Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

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Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by Lucy Took » Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:01 pm

Here it is.

For the record I'm not really a fan of DC movies, but I love Barry Allen so I watch the Flash. I also watch Supergirl. It's sister bonding time.
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by knightofnarnia » Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:30 pm

I'm more of a Legends of Tomorrow boy.
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by Lucy Took » Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:01 pm

I tried to get into Legends of Tomorrow, but the phrases they use and the fact that it has Arthur Darville (Which was my #1 reason for trying) just reminded me over and over that whatever they did Doctor Who did better. I don't know why, the characters just never griped me.
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by Ariel.of.Narnia » Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:57 pm

*snorks* I like your thread title, Tooky. :D

For the record, I myself have only so much experience with DC and am pretty okay with keeping it that way. I have been given very little reason to explore the DC universe in general (two exceptions listed below) because I don't much care for the characters and movie/tv show trailers have done nothing to convince me to try.

But like I said, there are two exceptions. A gal on fanfiction.net (not affiliated with TLC) did a good job convincing me to check out the Young Justice cartoon. Her recommendation appealed to my two big factors of really liking anything: well-done characters (and the development thereof) and good plots. Young Justice quickly became my favourite tv show (so excited for season three!!!!).
Second exception: I did watch Batman Begins for the first time last night (and I'll relocate my thoughts on it from the general movie thread to here), which I finally got around to watching after having been told for the past few years that I might enjoy it. My decision to watch it now, though, was fueled by how much I liked The Prestige, also directed by Christopher Nolan, so my motivators in this case were the director and the promise of a superhero movie that does more for me than most of the ones I've seen.


So here are my thoughts from Batman Begins last night:
In some areas, it shows how superhero movies have since advanced (pacing, for one; and I'd mention the shaky-cam and sometimes too-indistinct action, but some recent superhero flicks have had those too). In others, it's just like any other superhero movie (action and especially lots of mass-destruction). In other ways, it's different from the others I've seen (for example, rather real-world-feeling corruption (but times 10) that in turn gives the movie a different tone, actual interaction with a justice system, and a somewhat more even-looking playing field so far as fight scenes go (yeah, I know he's a trained ninja, but neither his body nor his suit are superpowered)). I did like that Batman Begins feels like it's got a little more point to it than other superhero movies, like exploring motivations and the little nuggets-to-take-home bits, such as "it's not who you are, but what you do that defines you" or "what chance does Gotham have when the good people do nothing?". I kinda have mixed feelings on the way the movie both frowns on and applauds vigilantism. I guess they justify that by pointing out motives and methods of the different people working outside of the established justice system (though they seriously turn a blind eye to Batman's methods).

And now for a couple random tidbits that don't fit into the above paragraph:
- Favourite character is Alfred. :D
- Favourite scene, I think, is that "final test" one at ninja school. Dock fight would be second.
- I like Cillian Murphy as a smooth-talking, disarming, you'd-(almost)-never-see-him-coming bad guy. I've seen him in that role twice and I like it. (Also, I personally think that he and James McAvoy are cut from the same cloth, even though I've never seen McAvoy as a villain or Murphy as a hero. The characters that I have seen these actors play just feel so similar somehow.)
- Besides cases of shaky-cam and indistinct action, I wasn't a fan of some of the editing choices. Like the part in which Bruce chucks his gun into the water before marching into the bar to talk to Falcone. The environment is so blue and open, I thought it was a different scene entirely. Maybe it was and then they just inserted it in before the pat-down in the bar?
- I think I like Christian Bale better in the Batman costume than as Bruce Wayne. Dunno if that's because I've seen him in another movie or because I've seen enough pictures of him in a mask or if I really, truly think he makes for a better Batman than a Bruce Wayne.
- I think all the jokes about London being rainy should be relocated to Gotham.
- Props to the movie for mentioning the playboy billionaire persona and not actually doing much with it. (No Tony Stark problems here!) Granted, they do make it quite clear that Bruce is only keeping up said persona as a front and not because he actually wants it. Still. Props.
- I just have to ask: how in the world is Wayne Enterprises such a successful company when the rest of the city is dealing with a major economic depression?
- His toys and costume design. So. Cool. I loved the parts that showed the process of "becoming a symbol". Even if, at one point, I totally compared him to a die-hard nerd preparing the perfect cosplay. :lol:
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by knightofnarnia » Sun Mar 05, 2017 6:08 am

