The Dark Knight Rises You Have My Permission To Lounge - Part 8

[Elevator Man]

Saw Covenant tonight. I enjoyed it. Half Prometheus, half Alien. I still like Prometheus even though it got worse for me on the second and third viewing. A lot of dumb crap in that movie, but i still enjoyed watching it. This new one on the other hand, was a lot better. Hopefully the next one steps it up again, but i thought it was a dark, fun ride. Some characters needed to be developed more, the alien didn't look amazing, and some predictable moments for sure. But the tone was right, it looked great visually, and i loved everything with Fassbender. He's the true MVP of these prequels. I gave it a 3.5/5.

If Wonder Woman can reach that score for me, i'll be impressed.

Sounds like you hated Alien: Covenant lol.

The next one? Alien:Covenant is underperforming both domestically and worldwide right now.

 

[BatLobster]

I just saw Wonder Woman. So yeah, sadly I guess this genre' must not be for me anymore. I really tried, I did. Worst of all...

Spoiler

JK...I really liked it quite a bit! I feel very relieved to be able to say that. Lobster isn't totally dead inside after all.

So yeah, I think DC may have cracked the code here. My fiance enjoyed the movie too, and I don't think she's genuinely enjoyed a superhero film since TDKR. Basically, this movie very much plays like Captain America: TFA meets Thor. It's a mashup of a lot of superhero origin movies you've seen before. However, that brings me to...

...as much as this movie does feel inspired by the MCU, it's very much a DC film IMO. By that I mean, there is a sense of earnestness to it all. There is plenty of wit and humor, but it's not just throw away "Stark snark". Steve Trevor is an extremely likable character- he, as well as the rest of the supporting cast are able to inject a lot of charm and humor into the movie. However, the movie still feels like it has stakes when it needs to have them. Diana is allowed to be a simple, straight beacon of hope type of character. The score is allowed to do a lot of the heavy lifting, which is another DC hallmark. The score is quite good too btw, the theme is organically incorporated and never overused. This movie actually provides, at the very least, one sheer goosebumps-inducing moment where you just can't help but smile.

The Donner influence is very clear. And I'm not gonna lie. Gadot is...honestly, not a very good actress. However, she's still great in the movie in the same way that Christopher Reeve is great as Superman. There's a genuineness to her that comes across on screen and makes her an endearing character. Now, whether or not somebody could've done a better job...I don't know, I won't say that. I'm not gonna put her on Reeve-tier, but I'm saying that it's a very similar type of role to Superman where the actor's presence and ability to just "be" the character and exude warmth is more important than technical acting skill.

Another thing...this movie gets right what Ghostbusters got so wrong. In that movie, every male character was a useless moron or unlikable and you very felt beat over the head by that message. With this film, it's nothing like that. Steve Trevor is arguably the most likable character the DCEU has offered up yet, and there are good male supporting players who add a lot to the film. This movie nails the balance of promoting female-empowerment without ever feeling overly preachy or descending into man-bashing.

Yes, the third act does have its flaws and gets a bit bloated (name me a superhero origin film that this doesn't apply to), but it didn't ruin the film for me. I have other nitpicks, like the amount of slow-mo used- but on the plus side, all the action was very easy to follow.

Overall, I'd put this film on about the level of the original Iron Man. DC puts some points on the board here, finally. Kudos to Patty Jenkins for getting it done.

 

[JackWhite]

Saw Covenant tonight. I enjoyed it. Half Prometheus, half Alien. I still like Prometheus even though it got worse for me on the second and third viewing. A lot of dumb crap in that movie, but i still enjoyed watching it. This new one on the other hand, was a lot better. Hopefully the next one steps it up again, but i thought it was a dark, fun ride. Some characters needed to be developed more, the alien didn't look amazing, and some predictable moments for sure. But the tone was right, it looked great visually, and i loved everything with Fassbender. He's the true MVP of these prequels. I gave it a 3.5/5.

If Wonder Woman can reach that score for me, i'll be impressed.

Sounds like you hated Alien: Covenant lol.

Dude, me and buddies have been going back and forth on the merits of Covenant. I found it much more entertaining than Prometheus, and visually what's not to love? But the crew had to be the dumbest of all the Alien films. The terrible decisions they continued to make kept taking me out of the film. I also found it extremely predictable too. But yeah, Fassbender was amazing as both David and Walter.

I'll be honest, I was so damn tired the night I went to see it; so that could have made me more irritable during my first viewing of the movie. So a rewatch will definitely come in the future.

