The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey

• Title:  The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey
• Director:  Peter Jackson
• Date:  2012
• Studio:  Warner Brothers, New Line, MGM
• Genre:  Fantasy, Action, Drama
• Cast:  Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Sylvester McCoy, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, James Nesbitt, Benedict Cumberbatch
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"For he had seen dragonfire in the sky and a city turned to ash, and he never forgave and he never forgot."  -- Old Bilbo describing Thorin Oakenshield

"I've never used a sword in my life." -- Bilbo
"And I hope you never have to.  But if you do, remember this:  True courage is about knowing not when to take a life but when to spare one."  -- Gandalf

"Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check.  But that is not what I have found.  I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the blackness at bay.  Simple acts of kindness and love."  -- Gandalf

The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey opens with old Bilbo (Ian Holm) reminiscing, speaking to Frodo, but only in his head as he goes through some of his old souvenirs of his adventures.  Bilbo's narration includes the famous first line that Tolkien wrote about Hobbits, "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit..." and background information about the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the kingdom of Erebor.  When Frodo does arrive he brings in the mail, most of which are responses to Biblo's birthday party -- and Bilbo gives him the sign to hang on his garden gate, "No admittance except on Party business".  The screen then transitions to the title card for "An Unexpected Journey" and young Bilbo (Martin Freeman).  This neatly ties The Hobbit in with the previous Lord of the Rings film trilogy.  JRR Tolkien wrote The Hobbit first, then The Lord of the Rings which was so long, his publisher suggested publishing it in three volumes, which became:  The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.  Now, you can get LotR in either a single volume or in the traditional three-book version, and often it's packaged in box sets with the prequel, The Hobbit.

In the Shire, Bilbo is standing around outside when Gandalf arrives and tries to talk Bilbo into accompanying him on an adventure.  Bilbo dismisses the idea.  Later, one by one, then in groups, a total of twelve Dwarves arrive at his Hobbit hole.  Finally, Thorin Oakenshield the Dwarves leader arrives, as does Gandalf.  The Dwarves are rather chaotic house-guests, but they tell Bilbo of their quest -- to return to Erebor and re-claim their kingdom under the mountain from the dragon, Smaug.  Bilbo is reluctant.

The Dwarves sing, "The Song of the Misty Mountains", their anthem, and each of the Dwarves stands to sing.  This somewhat convinces Bilbo, but when he gets a look at his "contract"  he's shocked at all the ways he could die, and ultimately he refuses.

The next morning, Bilbo awakens and his home is sparkling.  He finds the contract, signs it, and runs out his door to join Gandalf and the Dwarves on an adventure.  As they travel, the scenery is beautiful and gorgeous.  Stunning, really.

One night, when they've stopped to camp, Balin fills Bilbo in on more of  Thorin's background.  His Grandfather and Father had attempted to re-take Moria which was filled with Orcs.  Not only did they face an horde of orcs, but a pale orc beheads the king, Thorin's grandfather, and Thorin's father runs off, driven mad by grief, anger, and fear.  The pale orc, Azog, also attacks Thorin, who defends himself  with an oaken branch.  Thorin rallies the Dwarves, but though they "win" the battle, the cost is much too high, with the piles of Dwarven dead on the battlefield, and the death of the Dwarves' king.

Gandalf, Bilbo, and the Dwarves continue their journey in the rain.  Bilbo asks Gandalf about other wizards. Gandalf mentions Saruman the White, the two blues, and Radagast the Brown.  The film transitions to Radagast, who is investigating mysterious occurrences in the Greenwood.  Radagast travels by way of a sled pulled by rabbits.  The film transitions back to Thorin's company.

Again, the Dwarves camp for the night.  Two ponies go missing.  Fili, Kili, and Bilbo investigate and find trolls.  While the the trolls, are gross, stupid, and acting like the Three Stooges, Bilbo sneaks over to free the now four taken ponies.  Bilbo is caught and the trolls threaten to eat him.  Kili and the other Dwarves arrive to the rescue.  There's a fight, but in the end, Bilbo is caught and the Dwarves have to put down their arms.  The trolls plan on eating the dwarves.  Bilbo tries to delay the trolls.  At dawn, Gandalf arrives and the sun turns the trolls to stone.  Bilbo's playing for time had saved the Dwarves as much as Gandalf's arrival, but Gandalf  has to point the fact out to Thorin.

The company finds the nearby troll hold of  treasure and weapons.  They discover three fine Elvish swords, Gandalf takes one, he gives Thorin another, and Bilbo takes a third, a knife that is just the right size for him to use as a sword.

Radagast arrives and tells Gandalf that a darkness has fallen on the Greenwood, and spiders have invaded it.  a dark power, the shadow of an ancient horror, the Necromancer is now there.  Wargs (giant wolf/dog-type animals) and orcs attack, and the ponies bolt.  Radagast draws off the Wargs.

Gandalf  leads the Dwarves to a secret passage, Thorin covers the retreat.  Suddenly, someone arrives and attacks the orcs, a group of Elves.  Gandalf  leads the Dwarves through the path and they arrive in Rivendell.
Elrond arrives, he is back from hunting Orcs.  Elrond and his Elves exhibit impressive horsemanship, and Elrond's red-tinged armor is gorgeous!  Elrond greets Thorin by name, and by the names of  his father and mentions knowing his grandfather.  The Elves offer the Dwarves food and shelter.  Thorin reluctantly accepts, still holding a grudge against Elves because they did not aid the Dwarves when Smaug attacked Erebor.

Elrond recognizes the Elvish swords that the Dwarves found, telling Thorin his is, Orcrist - the Goblin Cleaver, and he tells Gandalf, his is, Glamdring, the Foe Hammer.  Elrond tells them a little of the swords' history.  Bilbo looks up with expectation, but he's told his "sword" is too small to have done great deals, that it is probably a "dinner knife" or child's toy.  The Dwarves are treated to a meal and music, but are uncomfortable.

Elrond explains the moon runes on Thorin's map to Gandalf and Thorin.  Elrond discovers the company's quest and refers to Gandalf as a "Guardian of Middle-Earth".  Gandalf shows a council of  himself, Elrond, Galadriel, and Saruman the Morgul blade as proof  of Radagast's news that something is going on in the Greenwood.  Saruman dismisses this news, and Radagast himself, but Galadriel takes Gandalf more seriously and offers her help if he should ever need it.

The Dwarves leave Rivendell, and continue their journey.  On a black mountain cliff, in the rain, they wander into a battle between storm giants.  Bilbo nearly falls from the cliff.  In rescuing him, Thorin is nearly lost.  In a fit of anger, he tells Bilbo, "He's been lost, ever since he left home.  He should never have come.  He has no place amongst us."  The Dwarves move into a cave to rest.  Bilbo's about to leave, to go home, but he talks to Bofur who convinces him to stay, then his sword glows blue - indicating orcs or goblins nearby.  The company is attacked by goblins (orcs).  The Dwarves are captured, but Bilbo is over-looked and left alone.  There, he is attacked by a goblin and fights, then falls down a cavern.

The captured Dwarves are brought to the Goblin king.  Thorin comes to defend the Dwarves.  The goblin king threatens to send Thorin's head to the pale orc.

Bilbo wakes in the dark.  He sees Gollum.  Gollum loses the ring while attacking a goblin, which he drags back to his underground pond to kill and eat.
Bilbo finds the ring, and pockets it.
Once Gollum has killed the goblin, Bilbo's sword ceased to glow blue.  He and Gollum meet.  Slowly Bilbo and Gollum get into a game of riddles.  Biblo asks Gollum to show him the way out if he wins, and if  he loses, Gollum wants to eat him.  Gollum alternates between his "Gollum" and "Smeagol" personalities throughout the scenes between he and Bilbo.  It's extremely well done!

Since Bilbo wins the game, Gollum must show him the way out.  Gollum also realises with a panic that he's lost his precious, and also realises that Bilbo has it in his "pocketses".

Gandalf arrives to rescue Thorin and his Dwarves.

Bilbo escapes a wrathful Gollum by squeezing through a tight passage in the rock - so tight the brass button pop off  his waistcoat (or vest).  The ring falls on his finger and he's dropped into "wraithworld" without warning or understanding.

Fighting the goblins, the Dwarves and Gandalf move to escape but they are confronted by the goblin king.  Gandalf defeats him.  The Dwarves and Gandalf, however, fall off a wooden bridge, into a cavern and land in a heap.  They run for the exit.

Bilbo, in the wraithworld, sees the Dwarves running by, who, naturally don't notice him.  Bilbo is unable to kill the helpless and pathetic Gollum.  This will be very important later, in The Lord of the Rings, where Bilbo's mercy has great consequences.  Bilbo runs for the exit, and Gollum doesn't really know what's happened.

In the woods, Gandalf counts the Dwarves, sees they are all there, then asks after Bilbo.  Bilbo takes the ring off and appears.  Wargs and orcs attack, Bilbo kills a warg.  The company escapes into the trees.  Gandalf speaks to a Monarch butterfly to call for help.  Azog arrives.  Gandalf attacks the wargs with fire, setting pine-cones alight and throwing them.  Bilbo and the Dwarves also throw flaming pine cones at the wargs.  But the forest of trees bursts into flame and the Dwarves nearly fall off  the cliff.  Walking through the pale trees, Thorin attacks Azog, the pale orc.  Azog strikes back and knocks Thorin out.

Bilbo attacks the orc sent to take Thorin's head and kills the orc.  The Eagles arrive to rescue the Dwarves.  The Eagles attack the wargs and orcs.  One eagle picks up the still unconscious Thorin in his talons.  All, including Bilbo, are rescued.  The eagles carry everyone to a rocky cliff face at the top of a mountain.  Gandalf goes to check on Thorin and heals him.  Thorin is grateful to Bilbo for saving him, and admits to being wrong about him.  From the cliff, they can see Erebor, the Lonely Mountain.  Under the mountain, is Smaug.

I enjoyed The Hobbit.  Yes, it is a long film, and  there are several complex action sequences, as one would expect from Peter Jackson.  But the emphasis and heart of the film is the characters, especially, Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin.  Tolkien's original novel is only about 300 pages, and it's a straight-forward, there-and-back again tale of adventure.  So, I wondered how Jackson was going to take that and make first, two films, and later, it was announced, a new trilogy of films. However, one of the things he does in An Unexpected Journey is he changes the emphasis of the Dwarves' quest from one for gold -- the gold horded by the dragon, to a quest to re-take their home.  Making the quest about home means it's easier to identify with the entire story, and it gives Bilbo a reason to accompany the Dwarves on their quest.  He tells Thorin that he has a home but he will help Thorin take his home back, if  he can.  Bilbo can understand and emphasize with Thorin's quest to take back his home.  I'm hoping 2013's The Desolation of Smaug will also be as good, though I have no doubts that it will be.  Anyway, this film is excellent, highly enjoyable, and highly recommended.

