Na Na Na Na Na Batman!

#2 Batman

List of Movies: Dark Knight Trilogy- Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises

Burton/Schumacher: Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin

Honorable Mentions: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman: Under the Redhood

These are two of the best animated films I have ever seen, and probably some of the best films period! They are right up there with the Dark Knight Trilogy, and miles better than the first four films. Both films are full great Batman drama and action. Due yourself a favor and watch them! I own both of them if you want to borrow them. 

Now this post is mostly about the Christopher Nolan trilogy, but before I get into them I want to give a shout out to the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films. Like a lot of people I grew up with these movies and they are partly what made me a huge Batman fan today. The other part was the 90’s cartoon series, Batman The Animated Series (which is by the way the greatest cartoon of all time). I started watching the TV show when I was very young, and the whole time I watched it I always wanted to see a live action Batman movie.

When I was seven years old I finally got my chance when I secretly borrowed Batman Forever (the one with Jim Carrey) from some neighbors. I say secretly because I wasn't allowed to see it since it was PG-13. Once I had it I knew I couldn't watch it with my parents around. So my friend Chris (who was my partner in crime) and I suggested to our parents that they go out on a double date together.  It surprisingly worked, and with our parents out of the way we were finally able to see our favorite superhero in action.

We ended up getting caught, but it was still worth it! Seeing that movie was just about one the most exciting things to happen to me at that point in my life. Looking back at Batman Forever I realize it is a very cheesy film, but it still holds a soft spot for me today simply because it was my first exposure to a Batman film and it reminds me of my childhood love for Batman. The first movie, Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson is great flick because it was the first attempt at a dark portal of Batman in films. Another thing that was great about this movie was Jack Nicholson as the Joker. He was creepy, menacing, and a total psychopath, all the things the Joker should be. Overall it’s a very good interpretation of Batman, but it is pretty outdated.

Batman Returns is another fun Batman movie. This movie almost feels like a Tim Burton movie than an actual Batman movie, but that isn't a bad thing. It just provides us with a different and interesting interpretation of Batman. The last film of this era was the pitiful Batman and Robin. Even though I say it’s pitiful, I still have an appreciation for it. If you look at in more a camp perspective, similar to the 60’s TV show, then it can be kind of entertaining, but if that’s not why you like Batman then about the only person that would probably like is an eight year old kid, which I sure did when I was eight. By the time I was ten or eleven though I started seeing how bad this movie really was. With all that said I still appreciate this movie, and the reason is if it wasn't as bad as it is, we may have never gotten the amazing Batman movies that we now have. So with that said, let’s move on to the main event, the Dark Knight trilogy!

Why I love these movies:
*Just a warning, I wouldn't read this if you haven't seen them yet. There are some spoilers. 

These three movies are the reason the Batman films made number 2 on my list. Like I said early I have always been a huge Batman fan, and I have seen many different interpretations of the character including comics, cartoons, video games, and movies. Over the years of being a fan, I have come to the conclusion that these films are my favorite interpretations of Batman! They are much more than just superhero movies.

These are movies about people, and particularly one specifically, Bruce Wayne. By choosing to focus on the journey of Bruce Wayne, Christopher Nolan was able to create a story that was so much more personal and relatable than the other films, which always seemed to put more attention on telling the story of the villains. The way it is more personal is because there is only one main character, and the rest are all supporting characters that each influence Bruce Wayne in different ways. Without those characters though, Bruce would not have been able to achieve what he did.

Ras Al Ghul, is his mentor and first adversary. He pushes Bruce to his physical limits and shows him how to control his fear, which allows him to bring out the will to do good. Alfred, his trusted butler and confidant, is a father figure that helps keep him sane; as well keeping him from becoming the thing he is seeking to destroy. Rachel Dawess, his childhood sweet heart, is motivation for him to have a normal life after he completes his mission as Batman. Commissioner Gordon is a trusted ally and friend who understands and supports his mission. The Joker, an agent of chaos, is one who truly tests his morale, integrity, and motives, almost causing him to become like the murders he is trying to stop. Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, is another avenue that he see as a way for him to give up his role as Batman, but in the end he has to take the fall for Harvey’s mistakes.

