Driving home this afternoon, I heard on the radio this evening state that TDK made about 18.5 million dollars on a midnight showing alone? Any truth to that?
I've read that on multiple sites as well. A big opening weekend is a foregone conclusion as the hardcore comics fans will devour it. I'll be curious to see if the film has legs for the rest of the summer and if mainstream audiences embrace it.
There were also a few other things that bugged my brother and me. Chew on these as I'd like your thoughts:
When Joker is falling to his death at the end, Batman saves him because he will not kill. Yet when he was in an almost identical situation at the end of Batman Begins, he told Raas "I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you" and left him to die on the train. Why not do the same with the Joker?
When Joker throws Rachel out the window and Batman dives after her, what happens to Joker and his goons? Do they just get bored and leave?
Batman takes the rap for Two-Face's murders, but the writers conveniently forget that Rodriguez, who knows the truth, and Joker, who turned him, are still alive.
Did Two-Face live or die? The film really didn't make it clear, especially given the shot of Gordon eulogizing him.
Did you find it odd that every time the Joker did something, it always came down to a corrupt cop he had something over. I found that very weak writing.
Why was Reese allowed to live? Wouldn't it have been cleaner if he had died in all the chaos? Now we have one other person who knows Batman's identity.
Why was Sal Maroni in this movie if the Joker is made responsible for creating Two-Face? Just what did he contribute to the plot?
Why does Alfred burn the letter? I thought the reason Bruce became Batman was to avenge his parents' death, not because he lost his ex-girlfriend who he thought loved her. Also, why save Rachel in BB only to see her die in TDK?
If Two-Face knows Gordon was an honest cop and that he was betrayed by people on the Joker's payroll (he says as much in the movie) why does he kidnap Gordon's family and torture Gordon?
Why doesn't anybody die laughing?
I'm glad you loved the movie, and I know you're always willing to look the other way when it comes to slip-ups with Batman, but the story really doesn't hold up to even moderate scrutiny and Nolan's "contributions" and "improvements" to the mythos are woefully inferior to what was on the comic book page.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
To be fair, Tony, I asked that question too. More than once.
Funny thing going into this though, my son wanted to see this movie really bad but he didn't want to give this film bigger props than the first Spider-Man movie which he deems the greatest comic book movie ever. He enjoyed TDK so much that he gave it 4 stars. And he's as critical as you, Tony.
Driving to get pizza, he turns to me and says:
"Dad, I almost converted to DC that it was so good." )
He still thinks that Spidey 1 is better though. In the end, it's all about taste anyway.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
For all my complaints (and I do have plenty) I still liked TDK way more than any of the Spiderman movies. At least TDK isn't burdened with an indigent aunt waxing lyrical about the good old days with Uncle Ben (although one of those old bags on the ferry did look familiar...).
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
At least TDK isn't burdened with an indigent aunt waxing lyrical about the good old days with Uncle Ben (although one of those old bags on the ferry did look familiar...).
You saw her too? ) ) )
Now am I the only one who hated the new Spirit trailer? Have you guys seen it? Stylish cr#p! X-(
However they also showed the WATCHMEN trailer and it was sooo beautiful :x . I cannot wait for that one to come out. Terminator too. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
At least TDK isn't burdened with an indigent aunt waxing lyrical about the good old days with Uncle Ben (although one of those old bags on the ferry did look familiar...).
You saw her too? ) ) )
An old lady with the head scarf/kerchief? Yeah, I was paying attention.
Now am I the only one who hated the new Spirit trailer? Have you guys seen it? Stylish cr#p! X-(
I'm not familiar with the Spirit so I must abstain from commenting.
However they also showed the WATCHMEN trailer and it was sooo beautiful :x . I cannot wait for that one to come out. Terminator too. B-)
That looked great, especially Dr. Manhattan ( and Silk Spectre :x ). The music was also very haunting. I'd love to see Zack Snyder tackle Batman; I have a feeling he could do something good with the character.
