olivia_sutton: (Default)
This was posted to my movie project blog on 17 Feb. 2011.  However, most of the post is the same as my post re:  Bewitched on this blog from March 2010, reprinted here again for your convenience.

  • Title:  Bewitched
  • Director:  Nora Ephron
  • Date:  2005
  • Studio:  Columbia
  • Genre:  Romantic Comedy
  • Cast:  Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC
"I'm about to be killed by a fictional character!" -- Jack  Wyatt

"I can't be normal because I'm a witch; I can't be a witch because I really want to be normal."  -- Isabel Bigalow


Since I reviewed this movie when I saw it in 2005 at the theater and when I finally picked up and watched the DVD in March 2010, I figured I would save a little work.  Below is my original review.  New comments at bottom.

 
Bewitched Review Reprint from March 2010 )
 

Watching this movie again - I still really enjoyed it.  This time, I particularly liked the relationship between Isabel (Kidman) and her father (Michael Caine).  I also liked the romance between Nigel and Iris (MacLaine).

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  4 of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Billy Elliot
olivia_sutton: (Batman)
And my Internet is out again, so, yet again I had to compose my review off-line. (Written 1/29/2011 between 10pm and 11pm)
 
  • Title:  (Batman)  The Dark Knight
  • Director:  Christopher Nolan
  • Date:  2008
  • Studio:  Warner Brothers
  • Genre:  Action, Adventure, Fantasy
  • Cast:  Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall, Keith Szarabajka
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

I simply adore The Dark Knight, the action-packed sequel to Batman Begins.  Actually, I saw it first, in the theater, and then saw Batman Begins second, and on DVD when I did see it for the first time.  But, re-watching it, it still strikes me as an incredibly well-crafted film.  Yes, it starts big and fast-paced and gets bigger and bigger and bigger -- but like the Legend of  the Batman itself, it gets darker and darker as it goes along.  It's also a very enjoyable film to re-watch because of  the little touches and attention to detail that come from a fine director.

The Dark Knight in some ways is The Joker's film, played with maniacal insanity by Heath Ledger.  The film starts with his violent robbery of a mob bank, that includes the systematic killing of  each of  his accomplices, and ends with The Joker's death.  But, Ledger's performance, as compelling as it is, isn't scene stealing -- and the rest of  the cast also performs extremely well.  Bale's performance as Bruce Wayne is even better, and now Bruce seems to have grown up a bit.  He is, however, still capable of playing the "dumb playboy" as when he crashes his Italian sports car to protect a witness transfer and then claims to Gordon it was an accident.  (Gordon:  That was a brave thing you just did.  Wayne:  What?  Trying to beat the light?  Gordon:  Protecting that transport van.  Wayne:  Why, who was in it?  Gordon:  You don't watch the news much, do you Mr. Wayne?)  Christian Bale does a particularly believable "dumb blonde" act (or "fluffy bunny" act as a famous blonde actress once described it, wish I could remember who).  Anyway, he's also equally marvelous in the various scenes where he's supporting Harvey Dent's political career.

As Batman, they made one change in Dark Knight from Batman Begins that I didn't like, and that was messing with Batman's voice.  It sounds like "Bruce" is speaking through some kind of voice changing box, which in turn, sounds electronic and artificial.  In Begins, Bale gave Batman a deeper, more resonant, gravely voice that also sounded scary.  Though I could see Bruce Wayne, billionaire at large, trying an electronic voice altering box to protect his identity - overall it was one effect I don't think worked.

Michael Caine, again, is wonderful as Alfred.  Again, you can see how much he loves and cares for Bruce, and how much he understands him.  After the opening scene, when Bruce gets mauled by a Rottweiler, among other things, and is trying to stitch himself up, Alfred arrives, and admonishes Bruce for making a mess of things.  He calmly stitches the wound.  Bruce then turns away as he's pulling on a white business shirt, and Alfred winces at the bruises on Bruce's back.  But, equally, he will not say anything, because he knows it's what Bruce must do.

