The Dark Knight Rises The TDKR General Discussion Thread - - - - - Part 154

[Tacit Ronin]

What do you guys think of Gotham and Metropolis being 'sister cities'? Gotham is where the poor live, and Metropolis is for the rich.

I dunno. Mixed on that idea. I always thought Gotham to be a complex city that is inhabited by both the rich and the dirt poor.

 

[The Joker]

I thought Leto did kind of sound like Ledger and that is a good thing IMHO. Ledger's Joker voice is incredible. It's like a blend of Cagney gangster with a playful clown. I like what we're seeing from Leto so far.

The really, really bad part was the one part that didn't sound like Heath to me. It was the "im not gonna kill yuh" that sounded just like Heath but deeper.

It sounds like it's influenced by Ledger but i actually dig it. Harley is the greatest in that trailer.

I liked the glimpse we got of Leto. I think he's definitely taken a bit of inspiration from Ledger, but I've got no problem with that. It actually might've been a mistake to make a conscious effort to steer entirely away from it just to be different. Especially because Ledger's Joker had the punk rock vibe and think there's a similar sort of angle with Leto's.

Apart from a couple of denials in the Leto thread, the consensus is he does have a Ledger quality to his Joker voice.

But I want to ask an honest question as I've seen two posters today make the claim that other actors have sounded like Ledger's Joker because of the high pitched approach he took with the voice.

Can anyone seriously give me an example of a character in a movie that sounds like Ledger's Joker at all? Besides the Tom Waits video we've all seen. Which is the only example anyone can cite.

What do you guys think of Gotham and Metropolis being 'sister cities'? Gotham is where the poor live, and Metropolis is for the rich.

I dunno. Mixed on that idea. I always thought Gotham to be a complex city that is inhabited by both the rich and the dirt poor.

I always loved that Gotham was the down side class of the two. Gotham is supposed to be one of the worst cities in the world if you believe it's rep. Realistically when you look at it you'd wonder why anyone would want to live there. Rich or poor. I'd rather live in a swamp.

 

[BatLobster]

What do you guys think of Gotham and Metropolis being 'sister cities'? Gotham is where the poor live, and Metropolis is for the rich.

I dunno. Mixed on that idea. I always thought Gotham to be a complex city that is inhabited by both the rich and the dirt poor.

I think it's part and parcel with the whole idea of the two characters inhabiting the same world and attempting to emphasize the contrast between them so there's less redundancy. I agree, it's not necessarily my preferred take on Gotham but I think it will work for the movie. Similarly to how I'm pretty sure this won't be my preferred take on Batman, but it seems to definitely be working for the movie.

 

[The Joker]

Batlobster, any input?

 

[BatLobster]

Oh sorry, on the Ledger voice thing? I honestly can't think of anyone that sounds quite like Heath's Joker. Yet at the same time, Heath's Joker did have a strange familiarity about it that felt instantly iconic, but it was that hodgepodge aspect that probably gave it that quality. It's like a Chicago gangster meets Tom Waits meets some sort of demonic Bugs Bunny, or something. I'd have to think about it, but at the moment nothing really comes to mind.

The only thing I can really think of is, I remember when the first teaser came out people were saying "I'm a man of my wurrrrdah" sounded a bit like Beetlejuice, and I can still kind of hear that. But that's really just one isolated moment.

 

[The Joker]

Thanks man. I had the same reaction. Racking my brain trying to think of someone in the movies who had any similar sound to Ledger's Joker. Nothing comes to mind at all. After 7 years someone would have spotted them by now, like the Tom Waits vid. His voice is so iconic now that it's impossible to miss when you hear it.

 

[BatLobster]

For sure. I think whether conscious or not, the influence seems pretty undeniable.

Also, did you guys catch Affleck's story about running into Bale from the panel? Pretty funny.

 

[The Joker]

No I didn't watch any of the panel stuff. What did he say?

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Bale told Ben not to piss in the suit

 

[Brother Jack]

I think it's part and parcel with the whole idea of the two characters inhabiting the same world and attempting to emphasize the contrast between them so there's less redundancy. I agree, it's not necessarily my preferred take on Gotham but I think it will work for the movie. Similarly to how I'm pretty sure this won't be my preferred take on Batman, but it seems to definitely be working for the movie.

That's mostly how I see it. The trailer did a lot to justify Batman's existence in the story, at least as an indication. There are many interesting ideas being teased and in certain ways it feels like an organic followup to Man of Steel. But then you remember that this is actually pre-Justice league rather than a proper Superman sequel. Visually I would say there are some improvements but much of it still had that digital look to it reminiscent of Watchmen. The scene of (presumably) the Wayne murders looked like it could have come straight out of that film.

 

[Ryan]

I always thought that ledger's joker sounded a bit like Hoffman in Capote to be honest.
I still can't get past the look of this new Joker, otherwise I think I'd be into it more. Mos left me flat as well. I remember that last trailer before it got released and thought it was really going to be a game changer like Batman Begins. I just found it missed the mark in a lot of places and I disagree with some of the key moments of the film (pa kent's death, zod's fate,). Also so much was a retread and not in a good way. It felt like Superman 1 and 2 crammed together with a Batman Beginish type narrative.

