Wrather, Fenzel, Sheely and Stokes overthink The Dark Knight.
Download Episode 10 (revised) in AAC Format
UPDATE (2008-08-08): Spoilers related to (of all things) The Wire were inadvertently included in this podcast. They have been removed, and the link above has a spoiler-free edition of the podcast.
I think the rating/audience conundrum was what kept pushing the release date back. The producers very well knew that a large chunk of their audience would be kids getting dropped off at the theater by their parents, so they couldn’t afford an R rating- which is at least part of why you don’t actually see some of the things the Joker does (pencil, slitting that guy’s mouth).
In terms of new villains, I think a lot depends on the fact that Nolan is trying not to be hokey in these- he doesn’t WANT it to be campy and unrealistic, but believable. A quick look at the Wiki list makes discerning which villains would be more “believable,” in that sense- mob bosses, pyros, money-seekers, etc. I have a feeling Nolan would avoid people that encountered plasma or had some genetic mishap or outlandish lab accident or whatever, for stuff like that is more fantastical.
I think he could pull off Catwoman if he harps on the catBURGLAR aspect, but what she’d be stealing that would make this particular Batman feel it’s necessary he get involved, I don’t know. I also had this crazy idea that she be a feminist vigilante, targeting sexist reporters and released rapists and the like and torturing them to death in a distinct way (claws). You could get the whole, “What makes YOU so much better?” conflict thing there.
Oh, and if Riddler does end up being a baddy, that could easily make Batman a detective again- he’d help Gordon solve the riddles left at each latest crime scene. And if Nolan ditches the “Batman Forever” approach to his origins (experiment gone wrong) and focuses on mental instability (the OCD), he could be a really interesting commentary on mental illness and hoe society treats the disabled. (If I wasn’t so averse to fanfiction, I’d write a backstory about it.)
Catwoman in the Halle Berry is a feminist vigilante. She fights against an evil cosmetics company that develops an evil makeup that women need to always wear to be beautfiul (it’s highly addictive – it makes you prettier and younger at first, but if you ever stop wearing it, your flesh rots away). The evil cosmetics company villain is played by Sharon Stone. The movie is about Catwoman fighting the expectations that society places on women and finding herself as an artist.
It is also a steaming piece of garbage, but not because of its message.
So, yeah, Catwoman as a heavy-handed feminist has been done already too recently to go to that well again so soon. It’s a shame it wasn’t in a good movie, but that’s just bad luck.
Also note that Catwoman actually got (barely) better numbers on Rottemtomatoes.com than _The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor_. To get worse than the new Mummy, you have to sink down into _Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever_ territory.
Oh, I TOTALLY forgot about that movie- probably because it was so bad, for yes, I saw it, and had the same reaction when it was over that I did when I saw “Daredevil”: even though it was on cable, I wanted my money and two hours back. But even though a cosmetics company didn’t cross my mind and I was thinking she’d go after sexual predators and judges that let them get away, I see what you mean. Too recent. And too horrible. Drats. Damnit, Halle.
I feel like I should see the new Mummy if only to pick it apart.
Boys –
Finally getting around to listening to this. Many many questions spring to mind, but here’s the first:
Do you think Lucius Fox’s (Morgan Freeman’s) resignation made sense? This is a guy who built his boss a tank, that he used in destroying millions of dollars in city property. He masterminded the abduction of a Chinese citizen. Suddenly, he’s confronted with this spying device, and he reacts with instant disgust. Even though it was clearly only going to be used to find The Joker and probably save hundreds of lives, and was in fact programmed to self-destruct after that one successful mission. To me, it seemed like the filmmakers really wanted to have that character end the movie on a note of uncertainty, and they forced it a little.
More importantly, did anyone else notice that Batman’s device for locating people via cell phones was the same device the bad guy used to find Charlie in Charlie’s Angels?
Had to turn it off when you spoiled the wire season 5. Seriously, if you’re going to go to the effort of bleeping a character’s name once, why not go that extra mile and do it on the second reference?
Twats.
Oh shit. I thought I had caught them all. It’s entirely my fault, so I am the only twat, and I’m fixing it now.
Sincere apologies for the oversight.
Matt—
Lucius Fox didn’t resign. Remember, his last sentence to Batman (before Batman left to save the day) was “If this thing’s here, I’m not (or something to that effect.)” Batman then told Lucius to type in his name when he was done which, as seen in the movie, set the machine’s auto destruct sequence. Since the machine is no longer in use or working, Lucius stays.