What I am nervous about:
1. Anne Hathaway. I know, I know, I was nervous about Heath Ledger and he gave an Oscar-winning performance as Batman's greatest enemy, but that still doesn't mean that I can't be nervous. If Christopher Nolan has any faults it is that he is not the best at casting women - just look at Katie Holmes in "Batman Begins" and Scarlet Johansson in "The Prestige." I'm not saying that either of them were horrible, but when compared to the rest of the movies that they are in they just don't stack up. Furthermore, at this point in the timeline of filming for "The Dark Knight," reports were pouring in about Ledger's groundbreaking performance. Everyone, from the director to cast mates to the crew could not stop talking about what a phenomenal job Ledger was doing in bringing this iconic villain to life. Those same reports have not really been pouring in for Hathaway. This doesn't mean that she is not doing a good job, but it does mean that she is not doing a great one.
1. Anne Hathaway. I know, I know, I was nervous about Heath Ledger and he gave an Oscar-winning performance as Batman's greatest enemy, but that still doesn't mean that I can't be nervous. If Christopher Nolan has any faults it is that he is not the best at casting women - just look at Katie Holmes in "Batman Begins" and Scarlet Johansson in "The Prestige." I'm not saying that either of them were horrible, but when compared to the rest of the movies that they are in they just don't stack up. Furthermore, at this point in the timeline of filming for "The Dark Knight," reports were pouring in about Ledger's groundbreaking performance. Everyone, from the director to cast mates to the crew could not stop talking about what a phenomenal job Ledger was doing in bringing this iconic villain to life. Those same reports have not really been pouring in for Hathaway. This doesn't mean that she is not doing a good job, but it does mean that she is not doing a great one.
2. Doesn't live up to TDK. TDK is one of my all time favorite films. Not because it is a Batman film, or a superhero film - it really and truly is just a fantastic film. It stands on its own two legs without feeling like another cliche driven superhero flick. And that is one of the reasons why I like it so much, and why it was received so well by audiences worldwide. One of my biggest fears is that TDKR just won't live up to the greatness of TDK. Don't get me wrong - it will still be one of the greatest comic book films. But I worry that is all it will be, when TDK was so much more. If anyone can top it its Nolan, but I am still very nervous about this.
3. The teaser trailer. Nolan has long impressed me that he doesn't give into fads or clichés. When every other filmmaker is making all of their movies in 3D, Nolan sees the fad for what it is and decided to not tarnish his films with it. A wise choice, in my opinion. However, that first teas trailer is riddled with so many clichés that it makes me a little worried that he might be loosing his focus. Using title cards, describing it as epic... this might not seem like a big deal to some of you but it just shows me that Nolan is human just like the rest of us and he is capable of making mistakes. Will those mistakes translate to the final product? Only time will tell.
4. There's too much going on. TDKR has been filming for almost three months already, and they just added someone else to the cast a few days ago. Already they have Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hardy, Liam Neeson, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman - and those are just the heavy hitters! Granted, TDK had several characters in it, and it definitely was a complicated film, but I felt Nolan did a good job balancing all of the characters and all of the plot lines. Even so, can lightning strike again?
5. The end of Nolan's Batman. As the teaser trailer boldly states, TDKR is the final chapter in the current Batman saga. WB has already come out to say that after this film they will be quasi-rebooting the franchise with Nolan and his wife serving as producers. What does that mean for the character of Batman? I think it means that Batman is going to die, which I would be fine with. But will it be handled well? Even though I think that something like killing off Batman is unprecedented territory, I still am worried about it. How will most people take the main superhero dying off? Will it be cheesy? Will Gotham be in ruins after it's only defender is gone? And if Batman doesn't die, how is this going to be the end of the legend? He can't just give up being Batman, can he? How are you going to handle this, Nolan?!?!? Also, why does such a great thing have to end? I don't want to see any other interpretations of Batman - I've waited a long time for this one. Do we need another "Batman & Robin" somewhere down the line? I'm not saying that Nolan has to continue directing them forever, but I would be all for future installments building on this starting trilogy. Is that going to happen?