New Zealand again  plays Middle-Earth, and the scenery is stunning, absolutely stunning.  Howard Shore's score, which I was anticipating last year almost as much as the film itself, is perfect.  It's new, but has a quality that lets you know this is the same Middle-Earth as in Lord of the Rings, though a younger, more innocent time, with only a hint of the darkness to come.  And the Dwarves' choral piece, "Song of the Misty Mountains" is beautiful, I really loved it.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Cloud Atlas

The Avengers

• Title:  The Avengers
• Director:  Joss Whedon
• Date:  2012
• Studio:  Paramount, Marvel Studios
• Genre:  Action, Fantasy, SF
• Cast:  Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Alexis Denisoff, Clark Gregg
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"The cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right?  Doors open from both sides." -- Clint Barton

"I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."  -- Dr. Bruce Banner

"Is this the first time you lost a soldier?"  -- Capt. Steve Rogers

"We are not soldiers!" -- Tony Stark

The Avengers takes several heroes from previous Marvel films and brings them together into a team-up movie, as a new super-hero group, The Avengers, is assembled to combat Loki's challenge, find the mysterious Tesseract cube Loki has stolen,  and ultimately to fight an army of creatures from another galaxy.

The film opens with an attack by Loki on a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility.  He uses his staff to take control of Clint Barton (a.k.a. Hawkeye) and succeeds in taking the Tesseract cube.  In the chaos, the facility is destroyed.  Recognising that the special circumstances call for a special team and a special response, Nick Fury calls for Agent Phil Coulson to assemble a team who will become The Avengers.  The beginning of the film introduces and assembles this team, all of whom are in the midst of their own problems, but they put them aside to combat Loki's threat.  The team is:  Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) an assassin, Dr. Bruce Banner (the Hulk), Tony Stark (Iron Man), Captain America (Capt. Steve Rogers), Thor, and S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.

Once the team is assembled, they begin to look for Loki and the Tesseract.  They easily find Loki in Stuttgart, Germany.  Captain America and Ironman fight and capture Loki, with some help from Black Widow, a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter, and Thor.  However, once they take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s heli-carrier (remember the Valiant from the Doctor Who episodes:  "The Sontaran Stratagem"/"The Poison Sky"? - it looks like that.) it seems that Loki wanted to be taken.  He plays the team, attempting to get Dr. Bruce Banner so angry that he turns into the Hulk and smashes the carrier in flight.  Despite the Avengers figuring out this plan, it works.  Hawkeye, still under Loki's control, also attacks the carrier.  Stark and Rogers have to work together to prevent the entire carrier from crashing.  Agent Phil Coulson is killed by Loki.  Both Thor and Hulk fall out of the heli-carrier, but are un-hurt when they land.  Prior to his turning into the Hulk, Banner and Stark both got along very well.  Stark treated Banner well, complimented his scientific work and papers, and even inviting Banner to Stark Tower to work in R&D.  The same cannot be said of Stark and Rogers - who strongly dislike each other at first.  Loki successfully escape, though Stark and Rogers are able to prevent the carrier from crashing.

Recovering from their losses, and the death of  Agent Coulson, the Avengers plan their next move.  After a discussion with Rogers, Tony realises that Loki will use the new Arc Reactor self-perpetuating green power source at Stark Tower to accomplish his plans.

The film moves to New York, where Loki has already opened a portal to another galaxy.  Alien creatures go through the portal and start causing chaos - attacking everything, destroying buildings, and killing people.  Tony first challenges Loki, then co-ordinates the counter-attack.  Eventually all the Avengers join the fight. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s shadowy cabinet decides to cut their losses and target a nuclear missile on the city.  Fury is, well, furious, at the very idea and refuses to comply with the order.  The cabinet sends out a fighter jet to send in the nuke anyway.  Fury informs Ironman, who informs the other Avengers.  Tony then takes the missile and carries it into the portal.  He sees it blow-up, cutting off  the alien's power, then falls to earth.  Stark barely makes it through the portal before Natasha closes it with Loki's staff.  Hulk catches the powerless, falling Stark.

Tony and Pepper are adorable and cute together at the beginning of the film, when Coulson comes to bring Ironman into the mission.  When he's heading for the portal and thinking he will probably die, Tony agrees, at Jarvis's suggestion, to call Pepper.  She, however, misses his call.

News clips round-up the story, with man-on-the-street type interviews with those saved by the Avengers, as well as political pundits who criticize the destruction of the city.  Thor takes Loki and the Tesseract; Tony and Banner ride off together, Steve leaves on his own motorcycle, and later Tony and Pepper are in his lab re-designing Stark Tower.  The Avengers have split apart but they will draw together again when  needed. 

The film is a great ensemble piece, with crackling, snappy dialogue.  I enjoyed it very much.  I really liked the "science bromance" of  Tony Stark and Dr. Bruce Banner.  Stark is a genuine admirer of  the other man, and is not in fear of  the green "rage monster" as he calls it.  He's shocked when Banner admits he had once attempted to shoot himself, only to have "the other guy" spit out the bullet. Natasha and Clint also seemed to have a history, though Hawkeye spends most of the film in Loki's thrall, she is, eventually able to break that and he joins the Avengers for the final battle.  Overall, this was a great summer "popcorn" movie.  It's fun, the actors all did a great job, and the characters were very cool.  When I saw it last year, the only other Marvel films I'd seen were some of the X-men movies and the (Tobey McGuire) Spiderman films (which aren't connected at all), and Thor (which was).  This film got me to see the Ironman films, largely due to Robert Downey Jr.'s excellent performance, which I enjoyed (see reviews on this blog).  The Avengers shows that an ensemble piece with several characters with elaborate backstorys can still work as a film.  Warner Brothers are you listening?  Make Justice League!  Anyway, it's recommended.

Recommendation:  Go see it!

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Next Film:  The Third Man

Australia

• Title:  Australia
• Director:  Baz Luhrmann
• Date:  2008
• Studio:  20th Century Fox
• Genre:  Romance, Historical, Drama
• Cast:  Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Brandon Walters
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"That strange woman, she fire Mr. Fletcher....  He can't hurt Momma no more. ...  From that day on, we call her, 'Mrs. Boss'.  -- Nullah, narrating

"We can't let them win." -- Lady Ashley

"We won't." -- Drover

"Sarah, I'm as good as Black [Aboriginal Australian] to that lot up there.  Now I don't mix with dingos or duchesses.  They keep out of my way and I keep out of theirs.  That's the way it is." -- Drover

"Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be." -- Lady Sarah Ashley

"But that's the way it is."  -- Drover

Australia is a grand sweeping epic.  It has elements of an American Western, strangely enough (the first act involves a cattle drive) but the second act is where the film really shines.  Australia is beautifully filmed and the land itself  is often the star of the picture.  The cast look fantastic too, especially Hugh Jackman (at his sexy best as the rough Outback drover, Drover) and Nicole Kidman (who looks incredible, whether she's wearing traditional English clothes, or something more suited to Australia's climate).  David Wenham, as Mr. Fletcher, is playing a real s.o.b. -- and relishing it.  And newcomer, Brandon Walters, is incredible as Nullah - the half Aboriginal / half white child, who narrates much of the story.

Australia begins with a brief introduction narrated by Nullah, who's spear fishing with his Grandfather, "King George", the magician.  A man (who we'll later discover is Maitland Ashley) is killed.  Then the film transitions to England, and Lady Ashley.  A pampered young aristocrat (played by Kidman), she's annoyed her husband has yet to sell 'that ranch in Australia'.  Convinced her husband is fooling around in more ways than one, she boards a plane and heads for Australia.  Just prior to landing, she receives a telegram that she's to meet Drover (Hugh Jackman) who will take her to Faraway Downs, their ranch.

But all is not well in Darwin when she arrives.  It's a rough town, war is on the horizon, and a cattle baron named King Carney has bought up all the land in Northern Australia, except the Ashleys' Faraway Downs.  Yet the price he offers her is far below what it's worth.  Lady Ashley meets with Drover, who takes her to the ranch.  When they finally arrive, she finds her husband's been murdered.  She also discovers her husband's most trusted cattle-hand, Fletcher, has been beating the native women and children who live on the ranch, stealing cows and driving them across the river to Carney's land, and that he's also responsible for her husband's death; most of which she can't prove to the law.  To her credit, Lady Ashley fires Fletcher.  She then gets Drover to agree to drive 1500 head of cattle to Darwin to sell to the Army.  Needing at least seven people for the cattle drive, they assemble a motley crew and head off.

The drive is an adventure, and Australia itself shines in untamed glory. Fletcher uses under-hand tactics against the drive, such as spooking the cattle with fire towards a cliff.  But despite the challenges, Drover and Sarah make it to Darwin.  There, Carney has just gotten the Army representative to sign a contract, as Sarah and Drover arrive with the cattle.  However, the contract isn't valid until the cows are loaded onto a ship, and Sarah and Drover manage to get them on the ship first.  Sarah wins her contract.

Sarah invites Drover to the ball to celebrate, but he refuses, stating he isn't one of  the upper crust of  people.  Sarah nearly sells Faraway Downs, but Drover arrives at the ball, cleaned up and in a suit.  The two dance together and decide to make a go of it, taking the half-Arboriginal/half-white child, Nullah, into their unofficial  custody.

Nullah narrates much of the story, and Sarah comes to love the child, especially as she can't have children of her own.  Drover also loves the child, as his first wife was Black (or Arboriginal) but she died of untreated TB.  Drover, Nullah, and Sarah are happy for a time, enjoying the "wet" season, and Sarah even understands that Drover will be off droving during "the dry" season.  Soon however, the trio's happiness is shattered.

Fletcher kills King Carney, making it look like an accident.  Nullah wishes to go walkabout with his grandfather.  Drover, understanding the custom, wants him to go, but Sarah disagrees, thinking the child's too young.  When Nullah disappears, Drover thinks he's gone with his grandfather anyway, but Sarah thinks something is wrong.  Nullah and his grandfather are arrested by the local police at Fletcher's insistance -- Nullah to be sent to the Mission School for assimilation, and King George to be tried for the deaths of Maitland and King Carney.

Sarah goes off to Darwin to try to get Nullah back.  Drover is off working in the Outback and has no idea what's going on.  The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, then Darwin, hitting the mission island first, then the small army town itself.  Sarah's right in the middle of things.  Drover arrives too, but he's too late.  He's told Sarah died in the communications tent.  Drover is completely bereft.  However, a young priest finds him and asks for help getting to the mission island to recover any children they can.  Drover, not knowing that Nullah was sent to the island, and having nothing to lose, agrees to help the priest, as does Drover's close friend and brother-in-law Muggery.

