The Dark Knight Intensity of Fight sequences in TDK!

[GlasgowGrin]

I prefer the rapid editing of fight scenes in BB. Fight scenes are difficult to get right. If you go for reality, which is what Nolan seems to be trying to do, things will look flat b/c a real fight is very unimpressive to watch. If you want a oh ah movie fight scene it has to be very exaggerated which is something Nolan seems to steer away from.

i think this pretty much sums it up. i would only add that bruce was trained to be quick and efficient, so he would never waste any more energy than needed and thus would not be showy and stylized. yes, he employs theatricality but that in itself has a purpose when used. he's not taking out bad guys a certain way because "it looks cool."

 

[AlterEgo]

I absolutely loved the fighting at the rave, the music was good, and the flashing lights made it awesome.

But I also liked most of the others, however I didn't really like the ending fight scene besides when Joker was beating him with the iron pipe

 

[fallenAngel]

Look at it this way, who did he fight in this movie?

Generic mob bodyguards
Nutjob Joker goons
Joker


None of those guys are anywhere near the level of Batman. So sure the fights seemed a bit effortless. I really liked them though.

I think this is actually part of the problem. His fights are sort of lame because he has no one to fight. In Begins, they suffered from bad choreography and editing. Which is a shame because he actually fought other people like him in that movie.

The fights in The Dark Knight were better, in a way. And I like that he can just drop these people like a bag of bricks. But then it makes the whole thing a little pointless.

Batman's weaknesses in this movie add dramatic tension to the story. But he's never in physical danger, .....but at least this way we don't have to worry about the whole mask being ripped off cliche. Even though honestly it does add tension sometimes.

The car chases are the only decent action scenes in these movies, and they are pretty awesome.

 

[Brian Braddock]

That's why I maintain that the Reaper would make an excellent villain in a Bat film. In terms of being an equal to Bats in ahnd to hand combat there arent many better characters who are as interesting as he is.

As a physical opponent for Bats, he'd be awesome. Let's not forget that Judson Caspian beat the crap pot of Bruce in their 1st encounter in Year 2 - forcing Bruce to raise his game.

 

[bgates87]

I thought the fights were great. There were plenty of elbows and kicks... oh and body slams on to metal tables and smashing heads into windows.

 

[Yr Blues]

Far superior over Begins. In TDK you can see how methodical and brutal he is. They explained some of the martial arts in an interview, based on "knowing your surroundings," which is a key element in Begins and progresses in TDK.

 

[Motown Marvel]

Fist of Legend? Give me a freakin' break. Chinese martial arts films are all about overt stylization and being sensationalized. And the fights in Fist of Legend are no exception. I could understand if someone wanted the fights to be more like Bourne Supremacy or Ultimatum (sorry, Identity's fights are comparatively too showy and nowhere near as gritty), reason being that they are so fast yet so raw, brutal and seemingly quite un-choreographed - the combatants go against each other like wild animals, with no rules or changing stances or sizing each other up.

That's how Batman should fight like in a straight up brawl. He would not use fancy martial arts trying to look cool. He'd utilize deadly, efficient moves that take down his opponents instantly. Not to mention I don't want to see Batman using anything other than obscure fighting styles to give the impression that it is his own style he created out of his knowledge and experience with martial arts. So no Jeet-Kune-Do, Jujitsu, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Tai Chi or crap like that. Keysi fits the bill, and it would be even better if they mix in a few more obscure styles like that. Reading the posts in this thread, it seems that a lot of posters simply want the fights to look cool like they would in a Jet-Li or Jackie Chan film, which is just, well, WRONG for Batman.

As for the fights in TDK, they were good. Not awesome, but good. There were a couple of shots interspersed in between that looked great, even if the fights scenes as a whole weren't up to that level. I guess it has to do with the fact that the fights weren't as fast as they are supposed to, but I think they can be forgiven due to the heavy suit and the absence of rapid-fire editing.

uhh, batman was trained in asian martial arts (among others), and thats what he uses when he fights. because they're highly effective when properly utilized. read a comic.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

It's one of the unfortunate hallmarks of the Batman movie franchise that there are always loads of thugs to be beaten up, but never any great fight scenes.

Burton = not an action director
Schumacher = not an action director
Nolan = not an action director

 

[The Sage]

I will have to disagree with you on that one. Outside of trapping, there isn't much that isn't efficient about Jeet Kune Do(unless you've trained in it for years trapping won't be useful to a novice). It's an excellent martial art.

Isn't Keysi partially based on Jeet Kune Do?

 

[raleagh]

Actually Burton gave much of the action scenes to second unit director Peter MacDonald to shoot for B89 - and I think he did a pretty good job shooting them.

 

[raleagh]

Isn't Keysi partially based on Jeet Kune Do?

It was founded by Justo Diéguez and Andy Norman, both of whom are certified Jeet Kune Do instructors.

 

[Fenrir]

uhh, batman was trained in asian martial arts (among others), and thats what he uses when he fights. because they're highly effective when properly utilized. read a comic.

