Category: Movies

Coffee Talk #505: My Problem With Christopher Nolan’s Batman

Now that Chrisopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises, let’s take a look at his movies through the old retroscope. Nolan’s Batman flicks have been critically lauded and there are lots of reasons why the praise is totally deserved. However, it seems like the director gets a lot of passes, partially because he’s Christopher Nolan and partially because he’s not Joel Schumacher.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Kristen Stewart’s cheating heart, Michael Phelps disappointing Olympic 2012 start, or super cute Jordyn Wieber failing to qualify for the all-around gymnastics competition, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Now that Chrisopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises, let’s take a look at his movies through the old retroscope. Nolan’s Batman flicks have been critically lauded and there are lots of reasons why the praise is totally deserved. However, it seems like the director gets a lot of passes, partially because he’s Christopher Nolan and partially because he’s not Joel Schumacher.

As a comic-book nerd, my biggest issue with Nolan’s Batman is based on the director’s penchant for realism. His ultra-realistic take on the Dark Knight made for some distinct movies, but it also took away from one of Batman’s defining characteristics: his desire not to see anyone die. I had a problem with the cavalier way that Batman let Ra’s al Ghul die in Batman Begins. The Bats that I know and love in the comics would have found a way to save Two-Face and Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight. Naturally, villains died in The Dark Knight Rises too. It was real and made sense under the rules of reality, but it wasn’t like comic-book Batman.

Look at the panel on the right from Kingdom Come. For those of you without the benefit of flash photography images, it’s Superman telling Batman, “More than anyone in the world, when you scratch everything else away from Batman, you’re left with someone that doesn’t want to see anybody die.” To me (again, as a comic-book nerd) this sums up Batman perfectly. The traumatic death of his parents has left him with an irrational desire to make sure that everyone lives — even his greatest enemies like The Joker! At times it’s frustrating, because comic-book Batman’s world would be simpler and his life would be easier if he’d let the occasional baddie die (or if Gotham had the death penalty). But comic-book Batman is not about simpler or easier. He’s about life.

So yeah, that’s my big issue with this particular Batman (and I totally admit it’s a nerd nitpick). Now it’s your turn to go on a Bat-rant! What are your problems with Christopher Nolan’s version of Batman?

Man of Steel (Superman) Teaser Trailer

Here’s the teaser trailer for Man of Steel, the upcoming Superman movie starring Henry Cavill. The film is being directed by Zach Snyder, with writing chores being handled by David S. Goyer. The trailer has a somber tone, but ends on a note that could take your breath away. I love how the air ripples and tracks are left when Snyder’s Superman is flying. I was never happy with how Supes’ power level was portrayed in the previous movies. In my mind, his fights against super-powered baddies should be like Neo vs. Agent Smith in The Matrix Revolutions. When Superman throws a punch, gusts of wind should form and windows should shatter. I have a feeling that this movie will deliver in that regard.

Anyway, check out the clip and share your thoughts in the comments section (please!).

Two Funny Batman Videos

Still riding high from The Dark Knight Rises? If so then you’ll dig these two videos that poke fun at Batman. The first one is a gem sent from my pal Cat. It’s a College Humor tale of how Gotham’s hero (as portrayed by Christian Bale) got his silly voice.

Next is a reenactment of the climactic battle between Batman and Bane…with Burt Ward’s Robin thrown in for a laugh. This fine bit of fighting and flippancy was made by Above Average Network.

After you’ve checked out the videos, please share your thoughts on them in the comments section!

Today’s Poll: Sexy Green Women in Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Inspired by Marvel’s announcement of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, I wanted to pick your brain on a hugely important topic — sexy green women. Gamora, as you know, is the Guardian’s kick-ass martial-arts queen. She-Hulk sexily splits time between fighting bad guys and serving as an ace attorney. Yvonne Craig dazzled as Batgirl, but millions of nerds know her as a sexy green alien from the original Star Trek. Poison Ivy wears skimpy leaves and her passion for the environment is hot.

Which green fantasy/sci-fi babe do you like best? Kindly vote in today’s poll and discuss!

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Random Thoughts on The Dark Knight Rises (Batman)

Thanks to a bunch of cats called The Avengers, my expectations were lowered for The Dark Knight Rises. I’ve enjoyed Christopher Nolan’s previous Batman movies, but I’ve also had several issues with the way the director has strayed from the comics. With lowered expectations and a love for comic-book purity in mind, I was blown away by The Dark Knight Rises. It’s not as much fun as The Avengers and it’s certainly more about Nolan’s interpretation of Batman than the comic books, but it’s a great superhero movie that wraps up this Batman trilogy nicely. Here are some random thoughts (not a review!) on The Dark Knight Rises. (Spoiler warning!)

Bane: Let’s get the bad out of the way first — Bane’s voice sucked. He sounded like Goldmember’s serious younger brother. I love the bad-ass South American character in the comics that’s driven by hate and powered by performance-enhancing drugs (this also describes most MLB players from 1995-2003). This movie’s Bane is very different. There were some aspects of this Bane that I liked. His fight scenes were fierce and he was the guy making things happen throughout the movie. I didn’t like that his mask pumped his body full of painkillers instead of performance enhancers. I also didn’t like the big reveal that he ultimately wasn’t the baddie behind all the machinations. Bane deserves his own stage. This version of Bane was a melange of coolness and annoyances.

