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inmyriadbitsFirst, off, have a trailer for the new Batman movie. There's also a bootlegged, six-minute IMAX trailer/sequence here. God, I am SO excited, y'all. I am even more thrilled with Heath Ledger's casting now, because damn. He looks fucking crazy. I love Jack Nicholson's Joker, because he's Jack Nicholson and his Joker was perfect villain for Tim Burton's style. However, I think Heath Ledger is going to be perfect for this version. I never really feel all that threatened by comic book villains in movies; it's hard to get their extreme characteristics without making them too campy or unrealistic. Lex never has the necessary snakelike gravitas, the Green Goblin turned out ridiculous, etc. Of the recent comic book films, I have to say I've only been impressed with Magneto and Doc Ock, and I found both too sympathetic to really be afraid of them.
The Joker, on the other hand, should be scary. He's such a great villain because he's utterly insane, and it makes him terrifying -- he has all the viciousness humans are capable of, contained in a mind that's frighteningly clever, unpredictable, and unrestrained by any sort of normal sensibilities like kindness or loyalty. Up against Batman (who of course represents the more noble end of the humanity spectrum), he's a well-matched threat: smart, hard to anticipate, ruthless, and fearless. Villains embody the worst of humanity, and if we can't see that they're no less human than us, the impact is lost. The same goes for heroes and the best of humanity. The Joker's insanity is what really sells the extent of his cruelty and capricious attitude without making him inhuman, so that's crucial. And I'm thrilled, because I think Ledger's really going to sell this quality. He doesn't look like a cartoon here. He looks like a seriously insane person who casually kills and destroys because he doesn't see any reason not to. So I love that all he has in his pockets are knives and lint. I love that shot of him hanging out the car window. I love the nutso laugh. I love the disturbingly skewed way he approaches things in the bank heist scene. I like the makeup change, because it looks more like the kind of mask a crazy person would end up with than the extremely careful job you see on Nicholson. It works well with the feel of the Batman Begins version, losing the cartoonish qualities for something grittier, but not necessarily less iconic. I'm just really excited to see how it ends up on the big screen.
Also thrilling is the replacement of Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal. THANK GOD. I recently rewatched Batman Begins, and she's the weakest link. But you know, the character as written is not as bad as I remember first reacting to her. Purely based on her actions and words rather than her portrayal, she's competent, confident, professional, and passionate when it comes to her work, despite the dangers of being an honorable citizen in Gotham; she doesn't back down from fights either professional or physical, but she isn't foolhardy about it; she was key for getting the antidote to Gordon, picked up a gun to defend herself and that kid from a crazy mob, and tasered the Scarecrow; she rejects the hero for an utterly valid reason, keeps his secret, and continues to do her own thing. She'd be kind of awesome if she hadn't been played by Katie Holmes, who wasn't so great at selling any of those things. And oh look! Someone else is playing Rachel Dawes now. :) I've liked Maggie Gyllenhaal in everything I've seen her in, and I think she has the strength and talent to pull off the potential of the character. Again, I'm excited.
In other news, I have been industriously...uh, watching the entire first season of Project Runway on YouTube, and catching up on this season. Tim Gunn, you are totally great and I adore you. *hearts*
I really, really, really need to get cracking on my Yuletide pinch-hit. [insert panicked laughter here]
The Joker, on the other hand, should be scary. He's such a great villain because he's utterly insane, and it makes him terrifying -- he has all the viciousness humans are capable of, contained in a mind that's frighteningly clever, unpredictable, and unrestrained by any sort of normal sensibilities like kindness or loyalty. Up against Batman (who of course represents the more noble end of the humanity spectrum), he's a well-matched threat: smart, hard to anticipate, ruthless, and fearless. Villains embody the worst of humanity, and if we can't see that they're no less human than us, the impact is lost. The same goes for heroes and the best of humanity. The Joker's insanity is what really sells the extent of his cruelty and capricious attitude without making him inhuman, so that's crucial. And I'm thrilled, because I think Ledger's really going to sell this quality. He doesn't look like a cartoon here. He looks like a seriously insane person who casually kills and destroys because he doesn't see any reason not to. So I love that all he has in his pockets are knives and lint. I love that shot of him hanging out the car window. I love the nutso laugh. I love the disturbingly skewed way he approaches things in the bank heist scene. I like the makeup change, because it looks more like the kind of mask a crazy person would end up with than the extremely careful job you see on Nicholson. It works well with the feel of the Batman Begins version, losing the cartoonish qualities for something grittier, but not necessarily less iconic. I'm just really excited to see how it ends up on the big screen.
Also thrilling is the replacement of Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal. THANK GOD. I recently rewatched Batman Begins, and she's the weakest link. But you know, the character as written is not as bad as I remember first reacting to her. Purely based on her actions and words rather than her portrayal, she's competent, confident, professional, and passionate when it comes to her work, despite the dangers of being an honorable citizen in Gotham; she doesn't back down from fights either professional or physical, but she isn't foolhardy about it; she was key for getting the antidote to Gordon, picked up a gun to defend herself and that kid from a crazy mob, and tasered the Scarecrow; she rejects the hero for an utterly valid reason, keeps his secret, and continues to do her own thing. She'd be kind of awesome if she hadn't been played by Katie Holmes, who wasn't so great at selling any of those things. And oh look! Someone else is playing Rachel Dawes now. :) I've liked Maggie Gyllenhaal in everything I've seen her in, and I think she has the strength and talent to pull off the potential of the character. Again, I'm excited.
In other news, I have been industriously...uh, watching the entire first season of Project Runway on YouTube, and catching up on this season. Tim Gunn, you are totally great and I adore you. *hearts*
I really, really, really need to get cracking on my Yuletide pinch-hit. [insert panicked laughter here]
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Date: 2007-12-17 09:39 am (UTC)