 

[JackWhite]

I just saw Wonder Woman. So yeah, sadly I guess this genre' must not be for me anymore. I really tried, I did. Worst of all...

Spoiler

JK...I really liked it quite a bit! I feel very relieved to be able to say that. Lobster isn't totally dead inside after all.

So yeah, I think DC may have cracked the code here. My fiance enjoyed the movie too, and I don't think she's genuinely enjoyed a superhero film since TDKR. Basically, this movie very much plays like Captain America: TFA meets Thor. It's a mashup of a lot of superhero origin movies you've seen before. However, that brings me to...

...as much as this movie does feel inspired by the MCU, it's very much a DC film IMO. By that I mean, there is a sense of earnestness to it all. There is plenty of wit and humor, but it's not just throw away "Stark snark". Steve Trevor is an extremely likable character- he, as well as the rest of the supporting cast are able to inject a lot of charm and humor into the movie. However, the movie still feels like it has stakes when it needs to have them. Diana is allowed to be a simple, straight beacon of hope type of character. The score is allowed to do a lot of the heavy lifting, which is another DC hallmark. The score is quite good too btw, the theme is organically incorporated and never overused. This movie actually provides, at the very least, one sheer goosebumps-inducing moment where you just can't help but smile.

The Donner influence is very clear. And I'm not gonna lie. Gadot is...honestly, not a very good actress. However, she's still great in the movie in the same way that Christopher Reeve is great as Superman. There's a genuineness to her that comes across on screen and makes her an endearing character. Now, whether or not somebody could've done a better job...I don't know, I won't say that. I'm not gonna put her on Reeve-tier, but I'm saying that it's a very similar type of role to Superman where the actor's presence and ability to just "be" the character and exude warmth is more important than technical acting skill.

Another thing...this movie gets right what Ghostbusters got so wrong. In that movie, every male character was a useless moron or unlikable and you very felt beat over the head by that message. With this film, it's nothing like that. Steve Trevor is arguably the most likable character the DCEU has offered up yet, and there are good male supporting players who add a lot to the film. This movie nails the balance of promoting female-empowerment without ever feeling overly preachy or descending into man-bashing.

Yes, the third act does have its flaws and gets a bit bloated (name me a superhero origin film that this doesn't apply to), but it didn't ruin the film for me. I have other nitpicks, like the amount of slow-mo used- but on the plus side, all the action was very easy to follow.

Overall, I'd put this film on about the level of the original Iron Man. DC puts some points on the board here, finally. Kudos to Patty Jenkins for getting it done.

You had me going for a moment, lol. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[Awest66]

I just saw Wonder Woman. So yeah, sadly I guess this genre' must not be for me anymore. I really tried, I did. Worst of all...

Spoiler

JK...I really liked it quite a bit! I feel very relieved to be able to say that. Lobster isn't totally dead inside after all.

So yeah, I think DC may have cracked the code here. My fiance enjoyed the movie too, and I don't think she's genuinely enjoyed a superhero film since TDKR. Basically, this movie very much plays like Captain America: TFA meets Thor. It's a mashup of a lot of superhero origin movies you've seen before. However, that brings me to...

...as much as this movie does feel inspired by the MCU, it's very much a DC film IMO. By that I mean, there is a sense of earnestness to it all. There is plenty of wit and humor, but it's not just throw away "Stark snark". Steve Trevor is an extremely likable character- he, as well as the rest of the supporting cast are able to inject a lot of charm and humor into the movie. However, the movie still feels like it has stakes when it needs to have them. Diana is allowed to be a simple, straight beacon of hope type of character. The score is allowed to do a lot of the heavy lifting, which is another DC hallmark. The score is quite good too btw, the theme is organically incorporated and never overused. This movie actually provides, at the very least, one sheer goosebumps-inducing moment where you just can't help but smile.

The Donner influence is very clear. And I'm not gonna lie. Gadot is...honestly, not a very good actress. However, she's still great in the movie in the same way that Christopher Reeve is great as Superman. There's a genuineness to her that comes across on screen and makes her an endearing character. Now, whether or not somebody could've done a better job...I don't know, I won't say that. I'm not gonna put her on Reeve-tier, but I'm saying that it's a very similar type of role to Superman where the actor's presence and ability to just "be" the character and exude warmth is more important than technical acting skill.

