WHAT WOULD TOTO WATCH? » The Dark Knight

‘Watchmen’ – Not worth all the fuss

cftoto — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 03:40:34 +0000

Watchmen,” the celebrated graphic novel (read: comic book), shattered the superhero mold when it came out in the mid-’80s.

Since then, “The Dark Knight” showed how a comic book movie could combine popcorn thrills with a serious look at societal ills.

Now that “Watchmen” has finally hit the big screen, the gap between the two couldn’t be wider.

Sure, “Watchmen” offers some singular thrills, from Zack Snyder’s snappy direction to a seriously twisted anti-hero in Rorschach. But it’s consistently self-indulgent and lacks the kind of bristling action sequence that will draw in mainstream crowds.

Instead, “Watchmen” settles for near blind allegiance to the source material. That might satisfy the base, but it only proves what works brilliantly on the printed page only goes so far on the big screen.

“Watchmen” is set in an alternate reality in which President Richard Nixon won the Vietnam War and was elected for multiple terms. But spiking tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union put the globe on the brink of nuclear Armageddon.

Never mind that mutual self destruction has proven to be quite the deterrent for civilized nations. “Watchmen’s” political bent is often naive, leaning on the side of blind cynicism to score cheap points.

The story starts with a jolt when an aging superhero named The Comedian (a terrific Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is tossed out of a skyscraper window.

Could someone be gunning for masked avengers, or is something even bigger in play?

Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), a cloaked figure with a constantly evolving mask, aims to find out. He starts revisiting his old superhero pals, most of whom have been driven underground thanks to a law forbidding superheroes from plying their trade.

It’s one of many intriguing plot points that isn’t given enough time to develop.

There’s so much more to describe, from the mysterious blue hero named Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup and his CGI phallus) to themes of an America which no longer lives up to its lofty ideals.

It’s ambitious stuff, and at times “Watchmen” rises up to meet every ounce of hype thrown its way. But the film meanders for long stretches, including two laborious lovemaking scenes and an underbaked subplot involving the first Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino in unconvincing age makeup).

Haley’s Rorschach alternately steals and saves the movie. He’s mesmerizing throughout with only his gruff voice to guide us, but when he finally takes off his mask the character rises to delirious heights.

The film earns its R rating honestly with gross-out sequences of snapped limbs and other visual atrocities. But it often feels forced, as if playing to its audience’s baser instincts like some B-minus horror film.

Look, ma, it’s a comic book movie that plays out like a “Friday the 13th” sequel!

And the less said about the shoddy historical recreations, reliance on newspaper headlines to advance the story, use of overplayed background music like “The Sounds of Silence” and an awful Tricky Dicky imitator, the better.

“The Dark Knight’ fused a standard comic book story with a realistic vision of a world held hostage by terrorists. It delivered big action sequences and bigger social commentary for a devastating piece of pop entertainment.

“Watchmen” packs three times the ideas but forgets to deliver a comic book spectacle worthy of such ambitions.

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(Photo: Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman and Jackie Earle Haley star in the hotly anticipated comic book film “Watchmen.”)

Bale is a very Dark Knight, indeed

cftoto — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:28:21 +0000

Note to self: If you’re ever on a movie set with Christian Bale … don’t get him angry. (caution – a plethora of F-bombs and other foul language ahead – hat tip: Instapundit)

Batman beaten — by Oscar voters

cftoto — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:30:41 +0000

The Dark Knight” defeated The Joker, Two Face and the film competition in toto over the summer.

But the Caped Crusader couldn’t beat snooty Oscar voters.

Mark down 2009 as the tipping point for the Oscar ceremony. The one chance voters had to nominate a film embraced wholeheartedly by critics and the public alike — and they blew it.

“Knight” was left out of all major categories this morning in the justannounced Academy Award nominations.

Only the late Heath Ledger, who died this day last year, earned a nod of consequence – for Best Supporting Actor.

It all went down exactly as I feared, but who could have predicted the little seen, and not exactly beloved, “The Reader” would snare the fifth Best Picture slot.

Stunning.

Click here to buy movie posters!

(Photo: Batman looks down in shame as news leaks his latest film wasn’t nominated for Best Picture.)

Have a ‘Dark’ Christmas

cftoto — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:54:00 +0000

The biggest smash of the summer will arrive just in time to stuff your stocking.

“The Dark Knight” is coming to DVD and Blu-ray Dec. 9, and along with it an avalanche of extras and Blu-ray-only goodies.

