The Dark Knight Rises I want Gotham to have more of a personality this time.

[Mr. Earle]

Dont kid yourself. Gotham's financial district was the place that all the action took place in TDK and it was a lot more futuristic in Begins. With shiny skyscrapers and a monorail. In TDK it was just Chicago. And the reason for that wasnt symbolic. It was that Nolan was going for a serious crime drama and he didnt want it to take place in an imaginary city. Its fortunate that he left Batman and the Joker in the movie, because i got the impression that he would have used more realistic characters if he could. All so that his story can be taken more seriously than a superhero story taking place in a superhero city.

 

[Pythagoras]

I dunno, the Narrows looked pretty good. You'd think they really existed. Of course their unrealistic design game them away.
Snyder's NY in Watchmen look good as well and that was a set too.

Yeah his NY was good but I wanted more. Felt like half of NY was missing.

 

[Punisher Rising]

This is a valid debate. While Nolan and company seem to be going more for realism, they have taken it so far to pretty much lose the personality of Gotham in the process. TDK's Gotham was essentially Chicago for lack of a better city, whilst it gave it realism, it took away from the comic book vibe. Personally, I felt the Gotham in BB was the perfect balance between realism and comic book-styled fantasticalness, largely to do with the Narrows and a few other little touches that made the city seem more grandiose, a touch more special than your average metropolis.

Agreed very much I hope Gotham in the third film is more like BB's, where IMO it was much more brooding and intriguing.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

I also want a move closer to the iconic Gotham from the comics, but I really appreciated TDK's version of it. The Gotham we are accostumed to is one besieged by criminals, freaks, super-villains... but in TDK, it was only the Joker. Basically, the city was portrayed as an "after-the-storm", progressive, optimistic city, very much in consonance wiht the state of things. It also made the Joker look even more radical-looking, like some wicked god coming to the World of Normal Day. I'm not saying it was perfect, but from the thematic and production perspectives, it was pretty neat.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Gotham should be more like this. And the action should be more like this as well. More ledges, rooftops, crouching on gargoyles, jumping out of windows, etc. BB had plenty of that, but the Depart.... err.. Dark Knight didnt have any except the Hong Kong scene.

 

[Chris Wallace]

I also want a move closer to the iconic Gotham from the comics, but I really appreciated TDK's version of it. The Gotham we are accostumed to is one besieged by criminals, freaks, super-villains... but in TDK, it was only the Joker. Basically, the city was portrayed as an "after-the-storm", progressive, optimistic city, very much in consonance wiht the state of things. It also made the Joker look even more radical-looking, like some wicked god coming to the World of Normal Day. I'm not saying it was perfect, but from the thematic and production perspectives, it was pretty neat.

A little too neat. It was borderline Metropolis.

 

[Mr. Earle]

A little too neat. It was borderline Metropolis.

No, it was simply Chicago.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Hey, I'm the one who started this thread. And I want to see Batman against a backdrop that pulls me into the fantasy; not one that makes me homesick.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Hey, I'm the one who started this thread. And I want to see Batman against a backdrop that pulls me into the fantasy; not one that makes me homesick.

Ditto. I was merely joking. t:

 

[BrazilianBatFan]

I understand how the Chicago fans feel about it. Although I have a question. Do you think that Christopher Nolan would go back to build Gotham in studio when he is so clearly infatuated by the IMAX?

 

[Jokers_Wild]

Heh, I'm like the opposite of most on this thread. I love that filming took place around a lot of actual city locations, so it felt like a real city, a real crime drama. I envied those who lived in Chicago during filming!

I guess I prefer what Nolan did anyday, versus the very fake looking sets used by Burton for his two Batman films.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Heh, I'm like the opposite of most on this thread. I love that filming took place around a lot of actual city locations, so it felt like a real city, a real crime drama. I envied those who lived in Chicago during filming!

I guess I prefer what Nolan did anyday, versus the very fake looking sets used by Burton for his two Batman films.

We re not necessarily asking for sets. They could easily mask Chicago with CGI. Enrich its skyline with more skyscrapers like in Begins, add some CGI gargoyles on them, use that yellow tint from Begins, etc.

 

[Brother Jack]

We re not necessarily asking for sets. They could easily mask Chicago with CGI. Enrich its skyline with more skyscrapers like in Begins, add some CGI gargoyles on them, use that yellow tint from Begins, etc.

How did the yellow tint have anything to do with the city looking less like Chicago? Also, there were no gargoyles in Begins and for the most part the CG modifications that were done were the monorail and Wayne tower (discounting the Narrows). As a whole the Gotham of both films looked similar, the difference lies in where most of the action took place, whether it was in the Narrows or the mainland.

 

[Travesty]

How did the yellow tint have anything to do with the city looking less like Chicago? Also, there were no gargoyles in Begins and for the most part the CG modifications that were done were the monorail and Wayne tower (discounting the Narrows). As a whole the Gotham of both films looked similar, the difference lies in where most of the action took place, whether it was in the Narrows or the mainland.

The yellow tint made Gotham look a little bit more run down and smoggy, and it detracts from looking like Chicago, as I don't think Chicago looks like it has a yellow smog around the city.

