Gotham City’s Grave New World

wow, this guy really doesn't get it. why is he working for newsweek?

The question of wheter one must be as ruthless as one's foes is an age old question central to Batman. I, unlike shallow critic, am glad the series returned toward its roots.

"Call me shallow, but I wish it were a little more fun."
Ok. Done:
You're shallow.

"Call me shallow, but I wish it were a little more fun."
Ok...
You're shallow.

Many people said the same thing about the first one, Batman Begins. And I love it all the same. You want a shallow superhero movie with mindless action and little plot? Go see The Incredible Hulk. You'll enjoy your self for its mere couple hours running time and then walk out of the parking lost only thinking about "where the hell is my car?" and "I hope the dog didn't *** on the rug." The Dark Knight was brilliant.

Many people said the same thing about the first one, Batman Begins. And I love it all the same. You want a shallow superhero movie with mindless action and little plot? Go see The Incredible Hulk. You'll enjoy your self for its mere couple hours running time and then walk out of the parking lost only thinking about "where the hell is my car?" and "I hope the dog didn't *** on the rug." The Dark Knight was brilliant.

Ryder, you make a very valid point and in many ways, say exactly what I was thinking myself. However, Mr. Ansen's assessments about the film will be the same remarks you will hear from couples behind you as you are walking back to your car on July 18th after seeing the film. Now, is this a bad thing? Certainly not. In fact, you and I, and every other Batman fan should be writing a letter to Christopher Nolan (including his brother and David Goyer for the remarkable writing of the script), thanking him and everyone else responsible for making casual movie goers say such things. Why you may ask? Because this a multi-million gift, given to the true fans. This movie is for all the people who use "The Dark Knight Returns" as a benchmark for any story telling medium about character. In fact, I am willing to bet this is the closest we will come to TDKR in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, Nolan has managed to create a piece of work which not only blends fantasy with reality, but almost blurs the line completely. This movie is being compared to Michael Mann's "Heat" and de Palma's "The Untouchables." When was the last time a comic book film was compared to modern day classics? So, after the credits roll, and you start your walk back to the parking lot, and hear some guy's girlfriend saying that it was "too dark" or "it was too serious." Just smile and say to yourself: This movie was made for us, the fans, everyone else watching it, is it seeing by privilege.

Test

David Ansen,

Before you publish your articles you might want to learn the names of the villains in them. His name is Harvey Two-Face not Harvey Two-Faced. Go buy a comic book.

Dear Mr. Ansen, I'm not going to sit here and admonish you for a lack of clarity and vision with regards to this film as some of the other responses here have. C'mon folks, his job is to analyze movies in the context of a wide public audience, especially when you're talking about a blockbuster, and especially one being released in mid-summer. While I applaud your sharpened wits and sophisticated cinematic pallets, you have to realize that the majority of he public who shows up at a Batman movie (geek-fandom aside) probably anticipate a popcorn-munching Burton-esque slam-bang affair, and this review serves as a fair warning to that demographic that mayhaps their dollars would be better spent on another feature. That nod to fair play aside, Ansen (as with most reviewers, let's be honest) is apparently only familiar with the pop icon version of Batman. No doubt he's seen a few episodes of the Adam West tv show, all the various big-screen outings (of course), and maybe he was even savvy enough to catch an episode or two of "Batman: The Animated Series", but I'm guessing he's never read a single Batman comicbook in his life. Well, neither have most of the people who will flood theaters on the 18th, and therein lies the reason why I think this review is good in a "preemptive warning" sort of way. The essence of Batman, and his universe, is darkness. Period. Nolan (from what I've seen and read in the past month or so), has finally brought that essence to the big screen. Batman is a scary, haunted, twisted, bada** of a man whose demons and determination often place him just shy of the lunacy of his foes. (Excepting the two villains we're going to get in this one, Two-Face and The Joker, his two greatest adversaries, not for their physical threat factor, but because psychologically the former is a reflection of the hero, while the latter is his complete antithesis.) This stuff is supposed to be dark, conflicted, mentally and emotionally harrowing, and the fact that Ansen likely finds this film too heavy because he doesn't have the proper context for the characters. I hope the other posts here, with their faith in the public to assimilate and deal with such a dramatic tone in a "comicbook film", are correct, but you can't blame the guy for anticipating that the average summer moviegoer may not enjoy this kind of fare.