I’ll let the press release speak for itself, since I don’t own Blu-ray yet and have no idea what the following means – “allows users with web-enabled Blu-ray players to access exciting additional content and connect and share with other BD-Live users.”

More from the release – the following comes with the standard DVD “Knight.”

Gotham Uncovered – How Christopher Nolan and his team developed the new Bat-suit and Bat-pod and composer Hans Zimmer musically characterized The Joker’s reign of chaos.

The Dark Knight IMAX® Scenes – View these 6 action-packed sequences – shot on the largest format possible – in their original IMAX framing, just as they were intended

Gotham Tonight – 6 episodes of Gotham Cable’s premier news program

The Galleries: Poster art and production stills

Digital Copy of the Feature Film

(Photo: Christian Bale’s Batman looks out over the Joker’s handiwork in “The Dark Knight.”)

PR nightmare, take two?

Summer ‘08: The blockbuster is back

cftoto — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:49:34 +0000

The Summer ‘08 movie season did more than rake in buckets of cash. Every summer slate does that, give or take a few million.

It restored this movie fan’s faith in the film blockbuster, and I bet I’m not alone. It was touch and go for a while, though.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” did its best to squash my inner child, the same child who first fell in love with movies. “Indy” represented the most cynical part of the season – the can’t miss sequel that leaves audiences wishing they stuck to the originals.

Good thing “Iron Man” beat “Indy” out of the gate. The Marvel Comics hero proved to be smarter, funnier and more explosive than any silly superhero movie had a right to be. It also re-established star Robert Downey, Jr. as an A-lister – he’d cement that status with a brilliant turn in “Tropic Thunder” later.

“Speed Racer” crashed after the second lap, and “Sex and the City” scored big despite being a two-plus hours pander-fest – look, they’re doing a dressing room montage! Ooh, Mr. Big is writing Carrie a blank check for their new home!

June offered the good, the bad and “The Happening,” proof that M. Night Shyamalan isn’t the next Steven Spielberg. He’s the next Uwe Boll.

“The Incredible Hulk” proved an upgrade over Ang Lee’s soporific version, but it wasn’t good enough for audiences to demand a sequel. “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” allowed Adam Sandler to dabble in geopolitical humor before reverting to lazy form.

And “Wall*E” proved Pixar’s many talents include hypnotizing the masses into thinking its inferior product is worthy of Oscar buzz.

But then big, beautiful July arrived, and with it the summer’s true salvation. “Step Brothers” showed Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly should synch their schedules more often. And even the misfire that was “Hancock” couldn’t detract from the cultural event that lived up to all the press and posthumous accolades.

“The Dark Knight” left me breathless. A smart, sophisticated thriller that just so happened to be based on a comic book. Arguably the best movie of the year.

And “Tropic Thunder,” and its deliriously anti-PC humor, took the sting out of “Pineapple Express,” the stoner comedy that proved a great red-band trailer does not a classic comedy make.

No summer season offers a consistently solid lineup of all-stars. The seasons must be measured by the quality, and quantity of highs. And by that scale, Summer ‘08 deserves a standing ovation.

(Photo: “Iron Man,” Summer ’08’s first blockbuster, set the gold standard for the season)

Boycott, shmoycott

cftoto — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:06:50 +0000

Guess the boycott of “Tropic Thunder” by disability groups concerned over the film’s repeated use of the word “retard” didn’t have much effect – so far.

“Tropic Thunder” came in first place this weekend, drawing about $26 million (final numbers to be released this week).

Not too shabby for an R-rated comedy, but as with most films the truer test will be the second weekend. Will good WOM spread, or will the boycott chatter take a toll on audience interest. “The Dark Knight” finally fell to second place, but it earned enough $$$ this weekend to become the second highest picture in history.

“The Clone Wars” came in third, drawing $15 million. That’s far from blockbuster figures, but considering the film is a glorified TV show primer, it could have been worse.

Clearly, the “Star Wars” tag doesn’t have the cache it once had, though.

(Photo: “Tropic Thunder,” a new comedy about actors shooting a Vietnam War film, drew the top spot this weekend.)

Lucas might use the Force on your first grader

Take that, Spidey!

cftoto — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:53:47 +0000

We have a new champion, folks. “The Dark Knight” will haul in between $153 and $155 million this weekend, according to track-master general Nikki Finke.

That beats the previous non-holiday weekend record set by “Spider-Man 3″ – and that’s a film that doesn’t deserve to hold a single record.

