"You either die a hero...

[thehefner]

... or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

Behold, the new (and final?) trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT.

The sense of doom and heartbreaking tragedy just fills the whole minute and a half of this trailer. Every time I saw the trailer for IRON MAN, I thought, "Aaaaand there go my nipples again." But here, it's just... chills.

I need an icon of that shot of Harvey. You know which shot I mean. The poor fucking bastard.

Cannot wait for July, man. Cannot wait.

Comments

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

Oh...my.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That icon really does sum things up rather well, yeah.

I know there are people and critics out there bemoaning BATMAN BEGINS (and by extension, THE DARK KNIGHT) as being too dour, too serious, too broody. They look at IRON MAN and go, "Comic book movies should be fun, like this! It doesn't take itself too seriously! That's they way they ALL should be!" And while IRON MAN was purely glorious Marvel-tastic geekgasm from start to finish... this is something else entirely, ain't it?

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

But..but I'M it's Batman. Not to mention Begins wasn't completely humorless, as there were some great moments of character-based humor in it (and it looks like it will be the same in Dark Knight, I loved the "ex-boyfriends" bit) and if it didn't have those, then I would have liked it a lot less. It's funny, because I do feel that there needs to be more superhero comics that are fun, and I hate how so many fall victim to the whole "true art is angsty*" crap (and its cousin, Darker and Edgier. But for this franchise? After what had happened to it before? Finding a writer and director who took the concept and the characters seriously and made something that is at its core just so damn earnest, well to me that's the best thing that could have happened.

...aaand I will leave off there for now because if I keep going this will turn into My Thoughts on Superheros and I should have been in bed about two hours ago. I've got to get up early because I'm catching the 10:40 showing of Nipple Inducer Man.



*As an aside, I love that they used The Music Man vs West Side Story as their example, because I fucking love the former and never really cared for the latter.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It helps to have Alfred. Nay, it's *essential* to have Alfred. He's the heart, soul, and humanity of Batman's whole world, and without him, where would the humor really come from? I mean, besides Bruce's put-on shenanigans, which are still underscored by ANGST BROODING PAIN. And the Joker. Or maybe not. Certainly not Harvey. GOD it sucks to be him. Honestly, how are you going to do an even-sorta-happy movie with that subplot poking around the corner?

I completely agree with you on the angst and dark/edgy crap (great links, btw), but this is BATMAN, people! One of the reasons the horrible grim 'n gritty style swept through comics that really didn't need it was because Batman did it first and best!

I eagerly await your movie review.

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

It's not quite a review, but it's up now in my journal. S'alright.

Alfred definitely. Other members of the batfamily I could take or leave, depending on how they are written (Babs is the only one I really love, and I think she works much better in her own space). But no Alfred? No way. Actually, one of the things that I liked about Begins is that the character was portrayed as being more paternal towards Bruce.

And I do think that Batman has a sense of humor! It's may not be a very big sense of humor, that he doesn't use very much and it may be more of the deadpan snarking kind, and he needs other characters like Alfred to bring it out, but it's there! Though that's probably because B:TAS still manages to be my favorite take on the character, and they always managed to avoid making him into a total dick unless it was necessary.

Also, the day I stop enjoying making fun of Batman is the day that I am done with the character and anything related to him. A well done MY PARENTS ARE DEEEAD! still makes me giggle.

I completely agree with you on the angst and dark/edgy crap (great links, btw), but this is BATMAN, people! One of the reasons the horrible grim 'n gritty style swept through comics that really didn't need it was because Batman did it first and best!

I love reading TVtropes. Every time I get linked to them I lose hours. I'm not opposed to dark or bleak stories (if it's done well, and it's so easy to screw it up, but that's another point) so much as completely humorless ones, or stories filled with nothing but humorless characters. Because to me it's just so alien to the human experience. I saw Children of Men recently, and it's probably one of the bleakest films I've ever seen, yet there were moments where the characters told jokes or just goofed around, which served to underscore the more tragic scenes and just make the characters seem so human and real to me. Even, no, especially if it's dark or cynical humor. Because that's how so many people cope in the face of tragedy. I think part of the appeal to me of Batman is that the character deliberately isn't that, for the most part. He's pretty much a textbook case of how and how not to cope with loss.

