So I just finished reading Dear Justice League, written by Michael Northrop with art by Gustavo Duarte. I have to say this is one of the best books I've read in a while and that's not just because it's a kids book so it's easier for me to read. This book captures all the light and joy that these heroes bring to the world, from being a kid and seeing these heroes to being an adult and the realisation that comes to you that no hero is perfect.
The art in this book is bright and beautiful, with bright colours, clear visuals, and classic suit designs of our favourite heroes such as Superman in his classic red underwear, to batman having two costumes (one in a flashback) the first if which is very reminiscent of Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns' design with a much wider and bolder bat symbol whilst his other suit includes the classic yellow oval with bat symbol inside. All the characters are instantly recognizable, there's no odd changes in details like the hairstyle, or facial features that will make you question if you're looking at a different character. As I said the designs are classical and iconic so you know exactly who you're looking at, but not to take anything away from Gustavo Duarte's art style because he really makes it his own. I've not seen much of his art before this but I can tell you that this book has it's own unique look from other DC content which makes it stand out from the rest.
The writing from Michael Northrop is kept simple for kids, and captures the true nature of the characters. Superman is honest and kind, The Flash jokes around with bad puns, Diana answers with truth, Aquaman is a little self conscious , and through it all this book has an awesome and fun overall plot that plays throughout the time that these heroes are answering their fans. The chapters layout the book nicely so that each hero gets a spotlight moment to tell their story, although Flash's is more of an interlude.
There's even references to Back to the Future, Top Gun and I'm sure a few other references that I didn't pick up on but this shows that this wasn't just written for kids. It was written with those of us, that are now adults, that grew up with these heroes, in mind.
The end of the book rounds off the whole theme of the book beautifully, as all the heroes come together to tell us readers that yes they mess up, they're not always perfect, they're not always super, but they don't let it get them down!
Also at the end of the book are sneak peaks at next year's sequel to this book called 'Dear Super Villains' which looks just as much fun, if not more so, than this one as the preview shows us a look at Harley Quinn answering a question, so you can imagine how that goes, as well as a new also giving us a sneak peak at 'Superman of Smallville' brought to us by Art Balthazar & Franco, the New York Times bestselling creators of 'Tiny Titans'. This also looks like a fun little book that introduces us to the younger Clark Kent/ Superman growing up on the farm, being told to do hard work instead of use his powers which leads to some fun and I'm sure deep messages about how powers don't always help. Either way I'll be keeping an eye out for both of these books, the first of which (Dear Super Villains) is due for 2020 whilst Superman of Smallville' is due for release on the 3rd of September this year!
Overall this book is a brilliant and heartwarming love letter to all our favourite heroes, even those that weren't included. It shows kids, that even all of these 'SUPER' heroes can't be super all the time. It speaks to people of all ages, that mistakes happen to the best of us, but it's how we deal with them and carry on that makes us 'Super'.
This day (July 31st 2019) marks the release of the a book written by Michael Northrop and illustrated by artist Gustavo Duarte. It's all about the big heroes of the DC Universe recieving letters, texts, emails etc. from their biggest fans - children!
The heroes involved, as seen in the trailer, include Superman, Aquaman, Hawkgirl, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Cyborg. You can watch the trailer below, or visit the DC site (https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/dear-justice-league) to read a preview of the book and perhaps pre-order your own copy!
This book has only just been released. I have not read it yet, not even the preview because I don't want to spoil anything before my first read when I buy a copy (bring on payday), but the book, the artist and the writer have already inspired me with an idea. I decided that I would love to be able to write a letter to my favourite hero in the DC Universe. Some of you might think that's a silly idea for a guy in his mid 20's but in all honesty, I couldn't care less because DC Comics, and comics in general have meant a lot to me in my life. I've always struggled with reading which only recently I'm discovering could be due to mental health issues, but comics helped with reading because the words were spread out into small bits and pieces so I could read one bit at a time and not have to worry about the large chunks of text you find in a novel.
Not only do the layout of the comics help, but the art and the character designs help me immerse myself into the different worlds from the dark and creepy detective world of Batman, to bright yet dangerous world of Superman. Not to forget the crossover world of Justice League and the other heroic teams that bring us a combined story of a world where all these heroes live as one.
