You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
In this entry, I will write about the pure brilliance that is The Dark Knight. I will also write about how disappointed I was by Breaking Dawn.
I've seen The Dark Knight three times. I enjoyed it the most the second time because having seen the movie and knowing the plot, I was able to focus on more specific details, my favorite scenes, the little things that really make the movie stand out. The first time I was absorbing it all and the third time, I started to notice the 150+ minute length a tiny bit. Mainly because I had to use the lavatory but was too scared that I would miss a good part.
Anyways, since most of you have seen the movie, I'm just going to talk about my favorite parts and why I liked them so much.
1) I love the montage of scenes right after Rachel's death. Joker hanging out of the cop car, his hair blowing in the wind. Batman standing in the burning rubble, looking at Harvey's coin as Alfred opens the letter from Rachel. Harvey waking in the hospital and realizing Rachel is dead and his silenced scream.
I think the lack of music and sound just makes these scenes so much more poignant. And they are really beautifully filmed scenes as well (Batman and Joker's at least). These scenes are perfection. These are the scenes that alienate The Dark Knight from other superhero movies like Spider-Man, that seperates it from that genre.
2) Another one of my favorite scenes is when they are transporting Harvey Dent and there is the convoy of police cars and SWAT trucks. That one overhead shot of Gotham and the long line of police cars and the armored truck approaching a burning fire truck in the middle of the road. The colors and just that wide expanse. So beautiful. And then it becomes so badass with Joker hanging out of the truck with the bazooka. And Batman completely owning him with his Batpod. And then Gordon gets his moment of ownage as well. Just an awesome scene all around.
3) The end of the movie. Once again, a montage of awesome shots and Gordon's voiceover is really poignant. I love it. Alfred burning the letter, Lucius walking from the room while the sonar technology is destroyed, Batman riding up out of the tunnel. Just writing this makes me want to see the movie again. And the music makes it so much more epic too.
4) Heathus as the Joker. Enough said. The number of quotable lines from him? A gazillion. And just thinking about Heathus in Brokeback Mountain compared to his role as the Joker is just wow. I miss him.
5) Maggie Gyllenhaal and the rest of the cast. I really admire Maggie in general, she always seems so cute and spunky and smart in her movies. And I like that she made Rachel seem like an intelligent, independent woman. I mean, Katie Holmes did a good job, but watching Batman Begins again, she just didn't seem as idealistic as Maggie does. She didn't bring that sense of determination while also showing a different side of Rachel with Harvey and also with Bruce.
Senor Bale as always is amazing. He makes a phenomenal Batman and Bruce Wayne and really showed the character's inner turmoil well. I just watched 3:10 to Yuma yesterday and was blown away by his and Russell Crowe's performances. Oh, forgot to say, Christian Bale is one sexy mo'fo. As is Aaron Sexhart, who was equally amazing as Harvey Dent.
I feel like I say 'amazing' too much...Well, that should give you a clue, at least.
Oh, btw. I can't believe they killed Rachel!!!11 It made me really sad. I really liked Rachel. And dude, killing her is going where no superhero movie has gone.
I was saying that Spider-Man might as well have just sat down and watched tv rather than bother saving MJ in the third movie, 'cause we all know she's not going to die. Seriously! That's one of my major complaints with the Spider-Man movies: MJ is always in peril at the end. And she never dies. Spider-Man always saves her! They should do something new for once. Like have MJ die!!! Anyways, this made me realize how serious The Dark Knight was. I wouldn't have been surprised if Alfred died or Lucius after that. Bold move on Chris Nolan's part. As much as I dislike that Rachel died, I applaude it.
I really enjoyed the first three Twilight books. I'm not gonna lie. Breaking Dawn, not so much.
I'VE HAD IT WITH EDWARD AND BELLA. I can't stand how Edward never lets Bella make any of her own decisions or do what she thinks is right. He is a controlling (No, you can't see your best friend!), belittling (You're so clumsy, you need a heavily fortified car.) boyfriend, who doesn't see Bella for who she really is, a flawed human being. To Edward, she's a glass figurine with no imperfections, delicate and about to break at any second. I understand that Edward is trying to protect Bella, but the act gets old after the first book. I also understand that Edward is supposed to be perfect: the perfect boyfriend, the perfect husband, the perfect father. He is not. Enough said.
