Avengers v. Batman: the pointless debate

Pardon me while I step onto my soapbox.

Fanboys, as I have said before, are an irritating bunch. I’m not talking about myself or others like me. I’m talking about the ones who, upon seeing a newly released still from a film, say things like “That costume f*%#ing sucks! This movie blows!” This same group likes to flop between liking or hating particular movies, directors, actors, etc. because they think it’s “cool” at the moment. These fanboys are currently blowing up an argument over whether just-released “The Avengers” is better than the upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises.” This debate is beyond ridiculous. I’m sorry, but that’s a lot like saying, “This Five Guys Burger is better than that Prime Rib.” Do you see where I’m going with this? The two are not similar.

Just to be clear, I’m not completely biased toward “The Dark Knight Rises.” if you know me at all, you know my passion for Batman, as well as my love for the first two Christopher Nolan movies. I really respect what Marvel has accomplished with their recent movies, though. I have enjoyed all of the movies leading up to “The Avengers,” and the payoff was worth it. The finale of “The Avengers” felt like a fitting reward for sticking around since “Iron Man” first teased this culmination of superhero powerhouses. I have to say, though, that the Avengers hype is well out of hand. Marvel fanboys are already touting it as the “best superhero/comic book movie ever.” I think that this is a huge exaggeration. “The Avengers” has some great dialogue and character interaction, but the first hour or so of the movie is pretty boring. The middle act plays out awkwardly. As I mentioned earlier, the final battle was the best part. In my opinion, as a 30+ year reader of comic books, I would put Avengers behind “Superman: The Movie,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and “X-Men: First Class,” if we were to rank comic book superhero adaptations. I would even put the first “Spider-Man” on par with it.(Don’t get me started on how overrated “Spider-Man 2” is.)

Having said all of that, I want to make clear that I’m not comparing these movies to each other. I’m simply rating them on how true to their source material they are, and how closely the characters on screen match their comic book counterparts. I maintain that the goal in making “The Avengers” is much different than the goal in making “The Dark Knight Rises.” This idea of Marvel vs. DC is preposterous. The films in the Avengers series play out like classic single-issue comics. Nolan’s Batman saga is structured like a classical drama. Does it verge on melodrama? Yes…deliciously so. So far in the Dark Knight series, we have a first act that is all exposition, with a middle act that is all rising action. The third act has the difficult job of bringing the story to its best conclusion. No matter what the quality will be, I think that the film that Nolan and company will deliver will be a far, far cry from the type of movie that “The Avengers” is. You know what? THAT’S OKAY.

See you in July. The fire rises.

“The Dark Knight Rises” promises to be the epic conclusion that the trilogy deserves!

If you know me, even a little, you know that I have waited for few things more than I have waited for my first glimpse of the concluding entry in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Last night, it happened. I’ll break it down for you. Spoilers ahead…

The WB and Legendary logos appear in front of the blue flame from “The Dark Knight.”

Camera pans up quickly across the surface of buildings.

A title card reads “Every hero has a journey.”

Ra’s Al Ghul is heard in voiceover reciting the following from “Batman Begins:” “If you make yourself more than just a man…”

A shot from “Begins” of Bruce Wayne walking toward the village.

Title card: “every journey has an end.”

Ra’s: “If you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become more than a man.”

Shot from “Begins” of Bruce surrounded by bats in the cave.

Title card: From Christopher Nolan.

Ra’s: “A legend, Mr. Wayne. A legend.”

Shot from “The Dark Knight” of the Bat-Pod driving away from the camera.

Shot of Commissioner Gordon laying on his side in a hospital gown, holding an oxygen mask: “We were in this together…then you were gone.”

Shot from TDK of Gordon smashing the Bat Signal.

Another shot panning up the side of buildings, reaching to the sky.

Back to Gordon in hospital. “Now this evil…rises…” Shot of a man (Bane?) climbing out of a pit of some kind.

