Did the Dark Knight Rise Enough..and Santa Cruz and the movies

It looks like in the Super Hero Movie Sweepstakes, it will be The Avengers with the Gold, Batman the Silver and Spider-Man the Bronze.

The third Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, collected nearly 161 million dollars in its first weekend, despite the horrid publicity it got from the tragic shooting at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. Before that, there were murmurs the movie didn't like up to the previous one, The Dark Knight. To be honest, what could? It was Heath Ledger that drove the success of that movie.
When you think about it, people who watch super hero movies, including Batman, watch it for the villain rather than the hero. Spider-Man had Doc Ock and the Green Globlin, X-Men had Magneto, and the Batman movies of the 1990's had the Joker the Penguin, and the Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman...then it kind of fell off the cliff with Mr. Freeze Terminator and the Riddler.

Does this mean TDKR failed because Bane was no Joker? To some, that may be the case.
Tom Hardy was still great as the evil masked man. He was brutal, but he also looked like a WWE wrestler. You could undertsnd him, but the accent didn't make him the definition of unbeatable evil. His size did, though.
Also, did anything think it was odd the bad guys already knew (Bane, for one) Batman was Bruce Wayne? No need for secret identities, no sir. Then again, since Bane was with the League of Shadows, and it sort of knew who Batman was, that made sense.

I also knew Harry Knowles was really upset about what Alfred did in this movie, when he had his doubts Batman could beat Wayne. Michael Caine really did a great job as the loyal butler. It was heartbraking to see Alfred beg Bruce to get back into the world and help Gotham as himself, not the Batman. Then there's Marion Cotillard, who played the Rachel role as the very rich and loyal Miranda Tate. It was her money and her love for Bruce, that kept Wayne Enterprises off the hands of Dagett...who recruited Bane to get what he wanted. Bane's no lackey, though. So, when we found out who Miranda really was, that was a disappointment because it turned out to be Chris Nolan's only way to make her more interesting. That included her true motivations connected with the bad guy from Batman Begins. At least Joss made Black Widow interesting from start to finish.

Now, let's all admit the obvious...Anne Hathaway stole this movie, and we should all line up to see her in Les Miserables on Christmas..then Django Unchained after that. This girl was a sharp cookie who justifies her crimes as taking from those who already have enough, I wish there were more backstory on why she chose this path, aside from the mug shots. Just notice how we see her: she starts as a maid, and then whe nshe gets caught, she turns her attitude on a dime. She starts as someone who believes in self-preservation, then realizes actually helping people out has its rewards, such as a clean slate. If there is any way Anne could be in Expendables 3, they should do it. Giving her a Best Supporting Actress nod come movie awards time makes a lot of sense.

Before we get to Batman and the cop, I want to say that when I saw this in Imax, I thought the story was a bit bloated. Too many speeches, for one, You coud have cut from the football stadium scene, Bane blowing up the prison, and Bruce's time in Bane's pit. I guess Nolam wanted to tie up the trilogy the best way he could. When I saw it again in Santa Cruz I saw that you needed Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the cop who was just as heroic as Batman. You needed that story of the child who escaped from the pit to inspire Bruce to get out the same way. Otherwise, it unravels. It may have been too much story, and it was all needed to bring the trilogy to a finish. As for this being a metaphor for the Occupy movement, it seems to be Bane thought he was the modern Robespierre, freeing the criminals who shouldn't be locked up, and taking from the rich just because you can. No wonder Catwoman thought this was a bad idea after all. What's the point of being a thief when no one chases after what you took...and that includes you Bruce (although you did recover what was taken..but not something else). You could still cut ten minutes from the movie.

So how about Batman? He was the bad-ass hero again, but this time he had to be reborn, to rise...but he did it as Bruce Wayne. The climb from the pit reminded me of climbing Mt. Midoriyama fro the REAL Ninja Warrior show. Christian Bale did a great job showing that struggle. His fight scenes with Bane were also basic and brutal.
Gordon-Levitt also served as a man of action and a conscience for Comissioner Gordon, when the truth about Harvey Dent's death is finally revealed. If Nolan wants to make a Robin movie, he's got the right man. Til then, bring on Looper.

The Dark Knight Rises is a good super hero movie, not quite like The Dark Knight but that's only because Heath Ledger's an impossible act to follow. It'll earn a ton of money, but it won't overcome The Avengers, which played it smart by making its heroes just as compelling as the villain, or maybe more. We should know more next weekend when we see if TDKR can retain a lot of its original take. If it falls suddenly as Amazing Spider-Man did, that will be a bad sign. After all, Batman now has to face some Bane-sized movies like Total Recall, Bourne Legacy and Expendables 2.

Now I have some pictures of the movie scene in Santa Cruz....



The movie house of the area, the Del Mar. The Regal 9 may be bigger, but it doesn't have the tradition this place has.



