

I know what you mean - I quite liked the first two Spiderman films, although I thought the portrayal of the character was a bit off the beaten path (where were all spidey's one liners!).
I'd agree most superhero movies in between are pretty duff: Daredevil, Elektra, The incredible Hulk etc.
But the damn holes man, why all the damn HOLES! Doesn't Batman deserve to be written better?

[JoshF]

But he still achieved a consistency in film making not exhibited in the Dark Knight.

I don't know what that means. You mean how he plugged Prince twice?

[Skykid]

But he still achieved a consistency in film making not exhibited in the Dark Knight.

I don't know what that means.

Oh well.

[JoshF]

darker and more violent

[Nuke]

darker and more violet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLlQpc8D2Kc
....

[JoshF]

Ah, it was so obvious. TRUST.

[Skykid]

TRUST.

lol