Posted on 12/04/2007 4:23:24 PM PST by pcottraux
Also, what would a new thread on The Dark Knight be without a whole slew of new pictures???
Heath Ledger as the Joker:
Look out for Empire magazine...he's on the cover of (I think this month's) issue:
However, of all the pictures of Heath in his Joker get-up, this is by far my favorite. It will be on the cover of WizardUniverse magazine some time this month:
I’m not a big fan of the stills of the new batsuit. I think it might look pretty good actually moving, but not so good still. And of course professional lighting isn’t the world Batman normally moves in.
My biggest misgivings are how the chest emblem looks, as well as how "busy" the suit is (too many armor plates).
Nevertheless, I did think it looked good in other shots. Have you seen this shot yet? It's a new promo pic that came out a few days ago.
That last photo look more like a Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie Photoshop?
And I'm sorry, but I don't any Marilyn Manson or Rob Zombie similarities.
The looks they're going for is inspired by the Joker's first appearance in Batman No. 1 (note the darkness/bags around the eyes), combined a little bit with the recent Hush/Jim Lee Joker (with the damaged, wrinkly skin, dirty clothes, and messy hair), with a hint of Malcolm McDowell from "A Clockwork Orange."
Yeah, I saw that one. I don’t mind the emblem, but I can’t stand the contrasting gray and black with all the stuff going on around his abs.
Also did you see that Christian Bale is in talks to play John Connor in the next Terminator. How many franchises are they going to give him to carry? Unfortunately for that one, instead of an excellent director like Nolan, they have McG. Things are not looking good for The Terminator movies even if The Sarah Connor Chronicles looks good.
It is too busy, that’s for sure. But I do think it’s kind of neat how it’s chainmail underneath with armor plating on-top. I’m sure it looks a lot better in the right lighting.
I did hear that about Christian Bale, and you are absolutely right. It sounds like a risky career move on Bale’s part...if T4 flops, it could mean people won’t be able to view him as anyone other than Batman. OTOH, if it’s a success, he’ll be viewed in a more diverse light. But having McG as the director is a MAJOR red flag.
Thanks for the link, pcottraux:
Definitely looking forward to “The Dark Knight”. There could be pieces of the little known, but very telling “The Killing Joke” meshed into the film.
It also looks like we’re in store for a much less slick and refined, more psycho Jack Napier/Joker than the Nicholson version.
Jack.
He has done enough diverse roles I think to avoid being typescast, but it just doesn’t seem like a good movie to attach his rising star to.
Maybe he just doesn’t want to lose 60 pounds for a movie between Batmans like he did for The Machinist and Rescue Dawn. He is one dedicated dude. I feel sorry for any machines in his house when he is getting in the role of John Connor.
You’re quite welcome, Mr. Deth.
My impression of this Joker is that he’s less refined and more flat-out brutal. With respect to Nicholson...he set quite a precedent in Batman 89...his Joker still had a lot of goofiness and “cackling supervillain” aspects to him. The Ledger version seems to have stripped all of that away, and this Joker will be less funny and more disturbing. He looks like a really nasty, twisted clown.
And I like that. ;-)
“The Killing Joke” has been mentioned as a reference several times, although I think they’re probably going to go light on the origin story. Another difference with the Nicholson version is that this one’s backstory may be kept shrouded in mystery.
Yeah, Bale is a class act...that’s why he’s one of my favorite actors. Unlike the usual shallow, looney Tom Cruise-kind of star, Bale is very professional and takes his work seriously. And he REALLY commits.
I didn’t know much about T4 before hearing about his casting. If anything, it gives me some amount of hope for such a project, even with McG directing. I guess I’m taking a “glass half-full” approach now.
I just checked and on Imdb while Jack Nicholson was credited as The Joker/Jack Napier, Heath Ledger is simply The Joker. It certainly seems like he will just appear out of nowhere fully formed as a psycho. I like it better that way. It seems every comic book movie stumbles the worst on back stories.
Good call on the “Clockwork Orange” simularity. If Ledger’s Joker is anything near that chaos it will be a hit.
Well, that’s a promo shot for sure and more for the toys. But it also, as you pointed out with the armor over the chainmail, is a theme Nolan is using - the development of the Batman.
Wayne has unlimited resources and, FINALLY, we’ll see the use of others in his transformation like Alfred and Lucias Fox. I just wish these modern movie makers would DROP the concept of revealing the secret identity. It’s so 90’s and PC if you ask me. I’m sure they have focus groups that think the audiences today can only identify with the hero if he’s 1) vunerable and 2) has to let others in on it.
Waste of time and it ruins much of the genre for me. Even in the campy Batman on TV he never revealed he was Bruce Wayne.
If the ratings are 5 stars, someone pays for the ticket, drives me to the theater, I MIGHT go see a batman movie....
Those first couple Batman movies were soooo bad. Might be the worst movies of all time?
You can tell Roker is a real Batman fan. He actually ask smart questions like “Batman doesn’t have any super powers other than cash”.
Perfect and true. And Bale is smart enough to know that is what makes Batman, by far, the greatest “super hero” around.
Good stuff again, thanks pcottraux.
Did you see Batman Begins? It was nothing like the first 4.
I had my doubts right after Ledger was cast, but a lot of interviews he gave early on quelled my fears. The Clockwork Orange reference was an early inspiration he mentioned.
Check this out. It's an exerpt from a more recent interview where he talked briefly about how he prepared and studied for playing the Joker...he actually shows a lot more dedication and intensity than I'd expected.
I also agree with you about the secret identity part. It's becoming WAY too rampant in comic book movies lately...heck, in each Spiderman movie and most of the earlier Bat-films, the secret identity is revealed to the villain at the end. Hopefully The Dark Knight will steer clear of that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
