TV/Movies Megathread

[Ideologue]

the Dark Knight trilogy, which despite the softened heart I've developed for it, is problematic at best and produced only one movie worth praising without heaps of qualification.

What was problematic about it?  Please explain.

Batman Begins has a really goofy ending set-piece that undermines a lot of the pulpy but grounded material that came before.  A war on organized crime becomes a fight against a man with a train-mounted microwave gun and vapor-borne fear gas.  Why didn't they just use bombs, or chemical weapons that don't require a lot of hands-on assistance?  Because that would have probably worked?

Dark Knight's Joker wages a campaign against Gotham using what amounts to magic.  Dent's fall is not wholly believable (Dent walking around with half his face missing is also not wholly believable unless they deleted a scene where the Joker slipped him some PCP, which would explain an awful lot).

Dark Knight Rises uses class war as scenery, does almost nothing with it, but if it does have a political statement, it teaches us that rich people are the only ones who can save us from ourselves.  Also that's not how fusion works.  Also, and this is kind of a big thing and a problem it shared with fellow late-2012 big ticket, Skyfall, they make a major deal about Bruce Wayne being old and busted (as they do with James Bond) and then proceed to do nothing with that (again as they do with James Bond).  It's worse in DKR, because there is basically no long-term consequence to Batman having his back broken.  IT'S OK I DID A LOT OF PUSHUPS IN A HOLE.  Bane is brought down by Batman really wanting to punch him in the face repeatedly, which is all you really need to achieve victory over a man younger, faster, and stronger than you with an intact spine.

Still enjoyable movies though.  Like I said, I've softened on them.  But they are not the bestest of all blockbusters, or even the pinnacle of superhero movies,* which is what box office and critical response suggests.

Personal taste may play a role, too, as Batman is amongst my least favorite of the major superheroes.  He has a bad attitude.

*Though Dark Knight is indeed up there.  Plot goofiness aside, it's the one that is great, while the others are merely good.

[Syt]

Btw, I really liked Sulu's moment in the chair (not much spoiler in here):

"Attention: John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of he USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will unleash the entire payload of advanced long-range torpedoes currently locked on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration. And If you test me, you will fail."

[Ideologue]

Did Harrison ever confirm his compliance?

[Ideologue]

Man, as a pretty much life long casual Trekkie, you guys think about this shit way too fucking much. The movie was very well done. It wasn't Star Trek II, but it was very good.

The characters simply are not developed enough to replicate the impact of what happened in ST2. I don't mind that they gave a nice nod to the structure of that movie though.

I dunno, Berk.  "Nod" minimizes it.

[Syt]

Did Harrison ever confirm his compliance?

No, but it was a cool line.

[The Larch]

i didn't love the movie (see my meh above), but your review makes me want to like the movie, to root for the movie, hell watch it again just to spite you... and i don't know why

It's the pedantry.

[Caliga]

Saw Star Trek today, thought it was fantastic, and agree with frunk that it was better than the first reboot.

[CountDeMoney]

Saw Star Trek today, thought it was fantastic, and agree with frunk that it was better than the first reboot.

Ide begs to differ with you, frunk and Berkie.

[Caliga]

Ide's review makes me want to punch him in the nuts, and that's the first time I've ever felt that way about Ide.

[Admiral Yi]

Admiral Yi has joined the No Punch in Ide's Nuts Faction.

[garbon]

Ide's review makes me want to punch him in the nuts, and that's the first time I've ever felt that way about Ide.

I feel he was punished enough by writing that overly long piece that said more about the reviewer than the movie ostensibly being reviewed.

[lustindarkness]

Wait, you people read Ide's reviews? 

[katmai]

Admiral Yi has joined the No Punch in Ide's Nuts Faction.

Yi has joined part of the problem faction.

[The Brain]

Wait, you people read Ide's reviews? 

Much like katmai they kind of fill up the view.

[katmai]

Wait, you people read Ide's reviews? 

Much like katmai they kind of fill up the view.

You only have eyes for me?