So as most of us know there has been a lot of both leaked footage and leaked pictures coming from the set of The Dark Knight Rises. A sizable about of the material came from the recently wrapped portion of the shoot in Pittsburgh, PA. There was plenty to see with regards to Batman in action, but there was also some first looks at Bane, played by Tom Hardy, along with Selina Kyle / Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway. In a response of sorts to the leaks, the studio released an official hi-resolution photo of Hathaway as a partially costumed Catwoman (or still Selina Kyle …) riding on a presumably stolen Batpod.
Now, as these bits and pieces of the shoot started to leak out to the internet in the form of photography and video, there was immediate reaction from the community across Twitter, blogs, Movie News websites, and various other outlets. While there were definitely people that were positive about what they were seeing (especially given who’s making these movies), there were also a surprising amount of naysayers. People started to point out that Anne Hathaway is somehow too lithe to be Catwoman, or that Bane isn’t muscular enough — or just outright ridiculous looking.
Before I go on, let me be clear here: everyone is entitled to their opinion. I don’t want to impose on people’s right to say what they want to say … but I have to say that it looks like an awful lot of people really aren’t forming a concise opinion when it comes to the material leaking out; let alone that judging the potential of the movie based on what they’re seeing right now is incredibly premature.
What I personally think a lot of people are lacking when it comes to what they’re seeing is the context of what they’re seeing. The media we’re getting for this movie right now — with the exception of the official teaser trailer, and studio photography — is unofficial, premature, and lacks any sort of context that would allow the consumer to develop a true opinion about this film. What they’re seeing has no point of reference, you can’t see how the characters are emoting or speaking, and you have no connection to those characters. As for my opinion on all the material that has leaked so far, I think that it’s all pretty much solid, and expected based on what it is — which is leaked and out of context media.
Despite the notion of the material being out of context though, people are also potentially forgetting who’s helming this movie. It’s Christopher “I’m arguably a damn genius” Nolan. I realize that whether or not he is a genius is subjective, but you cannot deny this man’s track record — Memento, The Prestige, Inception; and as it relates to the topic of discussion, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. Remember the track history, and especially remember what this man did to this franchise. He took it from Batman & Robin — arguably one of the worst movies ever made — to an incredible new chapter in this intellectual property’s history.
You then look at the cast, all of whom are also arguably some of the best at what they do — Christian Bale, a man who’s already proven he’s committed to every role he’s cast in, Anne Hathaway, one our best and brightest talents in Hollywood today, and Tom Hardy, who’s now coming into the forefront in a big way as a great charismatic cinematic performer. You have a supporting cast filled with top tier industry veterans. A top tier crew backing the whole production. It goes on an on.
Also, these characters and the story aren’t meant to be literal comic book page to film translations. They are interpretations based on Christopher and Jonathan Nolan’s thought process and respective imaginations. They’ve already proven that they have the right mindset for the Batman universe throughout the past two movies, and just because Anne Hathaway might not somehow seem ‘mean enough’, or Tom Hardy isn’t some fool in an airbrushed muscle suit doesn’t mean that they won’t be true to what these characters really represented at their core.
If people aren’t a fan of the franchise or Christopher Nolan’s vision of Batman to begin with, then that’s fine. If people come out of the theater in the summer of 2012 with a negative opinion after seeing the movie, then at that point I’m all for it because it is an opinion based on a full experience, not just partial information. Again, everyone is entitled to think whatever they want to think. But what I think right now is that people just need to relax, sit back, and let the tension to July 2012 build up. If any one person in particular needs a reminder [queue obligatory Jay-Z song here] then perhaps they should throw on The Dark Knight blu-ray and give that a watch again. It has been over 3 years now, has it not?
Loading tweets...