Morgan Freeman is wonderful at Lucius Fox, particularly when someone at Wayne Enterprises thinks he's discovered that Wayne Enterprises is supplying Batman his toys, and he intends to get $10 million a year for the rest of  his life not to reveal the secret.  Fox shuts the guy down... then asks Bruce about the re-funding of  the R&D department.  Fox also shuts down Batman when he discovers Batman's plan to use cell phone signals to create a sonar map of Gotham City - but Batman know Fox well, giving him the key to destroying the mapping software without telling him what it is.

Lucius Fox and Sir Alfred Pennyworth -- the two men who keep Bruce sane, and allow Bruce Wayne the time to be Batman -- running interference, covering for him, and producing cover stories and alibis.

Gary Oldman, again, is a wonderful young Jim Gordon, who gets appointed to Commissioner in this film.  Eckhart is an inspired choice for Harvey Dent.  Physically, he's quite different from the Dent of  the books, but his performance as Dent is perfect -- and even better when he becomes Two-Face -- he, also, is truly nuts -- and the scene in the hospital between Joker and Two-Face is brilliantly written and brilliantly played by both Ledger and Eckhart.

First time I saw the film, I saw Harvey Dent, and being a fan of the books, knew who he would turn out to be, but I thought, especially with Joker in the picture, maybe not in this film.  Then, when Dent proposed to Rachel my first thought was, "oh no, she is so dead".  Because in the Batman universe, pretty much no one can be happy, and everyone just endures.  Re-watching the film, of course, I know where they are going with Dent -- and it becomes even more tragic.  Watching Gotham's Golden Boy DA being destroyed has almost a mythic quality.  (And yes, he "dies" at the end, and no, I don't believe that one for a moment).

Finally, the city of  Gotham itself  is brilliantly played by Chicago.  From the first scene, looking at skyscrapers on the edge of  the Chicago river, to Commissioner  Loeb's funeral on Michigan Avenue -- this movie is very obviously filmed in Chicago.  And Chicago, with all it's Art Deco architecture and the modern extremely flat glass skyscrapers is a perfect Gotham.  The area near the River is used a lot.  Lower Wacker Drive is actually used several times, especially in the car chases (yes, that's not a super long parking lot, it's Lower Wacker Drive).  The actually even a line spoken by a cop in the film "turn on to Lower 5th") as they turn onto Lower Wacker Drive.  The Chicago River bridges are used again, even more effectively and more often than in Batman Begins.  But the best "oh, that is so Chicago" scene is the funeral for Commissioner Loeb, right on Michigan Avenue in front of  Marshall Field's (or what was Field's -- it may be a Macy's now), those narrow, tall windows that Gordon wants checked for snipers?  That's a style so identified with Chicago that it's called the "Chicago window".  Also, there's some nice shots of Art Deco decoration on the buildings during some of  the pans, as the camera moves around looking for the snipers.  And, the Pipes and Drums band playing for the funeral?  That is the real Chicago P.D. pipes and drums band playing - they even get a credit.  Also, I imagine several of the "extras" in uniform were real Chicago cops. Ah, it's "my kind of  town".

The filming again is brilliant.  Although not as intimate a movie as Batman Begins, which centers on Bruce becoming Batman, The Dark Knight, again based in Graphic Novel canon, including Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Year One, and Loeb's The Long Halloween trilogy, opens up the film's universe and brings in two of Batman's best known enemies, The Joker (Batman's Moriarty) and Two-Face.  Yet, there's still very nice filming tricks like a full circular sweeping shot, and brilliant use of  light and dark (such as the scene in the interrogation room, where, in the end Gordon leaves Batman with the Joker).  I also liked the sound design, with the high-pitched squeal that sounds half  like a scream and half  like nails on a chalkboard being used whenever the Joker was about to do something particularly nasty.