Still to early to comment on Terminator; although it won't be quite the same without Arnie.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited July 2008
Things this early on aren't really an exact science but I found this article interesting & thought that I would share the info:
B.O. Preview: 'Dark Knight' May Top Opening Day Record with $63M
By Steve Mason | Friday, July 18, 2008
HOLLYWOOD - Just got off the phone with a competing studio exec, and I am told that their "numbers crunchers" are, at the moment, projecting that The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) will break the all-time opening day and all-time three-day weekend records, surpassing last May's Spider-Man 3.
According to the studio exec, the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman Begins sequel is on pace for a $63M opening day! That does include the $18.4M reported by Warner Bros this morning for overnight business. If the number holds (or even if it is close), it will a staggeringly huge start for the impeccably-reviewed superhero picture, and it will be enough to blow by Spider-Man 3's $59.84M opening day.
My source also reports that The Dark Knight is on pace for $153M for the three-day, which would top Spider-Man 3's opening frame of $151.11M. Keep in mind that when the numers get this big, the percentages get very small. At $153M, Dark Knight would set the record by a margin of less than 1 percent over Spider-Man 3. The numbers laid out for me went like this: $63M Friday, $53M Saturday and $37M on Sunday.
Complete numbers, including early results for Mamma Mia (Universal) and Space Chimps (Fox), as they become available.
The mystique surrounding the tragic death of Heath Ledger and the accompanying Oscar buzz for his performance, the impeccable reviews, the fact that Nolan shot significant chunks of the movie in 70MM IMAX cameras, Warner Bros distribution department's ability to secure a record number of playdates at the peak of the summer and the amazing work of the WB marketing team, including the WhySoSerious.com website, have all added up to a monstrous first night.
All of us who follow the business love to watch records fall, but, in the final analysis, The Dark Knight has already blown away expectations for every metric used to measure a movie's success. My weekend prediction has been $136M, enough to make this the all-time No. 2 opening in movie history, but the odds are increasing that The Dark Knight can trump Spider-Man 3 and become the No. 1 movie of 2008 soaring past Paramount releases Iron Man and Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull.
Just back from the 5:00 p.m. showing complete with one guy in full Joker make up and only the neck breaker seats in the front rows empty. I have read some Batman comics, but I am no historian, so my comments are based on the cinematic Batman.
This is the best Batman movie ever, largely due to Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. He gets the laugh and voice just right and his little mannerisms like the licking of the lips adds to the character. Having enjoyed the movie it is not without its fault.
Minor Spoilers ahead
I didn't care for the climatic fight between Batman and Joker, too many ultra closeups, too much of the sonar vision and too dark, making it difficult to know what is going on. Not even sure what happens to Joker.
The chase scene shot on lower Wacker although exciting was a bit confusing with all the crashes and similar vehicles.
Didn't care for the use of Scarecrow.
Chrisian Bale was hard to understand at times.
Having said that, their were many more good things, entire cast was good, I enjoyed the soundtrack, Two Face's face was perfect and I had no problem with how he comes by it, the story was well written with a number of twists and surprises, we see how Commissioner Gordon becomes the Commissioner, Gotham City had a suitable look and the Joker has some comical lines.
Nolan's vision of Batman is close to mine so I am looking forward to his next work. Curious who the villian will be.
Trailers - was surprised to see the Terminator teaser, didn't even know one was coming out, but I will be curious to see it.
I'll probably go see it tomorrow if I can get tickets, even though I'm bracing for bitter disappointment. Why? It's that motorcycle in the trailer. I don't care how many machine guns they dress it up with. Why does Batman have to be like Jason Bourne?
Just kidding. It sounds great and looks like it's going to break box office records here in the States.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Can Tony or Hardy explain why a Batman movie needs to be "fun"? Just because it is a comic book movie, doesn't means it has to be escapism. Batman has always been a dark creature, and his best comics are the darkest ones - Frank Miller, Jeph Loeb, Alan Moore all put Batman into a bleak, depressing world, and that is where he belongs.
