The Dark Knight Megathread (USE THIS! Love, the mods)

[Broccoli]

the_wildcard wrote:

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Quick question, anybody know where I can watch the Dark Knight TV trailer, where the narrator says something to the effect of "To overcome evil, will he become evil" ?

You Tube?

[Captain Craig]

Luke Lightsaber wrote:

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Has that stopped any movie from selling stuff? Hell, even Cloverfield has merchandise.

Cloverfield merchandise was only available through direct retailers, not at mass market(ie Target/Wal-Mart).

It is a type of mixed message.
Hey its PG-13(some reviewers think thats a generous rating) how many 13-17yr old teens you know buy large quantities of "toys"? Not collectors

The target audience for these figures at mass market is 6-12yr old. Will that many parents be dragging their kids in? God I hope not and if they do they better keep them under control.

I had a brat tugging my chair for the whole 3rd act of Hellboy2 and the mother was useless. It was all I could do to not turn around and give it to her. I swear if that happens at TDK I'll go postal on some father/mother.

[Aragorn]

Six more days! Six more days! Six more days!

[Frontier]

Captain Craig wrote:

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Cloverfield merchandise was only available through direct retailers, not at mass market(ie Target/Wal-Mart).

It is a type of mixed message.

Hey its PG-13(some reviewers think thats a generous rating) how many 13-17yr old teens you know buy large quantities of "toys"? Not collectors

Granted.

But in 1991, they made action figures for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I had some. And I saw said film when I was 7, on rental. Likewise, few years later, I recall they had figures for some Stallone film, either Demolition Man or Judge Dredd. I'm sure there are other examples as well. And those where outright rated R. So figures for a hard PG-13 isn't exactly reaching.

[Luke Lightsaber]

Also, those Dominos commercials suck.

[Broccoli]

I don't think it's the kids being able to handle it so much as it would be the parents freaking out. Coming from a teacher's perspective, parents can be stupid.

Frontier wrote:

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Granted.

But in 1991, they made action figures for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I had some. And I saw said film when I was 7, on rental. Likewise, few years later, I recall they had figures for some Stallone film, either Demolition Man or Judge Dredd. I'm sure there are other examples as well. And those where outright rated R. So figures for a hard PG-13 isn't exactly reaching.

True, but since those films were rated R, parents can "control" that a little better (in terms of what to take their kids to see). However, Batman is a little different. Batman, being a comic book property, has been more "family targeted" in the media than times that it has been for "mature audiences." Granted, he is a darker character, but even more-serious depictions of Bats have been tame (Even Batman Begins, although, I will admit, that little kids probably would be bored with the first half of the movie). General audience peoples who don't search the internet on the latest movie buzz like the good folks at the TrekBBS here, will probably think "Oh, Batman. Should be good fun here."

Hmm...I don't know if I am making sense...so, in summation, I have an equation:

Toys + PG-13 rating + movie that early critics are saying are not for kiddies = Captain Craig being annoyed during his viewing of TDK.

[Luke Lightsaber]

ROTS had a HUGE toy blitz, and that wasn't a kids geard movie.

[Lapis Exilis]

Wow, Roeper and Michael Phillips just said (on Ebert and Roeper At the Movies) that TDK merits a Best Picture nomination, and they can't imagine Ledger not getting a Best Supporting nomination, and not for sympathy reasons. That it is possibly the best superhero epic ever made, one of the best films of the decade - a real ensemble piece where every performance is even better than you expect from the talented cast. No Godfather II comparisons - Heat and The Departed were the films invoked.

I expected a good review, but I'm stunned to hear such complete praise, especially fron two guys who usually only grudgingly agree. Good lord - this may be even better than I thought it was going to be. Considering my hopes for the flick, this is getting into, forgive the pun, crazy territory.

[JacksonArcher]

I saw that review. They were both crazily enthusiastic over the film. It's nuts. I mean, I have very high hopes, but this almost unanimous praise just raises my hopes and expectations a notch every time I hear or read something new about this film. It's almost unbelievable.

Personally, I can't wait to see what Roger Ebert has to say. He absolutely loved Batman Begins and I have a feeling he's going to go apeshit over The Dark Knight as well.

This is going to be the single longest week of my life.

[Aragorn]

Ebert's a big Batman fan. He didn't like any of the Burton/Schmacher films.

[mr.peany]

Wednesday cannot come here soon enough. IMAX baby! IMAX!

[Lapis Exilis]

JacksonArcher wrote:

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I saw that review. They were both crazily enthusiastic over the film. It's nuts. I mean, I have very high hopes, but this almost unanimous praise just raises my hopes and expectations a notch every time I hear or read something new about this film. It's almost unbelievable.

I know, it's one thing for fans to be slavering at the mouth and for fansites to be raving, but the critics always provide a hefty dose of reality to balance the film lover in me with the Batman fan in me. If they're saying these things - geez, just how good is this film?

[DarthPipes]

I wouldn't take a young kid to see to see The Dark Knight. A kid who was 11 or 12, I don't think would be a problem. The absolute worst I remember was parents taking kids who had to be 4, 5, or 6 to see the South Park movie. Absolutely inexcuseable I thought and it was clear to me that the parents didn't care enough to read what was actually in that movie.

I'm looking forward to this movie. Though I really wish the media would quit with the Heath Ledger hard-on. I felt sorry about his death but give it a rest already. Here was a guy who died naked in an Olson twins apartment because he couldn't stop shoving pills down his throat. He gotten more tributes than most people who actually deserve it.

[Frontier]

DarkHorizon's reports that WB is projecting a $90-100 million opening weekend, while many Box Office tracking sites are saying that is much too modest, themselves predicting a $130+ million opening weekend.

I, for one, hope that they totally blow everyone away and make $200+ million in an opening 3 day.

[Captain Craig]

Frontier wrote:

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DarkHorizon's reports that WB is projecting a $90-100 million opening weekend, while many Box Office tracking sites are saying that is much too modest, themselves predicting a $130+ million opening weekend.

I, for one, hope that they totally blow everyone away and make $200+ million in an opening 3 day.

If it does that just how mega front loaded would it be? That opening alone would take it well past $400m but its second weekend drop off might look bad in comparison.