Bella, as well, makes me want to gag with all her talk about how perfect Edward is. I feel like Breaking Dawn made me realize all of the things that I disliked about the series. It also made me realize how much I love Harry Potter. But that's another story.
Anywho, back to Bella: Having sex even though your boyfriend is bruising you??? I know the continuation of this "sexiness" was for the romantic saps in all of us, but I didn't consider it such. And besides, Breaking Dawn is talking about sex half the book, yet SMeyer conveniently fades to black when things really start to happen. I'm not really complaining, but I think it's a bit hypocritical.
Back to Bella thinking Edward is the most perfect thing on the planet: Bella sees him the same way, except she doesn't have control of him. As I said, boooorrring. At least, after 3 books of the same shit. I want Bella to CHANGE. DEVELOPE. GROW. Is that too much to ask????? Why can't she go off to college, do something independent, rather than relying on Edward 24/7.
Jacob. Jacob will always be my favorite character. I know I'm in the minority here. I have been told that I am delusional for liking him and in order to to fit in with the majority, I claimed to friends and family that I had decided that I really liked Edward better. This was a half-hearted lie, my heart was still set on Jacob. I think the reason I like Jacob so much is because he is an interesting & relatable character with flaws like everyone else. I can't relate to Bella. I most certainly can't relate to Edward. But Jacob is a typical teenager and he happens to fall for the wrong girl. Jacob is a true friend to Bella, he sees her for who she is: someone who is flawed, and he still loves her. He calls Bella out on her flaws and she treats him likewise. They know each other, as Edward says. And also, Jacob is the guy that Bella can fool around with, do silly things with, act like a teenager with, have real fun with. I feel like I never read about Edward and Bella doing truely teenage things (other then making out). They spend all their time admiring their fantasy of each other. Bella and Jacob joke around, do stupid, yet human things together, and genuinely have fun together. And neither one tries to control the other. There are times when Jacob does caution Bella or warn her, but he never comes to close to Edward in that aspect. SMeyer, I commend you on Jacob's behalf. He is actually a well-written character who matures throughout the series and is relatable. He's not perfect, but that's what's so great about him.
Plot of Breaking Dawn: I WANT SOMETHING EXCITING FOR 200 PAGES OF VULTURI COMING TO FORKS. NOT BORING TALKING AND HAVING ALL YOUR VAMPIRE FRIENDS JOIN THE PARTY. I felt like I had been robbed of precious time when all the Volturi did was talk with the Cullens. I mean, if J.K. Rowling can pull off massive battles without killing off the main character, SMeyer should be able to as well. I mean, Dobby died. I may never be able to forgive JK for that. I cried like a baby. But it made the story better. I cried when Dumbledore died. Once again, it gave the story a dangerous edge. So SMeyer, it would have been ok if you gave like Carlisle a heroic death or something. At least it would have made the story a bit more interesting. Reading about Bella's "love shield" or whatever the heck it is for 200 pages is NOT INTERESTING IN THE SLIGHTEST. I mean, I was so excited when I got this book, which in turn, enabled me to read super quickly. But as the last 300 pages dragged on and on and on and on, it just got to be too much.
And what the hell was with Reneesme?????!?!?!?!?!?! Horrible name btw. What was she thinking? Combining names ONLY WORKS FOR CELEBRITY COUPLES LIKE TOMKAT OR BRANGELINA. And the whole pregnancy thing was just so out of the blue. I mean, talk about big twist! But it wasn't a good twist. It was kinda lame. And gross. Sorry, I don't want to read about a vampire hybrid biting its way out of its mother's stomach. And then Jacob imprinting on her? Convenient way to end the Jacob/Bella storyline, eh? But kinda weird. But a little cute that he takes such good care of the baby. But then again, creepy cause he wants to marry her when she's old.
Oh, and I thought it was quite convenient that Bella skipped over the whole crazed-newborn phase...Nice way to skip around that SMeyer!
Ok. So I basically, I'm just going to forget that Breaking Dawn ever happened and pretend that Eclipse was the final book. Oh, and the last line made me want to vomit. GIVE ME A BREAK. I don't want a happy ending for this story. I want something drastic and depressing. Different. Nothing depressing happened in these books. Ever. I want a death of a big character or something unexpected.