My favourite of all these heroes though is Green Arrow. A world in which there are the few odd meta human foes, or some big evil organizations that try to take over the world, but for a lot of the stories I first read of the Robin Hood/Batman hybrid, it seemed very ground in a gritty reality, where Olive Queen, also known as the Green Arrow not just in secret but to the rest of the world as well it seemed, owned a flower shop called Sherwood Florist (which is a great name in itself) with his wife Dinah Lance a.k.a Black Canary. I do of course refer to the Mike Grell run of the character, which is one of my all time favourites, both for it's style and it's nostalgia factor. Since then, his stories and his world has effected me in ways I didn't think was possible. It changed the way I see the world around me, it helped me stand up to bullies, and it helped shape me into the man I am today, along with the lessons I learned from my Mum, Dad, Brother and other Family and Friends of course.
I emailed Michael Northrop to tell him how he had inspired me with this letter but I didn't reveal the letter I wrote to Oliver Queen because I wanted everyone to read it at the same time and the email I sent to Mr Northrop was as simple as the fanmail I wrote to Oliver Queen. I didn't want anything for it, I simply wanted to tell the creators of this book that it was inspiring. I was honoured to have Mr Northrop reply to my email as well, thanking me for getting in touch, which is heartwarming and inspiring in of itself. He told me that 'Dear Justice League' is a love letter from him and Mr Duarte to these iconic heroes that have meant so much to them both over the course of their lives. However he did tell me that Green Arrow is not in the book as they decided to stick to the more core memeber of the Justice League.
So, without further a do, below is my letter to Oliver Queen, written on paper and typed up/edited on the computer. I hope you enjoy the letter, and maybe you too can write a letter to your favourite hero, or if that's too much, just have at least a think about what you'd say to them.
Kevin Smith tweeted something spectacular in honour of SDCC (San Diego Comic Con) and although this blog is reserved for DC content, I just HAD to make a post about this trailer because I am a HUGE Kevin Smith fan and have been waiting for this trailer and this film for a long time now!
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot now has a trailer released worldwide on YouTube and it looks incredible in a way that only 'that guy who made Clerks' can do. So if you haven't watched the trailer yet I highly suggest you do before reading on (its linked below) because I will be breaking this trailer down to the best of my ability and so like the man himself when he reviews stuff, there will be Spoilers galore!
THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING....enjoy.
First off we have The Quick Stop and RST Video (with a new sign in front of it) which is where it all started not only for his films but for Kevin Smith himself. If you don't know his story, the short version is that Kevin Smith worked at the Quickstop, a small convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey. It was here that he made his first film Clerks, and it was here that started off a career of a life time for Smith, as his film career led him into a wider world of pop culture fame as well as leading him to becoming a King of geek fandom which has landed him roles as a writer in Comics, as a Director, Actor, Cameo appearances and he also hosts the IMDb shows where he gets to meet and interview many big name stars which seems to have gained him a lot of friends over the years as this new trailer now shows.
The Quick Stop & RST Video from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
The sign covering the original RST video store says 'Cock Smokers' which is a popular phrase in the Askewniverse, being often shouted by characters such as Banky, or Jay, not to mention the wordplay on the sign which states 'Cumming Soon'. Also next to the door which Jay soon emerges from, resides the classic 'NAILS' ad poster that appeared in Clerks, but it seems even they have evolved with the times because the ad now shows a vape pen by the looks of it. Also we can just about see that the window shutter to Quick Stop is still shut, which just shows how much detail Kevin and his team really puts into these films!
When Jay emerges from the store, it's not long until the next reference graces our screens, as Jay drops his trousers, and stands in a pose we saw him in during a memorable scene in Clerks 2, accompanied by the same music 'Goodbye Horses' by Q Lazzarus. This is a great nod back to Clerks 2 when we see that Jay is bored and states that Boredom is the first step on the road to relapse. So in this film it seems that Jay and Bob have relapsed after their time in rehab, though it's not surprising after all the stuff they've been through.
Jay (Jason Mewes) & Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) Emerge
We are then taken back to the Mall to visit Brody's comic book store ' The Secret Stash' (also the name of Kevin Smiths own comic book store), and we are shown a great parody image of their comic book alter ego's Bluntman and Chronic which looks very similar to 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Of course this scene wouldn't be complete without Brody almost echoing his classic line from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, which sets the two off on their journey in the first place. Not to mention he still has his cup on him at all times!
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: "Don't tell me you guys have no idea there's a movie being made about the comic book you two were the basis for!?"
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot: "Don't tell me you guys have no idea there's a new comic book movie being made of the old comic book movie you two were the basis for!?"
This is just brilliant writing right here because this is what the movie is and what the movie is about. Kevin Smith has stated over social media and in interviews that Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is essentially a Reboot of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back with returning cast members, similar if not exact same lines and of course the trip to Hollywood in order to stop this movie from getting made.
