The Dark Knight, Or, Wow It's A Bit Nippy In This Refridgerator

[redbrunja]

So, I finally found the time to post my thoughts on the latest batman movie:

First, with all the hype, I totally came in with a 'just try and impress me' attitude. That said, the first half of the movie lived up to what everyone was saying.

I hate to say it, because Katie Holmes gets a lot of flack, but Maggie Gyllenhaal is the far superior actress, and I really liked how that storyline played out. It was one of the few times where I've believed that the girl in a love triangle loved both men.

I adored Harvey Dent, and found his arc honestly tragic (I was hoping he'd stick around and be a reoccuring villain). Also, I really like that actor.

I like how Christian Bale has different voice for himself, Batman, and Bruce Wayne in public.

I liked seeing Will Tippin as a petty criminal.

Heath Legar was honestly amazing - I really liked how he kept having different origin stories for his scars, and he was totally believable as someone who was just crazy.

I didn't have a problem with the movie being pretty bleak, simply because Batman has thematically been darker (the idea that because it's depressing bugs me, and I know that's why it's getting Oscar buzz - well, that and Legar's death.)

What did bug me is that how as soon as Rachel died, it became incredibly main dominated, and didn't have to be. I mean, EVEN IF you needed to kill off Rachel, what tipped the movie over into a male ego fest was all the attention paid to Gordon's kid - and not the one who grew up to be Batgirl. I mean, think about that - instead of focusing on the child who has an instrumental or at least really important role in the comics, as well as her own comic series, you're focusing on the son. Just because. Sweet god, you don't even get to see her face.

That last scene with all those men arguing and Barbara huddling with her children was really annoying, especially when you realize it was the exact same as that scene on the ferry, when the only women you get a reaction shot off of was the mother.

So, the movie really lost me there.

Also, I spent a lot of time going, 'I wonder how smillaraaq feels about the bad rep pit bulls are getting in this movie.'

And now, a nice maiming of the women in refrigerators trope:
[Bad username or unknown identity: ]

Comments

[mzminola.livejournal.com]

I love Super Stupor.

Since I am determined not to see the newest Batman movie, I gave brother permission to spoil me like crazy.

This is why we need Robins, who also have access to Bat's technology, so ya know, BOTH freaking hostages can be saved. But I guess we wouldn't have had nutsoid Harvey Dent aka Two Face in that case.

Wait, tiny future-batgirl has a brother? Since when does she have a brother?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

WORD.

And what made you decide not to see it?

Wait, tiny future-batgirl has a brother? Since when does she have a brother?

Since only men can both a.) be awesome and b.) live.

[mzminola.livejournal.com]

1. looks like it's using the sort of 'edgey' violence that they thinks makes it 'mature'
2. Joker, in any version, creeps/freaks me the FUCK out. Not gonna see a movie if I'll wanna hide whenever a MAJOR character comes onscreen.
3. I didn't know the guy from "Thank You For Smoking" was gonna be in it as Harvey Dent. Really like him, still not seeing it.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Those are very, very good reasons not to see this movie. I'd add, the idea that there can be no humor or joy in a Serious Movie and the lack of chicks.

[mzminola.livejournal.com]

Yeah...if we'd had Harlequin, then I coulda looked at her during the Joker's scenes.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

That would have been nice. You know, I actually really don't know anything about Harley besides the fact that she and Poison Ivy had oodles of lesbian subtext.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Ah, now this I know since the animated series is about the only part of the Batman franchise I really got into, and that's where the character started. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Quinn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Quinn)

She was originally supposed to be a one-shot character in the cartoon, took off enough to be a recurring character, and then was popular enough that she got worked into the comic continuity. The cartoon backstory is that she was a psychiatrist who became obsessed with the Joker when he was in Arkham, and they have a twisted on-again off-again sort of relationship. He treats her pretty badly at times, but does seem to have an odd sort of affection for her, and she doesn't always take his crappy behavior passively -- the first episode that started off all the Ivy-and-Harley buckets-of-subtext has them first working together when she's walked out on the Joker.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh, she sounds delightful!

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

She's a really fun, interesting character; Poison Ivy and Catwoman are still my favorites of the Batman bad girls, particularly Ivy (how could I not love a brilliant mad scientist who's also a classic femme fatale, with a wardrobe of poisonous and mind-control lipsticks?), but Harley's a fine addition to the team and particularly amusing in her on-and-off, so-blatant-it's-practically-text, partnership with Ivy. Her relationship with the Joker is a little disturbing at times -- she's very, very obsessed with him and takes a fair bit of verbal abuse -- but what keeps it from being total uncomfortable doormat territory for me is that the relationship is clearly being shown as messed up and dysfunctional rather than something to be admired; and since the Joker is just as crazy and abusive to his male henchmen, and Harley at times gets bossed around and belittled by Ivy as well, it doesn't wind up reading that the dynamic is that way because he's the man and she's the woman and that's the way it's supposed to be. Plus as noted earlier, she does have enough of a spine to talk back or even walk out when he goes too far; she has a mind of her own and a personality beyond just "Joker's crazy girlfriend".