Overall, a film not to be missed.  I happen to own only the single-disc edition, and I'd considering upgrading to a Blue Ray player just to get this movie (and Lord of  the Rings) in an expanded edition with more special features.

Recommendation:  See it!  Show it to your older children.  Own it!
Rating:  5 of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Batman:  Mask of  the Phantasm (animated)
olivia_sutton: (Batman)
  • Title:  Batman Begins
  • Director:  Christopher Nolan
  • Date:  2005
  • Studio:  Warner Brothers Pictures
  • Genre:  Action, Adventure, Fantasy
  • Cast:  Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Katie Holmes
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC, 2-disc Special Edition
"Why do we fall, sir?  So we can learn to pick ourselves up."  --  Alfred, quoting Thomas Wayne

Batman Begins is an excellent telling of  the origins of  Batman, that also manages to bring in two of  Batman's best and scariest enemies from DC Comics books - Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul.  The movie actually begins with young Bruce, falling into a well, being frightened by bats, and being rescued by his father, Thomas.  Flash forward to adult Bruce having nightmares about those same bats.  We also, fairly quickly, see flashbacks to That Fateful Night - the death of  Bruce's parents.  Interestingly enough, in this version - rather than Bruce and his family seeing Zorro at a local movie theater and having a good time -- they are at the Opera, where some costumed witches on wires remind Bruce of  bats, frightening him, - and he urges his parents to leave the theatre early.  Either way, Bruce Wayne has a deeply felt guilt about the death of  his parents.

Batman Begins then shows Bruce literally slumming around the world, learning the ways of  the criminal.  He's found and "rescued" by Liam Neeson who brings him to the League of  Shadows to train him as a Ninja.  The training sequences are well done, and especially a training fight on a frozen lake is breathless to watch.  When Bruce is ready to graduate, he faces one last test - killing a thief and a murderer.  Bruce refuses, and in the ensuing fight destroys the mountain top hideaway - and Ra's Al Ghul, he thinks.

Bruce then returns to Gotham City, to take his revenge by killing the man who killed his parents.  Fate intervenes, however, and the man is killed by one of  the gangster Falcone's people before he can testify against Falcone and win his release.  Bruce takes this for what it is - a sign. As do arguments against blind vengeance from his once girlfriend now Assistant DA Rachel Dawes.  And so Bruce is set on another path, a path also suggested by Neeson during their training sessions -- that of a symbol for justice, instead of a man seeking his own vengeance.

Bruce develops Batman, including picking up a few toys from the Applied Sciences/R&D department of  Wayne Enterprises - the basis for the Batsuit, the Batmobile (now a modern tank), mono-filament grappling wire - the basics.  But this Batman is not tech or gadget heavy.  The classics and necessary are there (I love the memory-wire cape) but nothing silly or over-wrought is present.

Bruce then needs to test out not just the costume and his toys, but his mission -- he goes after Falcone, the gangster.  In the process of  catching Falcone and his thugs during a drug bust, he finds out about Scarecrow, who has developed a lethal hallucinogen toxin (Scarecrow's "fear gas").  When Bruce is exposed he ends up being rescued by Alfred - then Lucius Fox, and is out of it for two days.  Later, he rescues Rachel from the same gas, but is too late to save "the narrows" an island in the Gotham River and home to Arkham Asylum.  Bruce, as Batman, also discovers that Scarecrow's plot to pour his toxin into Gotham's water supply is the tip of  the iceberg - the man behind the curtain is Ra's Al Ghul - not the man Bruce thought he killed in Tibet, but the man who taught him how to fight - Liam Neeson.  Neeson trails Batman back to his manor, fights him, and burns down the house.  But he also plans on destroying Gotham by using a Wayne Enterprises prototype Microwave Emitter to vaporize the city's water supply and thus release Scarecrow's toxic fear gas - causing Gotham to tear itself apart in mass panic.  Batman succeeds in stopping Ra's al Ghul.

