Batman

Film Review: Big Eyes (2014)

Over the past 30 years it has often been difficult to determine who Tim Burton is. He ain't no screenwriter, that much is certain. Any Burton film where he has received story credit has largely been a mood piece, with a barely perceptible narrative drive. He also has shown himself to occasionally be a dubious…Read more Film Review: Big Eyes (2014)

“Do You Really Think This Will Change Anything?” – How Marvel’s Daredevil is a Half-Measure

Superheroics are inherently stupid, and the best comics acknowledge this. The Batman canon has wallowed in this harsh truth for years, with its characters (in every medium) openly wondering if the Caped Crusader does more bad than good. Moore famously designed his seminal superhero text Watchmen to be the genre's epitaph. Its central cast of…Read more “Do You Really Think This Will Change Anything?” – How Marvel’s Daredevil is a Half-Measure

Film Review: Batman and Robin (1997)

At one point in 1997′s Batman and Robin an enraged Mr. Freeze (curiously endowed with a thick Austrian accent) hilariously bellows at the Caped Crusader to “Freeze in Hell!” Now, this statement is notable due to its impractical silliness, but also for concisely channeling the sentiments that many movie-goers were feeling for this temporary franchise killer and the…Read more Film Review: Batman and Robin (1997)

“Don’t Lose Your Way” – Thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s Transformation from Hard-Boiled Nihilist to Simpering Moralizer

From the ice-cold amorality of his debut feature, Following, to the electrifying and nihilistic conclusion of Memento, Christopher Nolan's film career seemed to once hold great promise. However, in the years that followed Nolan's sensibilities changed dramatically. This seismic change is evident not only in his films possessing  a continually inflated scope, or his casts…Read more “Don’t Lose Your Way” – Thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s Transformation from Hard-Boiled Nihilist to Simpering Moralizer

Film Review: Batman Returns (1992)

Batman Returns is undeniably defined by the influence of its director, Tim Burton. This is both a positive and a negative for the film’s overall success as a big-screen depiction of the Batman legend. On one hand Batman has never been given a more arresting aesthetic treatment. The production design by Bo Welch  and the…Read more Film Review: Batman Returns (1992)

Film Review: The Dark Knight Returns – Part II (2012)

Inconsistent yet still undeniably entertaining, the second part of Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight Returns (DKR) adaptation is a big film that wrestles admirably with its complex source material. “He can fly!” exclaims an awestruck cop (while observing a temporarily aerial Batman) during one of the film’s many well-done action sequences. The same thing can occasionally…Read more Film Review: The Dark Knight Returns – Part II (2012)