Saturday, August 2, 2008

The Dark Knight

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PARTIAL SPOILERS

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I just saw The Dark Knight movie. I liked it. Of course I was already spoiled with all the WiR posts (with the term in the titles) going on re: TDK. Though since I was avoiding, I kind of thought there would be a fake out.

But I haven't cared a damn for the character since the first movie. And I didn't care too much now. The character was a plot point to me and not where my interest fell. I think I'll care more about WiR in this franchise when I give a damn about the female character in general.

Luckily I'm not a feminist so I can't be a 'bad' feminist for not giving a crap and for actually thinking 'Thank Goodness we don't have to deal with that character in the next movie'. It was wish fulfillment.

Re: The Joker? - I loved his intelligence, his lack of history or identity other than as the Joker. I'm someone who didn't like Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's creation. To me he read like Jack Black in make-up or the Joker high on pot and full of 40's. Just... didn't like him. Or rather, I wasn't scared of him.

Things I didn't like? There's only one. Will Kevin Conroy or Will Friedle please contact Christian Bale and teach him how to do a presentable Bat voice? PLEASE?

I might have more thoughts later. I'll definitely be up to discussion in IM. Mostly I'm just wondering when we'll get a Superman movie that's even half as good as this one. Nay, half as good as the first one.

3 comments:

  1. You know who Bale's Batman sounds like?

    Nathan Explosion from Metalocalypse.

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  2. It's just struck me that I didn't think of it as a WiR; maybe because:

    a) it felt necessary rather than gratuitous, plot-wise, and indeed may have been the writers' intention from the time of the first film in creating a character who, to my knowledge, didn't exist in the comics;

    b) WiR is when women are degraded with the direct result of advancing a man's characterisation; I think it's arguable here that his disfigurement does just as much to make Dent who he is. Not to mention that (as is my understanding; someone can say if I'm wrong) WiR is more about empowering the guy to become a righteous avenger, and there's nothing of that about Dent's transformation.

    The overall theme of corruption and related story elements seem far more deeply implicated in what happens to him than is Rachel's death, particularly after that scene where the three men who had the potential to be corrupted are together, discussing the fact that it has actually happened to Dent.

    c) I felt like the character had been given her due just by being recast and made believable. I did sympathise with her this time round. Also, I felt that she died in the line of duty while knowing the risks, and this plays very differently with me than having the civilian wife of a superhero degraded while she's out buying a newspaper; I didn't feel she was stereotyped as a helpless female...

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  3. "Will Kevin Conroy or Will Friedle please contact Christian Bale and teach him how to do a presentable Bat voice? PLEASE?"

    I don't think it was all Bale's fault. From what I understand, the filmmakers digitally enhanced the Bat-vocals. Mistake.

    However, kudos to you for mentioning Friedle along with Conroy. While Conroy gets the raves he deserves, Friedle is often overlooked. Sure, he voiced Terry's Bats and not Bruce's, but he still did a helluva job.

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