They get to the island and rescue Nullah and some of the other children.  Muggery is killed by Japanese soldier as they make their escape in a boat.  Meanwhile, Sarah is helping with the evacuation of Darwin, unaware that she's been reported dead or even that Drover is in town.

Drover's ship sails through the fog and smoke back to Darwin.  The children land.  Sarah hears the children's singing, refuses to get on the convoy truck and runs to find the ship pulling in.  She's reunited with Nullah and Drover.

As a last act of mischief  Fletcher fires a rifle at Nullah.  He hits the child, but Nullah's grandfather kills him with a thrown spear.  Nullah recovers and he, Sarah, and Drover return to Faraway Downs.  Later, Sarah allows him to go walkabout with his grandfather.

This is an excellent movie.  It's beautifully filmed, both the wild scenery and the people.  The story is a bit typical romantic plot, but the child Nullah, lifts the story out of  romantic drama cliche'.  The cast is excellent. I highly recommend seeing it!

Recommendation:  See it!

Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

Next Film:  The Avengers

Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 (Spoilers)

• Title:   Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2
• Director:  Jay Olivia
• Voice Director:  Andrea Romano
• Date:  2013
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre:  Animation, Action, Drama
• Cast:  Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, Michael Emerson, David Seltz, Mark Valley, Robin Atkin Downes, Maurice LaMarche, Michael McKean, Conan O'Brien, Rob Paulsen, Frank Welker, Tara Strong
• Format:  Windscreen, Color Animation
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Look, either shut it down, or one of these days someone with authority is going to tell me to come stop you.  And when that happens..." -- Clark

"When that happens may the best man win." - Bruce

"Come on, finish me.... Doesn't matter, I win, I made you lose control ... and they'll kill you for it." -- Joker

"Tonight, I am going to maintain order in Gotham City, you're going to help me!  But not with these [guns]!  These are loud and clumsy!  These are the weapons of cowards!  Our weapons are precise and quiet!  In time, I will teach them to you.  But for tonight, you will rely on your brains and your fists.  Tonight we are the law!  Tonight I am the law!"  -- Batman

Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is a classic graphic novel that's been in print since it's original publication in 1986.  It's excellent, and truly raised the bar for graphic story-telling and changed comics forever.  It's the first graphic novel I ever read and one I occasionally re-read.  I'm very glad Warner's allowed two movies to be made from this big and complicated graphic novel.  I was worried though that Warners would "wimp out" with the more controversial aspects of the story.  I'm happy to report they did not.  The political aspects of the storyline are here in full.  Hazzah!

Whereas the first part (film) focuses on Bruce putting the Batsuit on again and Two Face and the Mutant gang Leader as villains, the second part focuses almost exclusively on The Joker as primary villain, though there is still a lot going on.  Even more than Part 1, television newscasts are used as a narration device in Part 2.  

In Part 2, the remainder of  the Mutant Gang has split into various groups.  The Sons of Batman, with their blue face paint, declare Batman as their leader, and attempt to save Gotham City from other criminals - violently.  The Nixons, with their tall blonde female leader, "Bruno", rob and steal without remorse.  Bruno has red swastikas painted on her breasts.  Batman sets up a sting to catch her, and succeeds.  Superman arrives in Gotham and saves a blind man who's fallen into a subway track in the path of an on-coming train.  But the reason he's there is to encourage Bruce to hang-up the cape again.  However, the majority of  the film concerns Joker.

Jim Gordon retires.  The new police commissioner, Ellen Yindel, as her first act as Comissioner, issues a warrant for Batman's arrest.  When Clark and Bruce talk, Clark has a bald eagle on his arm, and Bruce pets Clark's white dog -- which is a great image!

Joker is in an asylum, being treated by Dr. Wolper.  He manipulates Wolper to get him a pass and an interview on the Dave Endocrine Show.  Wolper does this, and soon Joker is free.   He kills Wolper with a coffee cup during the show's taping, as well as Endocrine and his audience with his deadly Joker gas.  Batman and Robin (Carrie) had gone to the show's taping to try to stop Joker, but Yindel's police attack Batman.  The police spend so much time trying to catch Batman that they fail to stop Joker.

After escaping the chaos at the television studio, Joker finds Selina Kyle, and uses hallucinogenic lipstick to control her mind, as well as one of her girls.  The girl gets a Congressman to declare the country should declare open war on the Soviets before falling to his death (while wrapped in an American flag). 

The president announces on TV that American troops are battling Soviet troops in the South American Island country of "Corto Maltese".  As in the graphic novel, the president looks like Reagan, and he's voiced in the animated film to sound like Ronald Reagan, including his "folksy wisdom".  He announces a war by saying, "Now those Soviets would like to see us turn tail and run, but we've got to protect our interests, I mean, stand up for freedom and the good people of Corto Maltese.  So don't fret... we've got God on our side."  This political conflict forms the backdrop of the entire film.  News is blacked out "due to severe weather".  

Batman finds out about the connection to Kyle Escorts.  He finds Selina, dressed like Wonder Woman, and tied-up.  She tells him about Joker and the mind-control lipstick.  Batman is too late to save the Congressman.

Batman also finds out Joker's next target is the local amusement park, which is just opening.  Batman and Joker fight in the house of mirrors, where Joker shoots Batman in the shoulder.  Joker escapes into the tunnel of  love, and he and Batman fight again.  Joker knifes Batman across the stomach and stabs him several times.  Batman beats Joker, who finally collapses against a wall.  Joker taunts Batman, then breaks his own neck.  Batman passes out.  Later, Batman awakes.  He places incindiaries on Joker's body and disappears, as Yindel's police troops close in.  Joker's body burns and the entire tunnel blows up.

Carrie rescues Batman and takes him to the Cave where Alfred does surgery.

Reagan announces from an "undisclosed location" via television special report, American troops won in Corto Maltese, but the Soviets are "poor sports" as a missile's been sent towards the Island nation.  Superman deflects the missile and it blows up over Gotham City.  Superman is irradiated, crash lands, and kills everything he touches -- flowers, trees, grass, etc.

Gotham is blacked out and everyone panics.  Bruce realizes it was an EMP blast.  Batman and Robin ride on horseback into Gotham.  Batman rallies the Sons of Batman, and later citizens and even formal members of the Mutant Gang into keeping order in the city.  Meanwhile, Jim Gordon, organizes people in his own neighborhood to put out fires.

The country is buried under a cloud of smoke and ash.  In Gotham, there is no sun, but electricity is slowly coming back on.  Gotham is the only city not torn apart by crime, rioting and looting.

The president (still Reagan) enforces martial law, and sends a recovering Superman after Batman.  Batman works with Carrie, Oliver Queen (formerly the Green Arrow), and Alfred on a plan.  He fights Superman in Crime Alley, distracting him until Queen can fire a Kryptonite arrow at Superman.  The arrow doesn't kill Superman outright, but weakens him.  Batman somewhat defeats Superman, but then he falls victim to a heart attack.  Superman, Diana (once but no longer Wonder Woman), Selina, and Jim Gordon attend the funeral.  At the end, Carrie, heavily veiled, is the last to stand by Bruce Wayne's grave.

Wayne Manor has burned to the ground, after Alfred, following Bruce's instructions, hit the self-destruct.  Alfred escapes the house but dies of a massive stroke.

There's a cut to the sound of a heart monitor.  Then, Oliver Queen begins to instruct the Sons of  Batman in cleaning up the Bat Cave.  Bruce arrives and states he will instruct the Sons of Batman (as well as former Mutants and other citizens who joined him the first night after the missile fell).  They are now Bruce's army.

I liked Part 1 slightly better; Part 2 seems like more of a slug-fest.  However, kudos to Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, Warner Brothers Animation, and DC Premiere for not shying away from the darker and more political aspects of  Frank Miller's classic book.  The second half of Part 2 works really well.  In the first half,  Batman's final confrontation with Joker seems almost anti-climatic.  However, though the film is dark and violent, it is also really good -- with an adult story, and incredible animation that evokes the art of Miller's classic.  Recommended.

Recommendation:  See it!  (Though not for young children)

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Next Film:  The Third Man

Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 1

• Title:  Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 1
• Director:  Jay Olivia
• Voice Director:  Andrea Romano
• Date:  2012
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre:  Action, Animation
• Cast:  Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, David Selby, Wade Williams, Maurice LaMarche, Michael McKean, Rob Paulsen, Tara Strong, Frank Welker
• Format:  Widescreen Color Animation
• DVD Format:  R 1, NTSC

"We must believe we can all defeat our own private demons." -- Bruce Wayne, during press conference

"Two abducted children were found alive in a riverside warehouse along with six critically injured members of the mutant gang.  The children describe the gang's attacker as, 'a man dressed as Dracula.' "-- Female Newscaster

"If  it's suicide you're after, I have an old family recipe.  It's slow and painful -- you'd like it." -- Alfred, to Bruce

"I played along as long as I could, while you and the docs had your joke.  you got everyone to smile and keep their lunches down when they looked at me, pretending I looked normal. ... Just look at me and have your laugh.  Get it over with.  At least both sides match now, right?  Look at me, and have your laugh." -- Harvey Dent

Batman The Dark Knight Returns is based on Frank Miller's incomparable graphic novel of the same name. Miller's work changed comics for a decade, and it's effects are still being felt.  The animated film starts quickly, with no credits (they will appear at the end).  Commissioner Gordon is weeks from retirement, and the Batman hasn't been seen in Gotham City for ten years.  The city is in a grip of a crime wave, mostly caused by the Mutants, a gang dedicated to horrific violence even more than crime.  Bruce Wayne and James Gordon are having dinner.  Gordon lightly inquires about Batman, and then brings up Dick and Jason. Bruce insists he's given up his old life fighting crime, but isn't happy that Gordon's brought up the Robins.

Bruce leaves his meeting with Gordon and walks through Crime Alley, there he is reminded of his parents' deaths and his one-time vow to stop crime.  Some Mutants approach to attack Bruce, but he frightens them off.  That night, he dreams about his experiences.  He remembers falling down a well, and being scared by bats.  Unable to sleep, Bruce goes to the Batcave and stares at Robin's shrine.  Alfred arrives, concerned.  to Bruce's own surprise, he has shaved off his mustache.

Meanwhile, at the Arkham Home, a Dr. Wolper (Michael McKean) works with Harvey Dent, to rehabilitate the criminal once known as Two-Face.  Joker is also in Arkham, but completely comatose.  Harvey, his face  restored, and supposedly cured of  his criminal bent, is released, but then disappears.