Sorry, Night, but any movie where a guy dresses like a bat and another one like a clown is escapist--how many times do you see those things in daily life? But I did not say that the movie needs to be 100% escapism, and if you look at my review I praised the film for being a good crime drama, for its thoughtfulness, and for its treatment of the villains. I didn't mean my comment that TDK "lacks a sense of fun" to suggest that I want a return to the highjinks of Batman and Robin (as if!) or anything like that. Maybe because I'm more a fan of the original Bob Kane/Bill Finger version of the Bat than I am of Frank Miller's or other later incarnations, I think there should be more of a sense that it would be a kick for anyone to be the Batman--to have the cool suit, the "wonderful toys," the great car. . . I guess I would have liked to have seen Batman enjoy his job as much as The Joker does (and couldn't The J-man himself have had at least one nifty-if-lethal Joker gadget?). But, still, I like the movie, and I'll stand by my claim that Nolan understands the Bat far better than has any previous director. I like his vision and I certainly hope he and Bale (and Caine, Freeman, and Oldman) are up for a third chapter.
Vox clamantis in deserto
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
According to Box Office Mojo, Batman DESTROYED the competition on Friday. Hopefully this will help open up the WB suits' eyes to greenlight other comic characters they've been too stupid or pompous to take chances on.
Can Tony or Hardy explain why a Batman movie needs to be "fun"? Just because it is a comic book movie, doesn't means it has to be escapism. Batman has always been a dark creature, and his best comics are the darkest ones - Frank Miller, Jeph Loeb, Alan Moore all put Batman into a bleak, depressing world, and that is where he belongs.
Besides, we already got "fun" with IM.
Hardyboy already pretty much summed up my feelings as well. I don't want another Batman & Robin either and I also liked TDK. I'm as happy as a pig in fertilizer that its doing so well at the box office; that bodes very well for another installment as well as other DC adaptations.
Still, I feel that there is a middle ground that can satisfy both camps.
According to Box Office Mojo, Batman DESTROYED the competition on Friday. Hopefully this will help open up the WB suits' eyes to greenlight other comic characters they've been too stupid or pompous to take chances on.
I wonder how much more it would have made if the Marvel Sisters hadn't orchestrated that massive protest of theirs. :v
As to the villain in a third film, recent comments by Goyer and the Nolans suggest that they could very well skip on using the remaining candidates from the Rogues gallery and instead go with lesser known villains, as was the case with BB.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
I wonder how much more it would have made if the Marvel Sisters hadn't orchestrated that massive protest of theirs. :v
If those idiots went through with their little stunt as they planned last night, I'm sure that they're somewhere in a jail cell licking the many wounds and lumps they accrued in the scuffle from trying to block eager, diehard fans from this film. :v
I was watching the local news last night for any sign of carnage pertaining to the movie crowds.
I'll know by Monday. )
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
As to the villain in a third film, recent comments by Goyer and the Nolans suggest that they could very well skip on using the remaining candidates from the Rogues gallery and instead go with lesser known villains, as was the case with BB.
Lesser known? Well if that tidbit holds water, then I have the perfect villian that fits in with Nolan's milieu...
BLACK MASK
He'd totally own in the Nolanverse. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I know Nolan doesn't want to use The Penguin, but I still believe he could fit in the "Nolanverse"--make him what he is in the comic today, a shady character who runs a "legitimate" nightclub and who pulls deals in the background. And, again, Toby Jones is the man for the job--just give him a fake nose and a tuxedo, and there you are!
I have to admit I don't know enough about Black Mask to say whether or not he'd be a good villain in a film, but Two-Face certainly captured the skull look. . .wouldn't that seem like copying? How 'bout other unused villains, such as Hugo Strange or the Ventriloquist?
Vox clamantis in deserto
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
I have to admit I don't know enough about Black Mask to say whether or not he'd be a good villain in a film, but Two-Face certainly captured the skull look. . .wouldn't that seem like copying?