Another thing...this movie gets right what Ghostbusters got so wrong. In that movie, every male character was a useless moron or unlikable and you very felt beat over the head by that message. With this film, it's nothing like that. Steve Trevor is arguably the most likable character the DCEU has offered up yet, and there are good male supporting players who add a lot to the film. This movie nails the balance of promoting female-empowerment without ever feeling overly preachy or descending into man-bashing.

Yes, the third act does have its flaws and gets a bit bloated (name me a superhero origin film that this doesn't apply to), but it didn't ruin the film for me. I have other nitpicks, like the amount of slow-mo used- but on the plus side, all the action was very easy to follow.

Overall, I'd put this film on about the level of the original Iron Man. DC puts some points on the board here, finally. Kudos to Patty Jenkins for getting it done.

Going to see it on Wednesday

 

[JackWhite]

Yep, DC's best film since TDKR and the first solid film of the DCCEU. WW doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel or break new ground, but it's a damn good movie. Gadot really impressed me, because I didn't think she'd be able to carry a film or be able to emote outside of the action scenes. The lack of a good compelling villain isn't anything to be disappointed with, because it's expected by now in these films. But the lack of a good antagonist did leave me rather disconnected with the heroes attempts to thwart the big baddies plans.

Only real complaints were the overuse of slow-mo in the battle scenes and the doomsday-like finale. And man, I so love that WW theme.

 

[redfirebird2008]

First two acts of Wonder Woman are good. Pine and Galdot are great together. Third act is a loud CGI mess just like BvS, MOS, and many other recent CBM's.

It probably did not help matters that I saw The Godfather in the cinema only a couple days ago. That's probably my favorite third act of all-time.

 

[BatLobster]

The third act honestly didn't bother me too much. I mean, I went in expecting it both because I'd heard the complaints, and because just about every superhero origin movie gets compromised somehow in the third act. But I guess I was more accepting of it because at least the battle was somewhat contained and not another city-destroying affair.

The No Man's land scene alone got me to feel the thing I kept waiting for Man of Steel to make me feel, and never did. And I hate to say it, but if Amy Adams' Lois had Steve Trevor's level of charm and likability that could've definitely helped the movie a lot. I know Amy's a good actress, but she feels wooden to me under Snyder's direction.

 

[Awest66]

Just saw Wonder Woman.

Overall, excellent movie, Really feels like what Man of Steel should have been and I hope it's a positive sign of things to come from the DCEU

 

[shauner111]

Just saw it. I wasn't planning on it but curiosity got the best of me.

Well, i'll let you guys guess what my thoughts were.

 

[JackWhite]

Just saw it. I wasn't planning on it but curiosity got the best of me.

Well, i'll let you guys guess what my thoughts were.

lol, don't tell me you hated it, shauner?

 

[Brother Jack]

The third act honestly didn't bother me too much. I mean, I went in expecting it both because I'd heard the complaints, and because just about every superhero origin movie gets compromised somehow in the third act. But I guess I was more accepting of it because at least the battle was somewhat contained and not another city-destroying affair.

It's definitely rote in the CG slugfest kind of way, but I felt they were able to make it resonate more with the villain twist (which I saw coming but still appreciated) and [BLACKOUT]Steve Trevor's death[/BLACKOUT]. It added a lot more weight to it than it would've had otherwise. The weakest part for me was the earlier stuff on Paradise Island. It was front-loaded with a lot of exposition that was tedious to get through. The movie picked up significantly once Diana and Steve are in London.

But my biggest criticism was the slo-mo. It was used way too much.

 

[titansupes]

My biggest criticism of the final battle is that it seems overly compartmentalized and stop-start. A God and and a Demi-God are wrecking shop, yet there's barely a reaction (save for a few key moments) from the army of soldiers fifty meters away.

Still very happy with it, but it stuck out to me.

 

[I Am The Knight]

lol, don't tell me you hated it, shauner?

Of coursh!

It's definitely rote in the CG slugfest kind of way, but I felt they were able to make it resonate more with the villain twist (which I saw coming but still appreciated) and Steve Trevor's death. It added a lot more weight to it than it would've had otherwise. The weakest part for me was the earlier stuff on Paradise Island. It was front-loaded with a lot of exposition that was tedious to get through. The movie picked up significantly once Diana and Steve are in London.

But my biggest criticism was the slo-mo. It was used way too much.

Yeah the pre-Steve Trevor Themysicira stuff was kinda rough. And they really should have toned down some of the slo-mo. I don't think that even Zack Snyder has used that much slo-mo recently

I must say, I also got a kick out of the couple obvious Geoff Johns-isms they included in the movie.