Lucy Took did you get to season 2 what I have seen of it so far I prefer to season 1 (Though you see less of Darville for a while) so maybe... the new characters they introduce in that season are great.
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by Ariel.of.Narnia » Tue Mar 28, 2017 5:56 am

So because I procrastinated, my thoughts on The Dark Knight will be a bit rusty. However, I think that, despite the Joker, it is my favourite of the trilogy. Of the three, it has the best storytelling, character development, and moral/philosophical question-asking that I like so much. I really liked the character arc for Harvey Dent -- might actually be my favourite thing about the movie.
The Joker, as implied earlier, is not one of my reasons for liking the movie (though his more harmless quirks, like calling the mobster meeting a "group therapy" or sliding down the pile of money for the fun of it). He was, on the one hand, just too weird and freaky to know how to handle. On the other hand, he also felt rather too real (I thought of a couple RL videos that I've either seen or know of when the movie showed his first terror video). On the one hand, I liked that he was a loose cannon and unpredictable; on the other... well, let's just say I prefer Loki's definition of unpredictable. So overall thought on the Joker: to me, he is simply the means to an end, namely, the vehicle by which the movie brings up its questions to the audience and the catalyst for Harvey Dent's character development.

Now, The Dark Knight Rises. This one made me most aware that each of these films have, not quite a different "tone", but a different "flavour" or "trajectory", all centered around the moral/philosophical issues that each one brings up. And I really like that. I'm definitely more of a Marvel fan, but Marvel does not give me this.
One thing that stuck out to me about this one was the use of music, in particular, the Dark Knight theme and the prisoners' chant. I loved the use of the chant when the police marched. And then the Dark Knight theme was no longer a signal of "yup, Batman's on-site doing something cool", but rather it was played strategically so that it aligned with moments of hope, thus making Batman a symbol of hope. (Though, as a Christian, I just have to say something here about how our hope is not to be in men and that the connection between Batman and hope made him a little too saviour-like for my liking in the eyes of the Gotham citizens.)
The story I found to be a little convoluted the first time around, the thing between Bruce Wayne and Miranda Tate was weird and totally unnecessary in every way, and the pacing I found kinda slow in spots, even if it did pick up in the third act.
And now, my favourite part: John Blake. He's my #1 reason for liking this movie. (Jury's still out on my top-three ranking system at the moment, but he, Alfred, and Gordon will be sorted out in my mind eventually.) And I'm going to have to admit that I fangirled a little bit at the very end, even though, I think he's an OC (perhaps someone with more comic!Batman knowledge can help me out on that one?). It just made me so happy to see that. I'd be down for a movie about the next chapter of his life. :P
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by ShiofNarnia » Sat Sep 16, 2017 12:53 am

So I've only seen Batman Begins of the trilogy but I rather enjoyed it because it feels like there's actually a story, contrary to my opinion on most super hero films, which just feel like a bunch of action/fighting. I love that Batman does not have super powers, he just has awesome abilities, costume, props, etc., and the fact that he became what he was afraid of. Also really like Cillian Murphy as an actor and thought he did a good job as the villain. And I loved Michael Caine as Alfred, he was the sweetest!
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by Ariel.of.Narnia » Sun Sep 17, 2017 6:14 am

@Shi: I think The Dark Knight trilogy purposely focused more on story and philosophical thinking. Even though they have all the elements of a superhero flick (ie: action, costuming, suspension of disbelief, etc), they seem sorta like... part-time superhero flicks. Like, not so much focused on "let's make a Batman movie", but "let's make a movie and have Batman as the main character". And considering what I've seen of Christopher Nolan's films, this really seems to be his style. He seems to like making films built around themes.
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by ShiofNarnia » Sun Sep 17, 2017 10:08 pm

@Ariel: Yeah!! It does have a lot of good themes, such as Batman realizing that what the League of Shadows was doing was taking matters into their own hands (i.e. executing criminals and calling it justice) and that compassion is what would set him apart from his enemies. It also took him seeing the way they operated to change his view of justice. He saw justice as revenge to begin with. Sorry I don't know if that made much sense. :? :lol:
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Re: Maybe We Should Start a DC Thread

Post by Ariel.of.Narnia » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:30 pm

@Shi: I think I get where you were going with that. :D Despite that, though, it bothers me that he employs some of the tactics he uses after that, namely, "I won't kill you. *lets guy die by deliberately not rescuing him*"
If you continue with the other two, I'd like to hear what you think! (You probably know already that the second installment of the trilogy is pretty dark, thanks to the Joker, but I'm here to say that, yes, that warning is totally justified.)
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