Meanwhile, back at his manor, Bruce Wayne is flipping TV channels in the middle of  the night.  He keeps finding news reports of Gotham's escalating violence.  But he also comes across a late night showing of The Mark of  Zorro, the film he saw with his parents That Fateful Night.  The film brings back bad memories of his trauma.  But even as he tries to escape his memories by flipping channels, he only hears more bad news of crime and violence.  Even the weather report of the on-coming storm seems dire.  Bruce's memories mix with the Voice of  the Bat, calling him to return.  A bat breaks through his window.

Meanwhile, Carrie and her friend Michelle have taken a short cut through The Arcade to escape the rain.  Michelle is nervous because she has heard it's a Mutant Gang hideout.  Carrie pooh-poohs her fears.  Then the lights go out and Mutants attack.  Batman confronts the Mutants and rescues the girls.

He also catches an armed robber the cops are chasing.  TV news clips and reports are soon covering the story of  the return of  Batman from a number of perspectives.  Ever Carrie and Michelle are interviewed.

Alfred helps Bruce with his physical injuries, and chides him that he really is getting too old for this kind of thing.

The next day, one of  the thugs Batman had captured and beaten up is in Gordon's office with his lawyer, claiming "police brutality".  Gordon simply releases the guy.  This turns out to be Batman's plan, who follows him and tortures him to get information on Two-Face.

Meanwhile, Carrie listens to her parents whining and gets sick of  it, she sees the Batman symbol on a building and is heartened.

Gordon meanwhile has contacted Batman.  He tells Batman two helicopters were stolen the previous night.  Batman responses he didn't get much out of  Two-Face's lackey, just that the crime was going down the next day.  Gordon responds that it makes sense, since it's Tuesday and the second of  the month.  Then Two Face breaks into the television signal of a news report.  He claims to have two bombs and he will destroy the Gotham Life Building (which has two towers) unless he's paid off with Twenty-two million dollars, and he gives the citizens of Gotham twenty-two minutes to comply.

Batman defuses one bomb, but he's attacked when he tries to cross on a line to the other tower.  Harvey Dent (Two Face) and Batman crash through a window into the other building.  There Batman pulls off Harvey's bandages, but he looks normal.  Harvey, however, is delusional, and thinks that both sides of  his face are horribly disfigured and scarred.

On TV, a point-to-point debate pits pro Batman Daily Planet managing editor, Lana Lang, against anti-Batman author Dr. Wolper.  More news clips follow the rising debate.

Carrie dresses as Robin.

A newscaster reports that James Gordon has been killed, then admits she "read it wrong", James Gordon killed a Mutant gang member.

Carrie tries out being Robin, and discovers her fear of  heights, but slowly she starts to get it.

The Mutants kidnap a wealthy family's two-year-old heir; Batman rescues the child and defeats the Mutants.

The screen goes completely dark as Batman questions a suspect, eventually he takes his hand away from the man's eyes, and reveals he's holding him over the Gotham city streets far below.

Carrie stops a purse snatching.

Batman confronts the general who sold military-grade arms to the Mutants.

Batman and separately, Carrie go to the Gotham dump to confront the Mutants.  Bruce is badly beaten by the Mutant Leader.  Carrie manages to get him inside the Batmobile, which looks like a tank.  Bruce orders the car back to the cave, despite Alfred's pleas to go to the hospital.  He takes Carrie with him and tells Alfred she will be trained as a Robin.  Alfred isn't hot on the idea.  Bruce also goes deep into the cave, alone, to confront his demons.  He decides to continue as Batman.  He flashes back to the loss of  his parents.

On TV, again Lana Lang and Dr. Wolper debate about Batman.  Carrie stares at the Robin memorial in the cave.  The mayor appoints a female, anti-Batman police commissioner, Ellen Yindel.  The mayor also offers to meet with the Mutant leader to arrange appeasement.

Alfred tries to talk to Bruce about his plans.  When he doesn't appear to be getting through, he brings up Jason.  Bruce refers to Jason as a "good soldier" but that the war must go on.  He has Carrie undercover as a Mutant pass along a message for all the Mutant gang members to meet at "the Pipe".

Gordon talks to Yindel, trying to explain to her why he approves of  the Batman.  When the mayor is killed by the Mutant leader during their "peace treaty", Gordon agrees with Batman's plan, and sees to it the Leader is able to escape.

Batman again confronts the Mutant leader.  They fight in the mud by the Pipe, in front of  all the Mutant gang members.  Batman uses his smarts as well as his fighting abilities to defeat the Leader.  As a result, the Mutant gang is broken up.  Gordon's officers arrest several, others break off  into other splinter gangs.  One gang, the Sons of  Batman, insist on "actions not words" and attack other criminals.

Gordon turns in his badge and gun, retiring.  Ordinary citizens start to stand up to violence, a man stops a mugging in front of  his store.  The TV news clips runs other clips, both pro and con Batman and the new reality.

The Joker awakes as he hears the news.

The story will be continued in part 2.

Batman The Dark Knight Returns is awesome!  The story is straight from Frank Miller's classic graphic novel, and the animated film does not hold back.  This is a dark, and violent story with lots of  blood.  But the animation is also awesome.  Many of  the images are truly memorable, and often it is the images that tell the story, especially Bruce Wayne's flashbacks to his parents' murder and becoming Batman.  Meanwhile, Gotham City is a mess -- without Batman, violence, especially gang violence, has taken over the streets and ordinary people have no hope.  The constant TV news cashes in on the violence and "bad news", offering no reprieve from the sense of  gloom and hopelessness.

The film realistically portrays an older Bruce Wayne, with lined face, who groans and creaks when he returns to the life of  Batman.  Commissioner James Gordon is also considerably older, and ready to retire.

Television news dominates the lives of  everyone in Gotham, and even Carrie gets on TV to tell the story of how she was rescued in the Arcade (by a man -- seven feet tall!).  Like the graphic novel, much of the structure of the actual story is told in the comments of  the newscasters, and people they interview.  Much of this is also full of  irony and dark humor, such as the man who advises that criminals need to be rehabilitated back into society -- then acknowledges that he "doesn't live in the city".

The animation in the film is incredible!  Not only is it very real-looking, but it's dark and has the slightly "washed" look of the original graphic novel.  Great images abound, as well as novel things such as a scene that's completely black, with only audio to tell you what Batman's doing.  Uses of flashes of  lightning or gunshots or other bright, sudden sources of  light are also used in other scenes.  The over-all effect is of watching a moving graphic novel.

The plot of  the film is an excellent adaptation of  the graphic novel.  Not only is Batman brought back after a gap of  ten years, but he confronts two main villains beyond his own age:  The Mutant gang, notably their leader, and Two Face (Harvey Dent).  Both these villains are psychologically interesting an complex.  The Mutants look like punks, and act like them too -- committing horrible acts of  violence not for money or to survive, but because they can.  In other words, they are bullies - pure and simple.  And like any bully, when Batman defeats their leader in front of  the entire gang, the gang itself falls apart.  And, some members of  the gang decide to follow Batman instead.  The other villain is Harvey Dent.  This film doesn't go into too much detail about Harvey's backstory, however, Bruce Wayne has personally paid for Harvey's rehabilitation.  Harvey's face is rebuilt, and a "psycholigist" is employed to help re-build Harvey's broken psyche.  Yet when he's released from Arkham, Harvey goes straight back to his life of crime.  When Batman catches up to him, Harvey is completely delusional - convince his face is now horribly scarred on both sides, and that's how it was made to "match".  Bruce is crushed - in a way he's sympathetic, because he also can only see himself  as  Batman.

The film is very violent, and there's just a lot of  blood.  If you've read the graphic novel, this isn't surprising, but if you're only familiar with the DC animated universe and original films -- this one is considerably more adult in tone and imagery.  The rating is PG-13, and it should be at least that, if not limited to 15-year-olds and up.  But overall I highly, highly recommend it.  And if you loved the graphic novel, you will really love this film.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2

The Thin Man

• Title:  The Thin Man
• Director:  WS Van Dyke
• Date:  1934
• Studio:  MGM
• Genre:  Mystery, Drama, Comedy
• Cast:  William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen o'Sullivan, Cesar Romero
• Format:  Black/White, Standard
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"You see, the important thing is the rhythm.  You always have rhythm in your shaking.  Now a Manhatten you shake to a foxtrot.  A Bronx to two-step time but a dry martini you always shake to waltz time." - Nick, explaining how to make martinis.

"Nick? Nicky?" - Nora
"What?" - Nick
"You asleep?" - Nora
"Yes." - Nick
"Good. I want to talk to you." - Nora

"I read where you were shot five times in the tabloids." - Nora
"It's not true.  He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids." - Nick

The Thin Man is a successful film accomplishment of style over substance.  The film is loosely based on Dashiell Hammett's novel.  However, the film is less about the mystery and three murders to be solved than about it's two lead characters, married couple Nick and Nora Charles.  Nick is a "retired" private detective now living large on his very wealthy wife's income.  However, everyone, including Nora, keeps urging him to go back to being a detective because he was so good at it.  Meanwhile, a old friend of  Nick's, Dorothy, shows up to also request Nick's help.  She is due to be married, but her father, Wynant, is missing.  The last anyone knew of her father, he told everyone he was "going away on business" and he would be back by Christmas.  Yet when he doesn't arrive, Dorothy, and eventually everyone else in his life (his ex-wife, her new husband, their son, Dorothy and her fiance', his partner from work, his attorney) begin to worry.

Although he considers himself retired, eventually Nick is drawn into investigating.  He finds a body in Wynant's shop which the police assume is Wynant's victim.  But Nick knows it's Wynant.  He invites all the suspects to a dinner party and questions them... which leads to the murderer revealing himself.

The mystery is a bit more complex, and at times confusing, but the focus of  the film is the relationship of married couple Nick and Nora and their dog, Asta, a Airedale Terrier who steals the show.  Nick and Nora Charles, are fond of exquisite cocktails, exquisite parties, and exquisite living.  They are very much in love, and trade quips and smart dialogue.  The dialogue of the film is smart, sassy, clever, and cute in a good way. And, in an era before TV, it isn't surprising that The Thin Man was followed by five written for the screen sequels.  Nick's idea of  bringing all the suspects together for questioning and accusations until one confesses is a motif that would continue in detective fiction for decades to come.  Likewise Nick and Nora clever, witty dialogue would inspire 1980s TV programs like Remington Steele and Moonlighting.