Dear Mr. Ansen, I'm not going to sit here and admonish you for a lack of clarity and vision with regards to this film as some of the other responses here have. C'mon folks, his job is to analyze movies in the context of a wide public audience, especially when you're talking about a blockbuster, and especially one being released in mid-summer. While I applaud your sharpened wits and sophisticated cinematic pallets, you have to realize that the majority of he public who shows up at a Batman movie (geek-fandom aside) probably anticipate a popcorn-munching Burton-esque slam-bang affair, and this review serves as a fair warning to that demographic that mayhaps their dollars would be better spent on another feature. That nod to fair play aside, Ansen (as with most reviewers, let's be honest) is apparently only familiar with the pop icon version of Batman. No doubt he's seen a few episodes of the Adam West tv show, all the various big-screen outings (of course), and maybe he was even savvy enough to catch an episode or two of "Batman: The Animated Series", but I'm guessing he's never read a single Batman comicbook in his life. Well, neither have most of the people who will flood theaters on the 18th, and therein lies the reason why I think this review is good in a "preemptive warning" sort of way. The essence of Batman, and his universe, is darkness. Period. Nolan (from what I've seen and read in the past month or so), has finally brought that essence to the big screen. Batman is a scary, haunted, twisted, bada** of a man whose demons and determination often place him just shy of the lunacy of his foes. (Excepting the two villains we're going to get in this one, Two-Face and The Joker, his two greatest adversaries, not for their physical threat factor, but because psychologically the former is a reflection of the hero, while the latter is his complete antithesis.) This stuff is supposed to be dark, conflicted, mentally and emotionally harrowing, and the fact that Ansen likely finds this film too heavy because he doesn't have the proper context for the characters. I hope the other posts here, with their faith in the public to assimilate and deal with such a dramatic tone in a "comicbook film", are correct, but you can't blame the guy for anticipating that the average summer moviegoer may not enjoy this kind of fare.

In other words, this film Mr. Ansen, has more to do with Shakespeare than it does with any of the now-dwarfed Burton "Batman" films before it and the candy coated boffo popcorn films of any given summer. Its too bad that your looking behind rather than looking ahead, unlike Nolan or the audience intelligent and mature enough to grasp the depth of this film. Your time and your conceptual boundaries are 52 miles back sir. I suggest you start hitchhiking that way because the rest of us are going the other way.

If anything, Mr. Ansen unknowingly, and bumbling I might add, through his critique is telling us this is an avant-garde piece of excellence by declaring his notion of what a comic book movie is supposed to be and how this movie is not in that realm. Thank you David "Drebin" Ansen, Max Smart would be proud. I personally like movies that push boundaries and defy conventional knowledge because it not only challenges a general assumption but also challenges the individual perspective. That my friend is the hallmark of brilliance. Make the audience question themselves. In view of this films moral and personal dilemmas, it is a shame that this film was wasted on a reviewer with such a dull critical blade that he cannot see the vibrant and seething elements of tragedy, comedy, and drama that make the bleakest, pitch black corner of "The Dark Knight" an unlimited vista of incomprehensible color and breathtaking vision that threatens only to tread where the masters like Shakespeare, Hemingway, or Conrad have dared to deliver those brave enough to grasp their literary hands.

If anything, Mr. Ansen unknowingly, and bumbling I might add, through his critique is telling us this is an avant-garde piece of excellence by declaring his notion of what a comic book movie is supposed to be and how this movie is not in that realm. Thank you David "Drebin" Ansen, Max Smart would be proud. I personally like movies that push boundaries and defy conventional knowledge because it not only challenges a general assumption but also challenges the individual perspective. That my friend is the hallmark of brilliance. Make the audience question themselves. In view of this films moral and personal dilemmas, it is a shame that this film was wasted on a reviewer with such a dull critical blade that he cannot see the vibrant and seething elements of tragedy, comedy, and drama that make the bleakest, pitch black corner of "The Dark Knight" an unlimited vista of incomprehensible color and breathtaking vision that threatens only to tread where the masters like Shakespeare, Hemingway, or Conrad have dared to deliver those brave enough to grasp their literary hands.

The glass is half empty for movie critics

"Call me shallow, but I wish it were a little more fun."

my pleasure... you're shallow.

"Call me shallow, but I wish it were a little more fun."

my pleasure... you're shallow.

Somebody needs to find this guy, sit down with him and educate him about the craft of movie-making.

I'm offering.

Holy carrrr-ap, man. Seriously, this review made no sense at all. I've seen the movie, and folks- trust me- it's an exhilirating thrill ride, start to finish.

Did Die Hard bore you as well with its lack of action?