The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Collapse

Recommended Videos

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • thaima1shu
    Robot
    • Feb 2004
    • 5598

    #1786
    Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

    Originally posted by Seymour Scagnetti
    I though there was enough action but it just wasn't done right. Nolan still needs practice as he has that habit of filming action scenes that are hard to watch because it's jumping all over the place and it's worse when most of the action is at night like this film. He did this in Begins often but in TDK almost every action scene was haphazardly shot with no flow.
    Meh ... not sure what the problem is. I could tell what was going on the entire time, wasn't all too difficult to me.

    Comment

    • jfsolo
      Live Action, please?
      • May 2003
      • 12965

      #1787
      Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

      Originally posted by Seymour Scagnetti
      I saw it today and I must have had lofty expectations from all the buzz but I was underwhelmed and I actually think Begins is the superior film and this is coming from a huge Nolan fan.

      The movie focused way too much on Dent and the climax was anything but climatic, at least the last 15 minutes was slow beyond belief. They didn't focus nearly enough on the Bruce Wayne\Batman character and it felt more like a Harvey Dent film rather than a Batman film. That death that happened should of affected batman alot more than how it was played out.

      I know Nolan couldn't of forecast Ledger's death but the final scenes with the Joker were anti-climatic to say the least and should have been more fleshed out regardless of whether Nolan intended to have the Joker in the next film or not. The ending scenes with Dent just dragged on forever and at that point in the movie I just wanted it to end and that never happens to me with a movie I truly enjoy. I though there was enough action but it just wasn't done right. Nolan still needs practice as he has that habit of filming action scenes that are hard to watch because it's jumping all over the place and it's worse when most of the action is at night like this film. He did this in Begins often but in TDK almost every action scene was haphazardly shot with no flow.

      IMO the 1st half was excellent but the 2nd half brought it down to a good but not great movie. To me it still ranks behind X-men 2, Spiderman 2 and Begins.
      It was a Harvey Dent film. Nolan couldn't really come out and say so, but its the truth. Every character in the film knows that he's really the central figure of the story and their words and actions support that reality. Now maybe that's not the movie you wanted to see, but its the story he wanted to tell. You could say on some level that he ambushed the viewers, I think it was a masterful stroke, you disagree.

      All films are stand alone entities in and of themselves, but I think he felt compelled to take the narrative in this direction based on the universe they created in the first film. To have done it differently, IMO, would have been to ignore the most logical next chapter of the tale to a certain extent.

      If the action scenes come off as haphazard, it is because I think that they were meticulously crafted to appear that way. The Batman is an utilitarian fighter. There is no poetry in it for him. Create confusion, and take them down fast and hard.

      I like your quartet of films, I just have a different order. I go Knight, Begins, X2, Spidey 2.
      Jordan Mychal Lemos
      @crypticjordan

      Do this today: Instead of $%*#!@& on a game you're not going to play or movie you're not going to watch, say something good about a piece of media you're excited about.

      Do the same thing tomorrow. And the next. Now do it forever.

      Comment

      • Seymour Scagnetti
        Banned
        • Oct 2006
        • 2489

        #1788
        Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

        Originally posted by jfsolo
        It was a Harvey Dent film. Nolan couldn't really come out and say so, but its the truth. Every character in the film knows that he's really the central figure of the story and their words and actions support that reality. Now maybe that's not the movie you wanted to see, but its the story he wanted to tell. You could say on some level that he ambushed the viewers, I think it was a masterful stroke, you disagree.

        All films are stand alone entities in and of themselves, but I think he felt compelled to take the narrative in this direction based on the universe they created in the first film. To have done it differently, IMO, would have been to ignore the most logical next chapter of the tale to a certain extent.

        If the action scenes come off as haphazard, it is because I think that they were meticulously crafted to appear that way. The Batman is an utilitarian fighter. There is no poetry in it for him. Create confusion, and take them down fast and hard.