Brody (Jason Lee)
Oh and did I mention that the stars of this rebooted Bluntman and Chronic movie, are none other than Val Kilmer (Batman Forever) as Bluntman, and Melissa Benoist (CW's Supergirl) as Chronic! The casting just gets better and better! According to the IMDb page for this film, members of the Flash cast are in this flick as well including Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash), Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells, Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash) and Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramone/Vibe). This film is going to be epic!
Melissa Benoist as Chronic
Val Kilmer as Bluntman
The courtroom scene that we see next shows us a glimpse at some of the new cast members in the Askewniverse with great actors like Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike, True Blood and DCEU's Deathstroke although we may not get to see him in that role again now), as well as the return of Craig Robinson (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hot Tub Time Machine, This is the End), and Justin Long who have both appeared in previous Smith movies though none of them tied to the Askewniverse (Robinson in Zack and Miri Make A Porno, whilst Justin was the victim in Smith's horror flick Tusk and a different character in it's sequel Yoga Hosers).
His previous film appearances for Smith include the lead role in Smith's horror film Tusk, a role as a Yoga Instructor in the follow up film Yoga Hosers (which make up their own universe for Smith known as the True North Trilogy, with the third film yet to be made) and in the stand alone Smith romantic comedy flick Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Due to how he speaks in the courtroom during the short time we hear him, it seems as though Long is using the same voice he used in Zack and Miri so could this be the same character who was called Brandon St. Randy. The IMDb page gives very little info on the cast and their characters for this film so no solid connection can be made just yet, this is just my theory based on what he sounds like in the trailer.
Joe Manganiello
Craig Robinson
Justin Long
Jay and Bob move on to the start of their journey, in what looks to be the exact same van the four jewel thieving women, Missy, Sissy, Chrissy and Justice used in Strike Back. Which in itself is like a reference to say The A Team with their trusty van which was essentially part of the cast. If there was The A Team, there was the van!
Of course this wouldn't be a Smith film (since Dogma) without the appearance of the famous Golden Calf restaurant, Mooby's! Jay and Bob stop off for their road food by the looks of things, perhaps to share with Justice since that's where they first met in Strike Back.
Shannon Elizabeth also makes a return to her previous role from Strike Back, as the love interest of Jay and former member of the all female jewel thief gang. Yes, Justice has come back into Jays life or vice versa, but she has a surprise for him...they have a daughter, who's a teenager. Who better to play Jay's teenage daughter than his best friend Kevin Smith's teenager, Harley Quinn Smith! Also Justice appears to be holding a hockey stick which is both a reference to Yoga Hosers, since Harley used one in that film due to it being set in Canada and you can't have Canada without hockey, and of course a reference to Smiths love for the sport.
Harley has been doing well over the years, as she has made her own mark on the world as a vegan activist and even with appearing in her fathers films like Yoga Hosers, she's also starring in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood'. This film however, has her playing a teenager with what looks like anger issues when she threatens Jay and Bob with a knife. Oh and her character name is Millenium Falcon, cos it wouldn't be a Kev Smith film without Star Wars thrown in there somewhere.
Justice (Shannon Elizabeth) and Millenium Falcon (Harley Quinn Smith)
"And on that note, we cue the music"
Another classic line from Strike Back, repeated by Brody himself as the trailer reaches the half way point.
Jay and Bob hitch a car ride once again with Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Smurfs), with this scene being very reminiscent of the time that the late great Carrie Fisher portrayed a nun in Strike Back who picked up Jay and Bob out of the goodness of her Catholic heart, before Jay tries to follow 'the book' before getting kicked out. Maybe he's learned his lesson? Either way this is another big name to add to the list of stars in this film.
Fred Armisen as the driver
Blueprints play a role in this film, which is a great throwback to Mallrats! In Mallrats Jay and Bob are asked to destroy a stage to prevent TS's love interest from appearing on her fathers dating show. Jay claims that he was already going to do that anyway for fun, and that Silent Bob has the blue prints and found a weakness just like the Deathstar. So once again this is a two for one reference as it not only references Star Wars, but also Mallrats. Maybe even three references as Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith released a book in 2014 called 'Jay and Silent Bob's Blueprints for Destroying Everything'.