Overall, I recommend this film.  It's short, enjoyable, fun and funny.  It's like spending an evening with a pair of  classy, witty, clever friends.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  The Third Man

Swing Time

• Title:  Swing Time
• Director:  George Stevens
• Date:  1936
• Studio:  RKO Radio Pictures
• Genre:  Musical, Comedy, Romance
• Cast:  Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Helen Broderick, Eric Blore, Betty Furness
• Format:  Standard, Black and White
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"My talent  is gambling, Pop, hoofing is all right, but there's no future in it.  I want to spread out."-- John "Lucky" Garnett (Fred Astaire)

"Listen, no one could teach you to dance in a million years!  Take my advice, and save your money."-- Penny (Ginger Rogers) to Lucky

"It's funny how we met... and all that's happened to us since."-- Penny
"The way we've been sorta'... thrown together and everything."-- Lucky
"As if  it were all meant to happen."-- Penny
"It's quite an experience."-- Lucky
"No, it's more than an experience.  It's sorta like... a romance."-- Penny

Swing Time is one of my three favorite Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals (the other two being Shall We Dance and Top Hat).  This time, Fred plays John "Lucky" Garnett, a professional dancer who's about to marry his high school sweetheart.  The guys in his touring dance troop know they will be out of a job if Garnett leaves the stage for marriage and a serious job, so they arrange for him to be hours late for his own wedding.  When he misses the wedding the girl's father actually makes a deal with Garnett... if he can make $25,000 then he will let him marry his daughter.  Lucky takes the challenge and goes off to the city to make his fortune.

In a large city, presumably New York, he runs into a girl, Penny Carroll (Ginger Rogers).  He follows her and finds out she's an "instructress" at a dance studio.  Deciding to have a little fun, he dances badly, causing several prat falls with Penny... who gets so frustrated she tells him no one will ever be able to teach him to dance, he should save his money.  Unfortunately, her boss over-hears this and fires her and her maiden aunt (Helen Broderick).  Lucky feels bad and decides to show Penny's boss that she has taught him a thing or two and the two dance together.  Penny's boss is so impressed he gets them an audition at the Silver Sandles club.

Unfortunately, unbeknownest to Penny, Lucky is flat broke, he only has the wedding clothes he's wearing to his name.  He sends his friend Pops to get some money, but Pops isn't as good a gambler as Lucky.  He brings a drunken gambler to Lucky's for a game of "strip pichet" (no idea... a card game that looked like some version of gin).  Lucky's never played the game before and loses.

Penny gets mad at Lucky for blowing their audition.  But he gets them a second tryout.  She relents after he sings to her while her hair is covered in shampoo.  At the club, they dance together on the crowded dance floor, but before they can perform their number... the orchestra leader cancels and leaves.  He's had a crush on Penny for awhile, and refuses to play to see her dance for another man.

Lucky gambles again for the orchestra... and wins it.  He and Penny get their audition.  Penny and Lucky, with the orchestra become a star attraction, and the owner of the Silver Sandals offers Lucky 50 percent of the take.  Mindful of his deal with his ex-fiancee's father, he argues it down to 25 percent.  He'd earlier quit his bets at the roulette wheel because he was afraid of  winning too much.

Lucky, Penny, Pop, and Mabel (Penny's maiden aunt) head out to the country to relax, even though it's the dead of winter and it's snowing.

They return to the city and the Silver Sandals is re-opening after it's make-over.  Ricardo, the band leader, tries to give Penny jewelry and she refuses it.  Mabel challenges Penny to kiss Lucky.  She's determined to, loses her nerve, and then they do... off screen, hidden by a open door.

Lucky, with his dancers and chorus girls, dances to "Bojangles of  Harlem" as the new opening number of the club.

Margaret, Lucky's ex-fiancee arrives at the club.  Pops plays card tricks with some wise guys in the audience of the club.  Unfortunately, they are the ones Lucky won the orchestra from.  Even worse... they now know Pops palmed the Ace for Lucky... something even Lucky hadn't realized.  Confronted with the evidence that he cheated, Lucky decides to re-draw cards, and loses.

Penny finds out about Lucky gambling... and losing... and gets really upset, and even more upset when she finds out about Lucky's ex-fiancee.

Ricardo (the orchestra leader) proposes to Penny, and in a fit of pique she accepts him.

Fred sings "Never Gonna Dance" to her and they dance together, but it is a dance of  love and loss, and at the top of  the Silver Sandals set, the two part company.

But Margaret is there to give John a "Dear John" letter... she's fallen in love with someone else.  Meanwhile Lucky is completely in love with Penny. In the end, Pops and Lucky pull the same gag with cuffed trousers on Ricardo as his band had pulled on Lucky in the prologue, giving Lucky enough time to talk to Penny and stop the wedding.

List of  Musical Numbers

• Pick Yourself  Up - Fred and Ginger vocals, and dance - Ballroom & Partner Tap
• The Way You Look Tonight - Fred, vocals
• Waltz in Swing Time - Fred and Ginger, dance - Ballroom & Partner Tap
• A Fine Romance - Ginger and Fred vocals
• Bojangles of Harlem - Fred & Chorus - dance
• Never Gonna Dance - Fred, vocals - Fred and Ginger - Ballroom Dance

Swing Time is just pure fun.  Fred and Ginger are in fine form, and the picture mixes romance with comedy and irony.  For example, Fred sings the lovely ballad, "The Way You Look Tonight" to Ginger -- while her hair is covered in shampoo and she's annoyed with him, rather than in a traditional romantic setting.  "A Fine Romance" is a sarcastic song with both Fred and Ginger spitting lyrics like - "A Fine Romance... with no kisses".  The film also uses the RKO Players like Eric Blore and Helen Broderick to fill in the comedy moments of  the plot.  The only real out of place number is "Bojangles of Harlem" which is, unfortunately, done with Astaire in blackface.  Otherwise, it's a fine number (which includes Astaire dancing with three shadows... that suddenly start to not follow him).  But yeah, dated, is the kindest word for it.  The Silver Sandals set is a lovely two-level art deco set with a black and white dance floor below, and a shining black dance floor above.  The two floors are connected by two staircases, one on each side of  the main dance area.  The set is used particularly well when Fred and Ginger dance to "Never Gonna Dance" -- a song of love and loss, that ends with them parting, which at that point in the plot they do.  It's lovely.

Recommendation:  See it!

Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

Next Film:  The Thin Man

Suspicion

• Title:  Suspicion
• Director:  Alfred Hitchcock
• Studio:  RKO Radio Pictures
• Date:  1941
• Genre:  Mystery, Film Noir, Drama
• Cast:  Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Leo G. Carroll, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce
• Format:  B/W, Standard
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"I'm honest because with you I think it's the best way to get results." -- Johnnie

"Monkey-face, I've been broke all my life!" -- Johnnie

Suspicion starts like any light romantic comedy.  Johnnie (Cary Grant) meets Lina on a train and tries to pick her up, but she's unimpressed.  They run into each other again at a fox hunt.  He talks her for a walk on a Sunday, and makes a date for later that afternoon.  Lina announces this to her parents, but he breaks their date for that afternoon, and for a week, Lina is miserable because she hasn't seen him in so long.  However, he returns just in time for the hunt ball.  Very soon after, Lina sneaks out of  her parents house and the two are married at the registry office.  The two go on a whirl-wind European honeymoon, then return to a new house - where Lina discovers that Johnnie has no money.

Suddenly, instead of a light romance, the film resembles Gaslight.  Over and over, Lina picks up on her husband acting weirdly, or suspiciously.  But she has no proof, no idea what's really going on, and every time Johnnie's money troubles seem to catch up with him, he suddenly comes up with the money he needs (such as a £2000 pound windfall that Johnnie claims he got from the track).  Lina notices her husband is fascinated with detective and murder stories... but at first thinks nothing of  it.  But when Johnnie's dear friend, Beaky, dies under mysterious circumstances, Lina goes to their mutual friend Isobel, a mystery writer.  Isobel talks about her recent mystery, where a man causes another man to walk over a weakened foot bridge and fall to his death.  Isobel says that morally it's murder if the first man knew the bridge was weak.  She then casually says "It's the same with Johnnie's friend, Beaky."  Beaky had died after drinking a large amount of  brandy in a drinking contest - despite his allergy to brandy.  Lina freaks at this, because she knows that Johnnie knows about Beaky's allergy, and that Beaky would sometimes still drink brandy even though it caused him to have fits, and trouble breathing.  Later, Isobel, her husband, Lina, Johnny, and a strange blond woman dressed as a man have a dinner party.  Johnnie's dinner conversation though not only focuses on murder but on untraceable poisons.  Lina's so freaked she won't let him into her bedroom that night.

Things finally come to a head when Lina decides to go home to spend a few days with her mother.  Johnnie insists on driving her.  On a winding road, Lina thinks he's trying to kill her, but he pulls her back into the car, then yells at her.  When they talk, Lina comes to the conclusion that Johnnie was considering suicide as a way out of  his money problems, and for her to get his insurance money to settle his debts for once and for all.  Lina throws herself  into his arms, and they drive back towards their house.

In Gaslight, Ingrid Bergman gradually comes to realize that her husband is a criminal who only married her to have access to the empty house next to hers, where he thinks there's a treasure.  The husband manipulates his wife, trying to make her think she's going insane - and she's only saved at the last minute by a kind policeman.

Suspicion is much more unsettling.  Cary Grant is very menacing - and switches from his "happy go lucky", "everything is fine" personality to someone who is truly scary like lightening.  He clearly seems to not only not want to work, but to only have a talent for losing money - and he routinely borrows money to pay off  his most insistent debtors.  Yet, at the same time, Joan Fontaine's Lina, seems almost paranoid.  We see her getting little pieces of evidence that her husband's up to no good, such as when she goes to visit him at his office, and learns from his employer and a family friend (played brilliantly by Leo G. Carroll) that Johnnie was fired weeks ago after £2000 went missing from the business.  But each time she finds something out, he has an explanation and she forgives him and realizes that she loves him.

What makes the film brilliant is that because of Grant's superb acting, and the way he flips back-and-forth between menace and light-hearted kindness, one is never sure of his motives.  Does he want to kill his wife for her money?  It doesn't appear so, he never actually does anything to her.  Yet, at the same time, he's almost slimy in the way that he always has an answer for everything.  At times, Lina seems very alone, but at others she has no problem going out - she visits Isobel with no problems, and sees other friends who seem jealous of  her relationship with Johnnie.  Suspicion is a masterful, and short (only 99 minutes) film with no concrete endings.  I highly recommend it.

Recommendation:  See it!