        I like your quartet of films, I just have a different order. I go Knight, Begins, X2, Spidey 2.
        Actually the 3 movies I mentioned are in no particular order, it's just the 3 superhero movies I consider in the upper echelon. TDK I rank a notch below but maybe it will improve for me on subsequent viewings. I respect the fact that Dent was central figure but I don't think that character warrants such screen time because he's a character that is one dimensional as Harvey Dent and his mental transformation to two face was something that didn't seem believable.

        The love for Rachel that Harvey and Batman shared was equal yet Dent went off the deep end enough that he wanted to shoot a child yet Batman wasn't distraught enough to even want to kill the Joker who was responsible for it. Remember this is the same Batman who destroyed half the city with his batmobile fleeing the cops in Begins because Rachel was dying.

        How Dent's grieving would want him to become a child murderer was hard to swallow and took away from the film's reality. Kinda like SP3 in how Harry went after Spiderman with murderous rage thru 2 films but all it took was a good talking to from his butler to smarten up. In both cases it seemed like lazy storytelling just to tie up loose ends. Just like the final showdown between Joker and Batman, which I thought would be the film's payoff, never really happened. You can't treat the Joker as a criminal mastermind who made everyone look stupid and just leave him hanging upside down and the cops arresting him. It was weak and it seemed that Nolan couldn't figure out a way for the Joker to meet his demise while still leaving it open ended for a possible future appearance. As soon as I saw Ledgers' masterful work in his 1st scene I was anticipating how he would meet his end and it never transpired, it was a complete letdown and his Oscar worthy performance shouldn't hide the fact that this movie has alot of weaknesses.

        Just for me the Dent character wasn't nearly interesting enough to be given top billing and for me was the major flaw of the film that prevents it from being truly great. Having Dent be the major villian in the 3rd film (if he is somehow still alive) could be fatal to the franchise. That and the lack of film time given to the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Their banter back and forth after a hard night of crime fighting was a highlight for me in Begins. In TDK I didn't see the Bruce Wayne\Batman character have any kind of further character development. He was just a secondary figure thru the whole film and I couldn't identify with him or root for him because Nolan didn't let us care enough about him. It was almost like he was in the way and Batman is probably the most multi dimensional superhero out there. It was almost like Nolan was consumed with making a Batman movie without using Batman just to prove a point. Ledger's work made it possible with Joker but I think it failed miserably with Harvey Dent.
        Last edited by Seymour Scagnetti; 07-24-2008, 10:09 PM.

        Comment

        • USF11
          C*rr*ntly *n L*f* T*lt
          • Jun 2003
          • 4245

          #1789
          Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

          Originally posted by Seymour Scagnetti
          How Dent's grieving would want him to become a child murderer was hard to swallow and took away from the film's reality. Kinda like SP3 in how Harry went after Spiderman with murderous rage thru 2 films but all it took was a good talking to from his butler to smarten up. In both cases it seemed like lazy storytelling just to tie up loose ends.

          I disagree, the whole point is Harvey went nuts and theres no logic to it. It wasnt just the fact rachel died its the fact Harvey's entire life was ruined.
          "Good music transcends all physical limits, it's more then something you hear, it's something that you feel, when the author, experience, and passion is real" - Murs (And this is for)

          Comment

          • Seymour Scagnetti
            Banned
            • Oct 2006
            • 2489

            #1790
            Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

            Originally posted by USF11
            I disagree, the whole point is Harvey went nuts and theres no logic to it. It wasnt just the fact rachel died its the fact Harvey's entire life was ruined.
            When there's no logic to it, it's usually a case of lazy storytelling. I expected more from Nolan after movies like Begins, The Prestige, Insomnia and Memento where he was a master at developing tragic figures.
            Last edited by Seymour Scagnetti; 07-24-2008, 10:14 PM.

