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[Canada Bob]

If you'd like to make a donation to a few needy Millionaires then go watch Batman to help keep these beggars in the manner that they have become accustomed to.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, then stay home, it's absolute bollocks, almost as bad as that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Numbskulls.

The story line {if you can call it that} is so complex that it'll have you yawning and wondering what the hell is it supposed to be all about.

The flashes, bangs and wallops are as good as you'll get in these big budget movies, but if the movie don't make sense, other than to a 6 year old, then what's the point.

Maybe I should have read the critiques before I went, I didn't, but I will now, and next time I line up to throw $10 down the drain. I just hope I can save you guys the money and the waste of 2 an' a half hours of your time.

On the scale of enjoyment it's a 5 Star Yawner.

Canada Bob.

[CaleyD]

The flashes, bangs and wallops are as good as you'll get in these big budget movies, but if the movie don't make sense, other than to a 6 year old, then what's the point.

I fear you've answered your own question there Bob.

In this day and age, it's the kids that control the purse strings of the parents. Parents no longer know how to say no when kids come asking for things...or they find it easier to throw money at a child throwing a tantrum than to put them over their knee and give them a good hiding for behaving like a spoiled brat.

Make a movie with a good story line that the kids don't get and the kids won't want to see it. If the kids don't want to see it then the adults don't have the same opportunity to go see it as they're too buys taking the kids to a movie they want to see instead.

Make a movie full of loud bangs, special effects, violence and high tech gadgets that the kids get and they want to see it, and if they want to see it then the parents have to go along with them....bingo, an adult admission along with the child admission price....and that's for a movie they won't even like.

It makes sense to the movie makers as all they want to do is rake in the cash so they can squeeze een more explosives and technology into the next movie. God forbid any football club over here should think that way. Encourage kids along and make it cheap for them to attend knowing that they'll drag full paying adults with them....where's the sense in that

[Scotty]

I enjoyed it !!! Thought Heath Ledger put in a decent and menacing performance but not falling into the 'lets give him an oscar' crowd.

[EWS]

What?

The Dark Knight is one of the best movies that I have seen in a long time.

Your just an old fuddy duddy Bob

Said in the nicest possible way of course.

[Canada Bob]

Dark Knight was shyte, mind you there's a market for shyte these days, gimme Mel Gibson and a story line that we can relate to any day, I'll gladly pay to watch that...

Canada Bob.

[+Wanderer]

You're in luck Bob, I hear it on good authority that the next release from the Batman Franchise will be directed by Merchant Ivory... screenplay by Ian McEwan. Should be an 'edge of your seat' romp in the Andalucian countryside!

Of course it's crap, it's a comic book movie. Look at the tin and see what it says before buying.

I liked the gratuitous 10 minute sequence in Hong Kong - that should pull in a few million from China (if the pesky blighters weren't so intent on watching these things on pirate DVD, that is!)

Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham-Carter perform brilliantly. :thumb04:

[Canada Bob]

Used to like Batman, it was fun even the TV episodes, a bit of "technology" and some flash bang wallop stuff, add to that at least they had a story line, a plot that you could follow, even if it was silly. What they now pass off under the Batman banner really is bollocks, if Lewis {not Harold} Wilson was alive today, he'd be turning in his grave !!!

Seems to me that at one time movies were made on the strength of the story line, rather than "how much money can we make, off any old bollocks".

But if all that folks see when they go to the pictures is the "who's who" line up of idle idols, then why bother with the story, just gather up some greedy big namers, throw in some astonishing effects and the punters are happy.

I think CaleyD is on the right track when he says that movies are tailored towards the LCD {no, I don't mean the type of screen}, just throw some stuff together to cater for the Lowest Common Denominator.

It's a pity that shyte like this is thrown together just to fill the pockets of the actors, and to further deepen the pockets of the already fabulously wealthy investors...

Canada Bob.

[Scotty]

I would turn that on its head Bob !!!

Dark Knight and other films such as Hellboy II (to pick another from the "graphic novel" genre) that I also enjoyed are staying a lot truer to their roots than (in the case of Batman) the previous films in the series. If you want to pick on any of the Batman films it would have to be those with Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer et all as these basically just tried to update the 60s version with no relevance to the current mood of the genre found in the publications.

I am not sure when "comics" became "graphic novels" but if you happen to be in a bookstore and pick one up you will find they are fairly dark and the film represents this. Batman "comics" from the 60s may have had a more innocent feel to them when you look at them now, and the first Batman film with Adam West and Burt Ward as well as the TV series (where every episode had to have at least one scene where they "climbed up" a wall and a celebrity would make a cameo appearance by popping their head out the window) reflected that.

Dont get me wrong - I have no doubt they are pandering to the lowest common denominator, throwing in some product placement where they can, spending wads of cash on special effects, CGI and props, and also using projected viewer demographics to decide how or where to film certain scenes but at the end of the day this is not Shakespeare or some RADA artistic masterclass, it is an adaptation of a "graphic novel" and a bloody good one at that when viewed in that context.

When I went to see this film, I knew what I was going to see and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and you know what, my main reason for that was not flash bang wallop effects but the menacing presence of Heath Ledger who I thought put in an excellent performance. The same "know your expectations" feel was true when I went to see Hellboy, The Simpsons etc and I had a different mindset when I went to other more serious films like Fahrenheit911, Sicko, Apocalypto, City of God, Last King of Scotland etc In the case of each film I mention (with the possible exception of simpsons), my expectations were met because I knew roughly what to expect.

