Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[Dan Hocker]

I didn't actually notice as many jokes or humour as I thought there would be. Even the dynamic of the group and the lack of team deaths was a bit off, but I did like Harley and Leto's Joker was good (not Ledger or Nicholson good, but good) and Smith wasn't bad either.

Mostly I think it was edited strangely. I did like most of the casting. Especially Leto's Joker. I don't think you can really compare the different Jokers though. They are all good in their own way, though I think Nicholson's is my least favorite. I never really liked the permanent smile face. Though I don't really have the same reverence for the Tim Burton Batman movies that most people have.

[Theli]

I think it does a great job of representing the Batman of the time, from the late 60's to 80's when it got darker, but still traditional comic style and the bold colour sets and dark shadowy cinematography adds to that effect too. The Engleheart script was great too, he wrote some the best 70's batman comics. For that time period, I think Nicholson nailed it with the Joker. Ledger's Joker changed the Joker, it was unique of the time, I think, but afterwards it kinda became the status quo. Same could be said for Leto's Joker, though I actually see a resemblance to the animated series Joker with him, but more gangsta instead of gangster, if you know what I mean?

[Dan Hocker]

I think it does a great job of representing the Batman of the time, from the late 60's to 80's when it got darker, but still traditional comic style and the bold colour sets and dark shadowy cinematography adds to that effect too. The Engleheart script was great too, he wrote some the best 70's batman comics. For that time period, I think Nicholson nailed it with the Joker. Ledger's Joker changed the Joker, it was unique of the time, I think, but afterwards it kinda became the status quo. Same could be said for Leto's Joker, though I actually see a resemblance to the animated series Joker with him, but more gangsta instead of gangster, if you know what I mean?

It's probably because the animated series Joker is "my" joker so to speak. Gangsta joker is more prevalent to the time period than anything else, since gangster in the traditional sense doesn't really exist anymore. There still hasn't really been a rendition of The Joker like the comic book joker though. I want the clinically insane Joker who is pure evil and's sole purpose for existing is as to be a foil for Batman.

Edit: For what it's worth, I think Cesar Romero's joker is the worst. The man couldn't even be bothered to shave off his stupid mustache to play the part. It looks so dumb.

[Theli]

Again, it's sort of a period of the time, the Joker was a silly trickster in the early to mid 60's not the ruthless killer he started out as, until they gave him a break from comics for a bit (because he was getting played out), only to make his most triumphant return with The Joker's Five Way Revenge (one of the best comics with The Joker). It was a great return to form and held the most resemblance to the original Joker, but the Joker you describe is more like the one in The Killing Joke by Alan Moore, Dark Knight Returns from Frank Miller or Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison, and even moreso as he appeared in Morrison's late 2000's comics, post Dark Knight. But he wasn't always quite so kill crazy, or pure evil, actually Ed Brubaker's The Man Who Laughs kinda of takes away a bit of that pure evil idea, you get a bit of his fall from grace.

That said, the Romero moustache bothers me, but I still kind of enjoy his Joker rendition from time to time, but he's not my Joker either. For you though, I bet Brian Azarello's Joker (simply titled as such, a stand alone spin off of Heath Ledger's rendition) will be right up your alley. I loved it, and I bet you will too. That's The Joker as about as evil as he gets, quite vile. I actually like all versions of the Joker, but I think the my favourite is similar to yours, for me it's 70's-80's is kind of my era, and I think the cartoon version sort of represents him best, sort of like the Nicholson one, but a bit different too.

[bugen]

Theli, calling out "Joker's Five Way Revenge" like that highlighted the fact I've somehow missed it and need to check it out, so thank you.

Morrison, Miller and Moore versions, along with Hamill and Ledger (Nicholson's version was good, but not this good) are all indelible and go down in history, but I've got to add the unsung Jim Starlin to the lineup, assisted heavily by the art of Jim Aparo in A Death in the Family. The murder of Jason Todd was an incredible event and shows The Joker as cold, murderous, brilliant and hopelessly insane in a way that cemented the character for me and which all others are measured against. The arc also solidified Batman's position as the world's greatest hand-to-hand combatant and provided a Bats vs. Supes showdown that is short, sweet and superior to the recent movie.

The final pic here is one that's haunted me since childhood:

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THAT's The Joker.

