The Dark Knight Re-evaluation: Hunter's musings and ramblings

[Hunter Rider]

I wasn't sure where to put these thoughts b/c they seem to be scattered in content, I figured they make for a thread for those of us with the mixed views that are coming around to the idea of a twist on a character we all love.

Last night i perused the casting section of the the Justice League forum. Here i had an epiphany, the old age adage of "things could be much worse". In that section i saw the latest rumour of some kid called Armie Hammer playing Batman.....Batman, not Batboy.....prior to this i watched the Today clip of Bale talking about the character. Here we have one of the finest actors around playing Batman and for that we are indeed fortunate. Put him next to Hammer and it's like a Lion next to a French poodle, one the king of the jungle, the other looking like a runner up from America's next top model.

It was in this moment i reflected on TDK, the still fantastic cast, the great sounding plot and the top class director......But what about that joker i thought, he's not what i was hoping for, yet i looked at the 2 recent pics and sure enough, he's not my Joker BUT.... he is still The Joker....just a twisted take on him from Nolan and co, an elseworlds if you will, Now i have enjoyed some elseworlds tales and the characterization seems spot on, so i added that train of thought to the rest of the things going for TDK and decided it was time to release my anger, b/c anger leads to hate and......well you know the rest.


So roll on the TDK trailer and a merry Christmas to all Batfans.


- HR (Tired yet alive)

 

[gwynplaine]

Interesting prose and good positive reflexion. Just out of curiosity, what would have been your "perfect" Joker ?

 

[Keyser Soze]

Well said Hunter. Glad to see you're keeping an open mind.

 

[BubbaGump]

Damn you, Hunter!

No random brain farts in the spoiler forum!

 

[Mr. Superhero]

I would like to thank God for providing me with this awe-inspiring thread.

 

[CARNAGE-COMETH]

Hunter, I'm glad you have come to grips with your anger which I think really just stems from fear...in this case I think your fear comes from doubts of the joker being misrepresented by Nolan.

Remember fear...leads to anger then to hate (yes i'm a sw geek)

So basically you need to release your doubt and fear not just your anger. Remember the Dune saga wisely states that "Fear is the great Mind Killer"

not to go off topic but I was wondering if that Avatar making thread was still around if so anyone have a link?

 

[TromaFreak64]

excellent written opinion...

 

[Eggyman]

Good to see our beloved mod leading by example for all the people with issues regarding The Joker.

I myself have lots of faith in what will transpire -- sure, we may not be getting perma-white (maybe ), but as far as I can see, we are getting a very good portrayal of characterisation on his part . . . and that, I think, is the most important aspect. Only today I was reading about a videotape that Joker sends Batman (As posted by Welshman in his very good thread), and that just screams Joker to me -- I love all his viral video stuff from all takes on the character, and the viral campaigns that have recently started making my head ache are another sign of this.

I have faith. Not complete, and not blind. But it is faith enough to give this interpretation a fair chance.

Thanks Hunter. There is a good reason why you are so respected.

 

[Bishop]

Well, it did take the terrifying prospect of a prepubescent playing Batman to do it, but you've come round and joined the ranks of us sad TDK fanboys. Major respect.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Well said Hunt, well said. I'm pretty much in agreement with that line of thought.

 

[Anita18]

"It could be worse" is my life motto, man. It's one of my secrets for staying perpetually happy.

I haven't been the sort of fan who's immensely invested in the details of what "my character" is - I tend to gravitate toward interpretations of any character whose interpreters (in this case the Nolans) have great respect for who this character is. The Nolans certainly might do a different take on him, but it's obvious they respect what the Joker is. It's obvious that they've thought long and hard about what their interpretation is going to be, not just slapping things together because the studio tells them to or because it's "better for marketing."

What's happening in the JLA movie? This Armie Hammer pretty boy? Not so much. I'm only hoping that they'll be taking REALLY different avenues so the general public won't get this and Nolan's franchise mixed up.

 

[thewhyteman]

You know I was pretty upset with the whole JL movie conflicting with Nolans movies. I was hoping it would be done in CG like beowulf. And at first I was wierded out by Ledger being cast as Joker. But now I know the movie is going to kick serious arse. So Im not worried about it. TDK will be frikkin awesome, and by that I mean totally sweet. So if JL sucks giant mutated donkey balls then who cares. I will just do to it what I do to the (name whom I wont mention) Batman films, pretend they never happened.

