Is TDKR going to be 3d? If so, I'm sure they're hoping for as good or better. I don't think they'll be disappointed with 400 million, but I bet they won't be as happy as they want to be. Which probably qualifies as disappointed.

No, just IMAX.

Good for them! Then I don't know what the official expectations are, but boxofficemojo predicted 500+ million at the beginning of the summer but I don't think it will make it.

I have the feeling TDKR isn't going to be a blockbuster to end all blockbusters. The Avengers may have primed this summer's audiences for feel-good adventure, and from the trailers it doesn't look like it's going to fit the bill of the first half of that.

There's no good reason for the Avengers to sap Batman's thunder, but I think it will, effectively. It's not going to be as big as The Avengers, and I'm already seeing people kinda...blaming it for that, and it's not out yet.

And Chris Nolan is good, really good, but the last movie was lightning in a bottle with some salient components that are not reproducible. I kinda felt that was the expectation, though. The Avengers didn't make the comic book market inherently bigger--and like Matt says, I think not only are the trailers clear it's not the same tone, it's not like you could come out of the last one expecting hijinx for the trilogy wrapup.

The Avengers may have primed this summer's audiences for feel-good adventure, and from the trailers it doesn't look like it's going to fit the bill of the first half of that.

There's no good reason for the Avengers to sap Batman's thunder, but I think it will, effectively.

The Avengers really ruined me for DKR. I'm not even kidding. And I plan to see Spider-Man when it opens, and even that looks more feel-good than DKR.

I'm looking forward to DKR, I really am. I'm just not expecting for it to be *fun.*

the last movie was lightning in a bottle with some salient components that are not reproducible.

The Dark Night? I think I'm one of the only people who liked it yet has no desire to see it again. It was so damn bleak. I didn't really get any hint of hope, or hey-the-future-might-be-marginally-less-worse from it. Batman Begins wasn't a fun romp, but it left me with a sense of "Batman fuck YEAH!" and made me really look forward to Batman and Gordon working together. The Dark Knight left me wanting to wash down some Ativan with Wild Turkey.

I sound really down on it, and the weird thing is that I don't mean to be. I love Batman; I know 100% well that he's not a cheerful character, or even one that's easy to be with a lot of the time. And that's okay by me. But The Dark Knight was, for me, not just devoid of hope, but kind of the anti-hope. That sounds vague and crazy, I know.

I think it's the damn Avengers. They ruined me with their fun, and their cute butts, and their science bros.

Dark Knight made me think "Gotham? Never go there."

The trailers have done a really good job of dispelling any enthusiasm I might have had about TDKR. I'll still see it, it stars a bunch of actors I enjoy and I've been a fan of Bale's since he was an urchin singing and dancing around fin de siècle Manhattan. But the odds of me enjoying it enough for repeat viewings look to be vanishingly small.

I'm looking forward to DKR, I really am. I'm just not expecting for it to be *fun.*

Teppy and I are as one in this! I am looking forward to DKR (and am going on the big work division outing to go see it on opening day, whoo!), but I am expecting grim with a side of grim, covered with ridiculous Batman Voice topping.

I've been a fan of Bale's since he was an urchin singing and dancing around fin de siècle Manhattan

Pfft. I've been a fan since he was Falstaff's boy (at 2:32).

I liked Batman Begins better than Dark Knight, largely because I felt they wasted Maggie Gyllenhaal.