 

[shauner111]

Haha! I really enjoyed it!!

 

[BatLobster]

Agreed about the slow-mo. It was a bit overdone, but I'm guessing that was part of Jenkins' attempt to make it fit in with the Snyder aesthetic. Overall though I much preferred the cinematography of this film to MoS. I'll see have to see how much the slow-mo bothers me in subsequent viewings, because I was totally engaged by the story and able to let it go the first time around.

Haha, glad you liked it shauner. Amazing what having likable characters can do, right?

 

[shauner111]

I was wrong about Gal Gadot. I have to admit it.

The likable Diana, Steve etc certainly helped. But Diana earned everything. Pine and Gal gave good performances. Connie Nielson and Robin Wright were perfect. The villains were hammy, yes, but i was still surprised by Gal. It had the right balance of humor, fun and emotion. The score was good. Battles were great even though slow-mo was used too often. It was a pretty inspirational comic book movie and that's what Superman should be. It has its flaws but it's a huge win for the DCEU.

I'm still sick of the third act destruction nonsense. But the reason why i gave this a pass compared to Doomsday/Zod (especially Doomsday)...well, it's the god of friggin WAR. It made sense. It wasn't just a faceless alien army or a creature who can't speak. And by then i was emotionally invested. I however, don't want to see that again in a superhero or action flick.

I gave it a 4/5, so a solid 80 percent. It's one of the best origin films of the genre and one of the best films DC has ever released.

On a sidenote, i finished Logan the night before and it's now at the top of the mountain for me along with The Dark Knight.

 

[BaelaTargaryen]

http://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/godfather-tops-empire-100-greatest-movies-poll/

It's the most important exercise of democratic voting rights since at least yesterday! We asked Empire readers to vote for the greatest movies of all time – and you voted in your thousands. Now the results are in, and The Godfather has topped the list.

Francis Ford Coppola's landmark 1972 crime epic was voted the greatest movie ever by a poll of Empire readers – returning to the top spot after a nine-year absence. (In Empire's last poll, held in 2014, The Empire Strikes Back was number one.)

Empire Strikes Back placed second this time around, with The Dark Knight, The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction coming third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Elsewhere in the top 10, there was room for Goodfellas, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Star Wars and The Fellowship of the Ring.

Empire's editor-in-chief, Terri White, said of the results: "Empire readers turned out in their thousands to vote and, forty-five years after release, it's fantastic to see The Godfather continue to elicit such affection from movie lovers.

"In addition to such perennial favourites such as Star Wars and The Shawshank Redemption, it's also encouraging to see a number of recent releases have already found a place among cinemagoers' most cherished films."

For the full 100 Greatest Movies list, check back to Empire Online on Monday, and be sure to pick up a copy of the new issue of Empire, on sale from Thursday 15 June.

 

[The Joker]

^ I know just the thread to post that in

Nearly 10 years later, and TDK is still a force to be reckoned with.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

you fellas been playing injustice 2 lately?

 

[JackWhite]

Crazy how well regarded TDK still is. It really does deserve all the praise it gets.

 

[Awest66]

Crazy how well regarded TDK still is. It really does deserve all the praise it gets.

You won't see any disagreements here. It really is the sort of movie you could not not make a sequel to that would please everyone.

 

[Brother Jack]

You won't see any disagreements here. It really is the sort of movie you could not not make a sequel to that would please everyone.

It seemed to me after seeing it that the sequel could've gone in a lot of different ways. After Begins it felt fairly clear where the next movie would go. The seeds were planted in the ending. With Knight it technically ended in a kind of cliffhanger, but it was also so conclusive and made such a profound statement about Batman that it almost seemed like the whole story could've ended there. That's why it was such a smart move to set Rises eight years later. It gave that ending the proper room to breathe.

 

[DoomRulz]

Re: CBM fatigue

I felt that for a short time, right around the time when Iron Fist was released on Netflix. It's why I put off watching it until two weeks after it was released. However, once I finished it, I was quite glad I brought myself to watch it and with the release of the Black Panther teaser, I was so giddy that I can't wait to see it!

Whatever fatigue I might have felt is no longer there. I guess I'm easily impressed by what modern movie technologies can accomplish.

 

[The Joker]

You won't see any disagreements here. It really is the sort of movie you could not not make a sequel to that would please everyone.

Your username is more poignant now.

R.I.P. Adam.