Ignorance is bliss.

 

[Nivek]

My last name is Murphy, I've learned to expect the worst and hope for the best in any given situation.

I will accept this as Nolans Joker, just like I accepted him using just another monotone black rubber muscle suit in BB, in stride. But just like the suit issue, I just will always think it was a very big missed opportunity. Ledger looks like he's having fun, and I'm very interested in how he plays the Joker. But the make-up will still bum me about considering what they could have done.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Thanks for the feedback guys and gals, interesting reading your thoughts in this environment.

Interesting prose and good positive reflexion. Just out of curiosity, what would have been your "perfect" Joker ?

Well the wiry Ledger frame is spot on, the clothes are fine and the mannerisms seem to be on point, I'd have just liked a cleaner head with perma white face and slicked back green hair, as opposed to the disheveled dyed scraggy mess of hair and messy painted on look. Still as i said, time to see what this interpretation has to offer.

 

[Micah12345]

No offense hunter but there seems to be a double standard on who's thoughts are important enough to start a thread, and who's aren't.

 

[Eggyman]

That's the only thing I have a problem with, the hair. But I actually like it in the Empire picture, but that's the only time, out of all the pics, that I've seen it swept back.

 

[gwynplaine]

Thanks for the feedback guys and gals, interesting reading your thoughts in this environment.



Well the wiry Ledger frame is spot on, the clothes are fine and the mannerisms seem to be on point, I'd have just liked a cleaner head with perma white face and slicked back green hair, as opposed to the disheveled dyed scraggy mess of hair and messy painted on look. Still as i said, time to see what this interpretation has to offer.

Cool, thank you. (The make-up looks much cleaner and clown-like on the promotional pics.) I actually agree with you on the permawhite issue but I like your open minded attitude and share the same point of view .

 

[DeaDheaD]

Thanks for the feedback guys and gals, interesting reading your thoughts in this environment.



Well the wiry Ledger frame is spot on, the clothes are fine and the mannerisms seem to be on point, I'd have just liked a cleaner head with perma white face and slicked back green hair, as opposed to the disheveled dyed scraggy mess of hair and messy painted on look. Still as i said, time to see what this interpretation has to offer.

Change may be for the better........Nolan is separating Heath from all the other Joker interpretations we have seen before...Eeryone needs a change.

 

[El Payaso]

No matter the way I see it, JL movie is a terrible idea for me.

That said, I'm very confident on Ledger's Joker. He just needs to smile and laugh more on pics so he looks even more like the Joker.

 

[gwynplaine]

No matter the way I see it, JL movie is a terrible idea for me.

That said, I'm very confident on Ledger's Joker. He just needs to smile and laugh more on pics so he looks even more like the Joker.

I believe they are saving the smiles and laughs for the film. Don't you like surprises ?t:

 

[thewhyteman]

I believe they are saving the smiles and laughs for the film. Don't you like surprises ?t:

Indeed, we all heard him laugh in the teaser. I bet that sadistic bastard will be laughing at all the carnage he causes.

 

[The Sage]

My last name is Murphy, I've learned to expect the worst and hope for the best in any given situation.

I will accept this as Nolans Joker, just like I accepted him using just another monotone black rubber muscle suit in BB, in stride. But just like the suit issue, I just will always think it was a very big missed opportunity. Ledger looks like he's having fun, and I'm very interested in how he plays the Joker. But the make-up will still bum me about considering what they could have done.

Same here man.

 

[BurtonBat]

Well it's good to see someone with doubts have a positive reflection. One thing I'm curious about though is why some people think this Joker is more of an elseworlds Joker? Sure the look is a bit different from the comics but I think in terms of characterization we're gonna get a Joker with the traits we all know him by, I think Nolan is taking more of the psychopathic traits of the Joker and putting them on screen which imo is a good thing, I don't see the elseworlds angle.

Btw The Sage, did you say your sig quote? That's a very intelligent and valid take on Superman, maybe that's another reason why many did not like "Superman Returns".

 

[Solidus]

Nice read Hunter, I too am glad your keeping and open mind. We have no idea yet what TDK will be like, but I'm sure Nolan and co don't want to disappoint us.

But nice read

 

[The Sage]

Btw The Sage, did you say your sig quote? That's a very intelligent and valid take on Superman, maybe that's another reason why many did not like "Superman Returns".

No I didn't. A poster at The Planet named the Enlightened One did. I really should give him credit for that, LOL.