The Dark Knight

Written by: Christopher & Jonathan Nolan
Directed by: Christopher Nolan


2008 is the summer of the superhero. And boy what a summer it is. Writer/Director Christopher Nolan (see:Memento) is back with the sequel in the new and improved Batman series.

The movie starts with an awesome bank robbery by Gotham’s newest villain The Joker (Heath Ledger). Batman (Christian Bale) fighting off some imposters and a known foe, The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy reprises his role). The media still doesn’t know if they like or loathe Batman. And Bruce Wayne is still rich and still running his parents business with the help of Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman), and his right hand man Alfred (Michael Caine).

He still has his eyes on Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gylenhaal replaces Katie Holmes), but she has her eyes on the city’s district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Harvey Dent is a hands on kinda guy. He wants to help Jim Gordon take down the mob. He really wants to clean up Gotham. Bruce Wayne likes him. Thinks that he would be good for the city and maybe there will be no need for Batman.

The Joker, on the other hand, has no rhyme or reason to his madness. He wants to help the mob take down Dent, and get rid of Batman.

After that the plot gets a little more intricate. It is not complicated, but the movie is 2.5 hours. So they really fill up the time, but I didn’t get bored at all. There’s a few twists. A few uncertain deaths, as always. A new suit, thankfully with no nipples (see: George Clooney’s run as Batman). And a few hints at another piece of the franchise…at least I think so. At one point when Lucious is helping Bruce into the new suit, Bruce asks if the suit will stand up to dog attacks. Lucious says “a dog…maybe, but for sure a cat.” And then there’s this little creepy guy who works for Wayne Industries who thinks he knows the identity of Batman and he’s good with numbers. Riddler perhaps???

Christian Bale is still a good Batman. He gets a little heavy on the Batman voice once he’s in costume though. I like Maggie Gylenhaal over Katie Holmes any day. She has this scene where her and the Joker square off in a party. And Maggie just looks like she might swing on him. I can’t see Katie Holmes pull off the new, stronger Rachel Dawes.

Aaron Eckhart just seems like he’d be a cool guy to hang around. So he plays a good, persuasive Harvey Dent. And when an accident scars half his face, he gets into the Two Face role pretty well too (you did know Two Face was in this one right? It’s pretty obvious because as soon as he gets on screen he’s flipping a coin to make some decisions).

And the guy everyone wanted to see was Heath Ledger as the joker. Dude is scary. Plain and simple. Before when I thought of the Joker, I thought of Jack Nicholson ripping down art to a Prince soundtrack. Even on the cartoons (the 90s version of course. I didn’t fool around with Batman Beyond) the Joker was a little off, but not scary. Heath’s Joker is scary. A complete psycho path who thrives off the sheer terror he can put into people. Nolan did a great job with the writing for him. There is no clear origin on the Joker. And that just adds more to it. You can’t predict someone like that. No idea where he came from or what he wants or anything. And that crazy ass half done clown makeup just tops it off.

The only bad thing I could think of was the sound. At times the music was too loud and I couldn’t understand exactly what was being said. Especially if Bale was using his Batman voice. But that’s really about it. Apparently Nolan shot some of the intense action sequences with an IMAX camera…so I might go check it out again in IMAX to get the full effect…if I can ever find a showing that still has some available seats.

Internet fanboys (and girls) will tell you that The Dark Knight is the best thing since whatever was best before sliced bread. Yes this movie will make you laugh, jump, gasp, and sit straight up in your seat (dude drives a BatPod…half motorcycle, half amazing). So it is good, but again, it is no IronMan .

Persepolis

Written and Directed by: Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi


I had been meaning to go see this when it was at River Oaks/Greenway Theaters late last year. But you know how those things go. Then it got an Oscar nod and I was like “dammit I wanted to see that”. So when it popped up as highly recommended (4 stars) on my Netflix list, I scooped it up.

The movie starts as Marjane (note the writer’s name. Yes it’s a biopic.) sits in the airport in Paris waiting for a flight back to her native Tehran (capital of Iran). She then flashes back to her childhood and tells the story of how she gets to where she is now.

