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Anyone else excited about "Batman Begins"? (spoiler-FREE)


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Anyone else excited about "Batman Begins"? (spoiler-FREE)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2005-06-13, 11:30

Or am I a lone goober on this?

Anyway, I will be posting my review of it in a couple of days (and giving it a 1-to-10 rating on Paul's 2005 Summer Movie-o-Meter, as usual). Seeing as how we had several hundred "Episode III" threads, I had to give this movie a proper head's up. It's slated to be a better movie anyway, so...

I've only read a couple of neutral/negative reviews (and they weren't even that harsh). Seems to be overwhelming good press on this, from all areas/types, which is nice to hear! It's being praised for being a bit more grounded and realistic (as "grounded and realistic" as you can make a movie of this type, of course). But no self-consciously quirky and "designed" Tim Burton sets, and, thank goodness, no Schumacher cheese and camp featuring A-list Heavyweights Who Bring Nothing to the Proceedings (Clooney, Kidman, Carrey, Jones, Schwarzenegger, Thurman, etc. Ugh!).

The city is like a real city (slums, glass skyscrapers, el train, waterfront, etc.) and not some Gothic wet dream or neon-laden cartoon world. And his gear (the suit, the vehicle and various tools and gadgets) all have a real-world origin/backstory that has some "yeah, I can buy that" plausibility (cutting edge military hardware and so forth).

That intrigues me, because Batman is the only superhero who doesn't have super powers, so I've ALWAYS wanted to see him in the "real world", minus the theatrics, sets, costumes, zaniness and camp of the other four films...which, honestly, really got on my nerves and provided little to no enjoyment for me, minus the very first viewing of the original 1989 one.

And the CGI is truly minimal, from all I've read. Actual stunts, actual actors on wires, actual vehicles tearing down city streets at 120mph, actual sets with depth/weight (pay attention to this, Lucas!), etc. I read several reviews that said "it's the kind of movie where you don't notice the FX", which, coming off "Episode III", is going to be really refreshing!

The complete opposite to Lucas' recent endeavors, where the FX and CGI just scramble your eyes and brain after about 35 minutes...

And the supporting cast: Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Rutger Hauer(!), etc. Those are the very actors (along with Spacey, Pacino and a couple of others) that I'd pay to watch read a bubble gum wrapper, so to have them ALL in one movie...



Anyway, this thread can be the official "Batman Begins" review/discussion zone for folks who are going to see it, have seen it, don't want to see it, etc.



I do hear the final scene sets up a cool "what if" possibility for a sequel...should play out nicely on screen, if what I heard is true...how this unseen character is alluded to.



Or rather:

*hint hint*
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sunrain
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2005-06-13, 11:39

I'm very excited about this movie. Christopher Nolan should bring some nice darkness to the series.

(I'm even more excited about a non Apple-Intel thread. )

Edit: Could we avoid spoilers for a bit though? Pretty please and thanks.

"What a computer is to me is it's the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
- Steve Jobs
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ast3r3x
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2005-06-13, 11:41

I'm excited, hopefully it's good, although I am worried about the unrealistic-ness of it. It doesn't seem bad, but the batmobile flying across the rooftops seems off, even if it was made to jump across rivers.

I have downloaded like 12 different clips, and 11min of b-roll footage to get an idea of the movie.
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709
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2005-06-13, 11:42

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0
Or rather:

*hint hint*
I hadn't heard that bit, so thanks. How exciting.

Yeah, I'll be one of those goobers at the theatre this weekend. I'm really, really excited that this franchise might untarnish what Major Hollywood Money™ destroyed almost irreparably.

I was (am) a HUGE fan of the Frank Miller books...hopefully some of that grittyness that made me love those so much will transfer to the screen this time. Especially the idea that Batman, as you say, is pretty much a regular Joe (albeit with a hefty bankroll) that decides to 'take back' his city. Selfless in a way, but the boy's got issues to be sure.

And I think Christian Bale was an inspired choice to play The Knight.

[edit]: As for sequels, I'd heard that Bale signed up for a 3 picture deal if this one goes over well...anybody else hear that?

[edit2]: Not only would I like to see in a sequel, but I'd love to see as well.

So it goes.
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Kickaha
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2005-06-13, 11:45

Yes, keep it spoiler free please!

