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Impaler · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:51 pm

*although not from me, not yet*

I went into this movie expecting a lot, and I came out with even more than I had hoped. It was awesome, and it's a good sign of things to come in Hollywood. GO SEE IT.
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B0b · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:50 pm

got my ticket booked or 2moro night Wink

Gort · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 6:26 pm

Just got in from seeing it . . .

All I have to say is that this is the Batman film that we've been waiting for; I thought it was terrific and so far removed from the other movies in terms of style and setting. It was very, very entertaining.
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Francis · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:22 pm

Saw it today as well - this franchise is saved. The story and characters seem worlds beyond what was done in the previous movies. I liked the Tim Burton movie more than I thought I would at the time, but this new one seems more right to me.
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Sumaleth · Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:25 pm

Hate to go against the grain, but I was a bit disappointed. I liked the film, but the first 2/3 was too predictable, and the last 1/3 was over-edited (seemed like there was some good action going on there, a shame we didn't get to see it).

There was a lot to like, but I was still disappointed with the overall film.
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eyewoo · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:23 pm

Loved it....
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Naeem · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:48 pm

it's in my top ten best movies Very Happy

Gort · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:29 pm

Well I have to agree with Sumaleth's point - or at least I understand; some of the fight scenes were very quick, blurry and difficult to really make out, but I still think it was a damned terrific movie. As much as I like and respect Tim Burton's first Batman film, I'd have to say that this is by far my favorite of them all. The setting was a bit more approachable, and the characters seemed to have a much more layered intereaction within the story (without overdoing each part). It was cool and well done, me thinks - a definite keeper on DVD when it comes out.
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Impaler · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:08 pm

Yeah, you're right about the sloppy editing, Sumaleth. It was almost maddening at some points (Ra's vs. Batman in the monorail, for example).

This movie does make one thing patently clear, however. Batman's greatest nemesis, the one who almost killed him, is a foul being by no other name than The Director. What's even sadder is that with just TWO movies, Joel Schumacher managed to ruin FIVE good Batman villains.

At least Liam Neeson got to be Ra's Al' Ghoul. PERFECT casting, especially if you're a fan of the comics (or even the Bruce Timm series).
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Francis · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:30 pm

My initial thought about the editing of the fight scenes was that it was too quick and choppy and difficult to read. But - I think it works in the context of the character that the movie was trying to portray. Bruce Wayne designed Batman persona to use a lot of psychological warfare, "theatrics," as R'as Al Ghul instructed. It makes sense (to me) for the fight scenes to be depicted as they were. This isn't exactly a martial arts movie, but more of a scary character and how he manages to take on multiple enemies using drama/psychology as an advantage. The movie depicts the fight scene in such a way that you can barely see Batman, you don't understand the "moves" he's using, you only comprehend that he moves really fast, in an unpredictable way, and people just fall down.
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Sumaleth · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:58 pm

Francis: yeah, I can see that's what they had in mind. It still frustrated me though.

I wanted some Spiderman-esque sequences, where we see Batman using his skills and technologies to tranverse his environment, but we were only ever shown incongruous, 1-second snippets. The action sequences felt more lazy than designed to me, even though I assume they were designed to be as they were.
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Francis · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 9:49 pm

Heh I can see your points as well. I'd argue it this way - to me Spider-man seems more about movement, the joy of flying through the air, etc. It definitely makes sense to want to show that in the movie. You can tell in some of the better drawn comics (at least where the artist has a good sense of the character )that the visuals are trying to capture the feel of swinging through the air on thin webbing.

The Batman comics (again, to me) are more about the poses, silhouettes against night sky, shape design of the cape and that sort of thing. Those instances in the movie where he was being reeled up with his bat-reel thing, or gliding on his rigidized cape felt secondary to the "visual sense" of the character.

Then again, it could be as you say and that Christopher Nolan just isn't as accomplished an action director as some others.
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Jimmyjimjim · member Member # Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 459

Just came back from it-

Gotta say, it's my now my fav comic book movie- booting X2 into the # 2 slot and edging out "Punisher", (a guilty pleasure) of the top ten. The order now-

Batman Begins
X2
Spider-Man
Sin City
Spider-Man 2
Batman (1989)
Crow
Superman
Ghost World
Men In Black

I totally disagree with the criticism of the editing. I think that the decision to keep batman concealed to the shadows was part of an attempt to depict him as how his enemies might perceive him.

eyewoo · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 2:37 am

Sumaleth · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 2:38 am

B0b · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:58 am

i think the fast editing was designed to give a feel of fast action paced fighting, rather that the stuff in other films which is for show.. i think its a total win over the past 2 abominations Smile

oh and gary oldman f0r teh WIN!

skullmonkeys · member Member # Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 183

Batman was against flipping out and killing people. @_@

gLitterbug · Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 3:04 am

I�m with Impaler, I went into the theatre with very high expectations and I got more than I hoped for. Perfect. Not only the best superhero movie made, but also one of my absolute favorites.

The critisism on the fight scenes is very valid. But I doubt they specially had it in mind for this movie. Just look at modern movies in general, everyone seems to have that "fast" camera cuts and shakycam shit to make it feel fast and hide the slow-recorded choreographies and all. The Bourne Supremacy took it so far even as to give me headaches and in that case it partially ruined the film for me. In Batman Begins it wasn�t that bad, it just made you not see the fighting choreography much.

One thing I wonder about though is the sequel. Not sure that this one can be topped, especially when the drama part is already done with. As this was the main point of this movie.

Capt. Fred · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:31 pm

i just saw batman returns and is the most absaloutly farking awesome film god has ever created. (i heard it was made by mortals but commonsense tells you that's just a dumb roumer.)

This wipes the floor with every big budget film I've seen. I can't fault it, least of all for it's lack of poncey-fight-ballet choreography. Am personally delighted it was nowhere to be seen. The Philip K Dickian hallucinogen shots were unprecedented.

For me; Instant classic.
Damn I hope the sequel never gets made.