The Watch, and My Thoughts On TDKR: 7 Word Weekend

New Movie Releases Reviewed in 7 Words Each

Killer Joe (limited) - Warning: This movie is not about Starbucks. 

Step Up Revolution - Why? And also the other six words...

The Watch - Oh I will. If only for Ayoade. 

It's a funny thing the marketing for The Watch. Richard Ayoade is seen in all the trailers but really only heard in one. Obviously, with him being a British comedic actor (best known for The IT Crowd, which if you haven't watched, netflix is streaming, go now. Well, go after this column. Fine, after work then) not the most well known in the states, it can be expected. But they've really gone out of their way to downplay his role. I wonder if the reverse is true in the UK? Mayhap Jonah Hill is pushed to the background in the trailers there. It doesn't bother me, I just find it amusing since the only reason I have an interest in seeing the film is for Ayoade.

[Update: Apparently others have complained about it as well and there is now a commercial running that specifically notes Ayoade.]

Step Up Revolution... Ha, seriously, I've wasted enough talking about it with this sentence.

Might as well give my thoughts on The Dark Knight Rises since we're here. Oh, I'm sorry, did you have an appointment? No? Then sit back down. Thank you. 

Let me preface by saying I enjoyed it. The scale was epic and parts of it were amazing. That said I felt that it failed to live up to the last film. The story was weaker all around and while Christopher Nolan spoke of it paralleling A Tale of Two Cities, it lacked the backbone of Dickens' work. The film pushes like it's going to be a political war of the classes, but Bane's ultimate goal of blowing up the entire city with the world's slowest bomb, killing the poor and rich alike, really stops it in its tracks (especially since a lot of his motivation is predicated on you having seen the first film). All this would be fine if I felt that Nolan was making some point. But there's nothing. There's a lot of tap dancing followed by the extra super happy ending. A lot of setup without any real method to the madness. After the complexities of  The Dark Knight, I guess I was just hoping for more. 

I also take issue that we had to wait an hour to see Bruce don the cowl, just so we could have a couple scenes and then another hour minus Batman. I'm trying hard to write this without really putting any spoilers in for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, which unfortunately leaves some holes in what I'm writing without being able to say it. So I'll skip why I was unsatisfied with Batman's personal ending. And move into what I liked.

Okay, Anne Hathaway is the best Catwoman, hands down. It was a more down to earth approach which I loved, and she brought a much needed energy to the film. I would say she was equaled if not surpassed by Joseph Gordon Levitt whose character had the most complete arc in the film. But as I said after I walked out of the theater, is there anything he's been in that he hasn't raised the quality of a couple notches?  Despite my always thinking Bane was a second rate, boring character, Nolan managed to make him interesting. Though for all the love people have thrown Tom Hardy's way, it's not like Heath ledger who disappeared into the Joker. The mask... The voice... It could have been anyone in the role and I don't think it would have made a huge difference. I heard a few people say his revamped voice worked, but I just thought it sounded cartoonish and funny. 

I did also enjoy the ending in general if only for the fact that they made sure it paid off for the fans in big ways. Most of the twists could be seen early on by anyone who's ever picked up a batman comic or watched a film before, but that was alright. It was still enjoyable to see the little reveals. I felt the film was slightly messy structurally without a really saying anything, which brought it down to standard comic book movie level. All in all not as good as the last film, but a solidly enjoyable popcorn movie.

And to those who think it surpassed the last film, let's talk in a year when the big screen high has worn off. 

Oh, and one thing I can't help but ask to those who've seen the film. When Alfred is talking about Paris, did anyone else think he was basically delivering Ben Affleck's speech from Good Will Hunting? Cause the comparison popped into my head right away and I couldn't help but laugh. 

What are your plans this weekend? Out to see TDKR or The Watch? Dialed into the Olympics?