No, not really because on figure is tragically disfigured on one side of his face and the other just wears a mask to invoke terror. BM is leader of the thug cult called False Face Society. And that pic was just one artist's interpretation of the character.
One is just drawn to look fiercer. He'd still make a great foil to help close out the Nolan trilogy and the character also keeps the director sort of honest.
How 'bout other unused villains, such as Hugo Strange or the Ventriloquist?
Personally, Hugo Strange would make the weaker of your two suggestions; it'd be hard to get psyched for a sequel with him playing the main villian. Now if they swallowed a little pride and hired Paul Dini to write a script with him, I might change my mind... :v
Wesker & Scarface I'd go for indeed. Think of the psychological possibilities with that one? B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I saw the film earlier tonite. I don't want to say much, until I see it again. However, I will make three comments:
One, I don't think this is the greatest comic-book film ever made, although it is very good. It probably is a film that needs to be seen more than once to be truly appreciated, as I don't know what I think of it.
Two, I don't think that the ending was odd (to use Rogue's term) to say the least. It set the ball rolling for the next film, and is alot more conclusive than the end of The Empire Strikes Back. I'll say more about this, once I see it again.
Three, Heath Ledger is awesome, although I don't know if the Oscar is automatically his. Again, and this shouldn't be surprising, :v I will need to see it again as although I loved his performance, I will undoubtfully appreciate it more (or less) upon a second viewing.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
One, I don't think this is the greatest comic-book film ever made.
You should've stopped there. I guess that title goes to the tearfest which is Spider-Man 3? :v
Aunt May nagging and broke? Venom on the verge of tearing up to what Peter did to him? Maskless Spidey letting a villian get away because he's having a vunerable moment?
Two, I don't think that the ending was odd (to use Rogue's term) to say the least. It set the ball rolling for the next film, and is alot more conclusive than the end of The Empire Strikes Back. I'll say more about this, once I see it again.
Me saying that the ending was odd wasn't an outright critique, Dan. It was meant in a general sense. I KNOW that it is a continuation.
And how is it that THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is less conclusive?
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
One, I don't think this is the greatest comic-book film ever made.
You should've stopped there. I guess that title goes to the tearfest which is Spider-Man 3? :v
Aunt May nagging and broke? Venom on the verge of tearing up to what Peter did to him? Maskless Spidey letting a villian get away because he's having a vunerable moment?
Wow, it almost sounds as if I hijacked RogueAgent's account and wrote this for him. ) I do believe someone is starting to see the light about those movies.
As to potential villains, Deadshot (suitably re-envisioned to ditch the colorful costumes) could fit into the "Nolanverse". I've also always had a soft spot for Scarface and his meek veltriloquist.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
The villain I want for three?
Ra's al Ghul.
Why?
Because Talia Head would fit into the Nolanverse PERFECTLY.
Besides, now that Rachel is dead, we need a new flame
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Wow, it almost sounds as if I hijacked RogueAgent's account and wrote this for him. ) I do believe someone is starting to see the light about those movies.
:v It amazes me how every time, I make a positive comment about Spider-Man, you're there to shoot him down, almost as if I was in fact Spider-Man and you were my archnemesis. Now it seems that you have recruited henchmen to do your dirty work for you.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Speaking of Spiderman, anybody watch Spectacular Spider-Man? Great show, better than the movies (which I also like).
Dan, Ra's is immortal. Kind of. He uses Lazarus Pits, which enable him to stave off death, but every time he uses one, he gets more insane.
RA, what do you think of having Talia in Batman 3? Tony? Hardy? Uh... anyone else?
Dan, Ra's is immortal. Kind of. He uses Lazarus Pits, which enable him to stave off death, but every time he uses one, he gets more insane.