Oh and this new young group of girls are essentially the rebooted version of the original all female gang that picked up Jay and Silent Bob in Strike Back. The original team was formed of Missy (Jennifer Schwalbach Smit), Sissy (Eliza Dushku), Chrissy (Ali Larter) and Justice (Shannone Elizabeth) and this new team consists of the characters known as (from left to right) Milly (Harley Quinn Smith), Jihad (Aparna Brielle), Shan Yu (Alice Wen) and Soapy (Treshelle Edmond).
A raunchy quick shot scene of Jay getting some role reversal action on what looks to be a News set, whilst hilarious is probably a reference back to Jay and Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie' where a female character portrayed by Kevin Smith's wife Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, surprises cartoon Jay by penetrating him with a strap on, instead of Jay penetrating her. It's great to see this hilarious nod to their cartoon movie which ties in to the Askewniverse in many ways of it's own.
Then comes the Dogma references, as Jay gets hit over the head with a Hockey Stick, which could be a reference back to Jason Lee's three demon minions in the film who use hockey sticks as weapons to put God into a coma whilst he was in human form. However the big surprise comes when it cuts to a very big star and familiar face in Askewniverse, turns to the camera, as we see that it's none other than Matt Damon who has played himself in Strikes back but also the character of Loki in Dogma. Though Loki was killed by Bartleby (Ben Affleck) in Dogma, this could well be Loki returned as he seems to have that aura about him, and not to mention it appears as though he's sitting in a church.
Matt Damon possibly as Loki?
Jay's comic book alter ego Chronic along with his hetero crime fighting partner Bluntman, appear to have given birth to a comic convention of their own, with Harley Quinn Smith seen dressed as Jay, and Aparna Brielle stood next to her dressed as Bluntman with the very classic Mallrats style batman cap as worn by Silent Bob.
Now it is time for my favourite part of this trailer! The part that literally brought tears to my eyes! Ladies and Gentlemen after years of hoping to see him appear alongside Kevin Smith once again, after years of following their stories of being apart and their friendship almost fading into nothing more than someone he used to know, the man himself has returned to play a vital role to this film, Mr Holden Mcneil is back with his new title 'Bluntman Beyond', Ben Affleck is back in the Akewniverse, and I don't want to speak too soon, but I am hoping this means we'll get more appearances from him in future Smith films such as Moose Jaws, or maybe Kev can write a new film for him like he did back when he wrote Jersey Girl!
I teared up when I saw Kevin tweet about Ben before, and when I saw this trailer I was so overwhelmed with joy that it was finally happening, the two were finally in contact again and Ben was finally back in a Kevin Smith film!
Not to overlook the awesome little Batman Beyond reference there but if you have followed Kevin as long as I have or longer then you understand why this was so important.
During Chronic Con we see a line up of odd looking versions of Cock Knocker, the villain played by Mark Hamill in Strike Back, and I so hope he makes another cameo for this film as well to round off all the great cameo's we've already seen. Also in this convention hall we see the many Bluntman & Chronic or Jay and Silent Bob cosplayers gathered for their special Q&A session with cast members, which is where the next two names come into it, but before that we're treated to what looks like an incredible Marvel film reference/parody as Silent Bob enters the hall dressed as prototype Iron Man from the 2008 film Iron Man which kicked of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. This scene is completed with the visuals of inside the helmet where we see Silent Bob taking aim.
During the next quick cuts we see Justin Long sing part of the Jay and Silent Bob Get Old podcast theme song with "Yay, it's Jay... and Silent Bob", which is followed by Jay and Bob taking on the same fighting stances they used to try and knock out the two actors mentioned before, to stop the movie getting made.
Chris Hemsworth makes a cameo appearance as well, apparently as some form of hologram, during Chronic Con! This continues to show that this film might not just be another cheap Kevin Smith flick because this just adds to list of incredible big name actors we've seen in this film already just in this one trailer!
Rosario Dawson returns as Becky which should mean the return of Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks since Rosario became O'Halloran's love interest in Clerks 2, resulting in the two having a child, and re-opening the burned down Quick Stop under their own management. After all O'Halloran is credited in the IMDb credits but has not yet been shown in the trailer.
Jay and Becky (Rosario Dawson)
If you've seen Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back then you probably remember the goofy scene where Jay and Bob ride in the back of the Mystery Machine, with parodies of the Scooby Gang inside, who Jay and Bob try to get high, but instead get high themselves and pass out. This time around the Scooby Gang are replaced by none other than Method Man and Redman! The scene in which they appear is clearly a reference to their film 'How High'.