Batman Begins is a very successful film.  I enjoyed immensely the building up of  all the little moments that made Bruce into Batman, not just the death of  his parents, tho' that was certainly tragic enough, but his learning how to fight, and Bruce's own drive not for simple vengeance but to see to it that no other little boy (or girl) goes through what he did.

I also liked the portrayal of the relationship between Alfred and Bruce in this film.  Michael Caine plays Alfred perfectly - Bruce's close friend, his advisor, and the only one who can stop Bruce when he starts to go too far.  Alfred also has not only a deep caring for Bruce, the boy he's raised like a son, but a deep understanding of why Bruce does what he does.  For his part, Bruce trusts Alfred completely.  Once he's finished his training in Tibet - it's Alfred he calls for a ride home (albeit in a private jet, but still).  And when Bruce is nearly fatally poisoned with fear gas toxin by Scarecrow - it's Alfred he calls, and Alfred who has to pick up the pieces.  And when Bruce tears thru' Gotham in his tank-styled Batmobile, wrecking several police cars in the process - Alfred tears into Bruce, and although he gets through, Bruce also stops Alfred cold - by saying he did it to save Rachel, before asking Alfred to take her home.  Caine is a perfect Alfred, and Bale is extremely good not just as Batman - but as Bruce Wayne, something other versions of  Batman have ignored.  The rest of  the cast also does an excellent job, especially Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox (Bruce's man at Wayne Enterprises, tho' at the moment he's been kicked down to the lowly Applied Sciences/R&D dept), and Gary Oldman as Sgt. James Gordon.

This film also goes to the roots of  Batman in the DC books -- borrowing story elements from Batman:  Year One and The Long Halloween/Dark Victory.  I appreciated seeing less well-known Batman villians, namely Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul.  I also really liked seeing how Bruce Wayne became Batman.

Finally, something has to be said about the excellent filming.  I enjoyed seeing Chicago as Gotham City, tho' it's not as obvious here as in The Dark Knight.  But I also like how light and shadow, so important to the myth of Batman are used -- and in a color film, too.  There are moments when the lighting on Christian Bale's face, where he's half or even three quarters in shadow, that reminded me of  the great film noir films.  And Noir has always been an inspiration for and important background to the Legend of  Batman.

Recommendation:  See it!  Buy it!  Show it to your (older) children.
Rating:  5 of 5 Stars
Next film:  Batman -- The Dark Knight
olivia_sutton: (TomBoy)
Posted tonight on my Movie Project blog

  • Title:  Austin Powers in Goldmember
  • Director:  Jay Roach
  • Date:  2002
  • Studio:  New Line (et al)
  • Genre:  Comedy
  • Cast:  Mike Myers, Beyonce' Knowles, Michael Caine, Michael York, Seth Green, Robert Wagner, Verne Troyer, Fred Savage
  • Format:  Widescreen, Color
  • DVD Format:  NTSC, R1
"All right, Goldmember.  Don't  play the laughing boy!  There are only two things I can't stand in this world:  People who are intolerant of other people's cultures...and the Dutch!" -- Sir Nigel Powers

Goldmember begins with four or five title sequences (depending on how one counts them) and breaks the fourth wall twice.  This is an excellent example of  the problem with this film.  Whereas the first two Austin Powers films had a strong plot, this film feels like a series of  barely connected short skits, sketches, and ideas instead of a film.

Nominally, the film is parodying many purely 70s types of  films -- rollar skating films, trucker films, disco films, prison films,  even the 1960s Bond film Goldfinger is briefly referenced.  Dr. Evil, who now has his evil headquarters behind the Hollywood sign and is running a talent agency, is captured in the beginning of  the film.  However, the plot to kidnap Austin's father, Nigel Powers, played by Michael Caine goes on.  Austin travels into the 1970s in an outragous pimpmobile (another 70s reference), picks-up Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyonce') but fails to rescue Nigel.  From there it's a bit of a mess.  Fat Bastard returns as a Sumo wrestler.  Scott Evil finally gives in and becomes evil - taking Mini Me's place at Dr. Evil's side (who has now escaped prison).  Mini Me then defects to British Intelligence and becomes Mini Austin.  Eventually, during the climax, Nigel reveals that Dr. Evil is actually Austin's brother and everyone is happy except the now totally evil and quite mad Scott Evil.

