Category: Comic review

You know how people say there are no perfect trilogies? Most of us have our subjective favorites, but 9 out of 10 times the landing at the end may not be perfect. After how insanely epic Batman Begins and the The Dark Knight were, how did the final installment land?

8 years have passed since the death of Harvey Dent and Batman disappeared. Everything Dent did has been upheld under the Dent Act, locking up hundreds of criminals. Crime seems low, Gordon is nearly obsolete and Bruce Wayne is a battered recluse living in the renovated Wayne manor. Physically and emotionally he’s been torn down and Wayne Enterprises is bleeding money. A mysterious philanthropist named Miranda Tate and notorious Rowland Dagget are clawing for the company from 2 sides. After a run in with a cat burglar, Selena Kyle, Wayne discovers bad times are going to come again. A masked mercenary has come to Gotham with a small army of highly trained soldiers at his heels, working to break the city from the inside out. Enter Bane, the man who broke the bat; can the citizens of Gotham survive without there protector?

This is going to sound weird but despite how flawed it is, I do love this movie and I think, logical leaps aside, it’s a great end to the trilogy. I have to say Tom Hardy as Bane steals the show with his great dialogue, intimidating physical presence, and strange accent; I do wish Nolan picked a better explanation for Bane’s mask. I don’t get why Venom couldn’t be a mix of steroids or something, it didn’t have to have outrageous effects. I personally really like Anne Hathaway as Catwoman although she doesn’t have the cat puns or  the trademark whip. The supporting cast is great and I liked the inclusion of the “John Blake” character. I felt Bale’s performance in this was fine but I hated how much he growled as Batman and well, here we come to the logic leaps. Batman is paranoid and an extremely cautious character by definition so why the hell would he reveal all his secrets to a chick he slept with a couple days prior , let alone be shocked when she betrays his ass? Questions like this, how the hell he could get across the world and back to a quarantined Gotham in less than a day kind of break immersion. Another little issue I have is the final act drags a bit after the climax with Batman and Bane. It may sound like I’m nitpicking this movie but there’s great story arcs and a very powerful message in this final chapter that completes the trilogy quite nicely. In the end, it’s not perfect but it’s a damn good way to end the legend of the Batman. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

For a long time there was a debate on the greatest superhero movie of our time, either Dark Knight or Avengers . Which ever side of the spectrum you personally fall on, it’s one of those few movies that is simply great.

Months after Batman Begins , Gotham is starting it’s turning point. Jim Gordon and Batman have fought to take on the mob with the new, handsome DA Harvey Dent and have pushed them to near extinction. A tomorrow is on the horizon it seems where Gotham would no longer need Batman; he sees how the people look towards Harvey’s warm, earnest smile for hope- a good man without a mask, the hero Gotham deserves. But what’s standing in the way? In there desperation, the mob turned to a mad man without scruples, without morality and is determined to watch Gotham fall into chaos and Batman become the lunatic he was meant to be: enter the Joker…

This is one of the rare times I believe a movie deserves the praise it gets. Bale again is great as Batman at the height of his reign with a a fantastic supporting cast. Heath Ledger as Joker was terrifying; I’m ashamed to say I was one of the nay sayers who hated on him when it was first announced he would be Joker but the second I saw him I was speechless and he truly changed the game and was a legendary villain. A huge actor overlooked in the movie is Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent and subsequently Two-Face. He absolutely nailed what made Harvey’s fall tragic while maintaining the menace and stature he had in Batman: the animated series . The plot is winding and well paced, full of real suspense and great action and character moments. The score, cinematography, and story are top notch. The movie is damn near perfect in my opinion and it’s a must see masterpiece. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

My dream in life has been to always create a superhero story as well as good horror story. As a kid, I looked up to superheroes but none of there movies ever sparked my soul. I almost gave up on my dream, that was until Batman Begins.

Bruce Wayne, young, angry, and self destructive after watching his parents murdered in front of him as a child. Gotham City is rotting from the corruption within, the streets desperate. Caught in his own pain, he abandons his wealth and ventures to the other side of the world , trying to lose himself and learn how to stop injustice with nothing at all. In a jail cell, a man named Ducard offers him a choice- keep wasting his life or push himself farther than he ever could and become a member of the League of Shadows. He gives his all in training but something is missing. Their leader, the mysterious Ras Al Ghul, commands Wayne to take a life to prove he is ready for there movement to put an end to Gotham’s decadence as to make the world a better place. After a epic battle that seemingly destroys the League, Bruce returns home to his last remaining family, his butler Alfred and a plan to use his skills and the technology from his family’s company to become the hero Gotham needs and the symbol criminals fear. Here is how Batman Begins…

Until Batman Begins, I never felt a superhero’s story could feel like a real story. There had been greats before like X- Men and Spider- man 2 and even Tim  Burton’s Batman was classic but none of them resonated with me like Begins. Christian Bale is perfect as all 3 aspects of the character in this movie. I loved how the movie is grounded but mythic by the philosophy of Batman and the foes he faces. The supporting characters are damn great and are very well written. The movie’s writing, score and cinematography are stunning and the story and pacing flow wonderfully. I have little grips here and there like I think Scarecrow could have had more threat to him and more could have been done with the fear images. Many argue how great the movie was, many more say the sequel was far superior but it will always hold a special place in my heart. May the gaming gods bring you glory.