As for the gargoyles: Yes, there were 2-3 scenes where we saw Batman standing, or crouched on, gargoyles in BB.

 

[Brother Jack]

As for the gargoyles: Yes, there were 2-3 scenes where we saw Batman standing, or crouched on, gargoyles in BB.

No there were not. There were moments of Batman standing or perched above Gotham, but those were on sides of buildings, not on gargoyles.

 

[Mr. Earle]

How did the yellow tint have anything to do with the city looking less like Chicago?

What Travesty says:

The yellow tint made Gotham look a little bit more run down and smoggy, and it detracts from looking like Chicago, as I don't think Chicago looks like it has a yellow smog around the city.

Also, there were no gargoyles in Begins

Yes there were no gargoyles in Begins. Did i say there were? I only said they should add some.

and for the most part the CG modifications that were done were the monorail and Wayne tower (discounting the Narrows).

When the family takes the monorail to go to the opera, Bruce looks out the window and you can see Wayne Tower along with other CGI buildings that put together they look nothing like Chicago.

As a whole the Gotham of both films looked similar, the difference lies in where most of the action took place, whether it was in the Narrows or the mainland.

It was Nolan's general direction. TDK felt a lot more like Heat or the Departed than a batman movie.
Also, it shouldnt be about where the action took place, because apart from the financial centre and the rich suburbs the rest of Gotham is a ****hole. Nolan's Gotham is an ordinary city but BAM, there's a gritty, dark, dangerous island in the middle of it filled with corruption, Arkham and supervillains.
That's not Gotham, and even the Narrows are not Gotham because their design is too far fetched. Gotham is like like New York, only filled with dirt, crime, darkness, gargoyles and other gothic garnish, and of course costumed freaks.

 

[Travesty]

I thought Batman was sitting on a gargoyle right before he talked to Gordon on his porch, in BB?

Can someone check that? I don't have the movie in front of me, and I'm almost positive that we saw Batman on a gargoyle with his cape flapping in the wind.

 

[Gotham22]

I hope the next director after Nolan makes a dark serious batman film with an over the top, gothic, bizzare, unique Gotham.

 

[Mr. Earle]

I thought Batman was sitting on a gargoyle right before he talked to Gordon on his porch, in BB?

Can someone check that? I don't have the movie in front of me, and I'm almost positive that we saw Batman on a gargoyle with his cape flapping in the wind.

I think he was standing at the edge of a rooftop or something. I'm not sure though.

 

[jmc]

Hey, I'm the one who started this thread. And I want to see Batman against a backdrop that pulls me into the fantasy; not one that makes me homesick.

Is it that distracting? When I watch Superman Returns even though it's glaringly obvious to me that it's my home city of Sydney it doesn't distract me from the world that's been created, to me it's still Metropolis. Again this is coming from someone who's not a local but i can't see how Gotham in TDK couldn't pull one into the movie, it was an epic and authentic concert jungle and it was a role that Chicago played perfectly. The only thing 'lacking' was specific architecture that's usually associated with Gotham City, unfortunately cities like Gotham in real life are few.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Is it that distracting? When I watch Superman Returns even though it's glaringly obvious to me that it's my home city of Sydney it doesn't distract me from the world that's been created, to me it's still Metropolis. Again this is coming from someone who's not a local but i can't see how Gotham in TDK couldn't pull one into the movie, it was an epic and authentic concert jungle and it was a role that Chicago played perfectly. The only thing 'lacking' was specific architecture that's usually associated with Gotham City, unfortunately cities like Gotham in real life are few.

Singer's Metropolis was Sydney? Really?
I ve never been to Sydney so i guess that justifies why i didnt spot it. But i also remember seeing this picture back then so i thought that Metropolis was made from CGI and models like this.

 

[raynorWilm]

I hope the next director after Nolan makes a dark serious batman film with an over the top, gothic, bizzare, unique Gotham.

The only issue I have with this is the over-the-top part. I think the days of this style are being left behind, not only for Gotham but other franchises seem to be toning down their films in favor of a more realistic portrayal. Also, the Batman films have already gone down that road with BF and B&R and we all know how well that worked out. I understand you probably don't want it to be that over-the-top, but I think WB might be skeptical of things getting carried away again..

 

[Travesty]

No there were not. There were moments of Batman standing or perched above Gotham, but those were on sides of buildings, not on gargoyles.

You're right, I just went through some movie pics, and found the scenes, and I guess they're just regular corners of the buildings. I thought they were gargoyles, and probably thought that this whole time. Anyways, my bad.

 

[jmc]

Singer's Metropolis was Sydney? Really?
I ve never been to Sydney so i guess that justifies why i didnt spot it. But i also remember seeing this picture back then so i thought that Metropolis was made from CGI and models like this.

It was a combination of location, model and CG work. Same went for The Matrix.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Well i wouldnt know how Sydney looks (apart from the opera and the bridge over the harbour) so to me it looked like Metropolis and not something else. I suppose that the model, CGI and the camera tint (i think they used a light yellow one) helped a lot.

But why did they shoot in Sydney? It doesnt have as many skyscrapers as NY and i assume its expensive to fly across the world.