Fair enough. However, would Liam Neeson be willing to come back? :v
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
I'm curious to see TDK, didn't really care for Nolan's revisioned Batman, too much of a wimp for my tastes (and since when does the World's Greatest Detective ever, ever say "How does that work?"... not my Batman, sorry). But, I'm hopeful Nolan tells a decent Batman story and leaves all that non-appropriate character BS in the dust where it belongs. Gonna take a big whopper of a film to top IRONMAN, that film rocked.
I'm curious to see TDK, didn't really care for Nolan's revisioned Batman, too much of a wimp for my tastes
A wimp? I'm guessing you think he should have executed the murderer at the start of the film. :v )
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
RA, what do you think of having Talia in Batman 3? Tony? Hardy? Uh... anyone else?
Yes, I agree with you, Night. I think that I stated many pages back that I'd rather have Talia installed within the franchise than have Catwoman back for another turn.
Talia is Batman's kryptonite alot more than Catwoman ever was or will be.
Of course if this happened, Nolan would have to cast an actress who was exotically beautiful.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I'm curious to see TDK, didn't really care for Nolan's revisioned Batman, too much of a wimp for my tastes
A wimp? I'm guessing you think he should have executed the murderer at the start of the film. :v )
I need to see a fantastic payoff in TDK for all the Bruce Wayne backstory in BB to work for me - and even then, Nolan tweaked the character off-center for me: Wayne had an impotent moment as a child, when his parents were killed, he doesn't need another two or three of them as an adult, that was ponderous and unnecessary (and bad) storytelling IMO. I didn't really believe Bale's Wayne could ever dress up as a Bat and fight crime in BB, he was just too... wimpy. Or diluted, I dunno, just think they buried Wayne/Batman in a lot of emo-boy crud. Keaton's Wayne/Batman worked much better for me, even if those films too were flawed (although BR was pretty darn good IMO). Anyhoo, FWIW - and I am sincerely geeked to see TDK, and will take it all as it comes. Reviews sure seem hot.
You should've stopped there. I guess that title goes to the tearfest which is Spider-Man 3? :v
Oh absolutely, it's my all-time favourite film. ) No, when I think of the greatest comic-book films ever made, I think of films like Superman, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Sin City and even Batman Begins, to mention a few. (Note my use of even.)
I like DK alot (although I will know how much I like it, once I see it again), but I don't think it is necessarily better than the films I mentioned above.
Me saying that the ending was odd wasn't an outright critique, Dan. It was meant in a general sense. I KNOW that it is a continuation.
Did I hit a nerve Rogue? :v Do you not like people thinking that you would, God forbid, criticise a Batman film?
I found the use of the term 'odd' to be itself odd. DK's ending wasn't completely conclusive, but to call it odd surprised me. Plus, to compare it to the ending of The Empire Strikes Back is arguably highly questionable:
And how is it that THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is less conclusive?
The climax of Empire was the fight with Vader and the discovery that Vader
was Luke's father.
The film, for all intents and purposes ended at that moment, with everything that came after (including Luke getting a new hand) being there to simply bring the film to a close. Empire was like the middle part of a three-act play. If Lucas had decided to not make Return of the Jedi, it would have had a severe negative impact on Empire, as it would have been like a middle section (admittedly a brilliant middle section) without a conclusion.
However, that is not how I see Nolan's Batman films. I see no reason why Nolan and co can not make more than three Batman films, if they so desired. The ending of DK leads into the third film, but I don't believe that DK needs a third film to be completely validated as I don't consider it to be like the middle section of a three-act play. If Nolan and co decided to not make a third film, I don't think it would make any difference to DK as the ending was really a continuation of the start of the film (in which Bats was treated as a menace) but taken to an absolute extreme.
In fact, I would make the argument that DK does not really lead into a third film at all, since it is about Batman accepting that in order to be the hero that Gotham 'needs' he has to be hated and feared. I therefore regard it as a much more conclusive ending than Empire's.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Comments
I've read that on multiple sites as well. A big opening weekend is a foregone conclusion as the hardcore comics fans will devour it. I'll be curious to see if the film has legs for the rest of the summer and if mainstream audiences embrace it.