I also have high hopes for this one, I've been following the production since, well, it were just a wee script. Haven't read the script, have avoided most spoilers, etc, and I'd like to keep it that way. But yes, it looks to be pretty darned good. What gives me the most hope is that many reviews I've read have stated that this isn't a good superhero movie... it's a good drama, period. The suit, logo, and gadgets are utterly secondary.
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Wrao
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2005-06-13, 11:46

I kind of stopped caring about batman movies a long time ago. Him and spider-man have always been my 2 favorite super heroes, but batman 3 and 4 were just lame.

Well, this movie definitely looks like it's going to be good, I probably won't see it for a week or so since it's my birthday on wednesday, and I might have other plans(heh) but yea, It does look pretty cool.

(paul, haven't you noticed that nearly *every* big movie these days sets up a 'cool what if' for a sequel?)
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Wrao
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2005-06-13, 11:48

Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrain
I'm very excited about this movie. Christopher Nolan should bring some nice darkness to the series..

Ya know, so many people are always creaming their pants at the prospect of a 'darker' depiction of (insert character, movie, video game...etc.) it's usually something I just roll my eyes at and think "eh, go back to hot topic" but batman is the dark knight, and the last 2 movies were anything but dark, so for once, bringing some nice darkness to the series is in every way a very good thing.
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murbot
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2005-06-13, 12:06

I'll be checking it out, for sure.

Amazing that a guy can go from this to freaking Batman.

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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2005-06-13, 12:13

Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrain
Edit: Could we avoid spoilers for a bit though? Pretty please and thanks.
No, I certainly wouldn't want to ruin anything for anyone who doesn't see it until the weekend (I'm going tomorrow at midnight, like the royal flaming dipshit I am... ).

I'll just give a regular, spoiler-free review (my enjoyment of it, why it worked, why it didn't, etc.). Just like any review.

I will spill no beans.

I promise not to provide any spoiler tidbit without a noticeable ***SPOILER ALERT...STOP READING NOW!!!*** advance notification and warning (if people choose to ignore it and read on, that's on them).

Deal? Fair enough? Or people could PM me for info and nuggets...


Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2005-06-13 at 12:19.
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Kickaha
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2005-06-13, 12:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0
I promise not to provide any without a noticeable ***SPOILER ALERT...STOP READING NOW!!!*** notification and warning (if people choose to ignore it and read on, that's on them).

Deal?

I'd rather you start another thread for that, to be honest. I read too damned fast, and my eyes are into the spoiler before the warning registers, most of the time.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2005-06-13, 12:20

I can do that too. No prob.

Henceforth, this thread shall remain SPOILER-FREE.

(if a mod wants to change the title to something more suitable ("Batman Begins discussion...spoiler-free"), have at it!
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LudwigVan
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2005-06-13, 13:50

Quote:
Originally Posted by 709
[edit]: As for sequels, I'd heard that Bale signed up for a 3 picture deal if this one goes over well...anybody else hear that?
I've only come across this bit thus far:

Quote:
Goyer and Nolan say they’ve got a trilogy in mind, and based on this as a starting point, I hope they get to work on that second film as soon as possible. They’ve done one hell of a job convincing me that BATMAN BEGINS, and now I’m dying to see how he continues.
By the way, this excerpt is from here, a review that contains spoilers.
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Nautical
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2005-06-13, 18:20

I'm feeling very excited about this movie. Christian Bale is a very talented actor which I've liked since I first saw him in American Psycho.
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drewprops
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2005-06-13, 18:33

I was in the first Batman movie, so I'm always excited to see new ones come out (and have been mostly disappointed with every one them).
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sunrain
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2005-06-13, 20:00

I was able to catch most of Christian Bale's interview with Terry Gross on NPR this afternoon. I think she focused a bit much on his weight loss and gain from the past few roles, but on the whole it was a great interview. If you can, catch a re-broadcast.

"What a computer is to me is it's the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
- Steve Jobs
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HOM
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2005-06-13, 20:01

Batman filmed in Chicago? Superman filmed in New York? There's something wrong in the world...