Gordon: “The Batman…has to come back…”

A shot of someone doing pushups.

Wayne/Batman(offscreen): “What if he doesn’t exist anymore?”

Gordon: “He must.” Blurry image.

Gordon (emphatically): “He must.”

Close on Bane’s face.

Camera pan reveals Batman logo amid tops of crumbling buidlings. Camera pushes into light. Screen whites out. Black letters: The Dark Knight Rises.

Massive chanting is heard in the background. Shot of Batman staggering backward and to the right, looking scared and winded. Bane moves aggressively into the left side of the frame.

Title card: The epic conclusion of the Dark Knight legend. Summer 2012.

What do I think? I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t expect this. I think that putting Gordon in harm’s way is brilliant. It’s been done before, sure. But if Batman has gone into seclusion, what better way to draw him back out? I like the idea that Bruce seems scared. This Batman has never been equalled physically. To pit him against someone that could potentially kill him is a fantastic and logical way to raise the stakes.

We know virtually nothing at this point. I would like to try to keep it that way. You know, like we used to do it before the interwebs…

Bane revealed!

Today, Warner Bros. Pictures published the first official photo from Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Below, you’ll see Tom Hardy as Bane, Batman’s most physically challenging enemy. As I expected, the Lucha Libre look is gone. In its place is a more practical mask, and by the looks of it, it feeds Bane’s trademark venom into his mouth or his sinus cavities. The super-cynical Fanboy crowd are already drawing comparisons to TMNT baddie shredder, but I promise you that Bane will be a more than worthy foe. I’m officially excited!

NEWS: Bane and Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises!!!!

FINALLY!!!! I’ve been waiting to hear who the villains might be in “The Dark Knight Rises” for what seems like forever. Tom Hardy will be playing Bane, and Anne Hathaway will be Selina Kyle. This is all per a press release from Warner Bros. itself, so it’s official! My thoughts…

How do you follow up the fantastically imposing threat presented by Heath Ledger’s Joker? To me, not with the Riddler. DEFINITELY not with the Penguin! Bane presents a real physical challenge, and he is linked to Bruce Wayne’s past. Bane brings the potential for great action AND story to this film. As for the Anne Hathaway news… I don’t really love the Selina Kyle character, but I do like Hathaway. I think she’s talented, pretty, and charming. Notice that the press release doesn’t mention Catwoman. She may just be a love interest. Let’s see…

This thing has potential. Now, if they will just announce that they’re gonna shoot at least some exteriors in Chicago…

The Dark Knight Rises – possible casting news

Unsubstantiated reports suggest that Charlize Theron is up for the role of Detective Sarah Essen in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Essen was a central character in Frank Miller’s “Batman: Year One” graphic novel and later in the regular Batman comic series. Jim Gordon and Sarah Essen fall in love and eventually get married. Vera Farmiga is said to be under consideration for the role of Julie Madison, Bruce Wayne’s fiancée whom he never marries. Julie Madison appeared in the earliest Detective Comics stories, circa 1939-1940.

I think that this is great news. Both of these ladies are very engaging and would be well cast in these roles! Now who is Hardy playing???

Batman 3 has a name!!! And NO Riddler!!!

This is the kind of news that makes me extremely happy. I have been a huge Batman fan for most of my life. I feel that Nolan’s first two Batman films are on par with Batman: The Animated Series as the greatest interpretations of Batman and his world outside of comic book form. Today, I learned that the title of Nolan’s third Batman film will be The Dark Knight Rises. This is a logical title to me. The end of The Dark Knight saw Batman accept the burden of blame for Harvey Dent’s crimes. In doing so, only then did he become “The Dark Knight.” There is nowhere for Batman to go but up. I feel Nolan will go for an optimistic, hopeful feeling similar to what he left us with at the end of “Batman Begins,” but with a more certain feeling that Batman will emerge as Gotham’s true hero. There will be a sense that he won’t need to shoulder an unnecessary and untrue burden to keep the flame of hope alive in his city. He will rise, establishing his resilience as a character. At least that’s my hope/prediction/speculation.