Method Man and Redman
In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the hetero life mates discover who is playing their on screen persona's in the film, and it turns out to be none other than James Van Der Beek, star of Dawson's Creek, and Jason Biggs, star of American Pie which is very clearly referenced in the first film as Jay quickly points out "You're the guy that fucked the pie!". It seems the stars are back to answer the questions of the cosplaying fans at Chronic Con, and Biggs seems to be unhappy as per in this universe as he tells the fans the movie sucked and then breaks the fourth wall (which appears to be a running theme in this trailer) as he says "and who's directing this shit anyway, Kevin F*cking Smith!?"
And finally we are treated to another famous stoner, mister Tommy Chong of the famous stoner duo Cheech and Chong. Chong appears before Jay and Silent Bob and says "smells like this reboot, went up in smoke". This line is a reference to 'Cheech and Chong: Up in Smoke' (1978). This final cameo ends the trailer and what an ending it is to this incredible vision into what Kevin has in store for us all.
Tommy Chong
I'm super excited for this film and really hope the bring their Reboot Roadshow to the UK because I will be there without a shadow of a doubt! Smith has gone all out on this film, bringing near enough all of his previous work, and referencing it in this one big bundle of joy that will most likely become one of my favourite films of all time, and possibly round off once and for all the Askewniverse.
This could be Smith's End Game and his universe might not have as many films as the MCU but it's certainly been around a lot longer so the anticipation from fans is high, and we can't wait to see what this movie has in store for us that we haven't seen already. Part of me hopes this isn't the end of the Askewniverse, especially now that Affleck is back, but I would also feel okay if it was. Smith stated that after his heart attack, that this was the one movie he wanted to make and would have been his only regret if he hadn't made it before his own life was over, so you know this film has a lot of heart, a lot of love in it, and a lot of what makes Kevin Smith so damn good!
The third and final film in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight Trilogy' brings us into the world shortly after the events of the previous film, opening up on the funeral of Harvey Dent with Police Commissioner James Gordon giving a short speech.
Very quickly in this film the villain is introduced to us during a very odd heist involving an aeroplane, which shows us the lengths this new villain is willing to go to in his mission, whatever his goals may be.
Tom Hardy portrays the famous Batman villain Bane in this film, and looks great in the role as a very strong, powerful leader and dangerous foe for even this Dark Knight. However the main issue with this character in this portrayal is the odd choice of his voice, from his accent to the muffle of the mask he wears. Though the mask looks pretty awesome and mysterious in my opinion I think that the muffle made it an issue, which was the topic of conversation and debate when the movie first released with press screening attendants claiming to be unable to understand a word he was saying, whilst this carried on somewhat into the public release of the film I think it's simple to understand him, but what I don't understand is the choice of accent. In the comics and in animation Bane has been portrayed with a Mexican/Spanish accent which compliment his luchador mask and façade throughout. So when this film came around and Bane now has a very British gentlemen accent despite apparently being born and raised in a prison in the middle of the desert, it was hard to take him as seriously as he should have been. But more on that in the next post. For now let's concentrate on the rest of the film...
Tom Hardy as Bane
We're later introduced back into Wayne Manor with Alfred and Bruce Wayne, who encounter a thief disguised as a waitress, who steals Martha Wayne's expensive necklace, which Bruce just so happens to have a tracer in it now. This thief inside Wayne Manor, if it wasn't obvious by this point is revealed to be none other than miss Selina Kyle a.k.a Catwoman. Which Bruce Wayne discovers with a bit of detective work in the batcave. Which is great to see, although I'd have preferred to have a longer scene where we see him doing some actual detective work instead of just bringing up the finale with the results of his work, shown on screen already. I know they do that for pacing but in a film about a genius detective, we see very little evidence of his detective side.
As the plot begins to unfold, the regular cast of characters are presented alongside all new interesting characters including Miranda Tate (portrayed by Marion Cotillard), who isn't all she seems, as well as the previously mention Bane (Tom Hardy), Selina Kyle (portrayed by Anne Hathaway), who forms a strange bond with Bruce Wayne and Batman as the film goes on, and Officer Blake (portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who somehow, still unknown clearly to a lot of people, managed to figure out Bruce Wayne was Batman, all whilst the young Blake was a kid in an orphanage.
Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle
The cast of this film, as always with Nolan's films, is spot on with A-list stars scattered across the whole production. The plot is a little lacking in places but overall it makes for a good film to finish off the trilogy. More than that though, it's a great way to bring Bale's Batman one last ride before hanging up his cape and cowl.