There were also a few other things that bugged my brother and me. Chew on these as I'd like your thoughts:
When Joker throws Rachel out the window and Batman dives after her, what happens to Joker and his goons? Do they just get bored and leave?
Batman takes the rap for Two-Face's murders, but the writers conveniently forget that Rodriguez, who knows the truth, and Joker, who turned him, are still alive.
Did Two-Face live or die? The film really didn't make it clear, especially given the shot of Gordon eulogizing him.
Did you find it odd that every time the Joker did something, it always came down to a corrupt cop he had something over. I found that very weak writing.
Why was Reese allowed to live? Wouldn't it have been cleaner if he had died in all the chaos? Now we have one other person who knows Batman's identity.
Why was Sal Maroni in this movie if the Joker is made responsible for creating Two-Face? Just what did he contribute to the plot?
Why does Alfred burn the letter? I thought the reason Bruce became Batman was to avenge his parents' death, not because he lost his ex-girlfriend who he thought loved her. Also, why save Rachel in BB only to see her die in TDK?
If Two-Face knows Gordon was an honest cop and that he was betrayed by people on the Joker's payroll (he says as much in the movie) why does he kidnap Gordon's family and torture Gordon?
Why doesn't anybody die laughing?
I'm glad you loved the movie, and I know you're always willing to look the other way when it comes to slip-ups with Batman, but the story really doesn't hold up to even moderate scrutiny and Nolan's "contributions" and "improvements" to the mythos are woefully inferior to what was on the comic book page.
To be fair, Tony, I asked that question too. More than once.
Funny thing going into this though, my son wanted to see this movie really bad but he didn't want to give this film bigger props than the first Spider-Man movie which he deems the greatest comic book movie ever. He enjoyed TDK so much that he gave it 4 stars. And he's as critical as you, Tony.
Driving to get pizza, he turns to me and says:
"Dad, I almost converted to DC that it was so good."
He still thinks that Spidey 1 is better though. In the end, it's all about taste anyway.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
You saw her too?
Now am I the only one who hated the new Spirit trailer? Have you guys seen it? Stylish cr#p! X-(
However they also showed the WATCHMEN trailer and it was sooo beautiful :x . I cannot wait for that one to come out. Terminator too. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
An old lady with the head scarf/kerchief? Yeah, I was paying attention.
I'm not familiar with the Spirit so I must abstain from commenting.
That looked great, especially Dr. Manhattan ( and Silk Spectre :x ). The music was also very haunting. I'd love to see Zack Snyder tackle Batman; I have a feeling he could do something good with the character.
Still to early to comment on Terminator; although it won't be quite the same without Arnie.
B.O. Preview: 'Dark Knight' May Top Opening Day Record with $63M
By Steve Mason | Friday, July 18, 2008
HOLLYWOOD - Just got off the phone with a competing studio exec, and I am told that their "numbers crunchers" are, at the moment, projecting that The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) will break the all-time opening day and all-time three-day weekend records, surpassing last May's Spider-Man 3.
According to the studio exec, the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman Begins sequel is on pace for a $63M opening day! That does include the $18.4M reported by Warner Bros this morning for overnight business. If the number holds (or even if it is close), it will a staggeringly huge start for the impeccably-reviewed superhero picture, and it will be enough to blow by Spider-Man 3's $59.84M opening day.
My source also reports that The Dark Knight is on pace for $153M for the three-day, which would top Spider-Man 3's opening frame of $151.11M. Keep in mind that when the numers get this big, the percentages get very small. At $153M, Dark Knight would set the record by a margin of less than 1 percent over Spider-Man 3. The numbers laid out for me went like this: $63M Friday, $53M Saturday and $37M on Sunday.
Complete numbers, including early results for Mamma Mia (Universal) and Space Chimps (Fox), as they become available.