            Comment

            • Kashanova
              Hall Of Fame
              • Aug 2003
              • 12695

              #1791
              Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

              Originally posted by USF11
              I disagree, the whole point is Harvey went nuts and theres no logic to it. It wasnt just the fact rachel died its the fact Harvey's entire life was ruined.
              i believe there was a logic the fact that rachel had been threaten might had pushed him towards the edge a bit plus i dont think he was going to kill him anyways, the coin was heads on both sides and was probably trying to scared the kid

              Comment

              • trobinson97
                Lie,cheat,steal,kill: Win
                • Oct 2004
                • 16366

                #1792
                Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                I just watched it myself and it was a good Batman movie. I enjoyed Echart's and Ledger's performances. After all that best movie of all time hype talk though, I really was expecting more. I fell asleep a couple of times unfortunately, though I don't want to blame that neccessarily on the movie. Being completely real, I've never been much of a Batman fan anyway, so I wasn't as wet as some to see the flick, but after hearing all the hype I figured I owed it to myself. I thught it was cool, but different strokes and all that.

                My wife enjoyed it too, though she expressed a lot of annoyance at Bale's Batman voice, I agreed with her.
                PS: You guys are great.

                SteamID - Depotboy



                ...2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020....
                What a run
                Roll Tide




                Comment

                • Beantown
                  #DoYourJob
                  • Feb 2005
                  • 31523

                  #1793
                  Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                  Originally posted by Seymour Scagnetti
                  I respect the fact that Dent was central figure but I don't think that character warrants such screen time because he's a character that is one dimensional as Harvey Dent and his mental transformation to two face was something that didn't seem believable.

                  The love for Rachel that Harvey and Batman shared was equal yet Dent went off the deep end enough that he wanted to shoot a child yet Batman wasn't distraught enough to even want to kill the Joker who was responsible for it. Remember this is the same Batman who destroyed half the city with his batmobile fleeing the cops in Begins because Rachel was dying.

                  How Dent's grieving would want him to become a child murderer was hard to swallow and took away from the film's reality. Kinda like SP3 in how Harry went after Spiderman with murderous rage thru 2 films but all it took was a good talking to from his butler to smarten up. In both cases it seemed like lazy storytelling just to tie up loose ends. Just like the final showdown between Joker and Batman, which I thought would be the film's payoff, never really happened. You can't treat the Joker as a criminal mastermind who made everyone look stupid and just leave him hanging upside down and the cops arresting him. It was weak and it seemed that Nolan couldn't figure out a way for the Joker to meet his demise while still leaving it open ended for a possible future appearance. As soon as I saw Ledgers' masterful work in his 1st scene I was anticipating how he would meet his end and it never transpired, it was a complete letdown and his Oscar worthy performance shouldn't hide the fact that this movie has alot of weaknesses.

                  Just for me the Dent character wasn't nearly interesting enough to be given top billing and for me was the major flaw of the film that prevents it from being truly great. Having Dent be the major villian in the 3rd film (if he is somehow still alive) could be fatal to the franchise. That and the lack of film time given to the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Their banter back and forth after a hard night of crime fighting was a highlight for me in Begins. In TDK I didn't see the Bruce Wayne\Batman character have any kind of further character development. He was just a secondary figure thru the whole film and I couldn't identify with him or root for him because Nolan didn't let us care enough about him. It was almost like he was in the way and Batman is probably the most multi dimensional superhero out there. It was almost like Nolan was consumed with making a Batman movie without using Batman just to prove a point. Ledger's work made it possible with Joker but I think it failed miserably with Harvey Dent.
                  For someone that seems to be a fan of Batman, and I could be completely wrong about that, you don't seem to appreciate how true-to-form this movie was.

                  Re: The Joker....

                  Spoiler


                  Re: Harvey Dent...

                  Spoiler


                  Re: Batman as a secondary character

                  Spoiler


                  Re: Rachel's effect...

                  Spoiler

                  Comment

                  • thaima1shu
                    Robot
                    • Feb 2004
                    • 5598

                    #1794
                    Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                    Originally posted by Longhorn
                    For someone that seems to be a fan of Batman, and I could be completely wrong about that, you don't seem to appreciate how true-to-form this movie was.

                    Re: The Joker....

                    Spoiler


                    Re: Harvey Dent...

                    Spoiler


                    Re: Batman as a secondary character

                    Spoiler


                    Re: Rachel's effect...

                    Spoiler


                    By the way, how many times have you seen it already? I'm only up to 2. Bah.