Gotham has been without the Batman for 8 years since he supposedly murdered Harvey Dent (as seen in the ending of The Dark Knight, 2008). This story draws a lot of inspirations from The Dark Knight Returns, as well as Knightfall (hence why Bane is in the film) and so when the scene arrives in which we see Batman return to the streets of Gotham during a police chase, a young officer is confused and shocked whilst his elder colleague sat in the car with him tells him he's in for a show now, which is reminiscent of the the Dark Knight Returns comic, because the younger generation often believe The Batman is either a myth or a just a crazy story the older generation tell, but they soon discover he's very real.
Knightfall references come in the form of Banes little side mission to 'break the bat' and when he succeeds, mostly due to the fact that Batman is not in any real fit state to fight what with the damaged knees, and so later, the part of the story in which Bruce Waynes is healed by the magic of the Lazarus Pit in the comic, we are given a real world pit which doubles as a prison and so the Dark Knight rises out of the pit (see what I did there) after some time in there learning more than he bargained for, now healed and ready for action.
However that's just a few of the many comic book references in the film, as this film is filled to the brim with references not only to Bane or Catwoman stories but with a lot of odd story moments taken in bits and pieces from here and there. For one last example, the scene in which Gordon is taken to Bane by his thugs and then escapes via the sewer pipe, is very similar of Robins escape on the Knightfall story.
My issue with this trilogy is still that one bugging factor regarding the choice of Batman's awful gravelly voice that he seems to use even when he's alone as seen when Catwoman disappears from the rooftop after a conversation. It's something I can't get over. I also have the issue with The Dark Knight Rises, which comes in the form of the finales twist ending. If for whatever reason, you haven't seen the film by now, this is your only warning for the big final SPOILER of the film.
The fact that Bane was merely a puppet, a protector for Talia Al Ghul though it is only slightly well hidden during the stories told to Bruce Wayne whilst he is in the pit, you can pick up on the little misleading interpretations of the story as whenever Bruce asks if the child mentioned was Bane, or simply states his assumptions out loud that they're talking about Bane, the other character never acknowledge the name, they merely continue to tell the tale, which would lead most viewers to believe they are all talking about Bane when in actual fact the child turns out to be Talia Al Ghul, who in this film is also known as her fake name Miranda Tate. This completely dissolved everything Bane has done in the film, making his appearance as a criminal mastermind throughout the plot, nothing more than a façade to hide the fact that he's merely being used as a decoy for the real villain. Whilst some might view this as a great plot device, I view it as a somewhat disappointing representation of a great villain, and therefore a lot of lost potential for the film. A similar idea was used in Batman Begins, with Scarecrow working for Ra's and again, it makes a lot of Batmans greatest villains seem like sheep needing a shepherd and that's not the case, so in film it comes across as these incredibly powerful villains such as Scarecrow, the master of fear, and Bane, one of the most powerful beings in Batmans rogue gallery, being nothing more than tools for a higher power. Maybe that's what Nolan wanted but for me as a fan of these villains, I feel let down at all the incredible stories that weren't shown through these villains alone.
Marion Cotillard as Talia Al Ghul
Overall though, I think the film gets a 7/10 from me for being entertaining with great action, drama, and for the most part a decent plot until the ending, with lots of comic book references throughout which is always good. I think it's a great addition to the trilogy, and a fairly decent finale for this version of Batman's world.
The second film in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, and the more popular one of the three films, The Dark Knight was released in 2008 and soon become people's favourite Batman film (and possibly comic book movie) of all time. It's not hard to see why either, especially with Heath Ledgers portrayal of the famous clown prince of crime, The Joker!
The film opens up with crime, and the star of the show takes the spotlight almost straight away with a bank robbery, that shows us how brutal the crime in Gotham truly is, and how frightening and lawless it's criminals have become. Each clown goon that completes his job is murdered on the spot, proving that there is no honour in what the Joker does.
Then we cut to the reprisal roles of Scarecrow and Batman, along with some Batman copycats, that provides us with an idea of Gotham's aftermath from the previous films events. Batman achieved in some ways what he hoped to achieve, to become a symbol so that people don't have to fear criminals. However, the method in which is symbol became effective was not what he had in mind because as he said himself, the difference between what he does and what his copycats are doing, is that he's not wearing hockey pads.
The films opening 20 minutes are all about introducing and reintroducing it's characters for the set up of the film which as mentioned include The Joker, Batman, Scarecrow, Harvey Dent, Rachel Dawes, Lucius Fox, Alfred, and of course the various other criminals that will fall under The Jokers control.