Bane in some ways is the man the Bruce almost became. He is Bruce’s most physical foe yet, and it takes all of his will and effort to defeat him. John Blake is the one he sees as capable of taking over his role as Batman. Selina Kyle, the unpredictable cat burglar, is the one who provides him with some kind of happiness, and in the end she is able to help him move on from his pain and achieve contentment in his life.

I found Bruce and each of these characters relatable because we are each going through some kind of trial or struggle in our lives, and with the people and influences around us we would not be able to overcome the great hurdles that are placed in front of us. Along with relatable characters these films all have great moral messages. These movies are so much more than just superhero action movies. They are truly inspiring. Here are the main lessons that I learned from these three amazing films.

Batman Begins-Bruce learns to overcome fear. Fear will only prevent us from progression. Don't let the fear of failing or make a mistake stop you from doing something. Bruce learns that mistakes are part of lives, and in order to achieve success we must learn to pick ourselves up and move on. And like Bruce says sometimes we need "dramatic examples to shake us out of apathy."

The Dark Knight- He learns that there are bad things that will happen to us that we can’t always prevent. Despite that we must press forward and be strong in sticking to our goals and most importantly hang onto to values. No matter how bad things get we must endure and we can overcome. Also, people are not inherently bad or evil. There is good in all people, and we can inspire that good in others.

The Dark Knight Rises-This is where he finally learns "to pick himself back up". He discovers how to overcome the tragedy and affliction in his life. Everyone is capable to RISE above the pain and hardships in our lives, it’s not easy, but it is possible. Pain and tragedy will bring us to humility, as it does Bruce Wayne, but in the end it will be for our own good and help make us stronger and better people. If we have the will and determination we can accomplish anything.

Along with the great inspiring messages that are contained in these movies they are all extremely entertaining, and well done. The action sequences are flawless. The overall tone in each film is realistic and gritty which makes these films feel like they could actually happen. The cinematography is break taking, with some of the most outstanding shots. The music is gripping and intense. These films also have one of the best casts in any movie. How can you go wrong when you have a cast with Christian Bale, Michael Cain, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman? And then add Liam Nesson, Health Ledger, and Tom Hardy as villains. Each of these films complements one another so well and together they make my second favorite movie series of all time!

Favorite Film: The Dark Knight Rises

Just like Lord of the Rings this was an extremely hard decision to choose a favorite. These films do a remarkable job at telling the beginning, middle, and end for Bruce Wayne's character. For me I think right now my favorite is seeing the end of one of the most iconic fictional character of all time. (If you ask me in a week though I might change my mind) If there was one word why this film is my favorite of the series it would be satisfying. The first film left me wanting to see more. The second film left me unsure, and anxious to see what would happen, but this film left me satisfied. It wrapped up Bruce’s journey in a perfect way.

The ending of The Dark Knight Rises is the best ending I have ever seen in a film. Never had I gone into a movie not knowing the final fate of the main character. In most movies you can usually tell whether the main character will live or not, but for this movie I was left unsure and on the edge of my seat until the final seconds. The reason I loved the ending of this was because we got to see that Bruce Wayne was finally able to let go of his pain, and to move on and find happiness. For a dark movie, it sure does have a happy ending. It also shows how Bruce Wayne was able to fulfill what he planned to do by making a Batman a symbol that can live on even without Bruce Wayne. This movie tied up all the loose ends, besides one (What really happened to the Joker). It has some of the best action sequences, as well as some amazing twists and turns.