Rating:  5 of  5 Stars

Next Film:  Swing Time

Batman The Dark Knight Rises

• Title:  (Batman) The Dark Knight Rises
• Director:  Christopher Nolan
• Date:  2012
• Studio:  Warner Brothers
• Genre:  Drama, Action
• Cast:  Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Burn Gorman, Matthew Modine, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"You hung-up your cape and cowl but you didn't move on - you never went to find a life.  To find someone..." -- Alfred Pennyworth
"Alfred, I did find someone." -- Bruce Wayne
"I know, and you lost them.  But that's all part of living, sir.  But you're not living, you're just waiting, hoping for things to go bad again." -- Alfred

"I never wanted you to come back to Gotham.  I always knew there was nothing here for you except pain and tragedy and I wanted something more for you than that.  I still do." -- Alfred

"I take what I need from those who have more than enough.  I don't stand on the shoulders of those who have less."  -- Selina Kyle

The Dark Knight Rises opens with a James Bond-like opening sequence, the CIA flies into some country to "rescue" Dr. Pavel, a nuclear physicist.  But Bane, a mercenary and his men take the doctor from the plane and kill everyone on board by causing the plane to crash.  The film then quickly moves to Gotham City.

In Gotham City, the mayor, and Police Commissioner James Gordon are at a celebration/benefit/ceremony for "Harvey Dent Day", Gotham's solemn civic acknowledgement of  the death of  Harvey Dent.  The mayor also mentions that the "Dent Act" has allowed Gotham's police to arrest those involved in organized crime and keep them in jail without parole.  Gordon looks at a speech he's written out, but at the last minute he folds it up and doesn't give the speech.  We learn later that this speech was Gordon's "confession" of  the truth of  what Harvey Dent did after he became Two-Face towards the end of  The Dark Knight - as well as the truth of  what Batman did and did not do.  That is, that eight years ago, Batman took the fall for Dent's actions, then disappeared.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has become a recluse.  He catches a maid stealing his mother's pearls from his safe, and later realizes she lifted his fingerprints too.  Bruce uses his computers in the Batcave to find out who the maid/catburglar is - she's Selina Kyle.

A young man's body is found in Gotham's tunnels.  One of the investigating officers from Gotham's PD realizes it was someone he knows and goes to St. Swindon's Boys home to tell the man's younger brother the bad news.  Later, Officer Blake goes to Bruce Wayne's home.  He lets Bruce know that he knows that Bruce was the Batman, and that he doesn't believe "he did what they say he did" - but also casually mentions the boys' home is no longer receiving aid from the Wayne Foundation.  Bruce is puzzled by this and decides to clean himself up and head into Wayne Enterprises and Lucius Fox to find out what is going on.  He discovers that Wayne Enterprises is on shaky financial footing, following Bruce's mothballing of  a fusion reactor clean energy project.

Catwoman sells Bruce's prints... but she's also prepared for the deal to go south, which it does.  She has the bad guy she sells the prints to call her friend outside using the cell phone of  a politician she kidnapped at Wayne's party.  When the police arrive, she screams, cries and "acts helpless" as a cover so the police ignore her as a victim and she escapes.

Gordon, meanwhile, is investigating in Gotham's tunnels.  He's captured by Bane's men and brought to Bane.  Bane isn't happy about this, kills two of  his own men, and shoots Gordon - dumping all three in an underground river or conduit that leads to the sewers and eventually out to the river.  But Bane takes Gordon's speech about the truth of  what Harvey Dent did and Batman's innocence.  Blake finds Gordon, washed onto a concrete shore.

Blake tells Bruce Wayne about Gordon getting shot, and Bane's underground (literally) army.  Blake knows that Bruce is Batman and asks him to help.  He tells Bruce, "I don't know why you took the fall for Dent's murder but I'm still a believer in The Batman, even if you're not."

Bruce goes to Miranda Tate's charity ball, where he runs into Selina Kyle.  Miranda was one of  his main investors for the fusion clean energy project.  While they dance, Selina warns Bruce that a storm is coming.

When Bruce goes to Wayne Enterprises - Lucius Fox shows him "The Bat", a stealth urban helicopter (similar in design to the Tumbler car, but for the air).

Bane and his gang attack the Gotham stock market.  Batman arrives to chase the "robbers" of  the stock exchange.  However, all he really does is distract the police.  One particularly enthusiastic cop decides he rather take down The Batman than catch any of  Bane's men from the stock exchange action.  Batman fails to stop Bane's computer program from uploading into the stock exchange, but does grab the Netbook they used.  Batman escapes the police in The Bat.

Selina, in her Catwoman outfit, goes after Daggett, the man she sold Bruce's fingerprints to.  He'd promised her the "Clean Slate" program to wipe her name, details, and police record from every database in the world.  But when she claims what's hers - he tells her it doesn't exist.  Batman arrives.  Batman and Catwoman fight Daggett's troops, then escape in The Bat.

Batman lets Selina off, and returns home.  He's admonished by Alfred, who's had enough.  Alfred tells Bruce the truth - he burnt Rachel's letter than explained she was going to marry Harvey Dent - to spare Bruce pain.  In the ensuing argument - Alfred says he will leave.

The next morning, Bruce is woken up, not by Alfred, but by the front doorbell.  And his faithful butler is no where in sight.  Fox tells Bruce he's broke and Wayne Enterprises will soon be in the hands of  Daggett.  The energy project is in danger, though "Applied Sciences" is off  the books and all the weapons and tech hidden there are truly hidden.

Daggett meets with Bane - Bane tortures him and off screen, kills him.

Bruce sleeps with Miranda on the floor of  his mansion, before the fireplace - since he has no power or heat in the old house.

Batman meets Catwoman, she takes him to Bane, but locks him in.  Bane and Batman fight.  They are in the wet tunnels, near the underground river/sewer.  It's a wet, dark, echoy place for a fight.  Bane breaks into Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences, blowing the floor.  He then breaks Batman's back and his Cowl - holding it up as a trophy, and making Bruce's physical and psychological defeat complete.

Blake goes to Wayne Manor but finds it abandoned.  However, he catches Selina Kyle at the airport.

Bruce, meanwhile, wakes in the Pit prison.  Bane says it's the worse prison, because with the chimney leading out... there's hope, in the midst of despair, which for Bane makes the despair worse.

Selina is jailed in Blackgate.  Bane takes Fox, Miranda, and a board member into the sewers and to the fusion reactor.  When Blake tells Gordon - he asks one of  his cops to start and all-out search of  the tunnels.  He promotes Blake to detective and asks him to investigate Daggett and his enterprises.

Bane gets Miranda to activate the fusion reactor.  Bane also lures all the Gotham PD police into the Gotham tunnels.

Bane pulls the core from the reactor, creating a bomb, plus the core will decay and explode in five months.  Blake realizes Daggett's cement pours were actually laced with explosives.

A boy soprano sings the American National Anthem at a Gotham Knight football stadium, just as he finishes, Bane walks in and blows the concrete, trapping all of  the Gotham police force in the underground tunnels.  Blake was just a moment too late to get the cops out.  The football stadium also collapses as do streets and bridges all over Gotham - and all but one bridge off the island.  Bane has Dr. Pavel explain about the bomb, then kills Pavel. The bomb is mobile and "an ordinary Gothamite" holds the trigger.  Seeing the police trapped, Blake goes to the hospital for Gordon.

Anarchy soon reigns in Gotham City.  Bane and his men let all the inmates out of  Blackgate Prison.  His men "patrol" the streets in cameo tumbler cars stolen from Wayne Enterprises.  Looting, robberies, beatings, and total chaos take over as Gotham City is left as a city without any government or police whatsoever.  The few police not in the tunnels during the collapse are hunted and killed (again, off-screen).  A very few start an underground resistance movement.  Meanwhile, the US president makes an appeal than Gotham isn't forgotten, but won't risk the terrorists in the city exploding the nuke.  Also, with all the bridges and tunnels in and out of the island blown, and Winter starting, soon food, especially fresh food, is hard to come by.

Selina is appalled by what has happened to her city.

In Bane's prison, Bruce is heart-broken by what has happened to his city, but he also begins to re-build his back.  In prison, Bruce learns of  a child, the child of Ra's al Ghul and his lover then wife was the only one to escape the prison.  This child had a protector in the prison.  Bruce remembers what he learned from Ra's al Ghul, and his heart-break at the loss of  his wife.  With the help of another inmate, Bruce slowly rebuilds his strength.

Bruce ends up trying to climb out of  his prison twice, and failing.  The second time, he remembers his father rescuing him from his fall down the well on Wayne Manor property.

In Gotham, Gordon and Blake explain what's going on to the special forces.  Fox and Miranda explain the bomb is a time bomb and it will go off.  Bane's men attack and the special forces guy is killed by Bane.

For the third time, Bruce attempts to climb out of  the well - he takes supplies, and doesn't use the rope.  As the inmates chant, "rise", in a foreign language... he makes it.  Bruce throws a climbing rope down to the other inmates as he leaves.

In Gotham, Selina beats up a couple of guys who are beating up a kid.  Bruce returns to Gotham.  Bruce offers her the clean slate program for her help.

Gordon is arrested and tried in the Scarecrow's court.  He's sentenced to death - by exile.

Catwoman rescues Bruce and Fox.  Bruce takes Fox to The Bat to get an EMP Emitter to block the trigger of  the bomb.

Gordon's inching across the ice of  the Gotham River when Batman returns and his sign burns on the bridge.  Batman rescues Gordon and his men - then rescues Blake.  Batman and Blake free the cops.  Batman sends Blake to get people out of  the city.  Selina gets the Batcycle and a route out of  Gotham.  There's a melee between Bane's men and the police.

Gordon searches for the truck (one of  three) with the bomb.  Blake recues the boys from St. Swindon's and does a quick house to house warning.

Batman defeats Bane, demands to know who the trigger is.  Miranda is Talia, the child of  Ra's Al Ghul, Bane's her "protector" from the prison, and she holds the trigger.  She knifes Batman in the back.  Gordon finds the bomb and tries to block the signal.  However, the bomb is still a time bomb.  Catwoman rescues Batman.  Cops from outside Gotham blow the last remaining bridge, despite Blake's warnings.

Bruce in The Bat, and Catwoman on a Batcycle challenge Talia in a Tumbler.  The heat seekers that chase The Bat hit the Tumbler instead.  Fox discovers the reactor's being flooded - they won't be able to reattach the core to stop the meltdown.  Talia dies.  Batman will fly the bomb over Gotham harbor.  When Gordan asks who he is -- Bruce gives him a hint, and Gordon realizes he's Bruce Wayne.

Batman literally flies into the sun, and the bomb explodes "harmlessly" over the Ocean.