I guess that's all I have to say for now. My ranting is done with for now. :)
I'll post my icons tomorrow!
I've seen The Dark Knight three times. I enjoyed it the most the second time because having seen the movie and knowing the plot, I was able to focus on more specific details, my favorite scenes, the little things that really make the movie stand out. The first time I was absorbing it all and the third time, I started to notice the 150+ minute length a tiny bit. Mainly because I had to use the lavatory but was too scared that I would miss a good part.
Anyways, since most of you have seen the movie, I'm just going to talk about my favorite parts and why I liked them so much.
1) I love the montage of scenes right after Rachel's death. Joker hanging out of the cop car, his hair blowing in the wind. Batman standing in the burning rubble, looking at Harvey's coin as Alfred opens the letter from Rachel. Harvey waking in the hospital and realizing Rachel is dead and his silenced scream.
I think the lack of music and sound just makes these scenes so much more poignant. And they are really beautifully filmed scenes as well (Batman and Joker's at least). These scenes are perfection. These are the scenes that alienate The Dark Knight from other superhero movies like Spider-Man, that seperates it from that genre.
2) Another one of my favorite scenes is when they are transporting Harvey Dent and there is the convoy of police cars and SWAT trucks. That one overhead shot of Gotham and the long line of police cars and the armored truck approaching a burning fire truck in the middle of the road. The colors and just that wide expanse. So beautiful. And then it becomes so badass with Joker hanging out of the truck with the bazooka. And Batman completely owning him with his Batpod. And then Gordon gets his moment of ownage as well. Just an awesome scene all around.
3) The end of the movie. Once again, a montage of awesome shots and Gordon's voiceover is really poignant. I love it. Alfred burning the letter, Lucius walking from the room while the sonar technology is destroyed, Batman riding up out of the tunnel. Just writing this makes me want to see the movie again. And the music makes it so much more epic too.
4) Heathus as the Joker. Enough said. The number of quotable lines from him? A gazillion. And just thinking about Heathus in Brokeback Mountain compared to his role as the Joker is just wow. I miss him.
5) Maggie Gyllenhaal and the rest of the cast. I really admire Maggie in general, she always seems so cute and spunky and smart in her movies. And I like that she made Rachel seem like an intelligent, independent woman. I mean, Katie Holmes did a good job, but watching Batman Begins again, she just didn't seem as idealistic as Maggie does. She didn't bring that sense of determination while also showing a different side of Rachel with Harvey and also with Bruce.
Senor Bale as always is amazing. He makes a phenomenal Batman and Bruce Wayne and really showed the character's inner turmoil well. I just watched 3:10 to Yuma yesterday and was blown away by his and Russell Crowe's performances. Oh, forgot to say, Christian Bale is one sexy mo'fo. As is Aaron Sexhart, who was equally amazing as Harvey Dent.
I feel like I say 'amazing' too much...Well, that should give you a clue, at least.
Oh, btw. I can't believe they killed Rachel!!!11 It made me really sad. I really liked Rachel. And dude, killing her is going where no superhero movie has gone.
I was saying that Spider-Man might as well have just sat down and watched tv rather than bother saving MJ in the third movie, 'cause we all know she's not going to die. Seriously! That's one of my major complaints with the Spider-Man movies: MJ is always in peril at the end. And she never dies. Spider-Man always saves her! They should do something new for once. Like have MJ die!!! Anyways, this made me realize how serious The Dark Knight was. I wouldn't have been surprised if Alfred died or Lucius after that. Bold move on Chris Nolan's part. As much as I dislike that Rachel died, I applaude it.
I really enjoyed the first three Twilight books. I'm not gonna lie. Breaking Dawn, not so much.
I'VE HAD IT WITH EDWARD AND BELLA. I can't stand how Edward never lets Bella make any of her own decisions or do what she thinks is right. He is a controlling (No, you can't see your best friend!), belittling (You're so clumsy, you need a heavily fortified car.) boyfriend, who doesn't see Bella for who she really is, a flawed human being. To Edward, she's a glass figurine with no imperfections, delicate and about to break at any second. I understand that Edward is trying to protect Bella, but the act gets old after the first book. I also understand that Edward is supposed to be perfect: the perfect boyfriend, the perfect husband, the perfect father. He is not. Enough said.