In the 1970s Iran was under the rule of a cruel dictator Shah. Her family was actually in the bloodline of the previous President, and since he was overthrown by Shah, they were very revolutionary. They had a few family members die in the revolution, and were sympathetic to the cause. The Iranians take control back from Shah, but it turns out the fundamentalists were even worse than Shah was. The country was put under strict religious laws. Women were required to wear scarves in public. Liquor, porn, gambling, makeup, and other various items were outlawed. Marjane’s family does what they can to get by but with young Marjane growing more and more outspoken with her political views, and the country becoming more and more ravaged by war, they decide it is best to send her abroad to school.

She is then 13 attending school in Austria and France. Trying to fit in with the kids who speak a foreign language, making an effort to hold on to her Iranian heritage, and make it in the world with her family hundreds of miles away. Along her travels, she finds love, a sense of self and eventually homelessness.

When she returns to Iran, she finds the country in a worse state than when she left it. But her and her family have to find a way to survive.

Now, I know it seems like a downer of a movie but first let me tell you why you will like it. Young Marjane is very funny. She dreams of being a Saint and is an outspoken political activist at the age of 10. Her grandmother is a riot too. But I don’t know of anyone who can’t relate to a coming of age story. And it was completely unknown information to me about the Iran revolution. Made me get online and research a few things (ie: Iran was Persia, and the capital, Tehran, was called “Persepolis”. How you like that?)

Now I’m gonna tell you why some people might dismiss it. One, its French (Marjane lives there now). They have dubbed English versions, but suck it up and just get the regular French one. You can manage subtitles. Second, it’s animated. Not in the computer generated Pixar sense, and not in the cartoony…say Simpsons way either. Think comic strip. Like the dramatic comic strips you would skip. The flashback scenes (most of the movie) are black and white. But I got so into the story I didn’t think anything of the animation and I don’t know how the story could have been told without it. Apparently it was a book and comic and then was adapted into a movie.

Anyway, it was incredibly good. You really get drawn into the realism of the characters. How’s that for irony. And despite the serious tones and situations the movie deals with, you do get a few good laughs in and there is a bittersweet ending. It aint a feel good movie, but you do reflect some and think about what you would do if you were in little Marjane’s Nikes. Yes she rocks the gangsta Nikes. Emphasis on the rock. Check it out.

Hancock

written by: vincent ngo & vince gillian
directed by: peter berg

ahhh Independence Day. fireworks. hot dogs on the BBQ. chillin at the beach...and Will Smith at the Box Office. will's latest feat, Hancock, is about a disgruntled superhero who tries to work on getting his image fixed so the people will like him.

we first meet Hancock hungover on a bench. a little boy (incredibly TV cute) wakes him up to point to the high speed chase taking place on the LA freeway. the reluctant hero takes a bottle with him while he darts off to stop the theives. he succeeds, while causing millions of dollars in damage to the city.

cut to an office meeting downtown. we meet Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) a struggling PR guy who's mission is to save the world. his not so perfect sales pitch sends him home scatterbrained and he ends up with his car stalled on a track. in swoops Hancock who saves Ray, but tears the shit out of train. the people boo and criticize his tactics. Ray comes to his rescue (go figure) and takes his home for spaghetti night.

Hancock gets to meet the family. the kid Aaron, whos name Hancock can never get right, and the wife Mary (Charlize Theron) who disapproves of Hancock, yet seems to have a strange attraction to. Ray decides Hanckock will be his big project. His ultimate PR gig. and comedy ensues.

as if he hadnt already, will hit the jackpot with this movie. im talking super franchise here. they sort of give you a little background as to what hancock is, and how his powers work, but theres so much they can do with it in the future. i mean its sort of predictable whats gonna happen in the first, but they do manage to throw some surprises in there (well to Ariel anyway) and tons of laughs. jason bateman is hillarious as usual. and there are plenty of quotables for you to take home to your friends, or le petite assholes, if you will. hopefully some of the questions i had will be answered in the future. again, no iron man, but damn good superhero summertime will smith flick. cant go wrong with that combo.

my cousin pointed out to me that this is the first will smith movie where he does not run and/or yell. i was slightly disappointed, but he does fly and you get to see the left butt cheek. OWW! note: this movie really is pg-13. plenty of "shit" and "bitches" thrown in there. and thats probably why the shit was so funny...enjoy bitches.

i look forward to the sequel. and if anyone sees a hancock beanie...preferably from AE (he's into eagles)...let me know.