The Clash of the Titans

I have been lazy and haven't written about any movie for quite a while. It's not that I have stopped watching them but usually I get to the theatre so late that by the time I actually see the movie, I have read every spoiler alert there is on the web. And then I do not see any reason why I should bother adding my own two bit to the countless reviews out there. So more often than not, I end up doing nothing. 

But this time, even though I watched the two Superhero movies late(r) than most people, I still decided to write my own two bit – for the simple reason that I grew up and still am a superhero junkie and a comic book nerd and it would be sacrilege to not add my own thoughts to the already overflowing, overcrowded world of movie reviews. But I have warned myself, I shall keep them short and sweet. Or short and crisp, because sweet I cannot do! 

First The Dark Knight Rises, one of the most eagerly awaited movies of this summer. 

Before I begin, I must confess that Batman is most definitely not my most favourite comic book hero – unlike Superman or Spidey, he has no superpowers; he can neither trap villains in the web he spins nor does he possess Spider-sense; he cannot fly to Krypton at will nor can he stop planes from crashing with his bare hands. He is one superhero minus superpowers and that somehow takes away from the whole point of being a superhero in the first place! To me, with his cool gadgets, his fancy Batmobile and his many love interests, Batman seems closer to James Bond than to a superhero! 

Earlier, before Nolan took over, the Batman movies, even the ones which had the gorgeous George (and not the stony faced Van Kilmer or the absolutely charisma-lacking Michael Keaton), left me about as spellbound as imagining Jack Black or Jim Carrey play Batman! The only thing I remember loving was Mr Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger); his lines like “my condition has left me cold to your pleas of mercy” or “allow me to break the ice” were a riot and I am yet to get over them (as if one needed more proof of my nerdy behaviour)! 

But it was only with Batman Begins, that suddenly for me, and I am sure for countless other non Batman lovers, Batman ceased being a second grade superhero and metamorphosed into a dark, brooding, charismatic superhero you understood, you rooted for and looked up to! His origins, his motives, his training under and his subsequent falling out with one of his arch nemesis – Ra’s al Ghul, his gadgets, his mission, suddenly it all made sense, suddenly it left you spellbound, hankering for more! And that hankering only increased when the next instalment – The Dark Knight, brought along one of Batman’s most famous, most colourful, the most unhinged of villains – The Joker, played so magnificently by Heath Ledger that it will be impossible not to get that chill up your spine each time you remember that twisted smile followed by a “Why so serious?”. 

Now, as the last of the trilogy, as a crescendo to Nolan’s magic, as a fitting conclusion to his genius, and as Batman’s greatest battle ever, the expectation around TDKR, has been sky high! And while the movie begins with a bang and ends with an even bigger nuclear bang, you are left feeling let down by the middle! Here is my list of reasons why I thought it wasn’t as great as the other 2 in the trilogy 

1. The greatest bane of this movie, is the arch-villian, who is also very aptly named Bane! He may be physically more impressive than all other Batman villains and far superior in strength to a battle broken Batman, but he completely lacks the Joker’s menace, his screen presence and his ability to send that shiver down your spine! And no, that part Hannibal Lecter, part Darth Vader masked look does not make him scary. Instead he sounds like a cheap kidnapper speaking through a voice muffling device and all he does is make you wish for a hearing aid or subtitles! But to be fair to the guy, try as one might, is it ever possible to find a villain more insane, more sadistic or wicked than the Joker? Heath Ledger leaves behind really enormous shoes to fill, and Bane’s character, simply falls short! 

2. The reason I go to see a superhero movie is to see the superhero himself! To see him beat up the baddies, to make us, lesser mortals, believe no matter how unfair real life is, there is a fantasy world out there where the good hero is strong, is powerful and always wins! And that is why he is superior to all of us; he is what each of us desire to be! But in here, like the people of Gotham, I found myself asking again and again, “Where the hell is Batman?” Most of the movie had him missing in action! Given the time we spent watching rookie officer John Blake, I wondered if he should be crowned the hero of this movie instead of Bruce Wayne/ Batman! 

3. And finally, the story, though vast in scope and grand in scale, studded with amazing special effects, rooted in today’s realities and many layered as one now expects any Nolan venture to be (the fall of the Bastille, the citizen courts of the French revolution gone amok, the nuclear threat, the stock market crash, the greedy capitalists spreading anarchy and chaos), still lacks that certain ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ that made the other two movies in the trilogy click! 
And yes, it doesn’t take a genius to guess the twists and turns in the movie! 

Having said all of the above, I must reiterate that the movie was not bad, merely disappointing; Christian Bale is simply fantastic as the brooding, reclusive, battle scarred Batman who has to overcome his physical handicap, his guilt and anguish to find the strength to be the Dark Knight all over again. And then there is Anne Hathaway, who is superbly cast as Catwoman and has some of the best lines in the movie! The exchanges between her and Batman, make for some of the best entertainment in this movie! 

Then there is The Amazing Spiderman. 

Unlike TDKR, I actually had no expectations when I went to see this one. To be honest, how interesting can a rehash of the same old story be, I asked myself? But then I learnt to my pleasant and utter surprise, that apparently the same old wine packaged up in a new brand, swanky new bottle can be just as interesting, if not more! And in that sense, The Amazing Spiderman, lives up to its name and is truly, every bit an amazing movie. 

It takes the same story that each of us can recall even in our sleep and it gives it a “diffraant/ zara hatke” twist to keep even a sceptic like me engrossed till the end. The storyline is more interesting and also delves into the question we have never pondered on before – Spiderman’s origins before he came to live with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. 

And the cast is like a breath of fresh air; Andrew Garfield as Spiderman, is less antisocial, far less shy, a little more fun, far more relatable, if you can ever relate to a superhero that is, and far less jaded than Tobey McGuire. Emma Stone as the girl friend Gwen Stacey, is a welcome relief as compared to Kirsten Dunst/ MJ Parker, she-of-the-forever-scowling-forever-whining disposition! Some of the scenes between the two as well as the ones where PP discovers his new powers are a sheer treat to watch! And the Lizard, while he is no Green Goblin or Dr Octopus, does still does make for a very formidable villain. 

All in all, a fresh and fantastic, or should I say amazing beginning to a new franchise, creating just the right amount of excitement, leaving you with just the right amount of guessing to do about the future films in the pipeline – on the mysterious Norman Osborn who is mentioned but never seen and on Spiderman’s missing scientist dad! I cannot wait to see where the next Spiderman movie takes us!