One of the funniest vignettes of  the film is Michael Caine (again, as Austin's father, Nigel) and Austin disguising what they are saying by speaking in English English or Cockney Rhyming slang -- with subtitles.  It's hilarious!  Now, Cockney Rhyming slang is real - it's an actual version of English, developed in London's East End by criminals and the lower class so cops (Bobbys) and upper class Brits wouldn't understand what they were saying (much like any slang or argot).  The idea is that the phrase not only rhymes with itself  but it rhymes with the word the slang phrase replaces (eg "trouble and strife" means wife or "apples and pears" means stairs).  As the slang's been around since Victorian times, often the second half of the phrase is left off (e.g. just "apples" to mean "wife").  Needless to say, it's a bit confusing -- and yes, it's spoken as fast as Caine and Myers do in the film, if not faster.  (I once heard a very frustrated Neil Gaiman break into Cockney Rhyming slang at an SF convention when trying to out-talk Harlan Ellison.  Neil won.)  However, that one scene I always end up rewinding and watching two or three times - every time I watch the film.

Another cute bit occurs in Tokyo when Austin, Nigel, and Foxxy are escaping and their car hits a Japanese monster-movie paper-mache monster and starts pushing it down the street.  The crowds start running away and one yells, "Godzilla!" - then Masi Oka appears and says, "It looks like Godzilla, but due to international copyright law - it isn't!" Then both run away.  That bit was brilliant.

And Michael Caine is perfect to play Austin Powers, especially as the character of Austin, with his wavy reddish hair and glasses come from Caine's look in films like The Ipcress File.  And Caine and Myers have great chemistry.  But there isn't enough of Caine, and overall the film misses the boat a bit.  I would have much, much preferred a film about Austin and his father's relationship - even Austin's daddy issues (something briefly mentioned by Dr. Evil in the first film) as compared to the relationship between Dr. Evil and Scott and Mini Me.  The last scene is quite nice but a bit rushed.  I could have done without all the pull-backs revealing our characters watching a movie of Austin in "Austinpussy" - complete with A-list Hollywood cast, and more actual story.  The first two films had story - this film has sketches.

There is a lot of music in the film, as always with the Austin Powers films, but no psychedelic scene breaks.  Both Austin and Dr. Evil get to perform musical numbers though.  As does Foxxy, though hers is part of  her cover at Goldmember's club.  However, whereas the music in the first two films was the original songs (Secret Agent Man, Incense and Peppermints, etc) in this film music is actually parodied ("What's it all about, Algie" becomes "What's it all about, Austin?" for example).  Using original music worked better.

And, whereas the first two films had us sympathetic with Austin - but at times with Dr. Evil, Scott, Number Two, and even Fat Bastard -- this film often seems out-and-out cruel.  Goldmember has no redeeming values at all, and the peeling skin is way over the top.  Fat Bastard does actually get another sympathetic scene (he is perfect as a Sumo wrestler) and at the very end is shown to have lost over 100 pounds from the Jerald Subway diet, but still...  More plot and more character, and less brief sketches going nowhere would have helped the film immensely.

So why did I buy it?  Well, I got the first two films in a two-pack -- two films for $10.00, which is five dollars each, so I couldn't pass it up.  And I kept seeing Goldmember at bargain shelves for $5.00 and finally bought a copy, figuring, if  nothing else, the little that Michael Caine is in this film makes it worth five bucks.  I also really liked the "Singin' in the Rain" parody that's one of  the five opening credit sequences - and, as I've said, the bit on English English.

