What are you watching & why? (splain)

Finished the last 7 of Ozark and enjoyed it overall. No throat punch from me I thought her character was a good part of the show. A few things were a bit too implausible for me, but I didn't get too annoyed or distracted by it.
 
Just watched "The Batman" (2022) for "free" on HBO+ during Xfinity's "Watchathon" week.

The_Batman_%28film%29_poster.jpg


If I've counted correctly, this is the NINTH exclusively Batman movie ever released and I've seen them all. Batman appears in other spin off movies, like Suicide Squad, Justice League and Joker but I'm not counting them.

"The Batman" offers a darker and more moody Batman (if that's possible) than any Batman movie before. Initially, I didn't like it but it gradualy grew on me. This movie is "different" not only in tone but in terms of the "story line," including different plot points regarding the death of Batman's parents.

It tries to integrate various subplots involving Cat Woman, the Riddler and the Penguin and ends w/a tease for a possible sequel involving the Joker. It won't (or shouldn't) win any awards) but I found it entertaining overall.

All I know, after watching the movie, is that I definitely WANT a "BAT KNIFE." You'll know what I mean if/when you watch the movie.

LOL! ;)
 
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sgt1372 said:
Just watched "The Batman" (2022) for "free" on HBO+ during Xfinity's "Watchathon" week.

The_Batman_%28film%29_poster.jpg


If I've counted correctly, this is the NINTH exclusively Batman movie ever release and I've seen them all. Batman appears in other spin off movies, like Suicide Squad, Justice League and Joker but I'm not counting them.

"The Batman" offers a darker and more moody Batman (if that's possible) than any Batman movie before. Initially, I didn't like it but it gradualy grew on me. This movie is "different" not only in tome but in terms of the "story," including different plot points regarding the death of Batman's parents. It tries to integrate various subplots invovling Cat Woman, the Riddler and the Penguin and ends w/a tease for a possible sequel involving the Joker. It won't (or shouldn't) win any awards) but I found it entertaining overall.

All I know, after watching the movie, is that I definitely WANT a "BAT KNIFE." You'll know what I mean if/when you watch the movie.

LOL! ;)
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I've got . . . Batman (1966), Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Batman and Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and The Batman (2022). That's nine. Not counting Batman vs. Superman (2016) or the ones you mentioned. And I believe seven different actors in the role, counting Affleck.

I remember how Tim Burton's 1989 Batman was considered dark and gritty in its time. But IMO Christopher Nolan's 2005 Batman Begins was much darker than that. And even though not strictly a Batman movie, Joker was (to me) far and away the darkest Batman-universe - or any other comic-book-based - movie I ever saw.

What if anything does it say about society if our movies get darker and darker?

Anyway, I'm thinking that since they've already covered Batman, The Batman, and The Dark Knight, next time around maybe they should go for The Caped Crusader.
 
The Amazing Virginian said:
I've got . . . Batman (1966), Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Batman and Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and The Batman (2022). That's nine. Not counting Batman vs. Superman (2016) or the ones you mentioned. And I believe seven different actors in the role, counting Affleck.

I remember how Tim Burton's 1989 Batman was considered dark and gritty in its time. But IMO Christopher Nolan's 2005 Batman Begins was much darker than that. And even though not strictly a Batman movie, Joker was (to me) far and away the darkest Batman-universe - or any other comic-book-based - movie I ever saw.

What if anything does it say about society if our movies get darker and darker?

Anyway, I'm thinking that since they've already covered Batman, The Batman, and The Dark Knight, next time around maybe they should go for The Caped Crusader.
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:poop:
:poop::poop:
 
The Amazing Virginian said:
.

What if anything does it say about society if our movies get darker and darker?
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As far as this in particular goes, I personally don't read too much into it.

Hollywood has always been about jumping on the bandwagon regarding trends, especially with ANYTHING that they think will make money.

Eg. the 'found footage' following the success of The Blair Witch Project, shaky cam, the trend a few years back of switching from 'true love conquers all' to familial love. Musicals tend to come and go in waves. Word gets out that one big studio is working on a summer blockbuster about XXX and next thing you know, several other movies with similar themes all pop up.

Hollywood tends to the formulaic. "Well this has made/is making money, so let's make another along those lines".

Just wait for the release of Fast and Furious 27:
"A hotshot team of octogenarian criminals on highly modded electric mobility scooters outwit, outmaneuver and flat out outrun the bad guys in their souped up EVs" 🤣
 
1) Watched "The Batman" for free on the free HBO week on TouTubeTV. Why? He's one of my top three favorite comic book characters, and I've seen every other Batman flick, so why not?

For me . . . it was not nearly entertaining enough to be as long as it was (just four minutes short of THREE full hours!). I'm fine with a three hour movie, as long as it captivates and entertains me. This didn't. IMO, it needed some more ruthless editing to pare it down a half hour or so.

Spoiler Alert Below?

Yes, it was dark (although not as dark as Joker, IMO). It veered from the conventional Batman canon in several dark ways. Bruce Wayne's family had serious skeletons. Bruce Wayne didn't even seem to like Albert. He didn't seem to like anyone, including himself, except he liked Jim Gordon, and he REALLY liked Catwoman - too much for my taste. She was not even really a villain in this movie, which was probably a good thing because there were already three major villains, all with thieir own agendas, which was one reason why the movie was too long. On the positive side, I did like how they brought Batman back into the noir world of detectives. Batman originated in Detective Comics. He is very much a detective in this movie - even if he also goes by the name "Vengeance."

For free it was good. Had I paid in a theater . . . maybe not so much. Of the nine Batman movies listed about, I would rank it 4th or 5th. On my perfectly linear 10 point scale, where 5 is a totally average movie . . . I'd give it a 6.5.


2) Watched "Star Trek Strange New Worlds" episode 1 last night.

Why? I like Star Trek. But I'm no Trekkie. I liked the original series (TOS), as campy as it was, and I liked The Next Generation (TNG), and some of the movies (including especially the first two JJ Abrams movies with Chris Pine playing Kirk). I tried to watch several Star Trek series, including Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery and Picard, but I couldn't get into any of them. Anyway, I've given most of the Star Trek shows at least a try, and this one seemed promising from the description.

That all having been said, I liked it a lot (did not love it). It revolves around the Captain Christopher PIke character, who helmed the Enterprise before James Tiberius Kirk. The timeline is more consistent with TOS than the Abrams/Pine movies. There is a generous amount of fan service - as is to be expected whenever Star Trek is involved. So they have included a few characters from TOS, including Uhura, and Christine Chapel (more doctor here than nurse) and - of course - Spock. I have a strong feeling that others will be introduced as the series progresses.

The story was pretty good. However, too much of the dialogue was cliched or stilted. And I really didn't need them to keep hammering on their mission "to seek out new life and new civilizations" (in exactly those words over and over). More fan service.

I found the acting to be generally good. I thought Anson Mount was very good as Pike. The actress who played Chapel was flat out terrific. They have a different doctor than McCoy, and the actor who played him was excellent. The two women who played two different "number one" characters were both good (I think one of them is Rebecca Romijn). As for Spock . . . almost impossible for anyone after Nimoy to play him. Finding Zachary Quinto was a minor miracle. This guy . . . isn't Spock. Weakest part of the show, IMO. I wish they had just used a different character instead. Oh. well!

I have a strange feeling that the folks who will like this show the least are the same ones who have been into the whole Star Trek universe the most.

Anyway, I will optimistically tune in for episode two next week and hope it is even better than the first.
 
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