But yeah, I don't see how Dark Knight could be a happy film, especially for poor Harvey.

(I did smile when the Joker mock-smoothed his hair down in the trailer though, it will be interesting to see if there are that many moments like that with the character in this film)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Without Alfred, Bruce would either be a quivering mess, long since dead, or worse than Harvey and Lex Luthor combined.

Aye, B:TAS is still "my Batman," just because it so perfectly captures the best parts of all previous eras in the pure distillation of the character's spirit.

And that's a good point about CHILDREN OF MEN. Truly, anybody who sees life (and therefore, all "true" art) in terms of pure suffering and misery is severely limited in scope and understanding, both from a human perspective as well as an artistic one. Shakespeare understood the importance of humor even in the bleakest, most horrifying stories.

That touch-up-my-hair moment was just magnificent in how perfect a little touch it is, funny and creepy and sleazy and cool all at the same time.

[demonfafa.livejournal.com]

I think I need to change pants after that.

[fragmentedsky.livejournal.com]

...how is this still more than two months away? DAMMIT!

[whimmydiddle.livejournal.com]

Lookin' good. I do love me some Micheal Caine!

[mirthical.livejournal.com]

OMG, Fuzzy, I went with the boy to see Iron Man and ... gah! After the trailers were over, he turned to me and said, "I just came three times in my pants!" Freaking hell, I'm so excited for TDK. SO VERY VERY EXCITED. ABUSE OF CAPS LOCK EXCITED.

Also, thank you v. much for telling me to stay for the credits. Definitely worth it, hahaha.

Holy shit, I can't wait for July. JOKER, ILU!!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I like to think he said it with a pause in the middle. "I just came three times. In my pants!"

Did you dig IRON MAN all-around? Hehehe, I'm only a quarter-joking when I say that it's hard to follow up this trailer, I know.

[pondering-duck.livejournal.com]

Yeah this looks absolutely insane.

I could live without the lighter moment the trailer ends on though.

[nymphgalatea.livejournal.com]

You may have heard a faint, high pitched whimpering noise about two minutes ago. That was me.

Aaron Eckhart looks first cocky& earnest, then doomed and entirely perfect (and in less than 15 seconds of screentime Maggie Gyllenhall wins me over; why they didn't pick her instead of Katie Holmes in the first film remains a mystery to me). And Heath Ledger as the Joker makes me feel a little ill. I think it's the crooked, hunch-backed way of walking he has that makes me feel so disturbed. Again, entirely perfect.

Why isn't it Juuulllyy yet? I'm a comics fan! I require instant gratification!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I didn't hear anything, but that might explain why my dogs suddenly went insane.

Maggie Gyllenhall is an under-appreciated actress, and while even I admit her voice can sometimes be a wee bit on the grating side, she's so damn awesome that it really doesn't matter. She really should have been there from the start, even though the character really should have been Harvey.

The walk and the posture really is one of the most disturbing things about him there. He is something else entirely. Between Heath's whole performance and the Two-Face special effects, based on a recent interview with Eckhart... yeah, this is gonna be the stuff of nightmares. Here's hoping, anyway.

[lovedatjoker.livejournal.com]

hahaha meanwhile I've been rewatching and drooling over the Joker moments while at the same time thinking how perfectly it captures the epic sense of the battle between he and Bats and what Mistah J MEEEEEEEEEANS within the mythos!

But yes, lotsa Harvey woobies too! I'm so excited for this film.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Note to self: if I ever meet you (I do believe there are a number of Fringe Festivals in Australia, but not in Sydney from what I've seen...) I will be certain to lick my tongue, smooth my hair, smack my lips, and go, "Well, hell-o beautiful." If only because you're one of the only people I know I could do that to who wouldn't be utterly skeezed out.

[princessebee.livejournal.com]

I'd probably faint :D

:D :D :D> :D :D :D

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

Woah. That looks so so good.