This film continues the Nolan magic of bringing the world of Batman into the real world, and by doing so, he has brought into the world a version of the Joker that is even more horrifying than the comic book version in some ways, because we see a scarred, insane mastermind who has no real plan, making him unpredictable and more dangerous than Batman's previous foe. The dark, gritty film gives us a truly twisted criminal who's full of mystery just as the Joker should be. However unlike the comic book version of The Joker, Ledger's version is actually a lot more serious for the majority of the film. He's a criminal who wants to toy with Gotham's criminal mob bosses, he wants to murder and steal just for the fun of it but he does take his job seriously it seems, probably to seem more frightening in ways. An insane criminal who laughs constantly at everything he does might be taken as a joke but if he's doing all this with a serious expression, people believe he is to be taken for his word.
The Joker (portrayed by Heath Ledger)
The Dark Knight is an origin story of its own, as the see the rise and fall of Harvey Dent a.k.a Two Face, who soon interacts with The Joker which forms a strange bond between them as The Joker sets him off on his trail of destruction (after being the one who caused his horrific scars in the first place, both physical and mental). The Gotham D.A has a great backstory that deserved the spotlight throughout the film even though I think The Joker is still the most talked about movie villain of all time, although I'm sure the MCU's Thanos will be taking that spotlight soon enough.
Harvey Dent a.k.a Two Face (portrayed by Aaron Eckhart)
Mypoint from my previous review of this trilogy about Bales Batman, still stands. I despise the gravely voice and had really hoped the production team would have done something about it for the second film but instead it gets worse. Every word he says in the suit is a grumble and it just doesn't work for me. It's a joke. The voices we came to know and love for Batman in previous adaptations such as Batman: The Animated Series, and even the Tim Burton films, were powerful, clear, and fitted the character in ways that Bale's voice in TDK trilogy just doesn't.
Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth (Christian Bale & Michael Cain)
The score of the trilogy is always brilliant, composed by Hans Zimmer and used brilliantly by Nolan in certain scenes such as when Joker kills Gambol, the music is used to portray the action of his death. It's a brilliant use of music in film and a method that is very rarely used in modern cinema. The score throughout brings forth the emotions of a scene adding to its atmosphere, and creating an all round vibe to the film throughout.
There are some truly incredible scenes in this film, such as the highway chase, the Joker vs Batman on the Batcycle, and of course the Batman/Joker interrogation scene, that truly reveals the theme of the film. Anarchy, betrayal, realism, brutality, and loss. It's a great scene that brings the film closer to its big finale. The anger from Batman and the sheer insanity of the Joker as Batman beats him to a pulp whilst he simply laughs it off. This is where The Joker from the comics comes out in some sense. The maniacal laughter brings out the fear in the other characters and makes the audience feel uncomfortable which is what makes his portrayal so great.
Overall because of it's criminal characters and the character developments in this film, the film gets a 7/10 from me. I do think this film is brilliant and a great watch, but once again, for a comic book adaptation movie I honestly believe this film is overrated.
Yes it's a great film that brings Batman into the real world, but a lot of people I know who overly praise this film, only do so because of one reason, Ledger's Joker. One great character does not make the whole film great. I'm sorry but that's just my opinion. I love Ledger's Joker but it does not make this film any better than it actual is. It's a great film without a doubt, but in my opinion it's not as great as some people believe it is.
Batman Begins is the first film in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, starring Christian Bale as Batman, Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and Michael Cain as Alfred Pennyworth.
That's just the icing on the cake really. An all star cast for one of DC's most iconic characters, not to mention Batman is one of the most iconic characters in all of fiction. Whether they're a fan of comics, film, TV, animation, books or none of the above almost everyone has heard the name Batman and knows exactly who that is.
Batman Begins is the origin story of Bruce Wayne becoming the Batman. It begins with his fall down a well which leads to a cave of Bats that swarm around the young child Bruce Wayne and cause him to panic in fear of the creatures. The film cuts to and from the past and the modern day Bruce Wayne, but for now I'll continue with his origin.
Nolan's origin of Batman is a little different from the comic book origin, though only in a few minor details. Young Bruce Wayne and his parents are often known to visit the Movie Theatre to see The Mark of Zorro or some similar heroic film of a vigilante crime fighter. However in Batman Begins the Wayne family visit an opera which just so happens to have people dressed in horrifying bat costumes which scares young Bruce causing him to ask his parents to leave early. This was a good way to alter the origin as it gives the character a real purpose and guilt behind his actions. In this film Bruce Wayne isn't just going to dress as a bat to fight crime because of what happened, he's going to do it because he feels like he needs to redeem his own actions. He feels responsible for his parents death and wants vengeance on a larger scale, because his true shot at vengeance...well, got shot.