The news also came out today that The Riddler is not the villain. I’m so elated to know this. I personally don’t like the character, and I think it would have made for a boring movie. Tom Hardy is already cast, and I’m hoping he will play Bane. To force Batman to face and suffer defeat at the hands of a physically unstoppable opponent would give room for a more triumphant return and resolution.

My only other hope for this movie is that they shoot at least part of it in Chicago. I selfishly want to be an extra. Let’s just hope…

*update – Regular Nolan film-scorer Hans Zimmer is again doing the music. No word on James Newton Howard’s involvement.

Nolan-ites, rejoice!..maybe…

For those of us who can’t wait to see how Christopher Nolan will follow “The Dark Knight,” his grand crime opera, it seems we have something to look forward to. Tom Hardy, last seen as Eames in Nolan’s excellent “Inception,” has been cast in the final chapter of the Batman trilogy. No one is saying who exactly Hardy is playing, but it doesn’t matter. Nolan packs his films with fantastic actors, and gets great results from doing so. In addition to Bale, Ledger, Neeson, Oldman, Eckhardt, Caine, and Gyllenhaal, supporting players like Watanabe as the Ra’s stand-in/Ubu, Murphy as Scarecrow, and Wilkinson as Falcone have added greatly to the first two Bat-stories. According to , Hardy has been cast in a lead role. This could be the much-speculated villain, the Riddler, or another character. Who knows what Nolan has up his sleeve.

**Afterthought – Hardy would be physically right for Bane. This would be a great way to wrap the trilogy, in my very humble opinion.

On the downside, it seems that Warner Bros. wants to film in New Orleans. This saddens me, as Chicago has stood in for Gotham City very well throughout the first two movies. If it were up to Nolan, I’m sure he would film largely in Chicago. I hope that the production still ends up here at some point.

One last thing: for those of you who are speculating that Killer Croc is the villain based on the New Orleans locale, I say this: stop. Think. Would Croc work in the Nolan-verse? I say no. Additionally, I don’t think they’re going to set the film in New Orleans. They’re just filming there, probably to save money more than any other reason.

Until we hear more… keep the signal in the sky!

Re-Incepted: my second screening of the much-hyped flick

If you read my stuff regularly, then you know that I was chomping at the bit to see “Inception” again while it was still in theaters. On August 29th, 5 days after my birthday, I got my wish. Hollywood Blvd, a favorite theater of mine, sends out a pass for birthdays that’s good for free admission for up to eight people. We had 5: my girl Samee; her mom, Mary; Samee’s sister, Erica; Erica’s friend Mike; and, of course, myself. If you’ve never been, the great thing about Hollywood Blvd. is that they do full food service while you watch the movie. Said service is typically first rate. On this day, unfortunately, our waitress was nearly incompetent. Our drinks didn’t come. In fact, I had to track down another waitress to retrieve them. We weren’t asked if we wanted free refills OR dessert. Again, I had to track someone down. To top it all off, the waitress never brought change. Had I not asked for said change on my way out, she would have had a $10 tip for lousy service. Even this, though, could not ruin my experience with Inception: round 2!

The fun of the second viewing for me was in trying to see little details that I hadn’t seen the first time, while enjoying the things that had impressed me before. Honestly, though, I got so caught up in the experience that I didn’t always remember to look for new things. The actors all commit to the material in a way that made me want to follow their individual and collective journeys, even though I knew their outcomes. If anything, I questioned the motives of Cobb (DiCaprio) more in this viewing. He seemed to me to be more of a protagonist by default this time around. He has the capability of throwing anyone under the bus if it means he can see his kids again. The only reason that Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) has avoided this is because he reads Cobb like a book. The tension in their professional relationship is partly there because Arthur could potentially be a more efficient team leader than Cobb, and Cobb is threatened by this knowledge. Ariadne acts as a sort of conscience to Cobb, right down to forcing him to confront the projection of Mal in limbo. I didn’t fully appreciate her role in the overall plot the first time. And while Eames (Tom Hardy) isn’t crucial to Cobb’s story, I had forgotten what a brilliant character he is and how well Hardy brings him to life.