Bella, as well, makes me want to gag with all her talk about how perfect Edward is. I feel like Breaking Dawn made me realize all of the things that I disliked about the series. It also made me realize how much I love Harry Potter. But that's another story.
Anywho, back to Bella: Having sex even though your boyfriend is bruising you??? I know the continuation of this "sexiness" was for the romantic saps in all of us, but I didn't consider it such. And besides, Breaking Dawn is talking about sex half the book, yet SMeyer conveniently fades to black when things really start to happen. I'm not really complaining, but I think it's a bit hypocritical.
Back to Bella thinking Edward is the most perfect thing on the planet: Bella sees him the same way, except she doesn't have control of him. As I said, boooorrring. At least, after 3 books of the same shit. I want Bella to CHANGE. DEVELOPE. GROW. Is that too much to ask????? Why can't she go off to college, do something independent, rather than relying on Edward 24/7.
Jacob. Jacob will always be my favorite character. I know I'm in the minority here. I have been told that I am delusional for liking him and in order to to fit in with the majority, I claimed to friends and family that I had decided that I really liked Edward better. This was a half-hearted lie, my heart was still set on Jacob. I think the reason I like Jacob so much is because he is an interesting & relatable character with flaws like everyone else. I can't relate to Bella. I most certainly can't relate to Edward. But Jacob is a typical teenager and he happens to fall for the wrong girl. Jacob is a true friend to Bella, he sees her for who she is: someone who is flawed, and he still loves her. He calls Bella out on her flaws and she treats him likewise. They know each other, as Edward says. And also, Jacob is the guy that Bella can fool around with, do silly things with, act like a teenager with, have real fun with. I feel like I never read about Edward and Bella doing truely teenage things (other then making out). They spend all their time admiring their fantasy of each other. Bella and Jacob joke around, do stupid, yet human things together, and genuinely have fun together. And neither one tries to control the other. There are times when Jacob does caution Bella or warn her, but he never comes to close to Edward in that aspect. SMeyer, I commend you on Jacob's behalf. He is actually a well-written character who matures throughout the series and is relatable. He's not perfect, but that's what's so great about him.
Plot of Breaking Dawn: I WANT SOMETHING EXCITING FOR 200 PAGES OF VULTURI COMING TO FORKS. NOT BORING TALKING AND HAVING ALL YOUR VAMPIRE FRIENDS JOIN THE PARTY. I felt like I had been robbed of precious time when all the Volturi did was talk with the Cullens. I mean, if J.K. Rowling can pull off massive battles without killing off the main character, SMeyer should be able to as well. I mean, Dobby died. I may never be able to forgive JK for that. I cried like a baby. But it made the story better. I cried when Dumbledore died. Once again, it gave the story a dangerous edge. So SMeyer, it would have been ok if you gave like Carlisle a heroic death or something. At least it would have made the story a bit more interesting. Reading about Bella's "love shield" or whatever the heck it is for 200 pages is NOT INTERESTING IN THE SLIGHTEST. I mean, I was so excited when I got this book, which in turn, enabled me to read super quickly. But as the last 300 pages dragged on and on and on and on, it just got to be too much.
And what the hell was with Reneesme?????!?!?!?!?!?! Horrible name btw. What was she thinking? Combining names ONLY WORKS FOR CELEBRITY COUPLES LIKE TOMKAT OR BRANGELINA. And the whole pregnancy thing was just so out of the blue. I mean, talk about big twist! But it wasn't a good twist. It was kinda lame. And gross. Sorry, I don't want to read about a vampire hybrid biting its way out of its mother's stomach. And then Jacob imprinting on her? Convenient way to end the Jacob/Bella storyline, eh? But kinda weird. But a little cute that he takes such good care of the baby. But then again, creepy cause he wants to marry her when she's old.
Oh, and I thought it was quite convenient that Bella skipped over the whole crazed-newborn phase...Nice way to skip around that SMeyer!
Ok. So I basically, I'm just going to forget that Breaking Dawn ever happened and pretend that Eclipse was the final book. Oh, and the last line made me want to vomit. GIVE ME A BREAK. I don't want a happy ending for this story. I want something drastic and depressing. Different. Nothing depressing happened in these books. Ever. I want a death of a big character or something unexpected.
I guess that's all I have to say for now. My ranting is done with for now. :)
I'll post my icons tomorrow!