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ezkcdude
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2005-06-13, 20:05

So far, it has a 61 score with 8 reviews on Metacritics. That's actually lower than Episode III. After that lemon, I ain't getting my hopes up too much.
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SledgeHammer
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2005-06-13, 22:39

I'm excited about it. Also, great story, drew.
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psmith2.0
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2005-06-14, 00:59

Yeah, those other four just got progressively worse as they went on. Started out shaky enough (I HATE Jack Nicholson...lazy, one-note hack) and they just got worse, with bigger stars, budgets, set-pieces, moronic gadgets and vehicles, crapfest plots and reliance on formula (why did all his crap get destroyed at the end of these movies...he crashed his plane, wrecked his boat, wrecked another boat and plane, lost his car, etc.).

By the time Schumacher arrived, it was all candy neon, skewed camera and scene-chewing on 11. Completely horrible pieces of poo, those last two.

I've always wanted to see a Batman set in the 40's: Tommy guns, blimps, "calling all cars!" police radios, etc. Something with that cool retro Rocketeer/Phantom/Shadow vibe, shot in that gauzy, bleached style of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow". A cloth/leather/canvas costume (but very stylish and cool), cool futuristic (for the time) car, muted colors or with a tinted look. But really gritty, well-written and done seriously and played straight.

Will never happen, but it's cool for me to think about...
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drewprops
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2005-06-14, 06:21

Yeah, I'd daresay that EVERY true fan of the Batman series would want to see a traditional costume. One of the 'Elseworlds' comics had the Batman happening in Victorian times, the high-collared cloak and beefy utility belt was AWESOME. It took me a long time to admit that Burton really pooped on Batman, but they did do some things that were okay in that movie as compared to the crap that happened afterward.

Miller's Dark Knight series is what I want to see happen one day.... total hard-ass rock opera.

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
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HOM
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2005-06-14, 06:51

pscates, check out the Batman cartoon.

No, I'm serious. It's exactly what you want in a Batman movie.

Link

It's rated PG-13 so don't think it's some kiddie flick.



EDIT: Just thought I throw this in...

The Batman cartoon, as far as I know, is the only cartoon that was drawn on black paper so it is always dark and then had the lighter elements added in.

CARTHAGO DELENDA EST

¡Viva La Revolucion!
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2005-06-14, 08:32

Yeah, I was a HUGE fan of the animated series. Bruce Timm and those guys did an amazing job. Everytime I'd watch an episode (particularly that first initial batch), I'd think "these guys are nailing it: understated acting/dialog, dry humor, good action, a serious Batman, an overall style/vibe that is really satisfying, etc....why can't the real-life movies be 1/5 this good?!?"



I've got the book to the animated series (a "making of/behind the scenes" type of book) and it's AMAZING to look at. Bruce Timm had his vision of Batman on the backburner for years and years, and when his department was assigned to "come up with a new Batman animated series", he hit the ground running and was already ahead of the game.



Yeah, the backgrounds and all were painted on black board, for that shadowy, "noir" appearance. They have TONS of photos in the book of these background plates, vehicle and character concepts and refinements, etc.

That animated series kicked the living hell out of anything churned out by Burton and Schumacher, truth be known...



Drew, a long time ago at AppleInsider I made a post about "The Dark Knight Returns" done as a movie. Something tells me that one day, years and years from now and probably when we least expect it, they'll tackle it. And after the success of "Sin City", I'll bet Frank Miller himself will have a heavy role in it (directing, etc.). Something like that is so "out there" and grand...it would be a 3-4 hour movie, and a gay Joker, an old, fat and pissy Batman, a girl Robin AND Superman and Batman beating the living shit out of each other would probably give the studio suits a coronary!



But it would rake in more than all the other Batman movies combined, I'd bet.

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Eugene
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2005-06-14, 08:59

Quote:
Originally Posted by murbot
I'll be checking it out, for sure.

Amazing that a guy can go from this to freaking Batman.

Seen Matt Damon in Courage Under Fire ? Some suggest that role launched his career.

But anyway, Batman Begins looks really, really good. It should satisfy Batman film fans and regular schmoes...dunno about the comic book guys. Any movie where the main villain has an undulating potato sack over his head gets a thumbs up from me.

Episode III still sucks.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2005-06-14, 09:01



Get that last poke in...

I do agree that "Batman Begins" will make "Episode III" look really weak and lacking, particularly in the acting/dialog department.

Hell, that Flintstones vitamins commercial with the kids playing soccer makes "Episode III" look really weak and lacking in the acting/dialog department.