Catwoman: Anne Hathaway was perfect as Catwoman. This is the Catwoman that I love in the comics — sultry, powerful, vulnerable, and morally scattered. Hathaway knocked it out of the park. If you like the version of Catwoman made popular by Devin Grayson and currently penned by Judd Winnick then you’ll love Hathaway’s Catwoman. To be completely honest, I also enjoyed that she spent a chunk of the movie riding a motorcycle that required her to stick her ass in the air. There were a lot of people that panned this casting choice going into the film. Many of them will owe Anne Hathaway an apology.

Full Circle: I really enjoyed how the movie used elements of the first two films and wrapped them up. Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins live on in Talia al Ghul and Bane. The truth of Harvey Dent’s inglorious fall is revealed to Gotham. Scarecrow shows up…to be cool and creepy. Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul shows up in a hallucination (or Qui-Gon Jin was using the Force in the wrong movie). The movie ties everything together nicely and works splendidly as a finale.

Surprises: I had no idea that was Matthew Modine playing Deputy Commissioner Foley. Dude got old. In my head, I still see the young kid in Vision Quest. I also didn’t recognize Nestor Carbonell as Mayor Garcia. I think it’s hilarious that the guy that played Bat Manuel was in the last two Batman movies. Bwahahahahahaha!!!

Michael Caine: He was awesome, as expected, but he was also a bit of distraction for me. Since Bane sounded like Goldmember, I kept waiting for him to have a scene with Alfred Pennyworth and address him as “Aushtin Powas Faja”.

Batman: Christian Bale was pretty much the same. He was great at “acting” as the flippant Bruce Wayne. His Batman voice was over-the-top. He brought more physicality to Batman than any other actor that has played the character. After two movies, people have already made up their minds about Bale’s Batman. The third movie isn’t going to change anyone’s opinion. Personally, I like him as Batman, but agree that his voice can cross the line from intimidating to ridiculous.

Catwoman: Let’s take a moment to look at her again. Anne Hathaway is stunning.

Fernet: I love that Fernet Branca played a part in one of Alfred’s big scenes. It’s an under-appreciated digestif in America.

Conclusion: If you look at Nolan’s Batman world on its own then you’ll think that The Dark Knight Rises is an undeniably great superhero movie. The storytelling is fantastic and most of the performance are strong. This 165-minute film moves at a brisk pace thanks to some slick action and clever directing. Staunch comic-book purists will have problems with the way some of the characters were rewritten and Nolan’s interpretation of these characters, which is a shame because they’re missing out on enjoying a perfectly fine film by being overly stringent. While I had more fun with The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises is a better movie on several levels — directing, cinematography, acting, score, etc. As a summer blockbuster, Marvel’s movie wins. As a film, The Dark Knight Rises is superior.

Rush Limbaugh on The Dark Knight Rises Bane Conspiracy

Congratulations to Rush Limbaugh for saying the stupidest sh*t I’ve heard all year! The popular conservative commentator believes that the Bane character in The Dark Knight Rises is part of a left-wing conspiracy against Mitt Romney. Limbaugh believes that the villainous Bane will get voters to think negatively about Bain Capital and Romney.

Wow. This is just beyond stupid. I must invoke the immortal words of will.i.am and ask, “What’s wrong with the world momma?!?”

Coffee Talk #498: Actors That Will Always Be…

Continuing a tangent started by RPadholic tokz21, I wanted to talk about actors and actresses that you’ll always see as one character. For example, Bill Pullman will always be Lone Starr from Spaceballs to me. No matter what movie or TV show Matthew Perry is in, it’s impossible for me not to see Chandler Bing…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the silly Dream Team vs. 2012 USA Olympic basketball team debate, iPhone 5 rumors, or Marissa Mayer leaving Google to become the new Yahoo! CEO, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Continuing a tangent started by RPadholic tokz21, I wanted to talk about actors and actresses that you’ll always see as one character. For example, Bill Pullman will always be Lone Starr from Spaceballs to me. No matter what movie or TV show Matthew Perry is in, it’s impossible for me not to see Chandler Bing from Friends. Tokz brought up Alison Pill from The Newsroom and seeing her as Kim Pine from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

The ultimate example of this (in my ridiculous head) is Lou Diamond Phillips. He will always be Ritchie Valens…or La Bamba. Stand and Deliver?!? That’s La Bamba Goes to School. Young Guns?!? That’s La Bamba Rides a Horse. I suppose Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker or William Shatner as Captain James Tiberius Kirk would have been easier examples, but La Bamba Goes to School is much funnier.

Anyway, kindly name some actors and actresses that you’ll always see in one role.

Thomas Jane Returns as The Punisher in “Dirty Laundry”

Thomas Jane reprises his role as The Punisher in the short movie Dirty Laundry. It’s powerful, visceral, and frickin’ awesome. Jane — famous for fighting smart sharks and portraying Mickey Mantle — totally owns the role. Check out the clip and let me know what you think (please)!

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as…Lobo?!?

Ladies and gentleman, The Rock says this: Dwayne Johnson could be playing DC Comics’ Lobo in the near future. Fans of the maniacal, genocidal, and suicidal Czarnian will be pleased to learn that the actor formerly known as The Rock tweeted, “Rumors of me possibly playing LOBO are true. Joel Silver and Brad Peyton working on it now. That could be fun.”

Personally, I’m not too high about the possibility. In my mind, Lobo requires an exaggerated ridiculousness that can only be achieved with CG. Furthermore, I loved the rumor of The Rock playing Black Adam in a possible Shazam movie. That works way better in my head. What do you think of the prospect of The Rock playing Lobo?

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