I loved how they were able to bring so many classic Batman characters into this film. Tom Hardy as Bane was truly terrifying, and was outstanding choice for a villain in the final Batman movie. The fight scenes between Bane and Batman were truly incredible. It was a shock to finally see Batman meet his match. Their first fight scene was shot so well, to where you feel the fear and frustration that Batman is experiencing. Anne Hathaway almost steals the show with her spot on, and outstanding performance as Selina Kyle. She was able to add a lot of fun and excitement to serious and dark plot. She is the perfect match for Bruce Wayne. Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character, John Blake aka Robin, was so awesome. It was a big surprise to see Nolan add Robin into the series when he said he would never have Robin in one of his films.

Michael Caine as Alfred was at his best in this film. For me he had two of the most important and dramatic scenes of the movie. His acting was perfect in the scene where he tells Bruce he is leaving, and he brought tears to my eyes when he tells the Wayne’s he has failed them in the funeral scene. (His performance sold me and for a minute I thought that Batman was actually dead) Morgan Freeman was solid as always and provided some good humor. Marion Cotillard was excellent in her role as Miranda Tate (Talia Al Ghul). The scene where she reveals to Bruce who she really is was one of the best and most intense scenes of the film. The most praise though needs to go to the caped crusader himself, Christian Bale. He was outstanding in his final appearance as the dark knight, and he was what made this film so amazing.

The next film on my list is The Dark Knight, but like I said this was very hard to rank because this film is truly a masterpiece, and on some days this is my favorite Batman film. This is the most intense film I think I have ever seen. From the opening bank robbery, to the amazing interrogation, and the final twist ending makes this film one of the most unforgettable films of all time! There are so many memorable and exciting scenes in this movie. So many twist and turns, and once you get done watching this movie it almost leaves you gasping for air.

One of the biggest highlights of this movie was of course, Health Ledger’s Joker. When I first heard that Health Ledger was cast as the Joker, I thought that he was a horrible choice. But like most people I was taken completely by surprise by his performance. He was creepy, terrifying, disturbing, sinister and sometimes even funny, all at the same time. Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker will go down as one of the most iconic movie villains of all time.

Another aspect of the film that I really enjoyed, and that I feel is sometimes under shadowed, is Aaron Echkhart's role as Harvey Dent Two-Face. Two-Face is probably the second most popular Batman villain after the Joker, and this film did an incredible job at showing him as one of Gotham’s most noble men, to falling and becoming one of the most tragic figures in Gotham. Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne are similar in that they both experience tragedies in their lives, but the difference between them is how they reacted to the situation. Bruce choose to protect others from the criminals that hurt him, and Harvey chose to become one the criminals and make others experiencing the pain he had to feel. This storyline was another one of the elements that made this movie so great. It takes you in so many different directions, but is still able bring ever back together. This is a film that I can watch over and over again, and there are so many good things to say about it.

Batman Begins is the probably the least talked about Batman film in this trilogy, but without it we would not have the other amazing films. I think people forget how great this film really is! When Taylor and I went to the Batman marathon, before seeing The Dark Knight Rises, we were both blown away at how awesome this film is. This is best origin story ever. The first hour of this film is truly amazing. The flash backs of his early life, mixed with his training from the league of shadows truly make you understand where he is coming from, and why he would do such a bizarre thing, like dressing up like a bat.

This scene shows us a glimpse of Bruce Wayne learning to control his fear. I get goosebumps watching it!

Like all other Christopher Nolan movies this film has a great twist. Liam Nesson and Cillian Murphy are outstanding in their roles as Ras Al Ghul and Scarecrow, which are two villains that I thought I would never see in a Batman movie. One of the best things about this film was Michael Cain’s Alfred. He was more than just a butler; he was Bruce’s true friend and supporter. 

One of the best scenes in this movie is when Bruce’s home has just been burned down and he and Alfred barely escape to the batcave. Bruce is just about ready to give up when Alfred reminds Bruce that he will never give up on him. He reminds him of his father wise words “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up!” It’s one of the best scenes of the whole series, and it shows that we should never give up in life, no matter how many times we get knocked down. Batman Begins is an amazing film that helps make this series one of the best movie series of all time!