As Bruce Wayne becomes older we see that he comes face to face with Falcone, realises that he has no idea how the other half live and that he must learn the ways of a thief and a criminal in order to truly understand the ways of justice. We see early on a very much changed Bruce Wayne who can fight several men at once in a prison, before watching him travel to train with the League of Shadows to become a highly skilled Ninja, learning to conquer fears and become a shadow in the dark. We watch him defy those who have trained him as he refuses to execute a man who commits murder, claiming that he is not an executioner, that the man must be taken to trial and that the reason he refuses to murder a murderer is because he has to be better than the criminals he fights because that is what separates him from the criminal underworld.
Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) training with Ra's Al Ghul (Liam Neeson)
The film is dark and gritty, bringing the world of Batman into a realistic, modern day setting. The criminals are somewhat more realistic than their comic book counterparts. They're not as eccentric with all the funny superpowers. Instead the theme of the film throughout is 'fear'. So of course, characters like Batman, Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul will thrive in this film.
Bruce Wayne overcomes his fear, using it against his enemies. Ra's Al Ghul wants to use fear to destroy Gotham City and bring all it's criminals to his idea of justice, which to him is death. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a Scarecrow, is using Arkham Asylum to conduct his experiments of fear on criminals in order to perfect his toxin ready for the arrival of Ra's Al Ghul, his employer.
This film is possibly my favourite in the trilogy and one of the best Batman films out there, BUT in my opinion Bale is not the best Batman. His Bruce Wayne however is brilliant. The billionaire playboy side of the character is spot on, with him being cocky, but also caring. He's trying to push away any ideas that he could be the serious, crime fighting vigilante, so that anyone who might put the pieces together will be quickly thrown off the trail because how the hell could Bruce Wayne be Batman, he spends his money on european fashion models and buying hotels so that they can swim on the decorative pool.
Batman descends a flight of stairs
My issue with the Dark Knight Trilogy is Batman's voice more than anything. Yes this is a lot of people's issue with the film and I may sound like a broken record, but it just bugs me. Billionaire playboy, buys a hotel when he wants, buys Ten Thousand Cowls and ears to go with it (in order to avoid suspicion they order bulk) but cannot buy a voice modulator that disguises his voice. Not even an app that can do it!? I mean even Scarecrow has a voice modulator! (Yes his voice changes because of the fear gas but if they can do that effect for Scarecrow why not Batman?) His gravely voice works ONLY when he is angry, like the scene where he interrogates Flass in order to get the drugs. That is my one pet peeve with the trilogy's main character.
My issues with the rest of the trilogy will be explained shortly here and further in the next two film reviews. So here we go.
Batman Begins feels less like a Batman film, and more like a gritty crime filled, action film with Batman in it. The closest character to bring it to a comic book film would be Scarecrow, although as mentioned before it's less of the eccentric suits and merely a simple mask that brings his character to life. The fact that Batman Begins is less of a Batman film isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does take away from my experience of wanting a closely adapted comic book version of the film which in my opinion is better represented in the Tim Burton films.
Jonathan Crane a.k.a Scarecrow (Portrayed by Cillian Murphy)
This article may seem very contradictory as I find it hard explain my experiences with this trilogy, because I do love it but I think it is overrated. I'm not saying the films are adapted from the comics poorly as I believe they bring a lot of the characters to life very well but not in a comic book kind of way, more of a real world criminal type of way which makes it feel like it's not apart of the comic book movie genre. I think that's the best way I can explain it for now. I hope you can understand that.
I think Bale is a great actor and did great work as a vigilante crime fighter but to me he's just not Batman. That's not necessarily his fault because a lot of what happens in films comes down to production and not just actors. Nolan did a great job at creating a brilliant action film with familiar characters brought into a real world setting. The all star cast brought all the characters to life in unique and brilliant ways that all work perfectly on screen together.
Overall this film gets an 8/10 from me. The action scenes are spot on, the story of fear and redemption and as an origin story it works incredibly and is definitely one of the better Batman films out there. The villains are spot on and proves that a film can have more than one villain though yet again I believe Scarecrow is criminally underused as a villain in the film because apart from gassing a criminal, a bit of court corruption and gassing Rachel, he doesn't do much. He's my favourite villain in comic books but he very rarely gets the spotlight and opportunity he deserves!