[Dan Hocker]

Yea I get Joker as a trickster, but Joker as trickster is when The Joker (as a character) works the least for me. He's just not very interesting. I would say "modern" Joker is the best / most interesting Joker. That would be Joker post Killing Joke / Death in the Family. On a side note some of the New 52 Joker stuff is really very good. Death of the Family and End Game, where both really very good Joker stories.

[Theli]

Good call Andrew, I don't know how it slipped my mind.

I still need to read most of the post New 52 stuff, I was keeping up for a while, but kind of just lost pace. I'll look into those.

[Sock Monkey]

Bugen, thanks for the shout-out to Jim Aparo. What a fantastic artist. And look at those nine and ten panel pages. I hate to sound like an old curmudgeon, but you just don't see that in modern comics anymore. It's all about the splash pages and decompressed storytelling nowadays.

I'm sure that I'm in the minority as there have been some fantastic artists over the years to draw Batman. Neal Adams, Brian Bolland, George Perez, Frank Quitely, to name just a few. But for my money, nothing epitomizes Batman art like Jim Aparo and Norm Breyfogle. Makes me want to dig out my old issues and start doing a reread!

[TacomaDiver]

Yes. All of the yeses.

Bugen, thanks for the shout-out to Jim Aparo. What a fantastic artist. And look at those nine and ten panel pages. I hate to sound like an old curmudgeon, but you just don't see that in modern comics anymore. It's all about the splash pages and decompressed storytelling nowadays.

I'm sure that I'm in the minority as there have been some fantastic artists over the years to draw Batman. Neal Adams, Brian Bolland, George Perez, Frank Quitely, to name just a few. But for my money, nothing epitomizes Batman art like Jim Aparo and Norm Breyfogle. Makes me want to dig out my old issues and start doing a reread!

[TerryE]

Taking some of my Batman issues from this time period to get signed by Starlin at Baltimore Comic Con this weekend. I'd love for Aparo to make it one year. And Sock Monkey, I have to agree that Breyfogle was one of the greats, too!

[srboone]

Been a solid summer for horror flicks this year.

<i>Don't Breathe</i>: Claustophic and scary home-invasion-gone-wrong film that has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. The openning scene was a mistake in that it sets your thinking in certain way and makes some of its surpises less surprising and the final scene seems no more than an appeal for a sequel, but still an outstanding little thriller--definitely worth a look. If movies like this keep getting made for relatively little money, the scary film isn't going away anytime soon.

4/5

[Dan Hocker]

As per usual I'm not really going to rate the movies I saw, but I watched both The Angry Birds Movie and Independence Day 2 last night. I was pleasantly surprised by both of them. I had zero expectations for either of these, and in the case of ID2 I had heard that it was absolutely horrible. Angry Birds is clearly a kids movie, but it was entertaining enough for what it is. I'd never pay to see it in the theaters but it was still pretty entertaining.

ID2 was pretty much exactly what I expected. Not a great movie, fairly poor acting and the plot was only loosely held together if at all. That said, like the first one, it was big, dumb, and entertaining. Which I think is enough if you go into realizing that it's not going to be a "good" movie.

[bugen]

I'm about to marathon the Daniel Craig James Bond movies, 2 of which I've never seen. I can go without Roger Moore but really liked Timothy Dalton, and no one can question the majesty of Sean Connery in the role. I really liked what these latest films, especially Casino Royale, did with the character. Daniel Craig portrays a newborn Bond who's rough around the edges, powerful, unrefined, barely under his own control, and that's a great beginning for the invincible spy.

Which brings me to my question. Anyone else out there think that Pierce Brosnan represented the character at his peak--the final form of James Bond?

[Brian861]

I'm about to marathon the Daniel Craig James Bond movies, 2 of which I've never seen. I can go without Roger Moore but really liked Timothy Dalton, and no one can question the majesty of Sean Connery in the role. I really liked what these latest films, especially Casino Royale, did with the character. Daniel Craig portrays a newborn Bond who's rough around the edges, powerful, unrefined, barely under his own control, and that's a great beginning for the invincible spy.

Which brings me to my question. Anyone else out there think that Pierce Brosnan represented the character at his peak--the final form of James Bond?

That's a great possibility, Andrew. Never really thought of it that way til you brought it up. I definitely agree with you about Craig's portrayal. A kickass, take names, man's man.

[srboone]

Timothy Dalton was Bond at his peak for me. Brosnan was a thruway Bond. Craig's interpretation is great.