Nolan’s eye for an evocative image is certainly no less present here. I found myself staring in awe at many of the wide shots. His DP, Wally Pfister, knows how to frame gorgeous shots, as evidenced in many of Nolan’s films. It’s obvious here as well, with the snow scenes being an obvious standout. The filming angles in the anti-gravity scenes are also stunning.

For me, the bottom line is this: Inception entertains me. It engages me mentally. I enjoy the hell out of it. I doubt that it’s actually as deep as some people want it to be, but who am I to say? I love it. It’s a new classic and I will likely buy the DVD on the day of its release so that I may watch it many more times.

Also, the pizza was delicious.

http://www.atriptothemovies.com

An open letter to Christopher Nolan

Dear Mr. Nolan:

I hope that this letter finds you doing well. I am a huge fan, and I am writing in appreciation of films you have made that I have enjoyed, as well as to encourage you in your future endeavors.

My first experience with your work came when I saw “Memento” on a whim while it was playing in theaters. I had no idea what to expect. The non-linear…even reverse-linear storytelling made for a delightful upside down thriller. I enjoyed Insomnia as well, but found that I sympathized too much with Al Pacino’s Will Dormer in that I felt stressed and sleep-deprived by the climax. This is a good thing! The experience was appropriately exhausting.

Then it happened. You made a Batman movie. You filmed it partially in my city. I saw it on opening day, because, you see, I’ve been a Batman nerd for most of my life. At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked it. Upon further reflection, however, it really grew on me. I came to love Batman Begins for its strong characterizations, tremendous cast, and its psychological and quasi-real take on the Batman world. I watch it often, usually followed by The Dark Knight. Again, I love this movie. The crime saga elements, Batman finding himself nearly powerless against an enemy, Heath Ledger’s untouchable performance, Aaron Eckhardt’s stalwart DA-turned-emotionally compromised murderer, the beautiful photography…all superb in my book. I had wanted to be an extra for this one, but I allowed someone to to talk me out of it.

Most recently, I thoroughly enjoyed Inception. The ensemble cast was a joy to watch, and the subtle complexities of the story are still rolling around in my head. I hope to catch one more viewing before the film exits theaters.

As you prepare your third Batman movie, I want to encourage you to tell the story that you want to tell. I know that you don’t need to hear this from me. Who am I to coach you in your career? I’m saying this simply to offer my support. It seems that there are two camps right now surrounding your work: those who admire it, and those who hate it. I feel strongly that a significant portion of the ‘hate’ folks are doing it because it’s ‘cool’ to hate things that are popular. Nonetheless, I think that this strong divide in opinion speaks volumes about the quality of what you have done thus far. It doesn’t help that we Batfans take our hero rather personally, and we each have specific ideas about how he should be portrayed. We’re VERY hard to please. The fact that a majority of us are behind you is a testament to the stories you have thus far given us.

I have my opinions about what would be best, but I want to see your story. You haven’t let me down so far. Show me how interesting the Riddler can be. Give my hero a fitting end. Make an epic cap to complete an epic trilogy. I’ll be there on opening day. At least once. More viewings will soon follow, I’m sure. I wish you the very best on this and other future projects.

Sincerely,
Steve Cannon

Oscar Nominees 2010: Inception

I’m sure that you might assume that I only know of Christopher Nolan through his two Batman movies. You would be wrong. I saw “Memento” in theaters after hearing some positive buzz about it and was blown away. I’ve seen all of his films, with the exception of “Following,” which I intend to watch soon. While each film has been a different experience for me, I have enjoyed them all on some level. Writing about my experience with “Inception” may mean that my thoughts get lost in the shuffle, what with the inevitable deluge of reviews and comments that already have been and have yet to be posted all over the internet. I don’t care. Being that I don’t have a large following, I don’t think it matters. Besides, I need to get my initial reaction down before I forget some of it.

