redfirebird2008

"When Gotham is in ashes, you have my permission to die."

It looks like she has nailed the role. Great to see. I'm just so happy to see more focus on Bruce.

Correct. Bane is brilliant and always thinking ahead of everyone else, just like the Joker.

Bane is a fucking boss.

Should be with Holmes opening. Any other big movies coming out this week?

Makes you wonder if WB just slapped that on there without even asking Nolan if it was OK. They used a similar marketing strategy ("it all ends!") for DH2 and it was validated by the insane opening and total gross of that film. That success will only make them push the "end" theme for TDKR even if it contradicts one of the ideas Nolan has been pushing heavily in these Batman movies. It's not just about Bruce's story, it's about Bruce's attempt to inspire other people to stand up for what's right. That inspiration should never end.

One thing is sure, Bruce is going to get his ass handed to him in this movie. I'm honestly wondering if he'll survive it.

TDK Prologue was identical to the bank heist in the film.

It wasn't one reporter. Pretty much everyone who saw the Prologue said they couldn't understand a lot of his dialogue.

I'll wait to see for myself. I understood exactly what he said during the football stadium speech that was posted on YouTube.

Bane is seen in the Prologue carrying Batman's shattered mask. Batfan joygasm.

Oh I've read the book and it clearly influenced the TDK Joker. Jonah Nolan has gone in depth about it in interviews. The Joker attempting to push one of Batman's allies over the edge into madness is a common plotline between Killing Joke and TDK. Joker's multiple origin stories in TDK are a nod to his amnesia about his origin in Killing Joke. The first book Nolan gave to Ledger for researching the role was Killing Joke. The Barbara Gordon sequence you mentioned is an example of how Ledger viewed the Joker. While he prepared for the role, he kept a journal with things the Joker would laugh about, which included rape, AIDS, nuclear war, and so forth. It shows up in the movie too. Ledger's Joker had the balls to kill Batman's love interest, whereas Jack's Joker fell in love with her.

I disagree. Ledger's Joker is straight out of the Killing Joke. Nicholson didn't even bother coming up with a high pitched clown voice, which is how the comics describe it. Ledger and Hamill's voices kick the crap out of Jack's.

B89 is my fave, but BB is the best of the bunch. It's the only one that properly focused on the main character. As much as I enjoy B89, Returns, and TDK, they're all guilty of focusing too much on villians and supporting characters.

I liked Jack's Joker performance more in The Shining. He's too famous to play an already famous character like the Joker. Ledger immersed himself in the role, Jack didn't.

I agree, it's just funny to see him criticize a fanboy favorite.

Nolan really bitch-slapped the Riddler in a recent Empire interview. Called the Riddler a watered down version of the Joker.

Well then, I doubt it will do much more than BD1. Maybe a $145m opening or so.

Will BD2 be in 3D?

Can't believe Pulp Fiction Blu-ray is selling for such a low price. Paid $15 for it from Amazon when it came out in October.

Oldest I can remember seeing are Birth of a Nation (1915) and Nosferatu (1922).

Same thing happened in my theater on opening weekend as well. Another one from that movie is the pencil trick. People were cheering and laughing their asses off when that little sequence happened.

Not sure about that. It arguably sold more tickets than TDK on opening weekend. That puts it firmly in contention for most anticipated movie of the decade.

Haven't seen Eclipse, but TF2 is the worst of the others on that list.

Grew up watching it. Love it.