My wife Taylor and I at the Dark Knight Marathon 

Final Rankings:

Favorite Scene: 

I wish I could find the video of it, but for now this picture
will have to do. 

There are so many great scenes in these films, and it was very hard to pick a favorite. But for right now I really love the scene when Bruce Wayne climbs out of the pit in The Dark Knight Rises. For some reason this part stood out to me the most after I saw the movie. This scene is so incredible, and for it’s so symbolic of Bruce Wayne’s life journey. This is the moment where he is truly able to move past the pain he has experienced in his life. He's able to move past the many tragedies that have plagued him almost his whole life. It’s the moment when his will and determination were stronger than his physical strength. He had just experience his greatest physical, mental, and emotional defeat, and he was able to rise above it. He does something that was said to be impossible, and then goes onto to save Gotham city. It’s such a great scene, and the music and the chants make it so intense and exciting. RISE!!!!

Check out this awesome video that highlights some great scenes from this series. 

Favorite Quote:

“Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up”- Thomas Wayne

Favorite Character: Bruce Wayne

Favorite Villain: Joker

Favorite Supporting Character: Alfred Pennyworth 

One Ring to Rule Them All

#3 Lord of the Rings

List of Movies: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King

Why I love these movies: 

Through all the groundbreaking special effects and the epic battle scenes lies one of the greatest stories of all time! The story of Frodo, the fellowship, middle earth, and the one ring is truly incredible, and also symbolic. I was in junior high when these movies came out and I enjoyed them mostly for the action and battle sequences. As I was grew up watching them (and playing the video games), I realized they were much more than that. These movies are filmed beautify and have some of the best acting in any movie. They are more than just action and war films, and more than just fantasy! These movies are magical, epic, emotional, breathtaking, and they are each true masterpieces! 

What makes these movies so great is that you actually feel like you are on the journey with the characters. The intensity of each of the character’s mission is felt in some way. You can see and almost feel the pain that Frodo is experiencing as he carries the ring. You feel the frustration of Sam as he tries his very best to help Frodo bare the ring. It puts you in the front lines of the battle for middle earth. The sets, the costumes, the make up, the special effects, and especially the music, all make the experience truly grand. This film carries you away into a whole new world. These are the greatest fantasy movies ever made, and I don’t know if we will ever see something pass it up.

What I love the most though is the overall story and how symbolic it is. The ring is the one power that rules the men of middle of earth, if they allow it. The ring is enticing to all those who come in contact with it, and seek after it. It represents the evil temptations, and how when we give into temptations and let evil take over our lives we are truly destroying ourselves. The character of Gollum is the best example of someone who embraces the power of the ring. In his mind he truly thinks the ring is bringing him happiness, but what he doesn't realize is that it is slowly destroying him. The more he gives into the ring the more he becomes a slave to it, and the same goes for us as we give into our own temptations. When we continue to allow sin and temptation into our lives, we are slowly poisoning ourselves, and allowing ourselves to become slaves. Sin and temptations blind us into becoming something we never wanted to become. Watching this really showed me how important it is to focus on the good things in life, and to not let myself get caught in the temptations that are around me. These films have so many over arcing themes, but to me this was the most important message to learn.

Favorite Film: The Fellowship of the Ring

This was a very hard decision to make, each of these films are so equally matched, and they actually feel like one huge movie. This makes it very difficult to choose a favorite. But since I have picked a favorite for all the other movies I will pick one for this as well, and my favorite goes to the Fellowship. The reason I chose this one is because this was the film that introduced me to Toikens amazing world. Prior to seeing the movies I had never read the books, so this was my first exposure to them.