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LudwigVan
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2005-06-14, 22:54

Quote:
Originally Posted by ezkcdude
So far, it has a 61 score with 8 reviews on Metacritics. That's actually lower than Episode III. After that lemon, I ain't getting my hopes up too much.
As of this post, it's at a 74 with 23 reviews. So it looks like it'll only climb as the release date approaches (er, tomorrow) and more reviews come in. The several reviews I've read locally placed this film in the "good" to "great" range.

Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer is up to 80% thus far, too.
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ezkcdude
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2005-06-14, 22:59

Ludwig, I saw that, too. I'm psyched. Also, Roger Ebert (my fav reviewer) gave it 4 stars (100 score according to Metacritic), so I think it should, at the very least, eclipse SWIII.
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psmith2.0
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2005-06-15, 02:24

Well guys, I just returned from the first 12:01am showing here in town.

It's a REALLY good movie. You know what? You don't even have to like Batman, or know and care about him, his origins or these kinds of movies, period, to enjoy something like this.

Just a really solid, nice blend of action, backstory, humor (Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman get some great lines!), freakiness (you'll see) and several satisfying "ahh, so THAT'S how the..." moments.



And an awesome final 30-60 seconds. So clever and unexpected...the audience went nuts and applauded at this particular scene.

No spoilers (not in this thread, anyway) and I'll write a bit more tomorrow on specifics (acting, sets, etc.) or will answer questions.

I will say this: it's the first movie in a long damn time that I don't recall having a "cringe-inducing" moment. It's just good and solid, and, most importantly, it takes the character and subject matter seriously. No camp or slapstick to be found...any humor is subtle, grounded and springs from good writing or catchy dialog.

This is definitely the first film Batman that would scare the living crap out of me if I were a criminal and encountered him in an alley at night.



Some GREAT scenes of Batman just being a full-tilt bad-ass, like most of us have always wanted to see. And if you read "Batman: Year One", you'll see tons of parallels (in Batman and Gordon's relationship mainly, and the respect and trust they have for each other).

Gary Oldman did a great, understated and likable job here.

A solid 9.2 out of 10 (one of my highest, I believe). I recommend it.

They finally got it right...a Batman movie that didn't embarrass itself OR me. And I walked out of the theater afterwards feeling very impressed. And everyone else seemed to be as well...just lots of excited chattering amongst everyone, recounting scenes, complimenting this scene or that, etc.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2005-06-15 at 02:34.
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drewprops
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2005-06-15, 06:07

"The finally got it right......"

The first thing I said to the people with me were "Somebody finally got it right!" and I'm thinking that a LOT of Bat fans are going to say the same thing. From all the trailers I saw I was wholly unprepared for this movie to be more than marginally acceptable. I recommend that people go into this with no expectations - just let the movie unfold for you.

Anything else I write leads to spoilers, so for now I'm waiting to write more. Also, I somehow woke up and am functioning with less than three hours of sleep. This just has to be my last 12:01am movie of the summer. GAH!!!

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2005-06-15, 08:01

Quote:
Originally Posted by drewprops
Also, I somehow woke up and am functioning with less than three hours of sleep. This just has to be my last 12:01am movie of the summer. GAH!!!


Ohmigosh...TELL me about it! I'm seriously dragging butt this morning. There isn't enough caffeine in the state to jump-start me.

And if history is any indication, today I will hear from every single one of my friends and/or any woman I have a crush on/am interested in, because, out of the blue, they'll all somehow be in the mood to do something with me TONIGHT (not this past weekend, not Monday, not last night, not tomorrow night, not this coming weekend, etc....but tonight). And all I wanna do is make it to 5:30, drive home and slide into bed. Alone.

They can all have me tomorrow or this weekend.



This is also my last "geek midnight showing" of the year...I was only truly looking forward to two movies this year anyway, and now I've seen them both and for the rest of the year it'll be weekend matinees or a weeknight 7pm showing after work...you know, like NORMAL people.

Damn...what a good movie that was.
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kscherer
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2005-06-15, 16:20

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0
Or am I a lone goober on this?
Comic book movies have gotten to comic-booky (is that a word ). No can like it. Sorry. Have fun. Enjoy. Blah, blah, blah . . .
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