The mystique surrounding the tragic death of Heath Ledger and the accompanying Oscar buzz for his performance, the impeccable reviews, the fact that Nolan shot significant chunks of the movie in 70MM IMAX cameras, Warner Bros distribution department's ability to secure a record number of playdates at the peak of the summer and the amazing work of the WB marketing team, including the WhySoSerious.com website, have all added up to a monstrous first night.
All of us who follow the business love to watch records fall, but, in the final analysis, The Dark Knight has already blown away expectations for every metric used to measure a movie's success. My weekend prediction has been $136M, enough to make this the all-time No. 2 opening in movie history, but the odds are increasing that The Dark Knight can trump Spider-Man 3 and become the No. 1 movie of 2008 soaring past Paramount releases Iron Man and Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull.
Photo(s) © 2008- Warner Bros.- All Rights Reserved
http://www.hollywood.com/news/BO_Preview_Dark_Knight_Likely_to_Set_All_Time_Records/5277558
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
This is the best Batman movie ever, largely due to Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. He gets the laugh and voice just right and his little mannerisms like the licking of the lips adds to the character. Having enjoyed the movie it is not without its fault.
Minor Spoilers ahead
I didn't care for the climatic fight between Batman and Joker, too many ultra closeups, too much of the sonar vision and too dark, making it difficult to know what is going on. Not even sure what happens to Joker.
The chase scene shot on lower Wacker although exciting was a bit confusing with all the crashes and similar vehicles.
Didn't care for the use of Scarecrow.
Chrisian Bale was hard to understand at times.
Having said that, their were many more good things, entire cast was good, I enjoyed the soundtrack, Two Face's face was perfect and I had no problem with how he comes by it, the story was well written with a number of twists and surprises, we see how Commissioner Gordon becomes the Commissioner, Gotham City had a suitable look and the Joker has some comical lines.
Nolan's vision of Batman is close to mine so I am looking forward to his next work. Curious who the villian will be.
Trailers - was surprised to see the Terminator teaser, didn't even know one was coming out, but I will be curious to see it.
Just kidding. It sounds great and looks like it's going to break box office records here in the States.
Besides, we already got "fun" with IM.
1 THE DARK KNIGHT
Warner Bros.
4,366 $66,400,000
-- / $15,208
$66,400,000 / 1
N/A
N/A
N/A
2 MAMMA MIA!
Universal
2,976 $9,627,000
-- / $3,235
$9,627,000 / 1
N/A
N/A
N/A
3 HANCOCK
Sony / Columbia
3,776 $4,550,000
+56.5% / $1,205
$182,054,000 / 17
N/A
N/A
N/A
4 JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
New Line
2,830 $3,590,000
+56.3% / $1,269
$34,754,000 / 8
N/A
N/A
N/A
5 HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Universal
3,212 $3,164,000
+38.1% / $985
$49,573,000 / 8
And I want THE RIDDLER in the third installment! And not an actor trying to imitate the great Frank Gorshin either. X-(
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Hardyboy already pretty much summed up my feelings as well. I don't want another Batman & Robin either and I also liked TDK. I'm as happy as a pig in fertilizer that its doing so well at the box office; that bodes very well for another installment as well as other DC adaptations.
Still, I feel that there is a middle ground that can satisfy both camps.
I wonder how much more it would have made if the Marvel Sisters hadn't orchestrated that massive protest of theirs. :v
As to the villain in a third film, recent comments by Goyer and the Nolans suggest that they could very well skip on using the remaining candidates from the Rogues gallery and instead go with lesser known villains, as was the case with BB.
If those idiots went through with their little stunt as they planned last night, I'm sure that they're somewhere in a jail cell licking the many wounds and lumps they accrued in the scuffle from trying to block eager, diehard fans from this film. :v
I was watching the local news last night for any sign of carnage pertaining to the movie crowds.
I'll know by Monday.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Lesser known? Well if that tidbit holds water, then I have the perfect villian that fits in with Nolan's milieu...