Recommendation:  See it or not, depends on how much you like Austin Powers.
Rating:  3 of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Back to the Future
olivia_sutton: (Newfoundland Dog)

Hi all, 

I just re-watched this movie on DVD.  The following review I found on my hard drive from when I originally saw the movie (in the theater).   I may have posted it to my LJ back then, but I couldn't find it.  New info from re-watching the film appears on the bottom of  the review.



Movie Review of  Bewitched

by Olivia Sutton


Cast:  Nicole Kidman, Will Farrell, Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, Steve Carell

 

Bewitched was a surprisingly fun, cute movie.  Unlike many movie remakes of television shows which are often very poorly done, Bewitched travels quite happily down a slightly different path.  In the film, Will Farrell plays Jack, a down on his luck actor, unable to get starring film roles after his last film tanked at the box office.  Nicole Kidman plays Isabel, a witch, who like Samantha in the original television program wants to give up witchcraft and lead a normal life.  And like any romantic comedy, Jack meets Isabel, the audience knows they are meant for each other, and after a few trials and tribulations, Jack and Isabel do get together, cut to end credits.

 

However, what makes Bewitched, incredibly fun to watch is the "B" plot, the making of a new --remake-- television show called, Bewitched. Farrell's character, Jack, meets Isabel (Kidman) in a bookshop.  He offers her the part of Samantha on his new show.  However, once casting her, he realises she is up-staging him right and left, and decides to make Bewitched his show.  He overacts, steals scenes, has the shows writers cut Isabel's lines, insists on delivering all the punch lines, and in short makes every mistake both a bad actor and a remake (television or film) could possibly make.  When the focus group blue cards come back, Isabel is tremendously popular (99 points) but Jack isn't (32 points; the dog did better).  Farrell throws a tantrum.

 

Isabel, meanwhile, is having problems of  her own.  She figures out how poorly Jack's been treating her and decides to quit, but before she can do that, her Aunt Clara experimentally places a hex on Jack turning him into the perfect, and horribly fake, movie-like romantic man hopelessly in love with Isabel.  Isabel, to her credit, sees this as a fake, and un-dos the hex, starting over again.  She then blows up at Jack, calling him out on the carpet for being selfish and self-centered (she's right).

 

Jack, seeing the error of his ways, more or less tells Isabel she's right, and the two begin working on their new television show as partners instead of as competitors.  The resulting montage sequence of the creation of a new hit TV show is well done.  But Isabel's and Jack's problems aren't quite over-- Isabel still has to tell Farrell she's a witch, a real witch.  The next sequence in the film, consists of Isabel revealing the truth to Jack.  A truth that he at first does not believe, and once she proves it to him, causes him to reject her -- in true romantic movie fashion.  It takes Uncle Arthur, a character that Jack (a fan of the original program), imagines -- to get Jack to realise the error of his ways, and that he really loves Isabel, which brings the two together.

 

The entire film, however, full of television in-jokes, manages to parody television, without, necessarily, parodying the show the film is based on.  The film breaks the reality/screen wall over and over again, to full audience acceptance, in truly excellent style.  For example, in one sequence where Jack courts Isabel, the two chase each other around various sets and partial set-pieces in the television studio where both work -- in a sequence extremely reminiscent of Gene Kelly's courtship of Debbie Reynolds in Singin' in the Rain.  (A film referenced earlier in the movie when Isabel, runs into the rain, joyfully, after arguing with her father about whether or not she can give up being a witch).  In another sequence, Jack and Isabel chat on what appears to be a romantic balcony, until two stage hands move the background away while they talk.  Those sequences, and the parodies of television and film conventions are what make the film Bewitched truly magical.