Asians are not the only ones in the world with martial arts and fighting styles and Batman wasn't trained just by Asians. The whole point is that Batman is so skilled in so many different types of fighting methods that it is ridiculous that he would rely on just a single or even a handful of kung fu styles. Batman's fighting would be his own mix of boxing, street fighting and an assortment of various other martial arts, all coming together to form his own fighting method. And you'd do well to pick a up and read a comic yourself just to see that Batman doesn't exclusively use Asian martial arts when he fights.

 

[DieSmiling]

Can someone give me a good example of what they'd want from fight scenes in a Batman movie? I'd agree that no Batman movie thus far has had jaw-dropping fight scenes, but honestly, other than kung-fu type movies I can't think of any that really do. What exactly is being desired here?

 

[Crook]

Casino Royale, Blade, and Bourne are what have been mentioned so far.

 

[rashad]

I had no problems with BB's fights but the fight scenes in TDK kicked ass. I loved the way they were filmed.

 

[Dark Globe]

I think the only way Batman fanatics will be satisfied is if the actors actually brawl.

 

[Fenrir]

I don't think Blade's fighting style would suit Batman.

 

[broblacksteel]

Blade's style was mentioned due to he and daredevil's kicks would fit into Batman's/Nolan's style....i think. What amazes me is how many people are actually satisfied with what they saw from TDK in the sense of the fights. Yes, batman should take out thugs with little to no effort due to his skill level (personally most of the fights were slow and had lil to no creativity to them, BATMAN knows multiple styles of martial arts, YET the majority of his fights looked like brawling).

I think Bat's needs a MAJOR one on one fight with someone who can put him down for the count if he isn't careful (so he can display more than punches and simple techniques). Someone mentioned a guy who could go toe to toe with batman in one of the earlier post. It seems everyone is in agreement that BAT'S hasn't had that iconic fight scene he deserves yet.

BTW Nolan is a great storyteller, that's why i SUGGESTED on 2nd unit (which for those that dont know is the ACTION unit on movies and most of the time the DIRECTOR IS NOT THERE!!! The stunt coordinator and the fight choreographer usually cover the 2nd unit action) the fights should be a lil more advanced than what we have been given as fans.

Bottom line is maybe Nolan is not to blame here, they should hire a better fight coordinator or have Two different ones. Keep the kensyi style, but have another fight coordinator who can bring what was brought to HELLBOY 2!!! Now THOSE were some GREAT FIGHTS!!!

 

[Fenrir]

Blade's style was mentioned due to he and daredevil's kicks would fit into Batman's/Nolan's style....i think.

Both Daredevil and Blade are much more 'flashier' characters than Batman. I don't want to see him pulling outrageous maneouvers. I want Batman to fight more like an effecient, conservative fighter - with brains and brawn than with style and finesse, combined with a nice little dose of his cool gadgetry.

 

[Etienne]

I thought his fighting style was brutal, especially the swat scene at the end. The sound fx were just vicious, moreso than BB. You could definately hear that he had some power behind him. Why use a bunch of fast punches or kicks, when he can take them out with one brutal punch or elbow.

The sfx were amazing especially in IMAX!

I remember when I saw Ultimatum twice, both times in the theater people in the audience winced and ooh'd at several hits.

Funny they did the same thing during every fight scene in TDK.

 

[Crook]

Really? The audience was that enthralled with EVERY single fight scene in TDK? I find that hard to believe.

 

[Ziggyman]

I liked the fighting in both...In BB, the fighting was more focused on the view of the bad guy...In TDK it switched...More focused on the point of view of Batman...In all I thought it was better in TDK...

 

[Dark Knight]

Overall the fight scenes were shot much better than they were in BB.

There is still room for improvement for the 3rd film. I want to see a toe to toe physical challenge for Batman in the 3rd film. Whether it Catwoman, Bane or a minor character like KGBeast. I would like to see Batman meet his match physically get hurt in the first confrontation and then having to train harder for the rematch.

 

[Iglius]

Yeah, I liked the fights. The first time I saw it, during the first fight scene, I felt like the camera was kept on Batman in a very obvious way. It was almost like they were saying, "Yeah, we botched up the fights in Begins by moving around too much, and we want you to notice our conscious effort to change that".

But I liked the effect.

And, I'm pretty sure he uses his elbows every now and then, and I also think he headbutts the Joker at the party, in response to the person who started the thread.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

Personally I liked the fight scenes in TDK. I also think a lot of fans have been spoiled by fight scenes from The Matrix for instance. Seems like a lot of people want some beautiful fight scenes with fancy moves, kicks, punches, and throws.

I, on the other hand, happened to really enjoy the no ******** approach in how Batman conducts his fights. He just beats the piss out of the opposition and moves on which is how it should be. If he were to exist in this world he wouldn't be doing any kind of fancy kicks or throws, he would just mow through them without breaking his stride.

Let's be honest here though. With the exception of the Blade films, what superhero film has shown the heroes fighting methods to its fullest potential? Honestly as much as I loved the first two Spider-Man films, Spidey's fighting methods, his agility, his wall-crawling ability, and so forth weren't portrayed in the way I always envisioned them honestly. In fact I felt Raimi missed a great opportunity by showing Spidey utilize his wall-crawling ability to dodge attacks.

But overall I like the more brutal style of Batman fighting. If we get Bane or Catwoman in a sequel I'm sure we'll see more of his fighting style put to good use.