Five things I am excited about:
1. Anne Hathaway. I know, I know she was one of the things I was nervous about, but I am also really excited to see what she can do. She already has an Oscar nomination underneath her belt (as did Ledger before he was cast as the Joker), and I feel like she has something to prove. If this movie goes well for her, people will see her in a different light. They wont automatically think of her as the girl from "The Princess Diaries," but she will finally be considered a legitimate actress. And I am sure that is the thought that is constantly running through her head as she films this movie. Also, I know that I said that reports weren't pouring in about her performance, which is true, but they have been trickling in about her dedication to the physicality of the role. In fact, one story claimed she gave a stunt man a black eye during a fight scene because she got so into it! While dedication doesn't make for a fantastic portrayal, it is definitely a step in the right direction.
1. Anne Hathaway. I know, I know she was one of the things I was nervous about, but I am also really excited to see what she can do. She already has an Oscar nomination underneath her belt (as did Ledger before he was cast as the Joker), and I feel like she has something to prove. If this movie goes well for her, people will see her in a different light. They wont automatically think of her as the girl from "The Princess Diaries," but she will finally be considered a legitimate actress. And I am sure that is the thought that is constantly running through her head as she films this movie. Also, I know that I said that reports weren't pouring in about her performance, which is true, but they have been trickling in about her dedication to the physicality of the role. In fact, one story claimed she gave a stunt man a black eye during a fight scene because she got so into it! While dedication doesn't make for a fantastic portrayal, it is definitely a step in the right direction.
2. Tom Hardy. Hardy was my favorite actor in "Inception." he was super cool and super suave and I just really liked him. So I was ecstatic that he was cast in TDKR and I was even more thrilled when we found out that he was going to be Bane. I think we are in for one of the greatest villain portrayals when this movie hits theaters next year. And from what I've heard, Hardy is fantastic in the film "Bronson," which I have not seen yet. Supposedly it is a very similar role, physically, to Bane - and his acting was given rave reviews. I am very much looking forward to seeing him beat the crap out of Batman - and then cheering Batman on as he beats the crap out of him right back. It's going to be fantastic!
3. The return of Ras al Ghul. When they announced that the main villain in "Batman Begins" was going to be al Ghul, I was very excited. Sure I wanted to see Batman square off against the Joker, but I have always been fascinated but the relationship between al Ghul and Batman. In the comics, al Ghul singles Batman out to take over the League of Shadows for him and Bruce has to seriously weigh the options because he agrees with al Ghul's longterm goals. He just doesn't agree with his methods and therefore has to do whatever he can to stop him. I feel like they did a really good job with the character in "Batman Begins," but I am looking forward to delving into who he is more in this third film. And in what capacity will he return? We know that Josh Pence will play him in flashbacks, but Neeson was recently confirmed as part of the film's cast as well. Whether we get to know more about his past only or if we get to see him deal with Batman again, I am very, very excited for his return to the franchise.
4. The return of Wayne Manor and the Batcave. In "Batman Begins" we got to see a very primitive and early version of the famous Batcave, but then tragedy struck in the form of the League of Shadows and Wayne Manor was burned to the ground. I really liked the way Wayne Manor was depicted - covered in sheets and dust, barely lived in except for one or two rooms. It really set the tone that the real mask was Bruce Wayne and the true man was Batman. And as for the Batcave in BB, i really liked how it was carved out of the earth and was something that had already existed underneath the house. All Bruce had to do was add to the foundation that was already laid by his ancestors. Sure, there was really only one computer and there were no cool gadgets, but the guy was just starting! And then he got super technical with his bunker style Batcave in TDK, which featured more computers and more of the detective tools that fans of Batman are so used to seeing, in a stark white space. I am very much looking forward to them combining both interpretations of the Batcave in TDKR: an actual cave that is filled with state of the art computers and forensics tools to aid Batman in his crime fighting endeavors. And I'm ready, as I am sure Bruce and Alfred are, for them to return home.
5. Christopher Nolan! Really, the biggest reason why I am excited for this film is that out of all of Nolan's seven films, I have not been disappointed yet. Even his first film, the wildly underrated "The Following" is a great movie and better than most of the crap in cinemas these days. Each of his films is uniquely different and yet each of them has that same underlying tone of greatness that ties them all together. Try to imagine "Inception" directed and written by anyone else - it would have been a jumbled mess of things. But under the careful and watchful eye of Nolan, it was a near masterpiece. And, though it might not top TDK, I think that when it is all said and done, TDKR will be up there as one of the best films not only of 2012, but one of the best films of all time. Here's hoping, at least.
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