 

Update:  I just watched the DVD last night, which I picked up on sale months ago for like $5.00 or $7.00 dollars.  Yes, Bewitched is still a very fun romantic comedy with a twist.  It's enjoyable to watch, even when one knows where it is going (which let's face it - is the case for all romantic comedies).  The playing with the "Fourth Wall" still works, even when it's no longer a surprise.  Steve Carell plays "Uncle Arthur", as a really, really good impersonation of Paul Lynde (even to the point of being a little swish) - but because his character is one that Will Farrell dreams-up, the dead-on impersonation works.  Shirley MacLaine is Endora - in the new TV series remake of Bewitched, playing the part in flamboyant style and with the best wardrobe in the film (except for possibly Isabel's).  She also gets her own little subplot, in that the actress, Iris, falls for Isabel's father, Nigel, played by Michael Caine.  In fact, that older romance - between Caine and MacLaine - who have fantastic on-screen chemistry, adds to the feel and enjoyment factor of the film.  Will Farrell is a bit over-the-top at times, but in a sense, he's meant to be playing an over-the-top actor/drama queen (drama king?) and it works.

Oh, and by the way, - the soundtrack / music is terrific in this movie.

 

If you get a chance to rent/Netflix or buy Bewitched, I'd recommend it.  It's a fun couple of hours.

olivia_sutton: (Default)

Batman Overload (DVD Reviews)

By Olivia Sutton

 

Well, I kinda' stocked up on Batman DVDs and now that I've watched everything I'm a bit overloaded - tho' I still need to track down the DC Animated Universe movies.
Anyway here's what I now have:

Batman: The Animated Series Vol. 4 (DVD set) (aka "Gotham Knights")
I was a bit dubious about this collection, because I much, much prefer a solo Batman, than a Batman-with-a-family. However, this collection is better than I expected. First, tho' Robin is now Tim Drake and Dick Grayson has moved on to become Nightwing -- the production crew gave Tim Jason Todd's personality and backstory. This fits better than Tim Drake, who with his "Oh gee whiz" personality reminded me of Beaver from Leave It to Beaver and drove me nuts! (Mind you, I've only encountered Tim Drake in the graphic novel "A Lonely Place of Dying" where he's introduced -- and he may have been toned down later.) Jason Todd, otoh, was a street-wise kid famous mostly for his end (see the wonderful graphic novel "A Death in the Family"). Batgirl is also present in this collection. However, there are several solo Batman adventures that at least feel like the classic Batman the Animated Series program. Overall, I liked it and it finishes off the B:TAS DVD collection nicely. (I have all three previous volumes)

I also bought Batman: The Dark Knight on sale at Target (more about why it was on sale in a moment) for $10.00. 'Course, that meant I had to see Batman Begins and Batman Gotham Knight first. I checked Amazon, decided I didn't want to wait (especially with my trip to Florida with Mom to think about) and bought both at Best Buy.

Batman Begins was awesome! In some ways, I liked it better than The Dark Knight and I really liked Dark Knight. I'd somehow managed to miss all the announcements for casting, so besides those from Batman The Dark Knight that I really liked (Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman) - I was pleasantly surprised to see Liam Neeson! I must admit tho' -- as good as the training scenes between him and Christian Bale were -- I half expected him to say "You must learn to use the force, young Padewan." And so much of what he said sounded like it should have come from a script for a Star Wars movie. I also was very surprised by his return at the end of the movie (and it explained why Wayne Manor was a burnt cinder in "The Dark Knight" - something that confused me).
Again - Chicago was the setting for Gotham City - which was awesome! As I had when I first saw The Dark Knight in the movie theater - I recognized parts of the Loop and the Chicago River area. But I loved the way the movie used the back story lore of Batman -- Bruce's fall into the well, the death of his parents. The kid playing young Bruce did an excellent job! I also really liked Bruce's father -- too often there just isn't any information about him, yet Bruce seems to dedicated everything he does to his parents' memory (including as CEO of Wayne Enterprises). I also liked Christian Bale better as Batman in this film -- I really didn't like the "motorized"-sounding voice in the second movie (oh, Kevin Conroy, where are you?) - Bale did a better job playing both Batman and Bruce Wayne and I liked seeing Bruce's journey into becoming Batman.