But can “The Dark Knight” keep on keepin’ on? It’s not a film for the kiddies, and word of that will surely spread (although the 1 year old who sat a few seats down from me at my screening didn’t complain a bit)

Then again, I can’t imagine people watching this and not all but dragging their pals to go see it with them.

Did anyone out there hate it? Feel it was a major letdown? Let me know …

(Photo: Batman smashes fellow superhero Spider-Man’s box office record with “The Dark Knight”)

‘The Dark Knight’ – As advertised, and then some

cftoto — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:32:53 +0000

It’s a blessing to settle into your seat and watch, at long last, “The Dark Knight.” All the hype – the rabidly positive reviews, the sequel-driven expectations and incessant chatter about a posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger – fade when the Joker drops his first victim.

That the victim is one of his own henchman says plenty of what’s to come. Director Christopher Nolan quickly puts us on edge, and we stay there for two and a half blissful hours.

“The Dark Knight” is bolder, smarter, more authentically entertaining than its predecessor, or frankly any other movie this summer.

It’s nearly everything you hope for from the franchise, an imperfect but still dizzying ride that goes on and on … and yet you never want it to end. When a film offers this much intelligence, character development and plain ol’ spectacle, why would you?

“The Dark Knight” builds off of “Batman Begins,” a solid albeit overhyped film that brought Batman back from the cinematic grave.

You’re forgiven, Mr. Clooney.

“Knight” opens with a bank heist, a simple setup that delivers jolts all the same. Nothing about “The Dark Knight” will be ordinary, or forgettable.

The Joker (more on Ledger’s performance later) is behind the heist, but it’s only a warning shot. He’s trying to band Gotham City’s criminal element together to squash the Batman (Christian Bale), who threatens to put them all out of work.

Meanwhile, the city’s new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) hopes to smite the city’s mob network with one spectacular legal blow. But he’ll need the cooperation of Batman to make it happen.

The Caped Crusader has his own issues above and beyond the Joker. Copy cat Batmen are swarming the city, trying to fight crime just like their hero – and getting killed in the process. And Bruce Wayne, Batman’s day persona, still pines for Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal, a nice upgrade from Katie Holmes) who’s now decorating Dent’s arm.

What follows is an epic crime story that twists and turns without betraying its inner logic or our attention span. Not that Nolan skimps on the superhero staples. “The Dark Knight” serves up plenty of “wow” moments, an increasingly difficult feat given the current state of superhero films.

“Knight” masterfully weaves in modern metaphors without sacrificing storytelling or tension. Batman’s quest to rid the city of crime brings serious comparisons to the War on Terror. The screenplay, co-written by Nolan, lights these political brush fires so expertly you won’t complain whether you put scare quotes around this War or not.

The voice of reason remains Alfred (Michael Caine), whose screen time may be limited but his voice echoes throughout the production. Alfred knows just what to tell his conflicted master whenever the Joker strikes.

Ledger’s Joker puts Alfred’s wisdom to the test time upon time. He’s the ultimate anarchist, but with the brains to pull off one atrocity atop another – how he manages to do it all is the film’s biggest weakness.

The character’s similarities to modern terrorists are far from accidental. He even sends out videotapes of his victims, bound and forced to read his insane manifestos.

Ledger’s final performance is everything you expected. He’s a deranged soul, a sociopath with his own insidious code of honor. Ledger’s performance doesn’t start and stop with his hideous visage, a greasepaint nightmare. Every gesture, every quirk is part and parcel of his vile portrait.

Eckhart’s performance is a flat-out bonus, and the film’s biggest surprise. He’s a square jawed superhero without a cape, the White Knight the public trusts far more than his Dark companion.

Every supporting player gets his chance to shine. Morgan Freeman returns as Bruce Wayne’s gadget guru, and his presence affords the story some comic levity as well as a moral base. And Gary Oldman’s role as Jim Gordon is expanded here, justifiably so.

Bale’s uniformly strong performance is an afterthought, something we come to expect from the actor – and the young franchise.

“The Dark Knight” lives up to every ounce of the hype – it’s the best superhero movie ever, the new benchmark for reality-based treatments of pulp heroes.

Also check out my “Dark Knight” haiku review, an interview with director Joe Dante on his choice for the first Joker and my take on whatever happened to erstwhile Batman Michael Keaton.

(Photo: Christian Bale examines his latest Bat suit in “The Dark Knight”)

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