BLACK MASK
He'd totally own in the Nolanverse. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I have to admit I don't know enough about Black Mask to say whether or not he'd be a good villain in a film, but Two-Face certainly captured the skull look. . .wouldn't that seem like copying? How 'bout other unused villains, such as Hugo Strange or the Ventriloquist?
No, not really because on figure is tragically disfigured on one side of his face and the other just wears a mask to invoke terror. BM is leader of the thug cult called False Face Society. And that pic was just one artist's interpretation of the character.
One is just drawn to look fiercer. He'd still make a great foil to help close out the Nolan trilogy and the character also keeps the director sort of honest.
Personally, Hugo Strange would make the weaker of your two suggestions; it'd be hard to get psyched for a sequel with him playing the main villian. Now if they swallowed a little pride and hired Paul Dini to write a script with him, I might change my mind... :v
Wesker & Scarface I'd go for indeed. Think of the psychological possibilities with that one? B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
One, I don't think this is the greatest comic-book film ever made, although it is very good. It probably is a film that needs to be seen more than once to be truly appreciated, as I don't know what I think of it.
Two, I don't think that the ending was odd (to use Rogue's term) to say the least. It set the ball rolling for the next film, and is alot more conclusive than the end of The Empire Strikes Back. I'll say more about this, once I see it again.
Three, Heath Ledger is awesome, although I don't know if the Oscar is automatically his. Again, and this shouldn't be surprising, :v I will need to see it again as although I loved his performance, I will undoubtfully appreciate it more (or less) upon a second viewing.
You should've stopped there. I guess that title goes to the tearfest which is Spider-Man 3? :v
Aunt May nagging and broke? Venom on the verge of tearing up to what Peter did to him? Maskless Spidey letting a villian get away because he's having a vunerable moment?
Me saying that the ending was odd wasn't an outright critique, Dan. It was meant in a general sense. I KNOW that it is a continuation.
And how is it that THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is less conclusive?
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Wow, it almost sounds as if I hijacked RogueAgent's account and wrote this for him.
As to potential villains, Deadshot (suitably re-envisioned to ditch the colorful costumes) could fit into the "Nolanverse". I've also always had a soft spot for Scarface and his meek veltriloquist.
Ra's al Ghul.
Why?
Because Talia Head would fit into the Nolanverse PERFECTLY.
Apparently you don't know Ra's...
Yes, Tony...I guess you possessed me momentarily there...
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Dan, Ra's is immortal. Kind of. He uses Lazarus Pits, which enable him to stave off death, but every time he uses one, he gets more insane.
RA, what do you think of having Talia in Batman 3? Tony? Hardy? Uh... anyone else?
Yes, I agree with you, Night. I think that I stated many pages back that I'd rather have Talia installed within the franchise than have Catwoman back for another turn.
Talia is Batman's kryptonite alot more than Catwoman ever was or will be.
Of course if this happened, Nolan would have to cast an actress who was exotically beautiful.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I like DK alot (although I will know how much I like it, once I see it again), but I don't think it is necessarily better than the films I mentioned above.
Did I hit a nerve Rogue? :v Do you not like people thinking that you would, God forbid, criticise a Batman film?
I found the use of the term 'odd' to be itself odd. DK's ending wasn't completely conclusive, but to call it odd surprised me. Plus, to compare it to the ending of The Empire Strikes Back is arguably highly questionable:
The climax of Empire was the fight with Vader and the discovery that Vader
However, that is not how I see Nolan's Batman films. I see no reason why Nolan and co can not make more than three Batman films, if they so desired. The ending of DK leads into the third film, but I don't believe that DK needs a third film to be completely validated as I don't consider it to be like the middle section of a three-act play. If Nolan and co decided to not make a third film, I don't think it would make any difference to DK as the ending was really a continuation of the start of the film (in which Bats was treated as a menace) but taken to an absolute extreme.
In fact, I would make the argument that DK does not really lead into a third film at all, since it is about Batman accepting that in order to be the hero that Gotham 'needs' he has to be hated and feared. I therefore regard it as a much more conclusive ending than Empire's.