Gordon quotes "A Tale of Two Cities" at Bruce's grave.  Fox, Alfred, and Blake are all there at the gravesite.  Alfred cries and blames himself.  Blake quits the force.  Gotham unveils a statue of  The Batman.  The Wayne Estate goes to Alfred, but the house is turned into a home for orphaned children.  John Blake is "Robin John Blake" and he gets GPS co-ordinates to the Batcave which he explores.  Fox discovers The Bat had an autopilot after all, despite Bruce saying it didn't.  Finally, in a small cafe, abroad, Alfred sees Bruce and Selina -- and they see him.  And Gordon has a new Bat Signal.

I loved this movie when I saw it in the theater -- three times.  What Nolan did particularly well was he managed to create a Super-Hero trilogy, that was a trilogy -- with a definite beginning, middle, and end, rather than the normal run of sequels one gets for the genre.  I loved how The Dark Knight Rises ties up the story, and I thought the flashbacks were particularly well realized.

Bane's attack on Batman is much more deeply psychological - and personal (once you know who he is) than the physical attack in the graphic novel set (all three volumes of  it, known collectively as Knightfall).  In the graphic novel, Bane starts by letting all the villains out of Arkham -- Batman has to fight them all, becoming exhausted.  Alfred and Dick Greyson (Nightwing) warn him about exhaustion - but stubbornly Bruce doesn't listen, and thus the steroid-enhanced Bane is able to physically beat him and break his back.  Nolan's film has Bane, step by step, take everything from Bruce:  his fortune, Wayne Enterprises, Alfred (who's manipulated into a "tough love" confrontation that goes horribly wrong), even his city.  Yes, Bane break's his back, and symbolically, the cowl too, thus breaking The Batman, but it's the psychological devastation that really breaks Bruce's spirit.  And it's Bruce's comeback from that psychological "bottom" that makes the film so interesting and triumphant.  Bruce is physically thrown in a well, a Pit, and he's in physical agony and psychological despair... but he comes back, which makes it a heartening film, and a joy to watch.  Bruce also seems ready to finally hang up his cape and cowl for good... though the film places enough hints for a "Nightwing" film for "Robin John" Blake.

Another major departure of  the film from the graphic novel set, is Bane is quite different.  The costume is different, his back story is different, Bane's connected to Talia and Ra's al Ghul, and Bane's dependence on the addictive steroid, Venom (not to be confused with the Marvel character Venom), is dropped.  I was really surprised by that first time I saw the film, but each time I saw it, I found the connections from Bane to Talia (Miranda) to Ra's al Ghul, just suit the plot so much better... and bring the entire story line to a very satisfactory conclusion.

Overall, I really, really liked it.  The script crackles with great dialogue, as did the previous two in the series.  Though I think Alfred would never leave Bruce, the film makes it work as both a form of  tough love on Alfred's part, and really a challenge between father and son.  For Bruce to really be his own man, he both has to lose everything and he has to regain everything, and that includes his surrogate father.  Though I do wish he and Alfred had spoken when they see each other in the cafe.  But, on the other hand, they don't need to.  Alfred and Bruce understand each other without having to speak.

Anne Hathaway's Catwoman was not the "bored socialite cat burglar" or the "hooker trying to make a living" of previous Batman stories (both in print and on tv/film).  She's rough, and tough, and she thinks she wants what Bane promises -- an end to the wealthy, privileged, useless upper class.  But when she sees what's happened to Gotham, she hates it.  Selina realizes that without any law, anarchy rules - and in anarchy the poor and the weak suffer even more than they did under the rich, something Selina hadn't thought was possible.  This is why she allies with Batman.  For once, this Selina does not have any physical attraction to Batman, not 'til the end, when she and Bruce run off  together.  Selina even appears to really, really hate men.  A word needs to be said about Anne Hathaway's costumes too.  Her Catwoman costume was great... it looks more like armor than the sexy, sorry, catsuit, of other catwomen, and it has long sleeves and what looks like a corset underneath.  I actually really liked it, and would like to know more about the construction from the costume designer.  Because, wow!  Selina's other clothes were equally impressive, she reminded me a lot of  Audrey Hepburn, a classic actress known for her clothes and unique sense of style.  The hat Selina wears to the airport is particularly Hepburn-esque.  I have no idea if  this was intentional, but the styles, mostly in black, looked great on Hathaway.

The score by Hans Zimmer was excellent, as have been all three Nolan Batman film scores by Zimmer.  The score for The Dark Knight Rises is haunting and dark, and is very effective in how it adds to the film.  Also, I thought it was really very neat the way that several times the film becomes almost silent and it's simply images and music - including the end, after Bruce Wayne's graveside funeral service.  Nolan really knows how to use imagery and light and how to integrate that with the musical score, for a uniquely filmic quality.  It's a rare talent in a modern director and should be celebrated.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 of  5 Stars
Next Film:  Suspicion

Superman and Batman Apocalypse

• Title:  Superman and Batman Apocalypse
• Director:  Lauren Montgomery
• Voice Director:  Andrea Romano
• Date:  2010
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre:  Action, Animation, Drama
• Cast:  Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Summer Glau, Edward Asner, Andre Braugher
• Format: Color Animation, Widescreen
• DVD Format:   R1, NTSC

"This is how they see you.  Bigger than life.  You're their champion."-- Kara to Clark

"Ever since this girl came into our lives, you've let your guard down, Clark, even exposed your secret identity - despite common sense."-- Batman
"Unlike you, Bruce, I don't look for the bad in everyone.  You may think I'm naive but every instinct tells me this girl is my cousin.  She's done nothing to show me otherwise and she'll be safe with me."-- Superman

"This might not be the right time, but you've always been an inspiration to me."-- Big Barda
"Barda..."-- Wonder Woman
"Seriously, Diana, when someone brings hope to another person?  It's a gift."-- Big Barda

The film opens with the voice-over of a radio talk show, among items mentioned are  former President Lex Luthor's impeachment and the frequent meteor showers of Kyptonite meteorites.  Both items refer to the previous film, Superman Batman Public Enemies.  Suddenly, a huge meteor hits in Gotham harbor and eyewitnesses call it in to the radio station, cue opening credits.

A naked girl arrives on the Gotham docks.  Longshoremen act, well, as they would, but she trashes two of them.  A third gives her his trench-coat.  She takes it, then runs into the street, where she's hit by a car, which barely slows her down.  This mysterious girl causes havoc where ever she goes.  Batman catches up to her, and she blows up one of  Gotham's new auto-blimps.  Superman arrives and tosses the blimp into the harbor before it can crash into something and cause real damage.  Batman meanwhile uses Kryptonite to calm down the girl.  This knocks her out and he's able to take her to the Batcave.

In the Batcave, Superman arrives, and he and Kara speak in Krypton.  Superman learns this is Kara, his cousin.  Krypto the dog also arrives, but doesn't seem to trust Kara.  Batman and Superman agree to keep her in quarantine.  Kara remembers her parents putting her in a ship, then dying (as well as the bright flash of the planet being destroyed).  Batman, still not sure, is protective of  Superman.

Meanwhile on Apocalypse, Darkseid is training a new Queen Fury.  However, she fails her test - a fight with the Furies, and is killed.  Granny Goodness and Darkseid look on during the fight.

Clark takes Kara shopping (and appears to have Bruce Wayne's budget).  They end up in a park, where he shows her a statue of Superman.  There's a bright flash of  light, and someone arrives.  Kara fights, her powers get out of control, and she trashes the park.  Wonder Woman and Batman explain Kara needs more training and they are taking her away for her own good.  Reluctantly, Superman agrees.

Wonder Woman takes Kara to Paradise Island.  Superman and Batman, along with Wonder Woman and her Amazon sisters, watch Kara battle Artemis.  Kara loses.  Superman is a bit freaked by this and even tries to protect his cousin from a perceived threat.  Kara runs off  and spends time with her friend the Prophetess Harbinger.

Meanwhile a Boom Tube arrives bringing Doomsday - an army of  Doomsdays.  Wonder Woman leads her army of Amazons to fight them.  Batman and Superman fight as well.  Superman defeats the Doomdays with his heat vision.  He's upset by using his power in such a way, but Wonder Woman point out they weren't really alive.  Batman realizes the attack was a diversion and leads Superman and Wonder Woman to find Kara.  On the other side of  Paradise Island, Superman approaches a body in the water - it's Harbinger.  Kara's been taken to Apocalypse.

Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman drop in on Big Barda, who's in witness protection in a small town. They ask her for Mother Box so they can open a Boom Tube to Apocalypse.  Barda offers to come too.  The four soon arrive on Apocalypse.  Big Barda and Wonder Woman face the Furies.  Batman faces mechanical tiger/dog beasts.  Superman also faces off against mechanical monsters before challenging Darkseid.

However, when Superman gets to Darkseid, Kara's been brainwashed to fight for him.  Batman arrives in Darkseid's throne room and tells him he's set all the hell spores (megaton bombs - a single one can destroy a planet, Batman has rigged 500) to blow.  Darkseid thinks Batman is bluffing and threatens him with the Omega Beam.  However, as they fight and Darkseid over-powers Batman, he realizes that Batman might not be bluffing.  He releases Batman and Kara to Superman.  Darkseid orders Batman to disarm the hell spores and leave Apocalypse.

Clark takes Kara to Smallville and to the Kent farm.  But instead of  his parents, Darkseid is waiting there.  Darkseid threatens Kara with his Omega beams.  Both Kara and Clark fight Darkseid.  Darkseid sends Superman into orbit, but he drifts towards the sun - regaining his powers.  Seeing Kara hurt, Superman goes nuts, and trashes Darkseid.  Darkseid uses his Omega beams.  Superman does a good impersonation of a twister on Darkseid.  Darkseid leaves via Boom Tube.  Superman embraces Kara.  She reveals she's changed the destination on the Boom Tube - sending Darkseid into deep space.  The Kents arrive, only to see their farm has  been trashed and their house collapses.  Clark promises to re-build everything.

At the end, Superman introduces Supergirl (Kara) to the Amazons on Paradise Island.

Overall, I liked this better the second time around.  It's still not as much fun as Public Enemies, and it's definitely more a Superman story than a Batman one.  In fact the graphic novel this is based on is Superman Batman  Supergirl.  But I liked that Wonder Woman had such a big part in the film.  It was also very cool to see Big Barda - and as a good guy no less (she's often ambiguous at best).  Darkseid is a Superman villian, though, so again, very much a Superman story.  The voice cast is excellent - Kevin Conroy reprises his role from Batman the Animated Series and Justice League.  Susan Eisenberg is again Wonder Woman (she had voiced Wonder Woman / Diana in Justice League).  Tim Daly from Superman the Animated Series and Superman / Batman Public Enemies is back.  And the guest cast includes Summer Glau as Supergirl, Ed Asner as Granny Goodness, and Andre Braugher as Darkseid.  The film also has a lot, and I mean, a lot of fight sequences.  There are a few character moments, but not many.  I'd have preferred a more character-driven storyline with fewer fight sequences.  Also, I would have liked to see more of  Clark's views of  Bruce and Bruce's views of Clark - as that was what made the graphic novel series so much fun.

