I thought the water vaporizer worked only on loose water--water in combination with other elements (like in a tree or a man or pudding) would not be affected. This didn't seem odd to me--the machine would only vaporize water if, say, certain parts of the molecue were intact, ones which wouldn't be affected by the drug but which would be affected by being part of a living organism.

When I say anger-management Batman, I mean, he is too sane and has thought everything through too much. I think he works much better as someone who does not know himself, or knows himself poorly, or lies to himself at regular intervals. I am not interested in anger-management Batman; I am interested in anger Batman.

Nutty, my experience with the movie was somewhat similar to yours -- I kept expecting batshit crazy!Batman plus mega-jackhole!Batman, but that's because that's how he is in the comics right now. I had to keep reminding myself that this is Batman at the beginning of his career as a flying rodent, and so he's not yet crazy or completely dickish.

I think the issue with anger-management Batman is that he is a TOTAL control freak. Like, of epic proportions. And so it takes extraordinary circumstances for him to lose his shit, and when he does, it tends to come out in ways that aren't direct anger.

In fact, I'd say that Bruce/Batman is such a HUGE control freak that you'll never see anger!Batman. That's just the way the character is.

Which means that if you've had a drink of water in the last hour you're screwed. But quibbling about physics in comic book films is a fool's game.

I also saw Batman this weekend. My BF pointed out that the original script was about a caped seventy year-old Jewish freedom fighter. I'll let you figure that one out.

Anyway, MY nit was this, but having not read backthread, I don't know if anyone pointed it out: it's patently illegal to secretly buy up a controlling interest in a public company. Like, really, really; this is not a technicality. You have to file a statement with the SEC once your ownership goes over 5%.

Overall I was meh about it. I liked how everything in the script fit together like a puzzle, and how they weaved together three villians. But since it wasn't particularly funny, the action sequences were unremarkable (and, given Wayne's whole deal about not killing people, really freaking dangerous), and the love story useless, appreciating the script and the acting was ultimately unsatisfying. But the acting was great.

I saw BB again yesterday. Still loved it.

Also, we got the Serenity trailer this time too.

bon bon, thanks for the info. I had some physics nit-pics, but I don't know the first thing about business law. That's one of the things I love about this board--I can get all kinds of new info on shows/movies/books etc. that I would never have thought to ask about, but love knowing once I learn about 'em.

The thing that got me about that nitpick is at first, I took it that the unauthorized activation of the microwave MacGuffin on that freighter did vaporize the water in everyone close to it, hence the missing crew. It came as a surprise to me later that they could sail it through Gotham's elevated train system activated and not have every bystander go off like a roman candle .

I should probably care about the nitpicks that were brought up, but I don't. Maybe after I get over my "omigod! Batman!Squee!" reaction to the movie I'll think about it.

And while seeing it a second time kind of tempered those feelings when I saw Batman standing on the spire all cloacked in black my brain short circuited and all I could manage to think was: GUH! Flail!!! flailt BATMAN GAH": (total asscaps too).

Which would be exciting! But unfortunate.

Being unfamiliar with current comics, I can't say that canon has major implications for how the movie-Batman came across to me. But the underlying implication has always been that he is Trauma Boy, controlled or uncontrolled (or, vacillating between the poles). In the movie, he was Trauma Boy Who Has Read All The Right Self-Help Books. NSM with the vicarious brass-tacks thrill, you know?

Also, any time anybody starts using capital-letter words like Justice and Vengeance, and arguing the theory behind prancing around in tights, my brain flops over in disgust.

Not that anyone was wearing tights, but surely you aren't surprised that happened, Nutty?

And I thought he was less in control in the movie (being chibi-Bats and all) than in the books. Gaining control of the sort he does comes with the losing of the sanity.