In some ways what they did with Superman reminds me of the problems they've had with the hulk. The Hulk and Superman Returns both were criticized for not having enough action. In my opinion The Incredible Hulk and Man of Steel both tried to address these complaints with more action, but in the end didn't satisfy the fanbase either.

As for the new BvS trailer, I thought it was pretty good. I do wonder if some of this stuff will be over the head of the casual viewer. I felt the only weak spot was eisenberg's Luthor. I am really hoping he's not playing some flamboyant over the top typical villain performance. His "red capes are coming" lines kinda left me with a weird feeling about the direction of the character and he seemed a bit more annoying then anything else. I'm hoping I'm wrong though.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

For sure. I think whether conscious or not, the influence seems pretty undeniable.

Also, did you guys catch Affleck's story about running into Bale from the panel? Pretty funny.

I love the fact the he had to clarify that Bale doesn't just hang around costume/Halloween stores giving people advice when they buy a Batman outfit.

 

[shauner111]

I love the fact the he had to clarify that Bale doesn't just hang around costume/Halloween stores giving people advice when they buy a Batman outfit.

It was super random like 10 minutes later, like he was just sitting there silent, thinking about what Bale was doing in the store. Hilarious.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Can anyone seriously give me an example of a character in a movie that sounds like Ledger's Joker at all? Besides the Tom Waits video we've all seen. Which is the only example anyone can cite.

But that video is amazing, haha. I get chills thinking about the fact Heath was a kid in Australia and saw that show broadcast at some point...then ran with it for the Joker. Phenomenal performance and really sad to think of what else he might have done with his career.

 

[Travesty]

He actually sounds a lot more like Heath now that I can hear the official version.

[YT]PLLQK9la6Go[/YT]

 

[redfirebird2008]

I can't watch (blocked at work). They posted the official version? Hilarious...after all that griping about leaks and piracy, they end up releasing the thing anyway. Don't bite the hand that feeds, WB.

 

[BatLobster]

They said they released it because they were unable to contain the leak and can't allow a poor quality version to continue representing the movie, etc. etc.

Honestly, I don't blame them for being pissed about it though. It's a pretty juicy trailer for something that's over 1 year away, and it probably threw off the rhythm of the marketing campaign they had planned, as I imagine they were planning on releasing a theatrical teaser pretty soon.

I think the movie looks really cool though. It has a very R-rated vibe, even though we know it won't be. I get the vibe that the movie is very much a Joker-Harley story at the core.

 

[The Joker]

Those grills and tattoos still bother me. His mannerisms are spot on. The voice is really brimming with Ledger tones.

The laugh though, it sounds like an old hag's cackle or something.

 

[BatLobster]

Yeah, the grill in full HD was kind of upsetting. But I do still like his actual smile.

Also, just the whole concept of Joker's face in extreme closeup, looking straight down into the camera (and a potential victim) reminded me a lot of the full reveal of Heath in the prologue. There is definitely a whole lot of Ledger going on in that clip, but with its own flavor to be sure.

 

[shauner111]

I really dig the laugh. It's different, it's creepy, it's funny, sounds like an old man/woman. His voice isn't very original, but for some damn reason i like it. Normally i would be like "he's ripping off Ledger". It just sounds like a deeper version but a damn good impression. It's just that he looks so different from Ledger and moves differently, that im buying it. Im a fan of Jared Leto, don't care for the teeth and face tat's but i can live with it. They're minor things. The rest of the tattoos are fine.

Movie looks great. I might like it more than the Bats vs Supes trailer.

 

[BatLobster]

I definitely like it more than the BvS trailer. The SS trailer had more character and charm IMO. Just in terms of how the trailer was put together, with the creepy "I Started a Joke" rendition and mood it set. The BvS trailer had really tacky, stock "epic" library music and an awkward misfire on the last line. Bonus points for SS not looking like a total CG fest too.

 

[JackWhite]

I'm thinking Leto will have some different laugh variations going on in the actual film. But yeah, aside from the tats and grills I'm loving what I am seeing.

After seeing the full SS trailer in HD, it's way better than the BvS trailer, IMO.

 

[Travesty]

I actually really like the laugh. It does sound like an old hag/witch, but for some reason, I like it. And I'm sure he'll have more laughs. I hate the grills and tats, though. I think I hate the grill more than anything. I guess they gave him green contacts(unless he has green eyes. I thought he had blue?), but he has a great Joker face, smile and eyes. He looks great, except for those goddamn tats and grills. Ugh!

But overall, I'm still extremely excited for the movie. I think it looks good, other than a few aesthetic choices I'm not too fond of. But still, it's a new DC movie with a lot of characters I love. How can I not be excited for it?

 

[hafizbat]

Leto looked pretty good, actually made me want to see more. He sounded EXACTLY like Ledger when he said "I'm not gonna kill ya..." I didn't mind tho, it brought back some great memories.

The BvS trailer seriously hyped me up as a Batman fan. It actually made me more excited for the Batfleck solo than for BvS.

 

[The Joker]

Yeah, I know we all talk about the Joker most, but the rest of the trailer looked awesome. Davis is owning it as Waller, Robbie is perfection as Harley, love Croc and Deadshot. I'm glad they did the classic Deadhsot mask.