Recommendation:  See it, especially if you are a Superman fan.
Rating:  3.5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Suspicion  (Or The Dark Knight Rises - which I just got on DVD)

Superman Batman Public Enemies

• Title:  Superman Batman Public Enemies
• Director: Sam Liu
• Voice Director:  Andrea Romano
• Date:  2009
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre:  Animation, Action, Drama
• Cast:  Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown, CCH Pounder, LeVar Burton
• Format:  Color Animation, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Luther did the one thing nobody was expecting.  He made things boring again.  And boring's good, isn't it?  The economy's back to normal, crime's down, there are no wars or anything."  -- Power Girl

"You mean those so-called super heroes?"-- Lex Luthor
"They do work for you now, most of  them anyway." -- Amanda Waller
"That's to keep them from working against me.  I'm not going to put the fate of  this planet in the hands of... of  freaks and monsters." -- Lex Luthor

"It doesn't matter what any of us think, Luthor's the president and what he says goes." -- Capt. Atom

"You're not going to tell me you killed him for your country, are you?"-- Batman
"Some of us still believe in putting our country first."-- Maj. Force
"Sorry, but I don't see any patriotism here.  All I see is a psycho who latched onto an excuse to kill people and who's so stupid he doesn't realize he's being used by Luthor."-- Batman

This is the second time I've watched this film, and it does stand up to re-watching, something that's difficult for animated films to do.  The two Superman Batman animated films are based on a series of  Superman Batman Graphic Novels (collections of  the soft-cover books).  This film in particular is based on the graphic novel of the same name, which I loved, and I think it's one of the best in an excellent series of  books.

The film opens with a voice-over and video montage of  economic collapse.  Companies are laying off workers, people are demanding jobs in protests, people are getting evicted and living in tent cities, there are audio clips of politicians telling people to "tighten their belts", there's a corresponding rise in crime, and martial law is imposed.  Into this walks Lex Luthor, campaigning for the presidency on a "third party" ticket.  He wins.

And in his first speech, he attacks super heroes, while introducing the country to his own hand-picked super hero force:  Power Girl, Captain Atom, Major Force, Black Lightening, and some other female hero (who's neither recognizable or important to the plot).  They're stooges, essentially, even Power Girl, who should know better than to trust Luthor.

Luthor then, privately, discusses the private threat he hasn't yet revealed to the public - a meteor of pure Kryptonite is heading straight for Earth, and will hit the planet in seven days.  Luthor's plan?  Destroy it with nuclear missiles, of course.  Amanda Waller, and later even Luthor's own general ask Luthor to consider a back-up plan, but he ignores their advice, swearing he's made the calculations himself and he knows he will succeed.

Batman and Superman are together in the Batcave below Wayne Manor when Luthor announces he wants a meeting with Superman to "bury the hatchet".  Both Bruce and Clark know it's probably a trap, but they go anyway.  At the meeting, Luthor threatens Superman, then unleases Metallo - a Krypton-powered metal man whose very presence hurts the man of steel.  Metallo and Superman fight.  Batman arrives to rescue Superman, and is nearly strangled.  Superman rescues Batman but gets shot with a Kryptonite bullet. Batman blows Metallo to smithereens, but Superman warns he'll re-form.  Batman and Superman are covered in the dirt, ash, and rock from the explosion.  But before Batman can remove the Kryptonite bullet from Superman, he realizes that Metallo is after them again.  Batman sets off another explosion, and he and Superman escape through the sewers.  The explosions catches them, though.  Clark sees Bruce lying face down in the water, "Bruce!  It's not ending here... I won't let it!" he gasps, and moves to his friend's side, and pulls him out of the water.  Bruce coughs up the water, somewhat recovered, and the two limp their way through the sewers to the Batcave.  Bruce has Clark pull down the electric fence covering the opening.  They are met by a startled but unflappable, Alfred.

Though Clark and Bruce are both weak and injured, they soon recover.  Alfred is shown sealing away the Kryptonite bullet in a lead box.  Alfred also returns Superman's washed uniform shirt and cape.

As the two heroes recover in Bruce's inner sanctum of  the Batcave, Luthor gives a presidential address.  He blames Superman for the death of John Corbin (Metallo), and shows an edited videotape of Superman attacking himself and Corbin "for no reason", before showing Corbin's burnt body.  Then Luthor supplies an answer for anyone doubting that Superman could do something so evil -- the approaching meteor is Kryptonite (true) and driving Superman mad (not true).  Luthor closes his presidential speech by announcing a one billion dollar bounty on Superman's head.

Batman and Superman attempt to investigate, but they are attacked - first by Banshee, then by a group of ice villians (Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, Killer Frost, etc), then by Soloman Grundy and Mongo, then Sheba, then Night-Shade and Grog.  Before long Superman and Batman are seemingly surrounded by every DC villain that could fit on the screen.

Captain Atom arrives with his team and a Federal Warrant for Superman's arrest.  But Superman and Batman fight Luther's heroes and defeat them, then Superman escapes with Power Girl, his cousin, Kara.  Captain Atom and his group follow Superman and Batman, after receiving orders from Luthor to "do your job" and eliminate Superman.  During that fight, Batman shows his skills not only at fighting, but at psychological manipulation, not only goading Major Force by calling him a psychotic murderer, but doing so in front of Captain Atom who hears every word, and takes it to heart.

Kara, however, has realized that her cousin is right and Lex Luthor is wrong, and attacks Major Force to defend Batman.  Despite everyone yelling at her, she breaks Force's containment field causing a radiation leak.  Black Lightening and Captain Atom co-operate to contain Major Force.  In the resulting explosion, Force is dead, and Atom appears dead.  Kara, that is, Power Girl, decides to stay with her cousin.

Meanwhile, Luthor's launched his nuclear missiles at the meteor.  It doesn't work.  The meteor is still on course for the planet.  Luther appears weak and sick.  Power Girl takes Superman and Batman to Luthor's hideout, but they are met by Hawkman and Captain Marvel who attempt to take the two out.  When Superman knocks out Captain Marvel, and Billy Batson is left in a crater, a concerned Batman goes to check out the young teen to see if  he's OK.  Batman asks the injured child to say something.  Billy answers, "Shazam!" and becomes Marvel again.  But, the two, with Power Girl's help manage to convince Hawkman and Marvel to not listen to Luthor.

Meanwhile, Luthor claims the first attempt to destroy the meteor was a "fact finding" mission, but he can now put his plan into action.  Not even the public is convinced by this, as rioting and looting breaks out.

Amanda Waller, shocked by Luthor's inaction, discovers he's taking steroids and liquid Kryptonite injections.  Luthor tells Amanda he will let the meteor hit, so he can be in charge of  the world that rises from the ashes.  Dressed as Hawkman and Captain Marvel, Batman and Superman arrive.  Luthor destroys all the information on the meteor, but Amanda gives them a back-up on a thumb drive.  She also asks a general to arrest Luthor.  Luthor, however, escapes, and takes more Liquid Kryptonite, before climbing into a robotic super suit.

Superman and Batman travel to Japan, to meet Hiro -- the Toyman.  Power Girl has arrived before them and acts as lookout to avoid the teen billionaire genius.

Toyman shows the two heroes a giant Superman/Batman Robot, he mentions it has manual controls, but he can control it from a nearby computer console.  The Lex-bot arrives, takes out Power Girl, using Kryptonite blasts.  He fights Superman, also using his Kryptonite gun.  Then he destroys the control council.  Batman heads for the rocket, saying "Goodbye" to Clark/Superman as he gets inside the robot and takes off.

Superman fights and defeats Luthor.  Batman takes off  in the rocket.  "That was my best friend!  And you just killed him!" Superman yells at Lex, before knocking him into next week.  However, Luthor takes off again in pursuit of  the rocket and Batman.

Batman manages to destroy the meteor using the rocket.  Superman and Lex fight, and even though they've landed back in the US he finally knocks him out.  Captain Atom has recovered and arrives with Power Girl and a message for Superman.  Superman rescues Bruce who's in a survival capsule shaped like a combination of the Batman and Superman symbols.  He sets Bruce on a rooftop, and helps him out of the ship.  Luthor is taken away.  Lois arrives.  Batman disappears as Superman watches the sun rise.

Again, this was an excellent animated film.  It is a bit political in tone - rich businessman Lex Luthor, one of the most evil villains in the DC Universe, yet someone that Superman can never really stop because he can't prove he's broken the law - becomes president.  And in the DC universe, Lex Luthor was president for awhile during the Bush years (besides harrassing Superman, he bombs Gotham City at one point to annoy Batman, making part of the city a wasteland).  Although the film doesn't state outright that Luthor caused the economic turmoil that he then exploits to get himself elected, it's certainly implied.  And the economic turmoil described in the film's excellent opening sequence is half  the Great Depression, and half every economic down turn since.

But what is even more striking about Lex Luthor is what an obvious xenophobic racist he is.  He wants to get rid of  Superheroes, especially Superman, not only because he doesn't trust them, but because he considers them "freaks and monsters" - and not human. Luthor is one step away from openly declaring a war between humans and meta-humans.

But one of the best things about this film isn't merely it's politics - it's seeing the glimpses of the close friendship between Bruce Wayne (voiced by the incomparable Kevin Conroy of  Batman: The Animated Series) and Clark Kent (Tim Daly of  Superman:  The Animated Series).  Though they don't see eye to eye on how to solve crimes, or battle super villains, in this film they are nonetheless close friends - and it's threats to Bruce that cause Clark to really go after Lex Luthor.  Plus there's some wonderful dialogue between the two.

If  I had one quibble with the film, I could have done with less of  the mega fight scenes, especially every super villain they could find being thrown into a fight with Superman and Batman, and more of  the male bonding between Clark and Bruce.  And more Alfred.  I always like to see the more Alfred the better - he only gets one scene here.  It's a great bit, but once Batman sails off  into what appears to be a one-man one-way mission to save the planet, you'd think someone would break the news to him.  But I digress.

The Superman Batman Graphic Novels were known for their thought bubbles, yellow for Superman's pov, and blue for Batman's pov.  I think the film could have used some voice-over between the two, because that was a big part of what made the graphic fun - seeing Clark's view of  Bruce and Bruce's view of  Clark, or their situation or whatever.  It was always great fun to see how iconic characters viewed each other.  However, the film does do a great job, when we see Superman and Batman working together, of showing their different personalities and methodology.  And that was terribly fun.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  4 of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Superman Batman Apocalypse