WHo says Grauman's Chinese is the only place where you can heave handrpints? This is outside the Nickleodeon. The actors are Waltr Reed, who had a long career befoe he moved to Santa Cruz, and western actor Rory Calhoun

Comic-Con: Batman Motors

Well, Comic-Con is officially underway after an active Preview Night that included an unusual relay for charity and a super-packed exhibit room on Wednesday. I nearly got a copy of the Comic-Con movie on DVD, but found out it's not the one with Joss Whedon figures on them. I might get it today anyway since I am talking to Morgan Spurlock today. I also hope to talk to Felicia Day, depending on whether her meet and greet draws plenty of attention, too. Judging from her recent Flogs, I would say it will.

Of course, advertising for major events, including movies and TV shows, were everywhere. I'll have something on that by the weekend once the "ads" are fully installed. I will say that someone took Marie Kessler's airstream for some reason, and the Curse of the Super Billboards may stick for another year for one TV show, but maybe not the other. Also, please pause for the end of the Carpe Diem Cafe, which has been taken over by the Syfy Defiance at the Hard Rock Hotel.

My favorite was Batman Motors, as in every Batmobile used on TV and the movies, located just off Hall H.



Hi, I'm Batman. I don't need a damn dog named Spot!
For anyone who needs an explanation for that remark, ask your grandparents about how they used to sell cars 30 years ago.
Actually, it's a rare chance to compare all the wheels the Dark Knight used over the years.

Of course, you have the first, and some say, the best from the 1960's...



That won't work in the dark 80s, though, so it had to chance when Michael keaton took over the role. Nice set of wheels, if you forget what's up in the grill...



There's the Batman Forever model, with Val Kilmer...



The cheesy Batman and Robin model, with optional Rifftrax commentary...



and the two Tumblers from the Christopher Nolan era. Not so pretty but stripped down and ready for action...





It's quite an evolution of Batman and his cars. Imagine what he'll use t oget around when the Dark Knight Rises next week.

The Riffmax Experience, and looking at Eli again

In about 350 screens, including Imax theaters, people are getting another chance to see the movie who has made the most money without getting respect from the Oscars. I mean, nearly a billion dollars, and you don't get even a Best Picture nomination?

Well, that's what Oscar thinks about comic book movies, even if they're just as good as Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon or Slumdog Millionaire. Spider-Man 2 learned that the hard way, too.

However, it gives Rifftrax fans a very rare opportunity. For the first time ever, they can sneak their iPod into the theater, and listen to the Rifftrax crew's opinions about the movie they're watching. Not just any theater, but an Imax theater. They didn't get the chance with Eagle Eye, Transformers or any Harry Potter movie. They got the chance for the return of Batman: The Dark Knight. They got the chance to experience...

THE RIFFMAX EXPERIENCE: BIG MOVIE! BIG SCREEN!! BIG SMART-ALECKY REMARKS!!!

The best part, of course, is that only the viewer hears the jokes through his iPod. That's why it is best to see the movie on DVD at home with the Rifftrax commentary before going to see it at a local theater, Imax or not. If people see you laughing at the wrong time, the usher or the guy next to you may get upset...or even want to hear the commentary, too. Of course, this may lead to a trend, where people bring their iPods to hear the Rifftrax remarks of whatever bad movie they paid to see.

OK, so how is The Dark Knight in Riffmax?
Well, Christopher Nolan was smart to enhance the movie with Imax sequences. Bigger is better with the car chases or incredible scenes from above. He gets praise for that, but God forbid the Academy would actually say comic book movies are written or directed well. I mean, what's next....Iron Man 2 wins Best Picture or...even....(gasp!) Watchmen????

OK, not too likely, but let's hope somebody does succeed on that.
Also, you may want to turn up the volume on your iPod because those Imax speakers are loud as the picture is big.
Overall, the Riffmax experience is like a normal Rifftrax experience, but much bigger. You'll still have to work a little to make sure the Rifftrax commentary links up to the movie. Itt's not as if you can stop the DVD to back up if you hear a good riff again. Otherwise, it's an interesting experiment. If there's another opportunity to Riffmax a movie, go for it. It is too bad they won't show Beowulf in 3-D again. Imagine seeing that and with the Rifftrax remarks.

One more thing...

I was thinking a little more about Let The Right One In, with a Swedish boy falling for the vampire next door. I learned more about how it compares to the book, especially about Eli (pronounced el-ee).
Now, I suggest you see the movie first, but a couple of times in the movie, Eli says "I'm not a girl". Now that could be true if it's "I'm not a girl. I'm a vampire" or another reason which would make it a very different vampire tale. The book reveals the truth about Eli.
Now, once they get the planned U-S remake, which may be called Let Me In, ready to go next year, I think it will be certain the American Eli is a girl, although androgynous to give respect to the book on which the original and remake are both based.

You'll also get into an interesting debate on the final fates of Oskar and Eli, and what it really means. You just have to see Let the Right One In for yourself, and do it before they disguise it as the Twilight story Stephenie Meyer didn't write.