Um, yeah, of course . . . to expect superhero flicks to be fun is stupid.
I think you've put the film on that pedestal I was talking about.
Been reading them for years . . . for fun and entertainment. If I want a deep meditation on the human condition, I'll stick to Conrad, Dostoyevsky, Faulkner, et al.
Because Nolan makes very well-crafted films. That's not a complicated or contradictory concept. The Prestige was a superb movie. What I'm taking about with TDK was its tone. Its relentlessly dour and humorless tone.
I think it tried too hard to be self-importantly downbeat in a late-80s-and-90s "ultra-gritty and dark comics are sooo kewl" way. That's a line of thought I've never bought into.
When Rachel got blown up, there were no fanboy tears for me.
I felt like "Good! She was more of a plot device than a real character anyway." Thus, Harvey's motivation to go schizo seemed hollow, the Joker's turning of him seemed forced and unbelievable, and Dent's death had no impact on me. The "O tortured souls!" angle has become a cliche in itself. (Raimi's Spidey flicks suffer from this as well.)
Yes, Batman is a tortured, misunderstood, and self-sacrificing hero. I get it. I "got it" 25 years ago from Frank Miller.
I just don't find it a very deep or interesting observation. I can see the appeal to the teen angst of a young audience that feels outcast and marginalized, but as an older adult I want to feel ebullient and energized by my superhero flicks. The real world is bleak enough.
Teen angst is for, well...teens.
I don't need my escapism to aspire to timeless literature.
That just seems pretentious.
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Yeah, I agree.
Yup, there's definately room for 2 great superhero movies this summer.
Oh, and I want epic hand to hand combat with Alfred and Bane.
Laud? TDK was an enjoyable movie that's been stuck on a pedestal because of Ledger's death.
It's about as cerebral as a video game.
It seems like a postgrad thesis because of the mega-cheese that constituted previous Bat-flicks.
Superhero flicks should be fun, not like sitting through your grandmother's funeral . . . where the service is spoken by a Cookie Monster with laryngitis.
Nolan is very talented with a crackerjack crew, so TDKR will undoubtedly be of high quality.
But The Avengers just set the bar for this summer, though!
Been wondering where you've been lately so I looked for your last post, and found this. ^^^
And you tell me I take stuff too seriously. :/
I agree there is little difference between the "I have an army", "we have a Hulk" and "this isn't a car" lines. But I also feel that the tone of the DKR trailer feels more heavy and moving than anything I've seen from Avengers.
I haven't seen Avengers yet, but I fully expect to love it. And it's getting great reviews. But I don't expect to be deeply moved by it. So far both of Nolan's Batman movies have been profoundly moving for me, not just fun. The latest trailer gives me a strong feeling that will be the case again. I think the way they drop out sound except for dialogue might be what makes it such a great trailer for me.
What is pretentious about being more moved by one movie/trailer than another movie/trailer? I didn't cry for the trailer, but it did give me chills. Is that pretentious? I cried for both Nolan Bat movies but not for a single marvel movie (except maybe Spiderman 2). Is that pretentious?
If you don't like the way some fans express their excitement, there's no reason to get upset with them for it, and it's certainly no reason to question your own fandom.
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Screw hand-to-hand combat, I want Alfred laying the beat down on Bane with his cane.
I felt nothing for Coulson
I felt sad for Bruce and for Harvey when Rachel died