I’m going to keep the spoilers to a bare minimum. I think that the best way to enjoy this movie is to go in knowing as little as possible. I tried to avoid details and I’m now glad I did.

The movie centers around Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a thief of sorts. Cobb invades people’s dreams and steals their secrets. He is assisted by Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who seems to try his best to serve as a conscience for Cobb. Ariadne (Ellen Page) also plays a role on Cobb’s team as a sort of builder/manipulator of the dreams. These three characters serve as the main players in this trippy action thriller wrapped in a world of unreality. Marion Cotillard is chilling as Cobb’s wife, Mal, who haunts his every step, both in dreams and in waking life. Cillian Murphy is appropriately distant as the target of their “big” job, an heir to a large fortune, and Tom Hardy is quite memorable and charismatic as Eames, the team’s “forger.” The ensemble of actors seem to have a great chemistry and play off of each other very well. They each commit fully to their characters, so much so that it’s easy to forget that you’re watching famous actors. Each player seems to know their part in the larger puzzle, and each of them plays accordingly. Their focus as a group, as well as individually, helps to infuse Nolan’s multidirectional script with energy and urgency.

Watching this film, I was never quite able to predict how the story was going to unfold. The level of thought that Nolan has invested in crafting this tale is quite impressive. There are layers, and at times the layers have their own layers. This is true in so many ways. The viewer needs to stay invested in the plot to really appreciate this. It’s rare for a single film to display such a prolific amount of creativity.

Visually, as with all of Nolan’s previous efforts, “Inception” is a wonder to behold. Wally Pfister, Nolan’s go-to cinematographer, once again shows his knack for capturing beautiful images, especially on visually lavish set pieces such as the ones in the pulse-pounding climax. These images are complimented by Hans Zimmer’s score, which is more cacophonous than symphonic; maybe it’s better to say that the score is more textured than melodic. Appropriately so, as it enhances a certain mood which is prevalent in Nolan’s dreamscapes, and it helps to elevate the already ridiculous amount of tension as the film roars toward its ending.

“Inception” is, on one level, a superb action film. The grand sets and unusual effects are hugely impressive and visually stimulating in ways I did not expect. The action scenes are well-paced and generally avoid looking or feeling like anything that has come before. The length did not feel obvious because the movie held my attention more completely than any other movie so far this year.

Upon further reflection, I feel that “Inception” is challenging its viewers to look closer. Some of the issues that Cobb grappled with made me ask myself if my dreams are trying to tell me something, and if so, what that something might be. Am I denying myself a deep truth in order to cope with my life? Dreams are mysterious and elusive. I’ve always had an interest in dreams, in terms of what they mean and how they work. “Inception” uses devices and aspects of real dreams to frame its dreamworld. The dreaming world that these characters inhabit is not a free-for-all, anything-can-happen excuse to do anything and everything, i. e. “The Matrix.” Nolan establishes certain rules and sticks to them. He never uses a cheap twist to manipulate the plot, but it does manage to leave its entire story open for some questions for the viewer to interpret for her/himself, and the manner in which it does this is bound to be dubbed a ‘twist’ by many. I feel strongly that it is not that at all; rather, it’s a bold decision to leave the ultimate realization up to each viewer. I have heard many people offer their own theories as to what is implied by the final shot. I encourage you to make up your own mind and stick to it.

The criticism I have heard most often of this movie is that it doesn’t engage emotionally. I feel like that the perceived disconnect is intentional, as one might not feel emotion as deeply in certain dream states. On the other hand, I did find a few moments to be genuinely heartfelt. I think that opinion will be divided sharply on “Inception.” It will either completely grab your attention or never quite engage you. I hope it’s the former. Keep your eye on the top.