                    Comment

                    • Beantown
                      #DoYourJob
                      • Feb 2005
                      • 31523

                      #1795
                      Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                      Originally posted by thaima1shu


                      By the way, how many times have you seen it already? I'm only up to 2. Bah.
                      You don't want to know.

                      Comment

                      • Blzer
                        Resident film pundit
                        • Mar 2004
                        • 42517

                        #1796
                        Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                        Originally posted by thaima1shu


                        By the way, how many times have you seen it already? I'm only up to 2. Bah.
                        Only two here as well. I figure the movie is worth seeing a bunch of times, but not for $10.50 every time. If I see it again, I'll catch a matinee and theater-hop to see it three times.

                        Cheap, but effective. The way I see it, as long as I'm not taking up somebody else's seat, they're still getting their money's worth in the box office.
                        Samsung PN60F8500 PDP / Anthem MRX 720 / Klipsch RC-62 II / Klipsch RF-82 II (x2) / Insignia NS-B2111 (x2) / SVS PC13-Ultra / SVS SB-2000 / Sony MDR-7506 Professional / Audio-Technica ATH-R70x / Sony PS3 & PS4 / DirecTV HR44-500 / DarbeeVision DVP-5000 / Panamax M5400-PM / Elgato HD60

                        Comment

                        • pfunk880
                          MVP
                          • Jul 2004
                          • 4452

                          #1797
                          Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                          Originally posted by Longhorn
                          For someone that seems to be a fan of Batman, and I could be completely wrong about that, you don't seem to appreciate how true-to-form this movie was.

                          Re: The Joker....

                          Spoiler


                          Re: Harvey Dent...

                          Spoiler


                          Re: Batman as a secondary character

                          Spoiler


                          Re: Rachel's effect...

                          Spoiler
                          Fantastic analysis.
                          Green Bay Packers | Milwaukee Brewers | Bradley Braves | Wisconsin Badgers
                          Marquette Golden Eagles | Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee Panthers

                          Comment

                          • jmood88
                            Sean Payton: Retribution
                            • Jul 2003
                            • 34639

                            #1798
                            Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                            Originally posted by thaima1shu


                            By the way, how many times have you seen it already? I'm only up to 2. Bah.
                            I've only seen it three times but I saw it twice in one day just a couple hours apart.
                            Originally posted by Blzer
                            Let me assure you that I am a huge proponent of size, and it greatly matters. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

                            If I went any bigger, it would not have properly fit with my equipment, so I had to optimize. I'm okay with it, but I also know what I'm missing with those five inches. :)

                            Comment

                            • Beantown
                              #DoYourJob
                              • Feb 2005
                              • 31523

                              #1799
                              Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                              I'm up to...six times, all the way through, and then I've watched certain parts another 5 or more times.

                              -Midnight showing
                              -Noon showing friday in IMAX
                              -Noon showing saturday
                              -Watched in Sunday night illegally
                              -Watched it again Monday illegally
                              -Watched it again Wednesday illegally
                              -And have watched certain parts over and over since Monday.

                              Only spent 15 dollars for all of those viewings, too.

                              Comment

                              • jfsolo
                                Live Action, please?
                                • May 2003
                                • 12965

                                #1800
                                Re: The Dark Knight Discussion **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

                                Originally posted by Longhorn
                                For someone that seems to be a fan of Batman, and I could be completely wrong about that, you don't seem to appreciate how true-to-form this movie was.

                                Re: The Joker....

                                Spoiler


                                Re: Harvey Dent...

                                Spoiler


                                Re: Batman as a secondary character

                                Spoiler


                                Re: Rachel's effect...

                                Spoiler
                                Its not nice going all Charles Xavier on people typing out their thoughts word for word.:wink: Seriously though, your interpretation of events mirrors mine exactly. Its cool when you see that someone is really watching the same movie you are.
                                Jordan Mychal Lemos
                                @crypticjordan

                                Do this today: Instead of $%*#!@& on a game you're not going to play or movie you're not going to watch, say something good about a piece of media you're excited about.

                                Do the same thing tomorrow. And the next. Now do it forever.

                                Comment

                                Working...