Just came back from seeing the latest Batman movie. I've enjoyed it quite a bit although I am completely unfamiliar with any Batman lore outside of the movies, so the characters don't live in my heart like they do for many of you. Like everyone, I thought JGL was marvellous, and the movie managed to surprise me several times, which I was not expecting. Nicely done!
I had some trouble understanding Bane. I reckon I missed about 30-40% of his dialog and at some point was rather desperate for a subtitle. Not sure if that'd improve with repeated viewing. Tom Hardy was an imposing presence, despite my limited understanding of his dialog.
They filmed some of the key scenes of the movie in Pittsburgh and the local audience in my theater was very appreciative. The football field scene (seen in the trailer) was clearly filmed at the Heinz Field, and, uh, they had a rather prominent ad for my company up on the screen in the stadium. Woo-hoo, I guess? They also had (minor spoilers for the scene)
several Steelers players featured in the scene including Hines Ward, who was the player running in front, who managed to make it to the edge of the devastation. Gotham City team was uniformed in Steelers colour (black and gold), and there was quite a bit of hooting and hollering from the audience at that. That was nice of Nolan (or whoever it was that decided to throw the football-mad Pittsburghers a bone)
I also recognized a bunch of downtown Pittsburgh spots in latter parts of the film. And the big fight scene near the end was filmed just 15 minutes' walk from my house, on my regular commute route! Cool cool cool. [/Abed]
Hey, was Bane's coat swanky, or what? I want to know where he shops.
They had the three main costumes (Batman, Catwoman and Bane) on display at the Hollywood Arclight, where we saw the film tonight. The coat looks very cool close-up, too.
Another couple random thoughts: for a couple seconds there at the end, when Teal'c and cohorts are about to
kill Blake, and Batman comes to the rescue, when Blake disarms Teal'c--that's Batman and Robin.
Which is kinda cool. And might not happen again.
And does anyone know where the coordinates are for? Even vaguely? And can you remember back to the first movie to see if there was any started stipulation in the
League of Shadows secret manual that says your secret hideout needs to have not so much
running water, as falling water?
It feels a bit heretical to say it, but I think Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle might be the best Catwoman because she
wasn't really Catwoman. She didn't have to bother with a bunch of overtly distracting (and cheesy outside the hands of Newmar and Kitt, frankly) feline traits, nor a powered backstory. It was definitely the Nolanesque way to bring her in.
And the ears had a point, so to speak. I did a quick run through the actors who've played Selina and/or Catwoman (in pieces I'm familiar with--no way I'm catching up on the animated canon, at least not soon), and I'm gonna say--she might not have bee iconic (not instantly, anyway) but she can consider herself at the top end of a tough job, and effective. I guess Michelle Pfeiffer was a directing issue, since we know she can act, right? Don't we? I seem to remember having read that somewhere that wasn't about her role fixing that inner city school and saving the kids from their ethnicities.
Michelle P. strength acting-wise is in drama. She was great in "The Fabulous Baker Boys" for example. Also was the bright light in the terrible "What Lies Beneath." I don't think action or action-related stuff is really her strength. But it has been long enough ago since I've seen that Batman, that I probably should stop talking out of my ass.
She's been on a hiatus of some short, hasn't she? I'm reasonably sure I heard much about her working for a while.
I thought Pfeiffer's Catwoman was the best part of the second Batman movie.
She hasn't worked too much lately, but I know she's in one new movie with Chris Penn and Elizabeth Banks. I think she's a better actress than she's sometimes given credit for being.
I forgot she was in
Dark Shadows,
though.
between T-Hard doing Sean Connery (??)
Ha! It kind of was, now that I think about it.
Yes, totally doing Sean Connery. I had a moment at the beginning where I thought it was him.
Really enjoyed it and now totally want a
Nightwing
movie right away.
I tried to explain to my comics-movie loving but non comics book reading friend the total
coolness of No Man's Land. I'm so psyched we got a feel for that.
Man, need to watch the first two and then go back for a rewatch. . . or possibly reread some of the books.
Also: suburban Chicago did not get the Hobbit. We got Supes, that alien invasion comedy, amongst others (Bourne Legacy). And afterwards we had a questionnaire to fill out from the Bourne Legacy marketing people.
