Not because I don't want to spoil anything for you [but I'll be doing that too] but honestly, if you haven't seen TDK yet, I may just not want to know you anymore! It is, without a doubt, the best film I've seen this year. Period. Not superhero flick. Not summer flick. Not action flick.
The best movie I've seen this year.
With that in mind, with the death of Heath Ledger and the... well, with Two-Face apparently out of the picture, the talk of all Bat-flick fans over the past week has been just who could step in for a third film and not embarrass themselves after the amazing double performance we just saw.
THE TOP FIVE VILLAINS WHO SHOULD STEP FRONT AND CENTER IN BAT 3!
Some groundrules.
1. We will not use any villain who was already in Begins or TDK. No Scarecrow, No Ra's, No Joker, No Two-Face. Unfortunately, this also takes Mr. Zsasz out of the equation.
2. We will attempt to keep the villains grounded in the very real world that Christopher Nolan has created for our Batman. This prevents "quirky" characters like Clayface or Killer Croc. I'm of the opinion this also removes Mr. Freeze as an option.
The candidates:
5. Talia al Ghul
The daughter of Ra's. If we operate under the theory that Ra's actually died in Begins, Talia would have plenty of reasons for coming after Bruce and Batman. She can bring the League of Shadows with her or she could bring her own group of evil henchmen - maybe using some of the Bat second tier villains like Firefly. Of course, you could also play off the story used in the comics where Talia and Bruce fall in love. And if Ra's is actually alive? Batten down the hatches!
4. Catwoman
The big strike against this one is that the Halle Berry flick is probably too fresh in people's minds. Also, there seems to be a reluctance to make Catwoman a true villain - in both the comics and the movies these days. Both could cause a problem. But I think a story where Bats falls for her but she's still evil as fuck would be fun to see. Oh, and the rumors that the studio thinks Jolie as Catwoman is the answer better be false. Despite how scorching hot she'd be in costume, I don't think she has the acting chops to hang with that cast.
3. The Riddler
The Riddler is a tough one because no one wants to see a "funny" villain in this Bat universe and I'm just not sure how dark you can make the Riddler. Even in the comics, he's always kinda treated as a joke. But he is a "big name" recognizable Bat villain which is something that always is useful. It would be a very fine line to walk though to make him not just appear as a Joker ripoff. I'd suggest giving him the goal of figuring out who Batman is and then holding that information over his head - yep, kinda like Forever but not as cartoon-like. Trying to make him a homicidal maniac just won't work.
2. Bane
The first two Bat flicks have been very clear about the problem of organized crime and drugs in Gotham City. So, why not bring in a Latin America crime boss who is a bit too hooked on his own product - a super-steroid called Venom? We've seen Batman battle people who were on his level psychologically but we haven't seen someone dominate him physically yet. While I'd love to see the Knightfall story play out on the big screen, I don't think it'll ever happen so I'd settle for Bane kicking the crap out of Bats early and Batman having to struggle his way back to full strength. Maybe a Talia/Bane combo movie where Bats goes to Talia for help in getting back in shape to fight Bane? Maybe have Bruce indulge in a little Venom of his own to get to even footing and have to fight the addiction? Lots of options here.
1. The Penguin
The Penguin is generally written as a major crime boss so he could be the guy to come in and fill the power vacuum after the Joker has ruined all the crime families in Gotham. No nefarious motives here. He doesn't want to rule the world. He doesn't want to own Batman's mind. He just wants money and lots of it. Hrrm. I really can't think of a captivating story for Penguin right now. He just seemed like the obvious #1 to slot in here.
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2 comments:
So, I'd have to agree with you about it being the best movie seen this year. The main difference for me personally is knowing what the feel of this movie was going to be - the reason I say difference is that when Batman Begins came out, I think it really surprised a lot of people - it was very different than the earlier flicks & I really enjoyed the feeling of being surprised & like, "Wow, I wasn't expecting this" when I was watching it. So, that being said, the "surprised" feeling I enjoyed w/BB wasn't there as much for the TDK - but in my opinion TDK is a better movie, albeit marginally.
So, I'll be brief with my take on your top five - First of all, having Talia in it could be good - but that's a BIG "could". The writing would have to be spot on - but I'd be willing to go to the meeting where they throw around ideas. Cat Woman?! - c'mon Blue. The previous Cat Woman was about "style" - Cat Woman could bring "style" in the same way she did in the earlier Batman movies, but I don't think a character like that has a place in the new series of Batman. I don't think you could create a level of grit & darkness with that character. So, Bane or Penguin would also be worth a look-see as well. I really think a character like the Riddler could be portrayed in an extremely dark manner - dare I say it - much in the same manner as the Joker. The thing is is that BB & TDK have continually raised the bar in terms of Villains in a movie so it's going to be a challenge for the movie makers & actors no matter what. The Scarecrow & Ras in BB were excellent, but Heath took it to a whole new level. That role will probably hold the record for "Best Movie Villain of All Time" for quite a while. I really don't think his specific role could have been hyped too much (and I don't want to take away from the rest of the movie or cast - I think Bale is the best Batman yet & Aaron was perfectly cast - although, I could've done without Maggie (not that Holmes knocked it out of the park) - glad they killed off that character.
Well, anyways, I have a plane to catch so I have to cut it short.
Peace out,
Billy Mays
Brian is talking about seeing it in IMAX tonight, wanna go?
-Phil
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