Batman Gotham Knight was an interesting experiment. I liked having Kevin Conroy back as the voice of Batman (and Bruce Wayne). Conroy really is my Batman in a sense, and since I started watching B:TAS about a year or two ago -- he's now the voice I hear in my head when reading the graphic novels (even re-reading ones with a distinct style like Frank Miller's classic "The Dark Knight Returns"). David McCallum does a good job as Alfred, tho' I was a bit disappointed with the writing for Alfred. Michael Caine played the part perfectly in the two new movies; and Efrem Zimbalist Jr., did an excellent job in Batman: The Animated Series. Both actors gave Alfred that nice, dry, sense of humor, but also showed his caring for Bruce - the man he raised. Actually, I really like Efrem Zimbalist Jr., because he managed to put across both his understanding of why Bruce has to go out each night as Batman, and his concern for Bruce's physical and mental well-being. Michael Caine has his moments as well - in both movies, encouraging Bruce, as well as doing the "Alfred-thing" of reminding Batman of his obligations as Bruce Wayne - something that Batman tends to forget. (It's complicated).
What I didn't like about Batman Gotham Knight was the animation style. Sorry - but Japanese Animé style just doesn't work for Batman - a quintessental American hero. Even in the better stories of the six - the Japanese Animé style was distracting (especially the way Bruce Wayne was drawn - he looked like he stepped out of Star Blazers (aka Space Battleship Yamato) and into a business suit). In terms of stories, the quality varied. The first one, with three street kids telling their own stories about Batman was a direct copy of two B:TAS episodes -- I didn't really like them in B:TAS, and a third go was totally pointless. The remaining five stories are better, with each getting better as it goes on. I was probably most excited to see another take on Bane - but that "part" felt a bit flat. In fact the whole movie, with it's six inter-related parts felt kinda' flat. It also didn't really seem to do what it needed to (or stated it would) do, which was link Batman Begins with Batman the Dark Knight.
Batman The Dark Knight of course is an awesome movie. In many ways, the villians, Harvey "Two-Face" Dent, and The Joker (often named Jack Napier in the comics, but not in this movie) steal the show. Also, Batman's costume seems to be a step backwards -- less flexible and with the annoying voice-changing box, that I didn't like. I DID like the movie tho -- great cast: Christian Bale (who does do a very, very good Bruce Wayne -- I especially liked the bit where he smashes his Porsche to save Dent then claims he didn't do it on purpose), Michael Caine (excellent as Alfred), Morgan Freeman (as Lucius Fox - so nice to even see the character - sorta' a "business" Alfred for Bruce), Heath Ledger of course (fantastic as the Joker), Anthony Michael Hall (as the reporter who keeps showing up - I kept expecting him to have visions! Yep, he was in the TV version of "The Dead Zone"), Gary Oldman again as Jim Gordon (and doing a darn good job!), and even Keith Szarabajka (Chicago native and of "The Equalizer"), oh - and Eric Roberts was in one of the movies as a mob boss. Again - nice to see Chicago playing the part of Gotham City.   (To quote The Blues Brothers, "This is definately Lower Wacker Drive!" - what the movie identified as "Lower 5th").  And the real Chicago PD Pipes and Drums band playing for the funeral.
But yeah, Batman Dark Knight -- awesome.
But about the sale part -- yep, it's widescreen, but the disc has no special features, not even a commentary, I'd have to "trade-up" to the "Deluxe" edition to get any special features -- and I hate buying something twice.
But, despite all the Batman stuff - I still want to find the two Batman "TV" movies (DC Animated), and perhaps Batman Beyond on DVD. (I'd like to SEE Batman Beyond first to find out if I like it!).
If you haven't seen Batman Begins / Batman The Dark Knight - I highly recommend them.

March 2019

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