If you havent looked at the website before, try RottenTomatoes.com which is regarded as one of, if not THE best movie ratings site out there .... Dark Knight gets 94% ..... Your pal Mel's film Apocalypto (which I enjoyed) only got 65% and most of his others dont fare too well either http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mel_gibson/

[Canada Bob]

I hear you Scotty and acknowledge what you say, especially about how "popular" some movies are, that's maybe where the problem comes from, if shyte gets folks into the theaters then "lets give 'em shyte". The movie industry is well away why it's in business, simply to make money, few folks swim against that stream.

When Batman was on TV it was light hearted entertainment, but at least it did have a story line, at least it was worth a laugh. As you say, they know where the money is, and they don't mind dumbing down to that level to fish for it, but if your capable of doing a good job, then take a pride in it {shows how old I am}.

There are still some great movies City of God {tragic hey} Last King et-al, and a whole host of others, and they don't need to be educational, but give us some credit for turning out and throwing $10 into the hat. What's the point of a movie if there's no logical theme to it, even the Simpson's has a recognizable story line.

I do check out rotten tomato's and the imdb.com web site, the latter {to me} being more reliable, but I'm not the masses, and what appeals to them quite often does nowt for me, but at least the reviews tend to give you an idea of what to expect.

Maybe at 60 the flash, bang wallops don't do it for me anymore, movies that provoke some element of thought are more appreciated, like Blood Diamonds, Lord of War, Enemy at the Gates, The Commitments, This is England, The Full Monty, The Crying Game, Zulu, Tir Na Nog, and more recently Letters from Iwo Jima etc.

Movies that although not of the stature of Shindlers List are both entertaining and thought provoking movies.

Then again I do enjoy the more fanciful stuff like Red October, K19 {filmed in our back yard at the time}, Seabiscuit and Hidalgo etc... it don't have to be high brow, but don't I don't expect the producers to be taking the proverbial...

It don't have to be Ben Hur either or, the 10 Commandments to grab my attention, but I can tell when a movie has been thrown together simply to rake in a few million more for the already Rich & Famous. When they look at what gets rated as "popular" they must think we're complete gobshytes...

Canada Bob.

[Canada Bob]

After tonight, add to the above list "Under the same Moon"...

Didn't think I'd like it to be honest, Spanish language {for that read Mexican} but subbed in English, so a few things going against it before the kick off for me. The wife brought it home as she'd heard it was good, so, seeing as how the dog dint fancy a walk in the rain, I was roped in to watching it.

Have to say it's a "woman's movie" {sort of} but it wasn't long before I got into the story, and as an immigrant myself I could relate to the tough times that folks have when they leave "the old country", and what they have to put up with at times, to get a better life.

It might not be a classic, but it's well worth the $3.99c or whatever it is in your local video store. The way I see it is, if you want to get into the wife's good boots, or some other part of her wardrobe, rent the movie, and tell her you got it for her, she'll think yer such a "feeling" sort of a guy, and with a bit of luck you might be...

Nice story line, well played out, and you dunnae have to be Mexican to relate to it...

Canada Bob.

Edited August 23, 2008 by Canada Bob

[Canada Bob]

I enjoyed it !!! Thought Heath Ledger put in a decent and menacing performance but not falling into the 'lets give him an oscar' crowd.

Heath who ? that's the odd part for me Scotty, I don't go to the pictures to watch an actor, {so I know I'm out of step there}. I go to watch the content, mainly the storyline, although the odd flash bang wallop can be entertaining.

I do recognize that maybe the majority of folks watch a movie because of who's in it, to me if they are a good actor then it's the role I'm watching, not the bloke who's playing it. If the actor is a good actor then it's who he's portraying that I see, I don't belong to the actor adoration or even actor recognition clan.

If it aint Lloyd Bridges, Mel Gibson or a handful of other instantly recognizable actors {men or women} I've not a bleedin clue who is playing the role, {yet the wife knows them all}, it's the story line that I'm watching, not "who's in the suit"...

I'm the same with soccer, it's the teams performance that I'm watching, rather than idolizing a specific player. Yet can I appreciate "the man" for the talent he has, not who he is, most of their heads are bigger than their bank accounts, England FC being a typical example of that, the FC not necessarily being the short form of Football Club.

Canada Bob.

Edited August 23, 2008 by Canada Bob

[beachcomber]

That is the rip off culture of Hollywood and the multiplex for you.

You should all be boycotting Vue and the other Multiplexes in favour of home knitted cinema experiences.....funnily enough..........

As always, Nairn is leading the world with it's very own film festival to rival Cannes and Sundance.......

Tilda Swintons Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams showing obscure Scottish and international classics (everything from Busby Berkely to Singing in the Rain to a 1964 Ukranianian movie) all shown in a homely home grown environment - Entry ?3 for adults ?2 for kids or free if you bring a tray of home baked cakes or turn up in your kilt/pyjamas/buff/whatever

The cinema revoluion has started in Nairn.

Ballerina Ballroom

Telegraph

Guardian Article

Guardian Blog

[Canada Bob]

Nice post Beachcomber, {informative}, I hope they do well in Nairn...

I'd rather see stuff like that {encouraged} then the shyte that Hollywood is churning out to turn turn a buck or two.

I think that movies should {fair enough} be entertaining, but they should also be meaningful culturally or at least thought provoking, rather than dull the brain to keep us stupified and "happy".

Canada Bob.