The Fellowship was one of the movies that really helped me to truly see films as more than just entertainment.  I was in seventh grade when this film came out and at about the same time my friends and I started making our own home made movies. I know that I can speak for my friends that this film was a huge inspiration for us. Seeing this movie made me want to sit behind a camera and make an epic movies just like it. (My dream career when I was 13 was to play in the NFL for 12-15 years, and then when I was done I wanted to become a movie director and producer, talk about an awesome career!). Eventually this movie inspired my friends and I to try and create our own fantasy epic. The movie was called Azmarah (Don't ask me how we came up with that name, somehow we just did) It was about a magic rock, that had the power to annihilate the world, and we had to destroy it. Sound familiar? Yeah we pretty much plagiarized Lord of the Rings, but it’s all good, I don't think Peter Jackson felt too threatened by our movie. I'm pretty sure his movies made billions of dollars and won a few Oscars. And as far as I know Azmarah has only been viewed by a select few, which is probably a good thing. Maybe one I will be brave and post it on here.

Along with the great memories, this movie also has some of my favorite scenes out of the whole series. I love the opening prologue scene; it set the tone for the rest of the series. The scenes in Rivendell were the fellowship is formed and the ring’s destiny is determined is another great scene. Gandalf’s death scene in this film is one of the most dramatic and emotional scenes of the whole series. You really feel the sense of fear that the whole fellowship is experiencing because they just lost their wise and trusting leader. Viggo Mortensen's acting as Aragon is amazing in the aftermath of this scene because you can see his fear that he must now lead the fellowship, but at the same time he also shows his and determination to move on from this tragedy. The best part of the movie though is the last 20 minutes because it is full of action, drama, emotion, but it also provides you with a sense of hope that Frodo and the fellowship will be able to accomplish their task. These scenes are what made me love movies so much.

The next best is Return on the King. The scene where Frodo and Sam have their last confrontation with Sméagol on Mount Doom is one of the most intense scenes of any movie I have ever seen! This film brought closer in many satisfying ways. Many people complained about the long ending, but I loved how they showed the fate of each character, and that we are able to see that each of the characters are finally able to find peace, except Frodo as it shows him still suffering from the spiritual and emotion wounds of the ring. It shows that many times sacrifices must be made in order to achieve the greater good. Another great aspect of this film is the scenes with Shelob the spider. I have always hated spiders and this is one of the most terrifying creatures I have seen in any movie, and I was truly scared the first time I saw this. I appreciate when a movie can scare me, because I usually don’t get that scared in movies or T.V. (except for Unsolved Mysteries).

The next film, The Two Towers, is just as good as the other two but I guess one of them has to be last. The Helm’s Deep battle sequences is probably the best battle sequences of all the films, and as well as one of the best of any movie! Another thing I love about this movie (as well as the third one) is all the scenes with Sméagol, Frodo, and Sam. It’s the most fascinating and complex trio of characters I have ever seen in a movie. The conflict is nail-biting, and motivating at the same time. I say motivating because this is where I see the parallel of temptation the most. Sam’s speech at the end of this one is also very inspiring. Like I said in the beginning this is so hard to choose a favorite because I really do see these all as one movie. Even though I did put them in order of favorites it’s really more of a list of my favorite things from each film.

Final Rankings: 

Favorite Scene:

The breaking of the Fellowship. I mentioned this scene above as one of the best parts of the first movie, but for me it is also the greatest scene of the whole series. This final scene is filled with so many great things from the epic battle with the Uruk-hai, to the heroic death of Boromir, the farewell scene between Aragon and Fordo, and the emotional act of Sam chasing down Frodo in the boat, with his steadfastness to fulfill his promise to protect his friend. It’s great stuff, and if I’m not careful it gets me a little choked up!

Favorite Quote:

 Frodo: “I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”

Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Favorite Character: Aragorn

Favorite Villain: Sméagol/Gollum

Favorite Supporting Character: Samwise Gamgee

Here is something that will hopefully make this series even better!