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by Jai Hutchison “You can dodge bullets, but not bananas? I thought you could sense that with your Peter Tingle.” Aunt May Director: Jon Watts Screenplay: Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers Based on the Marvel comics: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
*Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame as well as Spider-Man: Far from Home* Emotions are raw after the loss of many in Avengers: Endgame; there are countless tears, and that is just from me. Iron Man, who was a mentor and role model to Peter Parker having the most prevalent impact in this movie of those no longer with us in the MCU. This is something which we are reminded of throughout Far from Home in a myriad of ways; Technology that played a vital part of Iron Man’s journey is present throughout this movie, some of which Stark has passed on directly to Parker. Happy Hogan, Tony Stark's bodyguard, chauffeur and close friend plays a strong supporting role in this movie; he is now Parker’s connection to the Avengers as well as his glorified chaperone and he may or may not also be developing a relationship with Aunt May. Tony Stark is everywhere in this movie, even the new villain and his story is a derivative of his past relationship with Stark.
Moving forward from this hasty attempt to bring audiences up to speed, the movie then becomes much more an exploration of the mundane than one would expect within the MCU. The premise of Far from Home is Peter Parker’s identity and his struggle with who he is, who he is needed to be, and who he wants to be. Parker embarks on a school trip across Europe with his fellow classmates, trying with difficulty to step away from Spider-Man and just be a teenager. We follow Parker throughout his travels and on his mission to tell MJ how he feels about her: and although, as expected, a villain emerges to ruin the day, their narrative also turns out to be somewhat mundane.
At the helm of this movie Jon Watts returns as director with Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers also returning to work on the screenplay. However, this time around they are presenting the anticipated sequel to their Spider-Man: Homecoming as well as the next MCU instalment following Avengers: Endgame; so, there were predetermined expectations, and they were high. In terms of Spider-Man and the overall franchise, Far from Home also arrived around six months after its multi award-winning predecessor, ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman from a screenplay by Rothman and Phil Lord, Into the Spider-Verse, the first animated feature film of the franchise, was well received by audiences, picking up 63 awards including an Oscar for best animated feature in 2019; Far from Home had big shoes to fill. Annoyingly, I was away from home when I saw Spider-Man: Far from Home, and therefore I didn’t have the option to see it anything other than 2D at the local cinema. However, this did not take away from the fact that this movie displays some excellent VFX. Most of the impressive VFX are related to villain Mysterio and his holographic techniques and projector drones; used to disorientate an individual and alter their perception on reality. The most impressive scene is the ‘Illusion Battle’ between Mysterio and Spider-Man. Throughout this scene we are shown the depths of Mysterio’s ability to convince someone that these illusions are their reality; this scene actually took 8 weeks to pull together. As a villain, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio is a vast improvement on Michael Keaton’s Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming, despite the twist of his authenticity. The added element of a psychological threat gave the character more depth and added to the plot; reminding me of the types of villains you may find in Arkham and the scenarios which they have carried out.  There is also a great deal of comedy in this movie, and it is for that reason that I rather appreciate Tom Holland as our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. He brings a great sense of humour and goofiness to the role, which previous actors haven't. Paired up with Jacob Batalon as Parker’s best friend Ned Leeds, who knows all about Parker’s alias, the two are pretty funny. The only downside being that too much of it starts to create more of a teenage high-school comedy movie and less of a superhero movie. Marisa Tomei also brings humour to the movie in her role as Aunt May. Now that she knows about Spider-Man there is a shift in the dynamic of their relationship and it works really well, and is very funny; as are her scenes with Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan- potentially soon to be Aunt and Uncle Hogan?  I learnt two things from this movie: firstly, no one seems to have any interest in the Avengers anymore. Parker is resisting his Spider-Man responsibilities and attempting to just live life as a teenager for a while, no one else seems to be around to help save the world, not a single Avenger, and where exactly are Nick Fury and Maria Hill? I would love to say that we’ll find out in the next Spider-Man instalment, but alas… Is anyone else really hating Sony and Disney right now? Secondly, Far from Home confirmed for me that Spider-Man cannot seem to have a movie that is truly just his. The Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland, for some reason also have to include agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers as well as other supporting cast from Avengers movies. I don’t recall Andrew Garfield having to share the Spidey-limelight with so many? Which is unfortunate because Holland portrayed Spider-Man very well and in a new, comical yet brilliant light. Spider-Man: Far from Home was a good movie. It’s not a great movie but it’s funny and the characters are likeable; it just needs a better balance between super hero/ teenage comedy. I would really like to have seen how Spider-Man's character developed while portrayed by Holland; it's unfortunate that it will no longer materialise.
WE SAY FAREWELL TO SPIDER-MAN AND LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF THE MCU
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by Dave Scrimgeour and Kevin McCluskey   Warner Bros. presents A Guber-Peters Company production A Tim Burton film Jack Nickolson Michael Keaton Kim Basinger "Batman" Robert Wuhl Pat Hingle Billy Dee Williams MIchael Gough and Jack Palance Editor- Ray Lovejoy Production designed by Anton Furst Songs by Prince Music score by Danny Elfman Executive Producers- Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan Co-Producer- Chris Kenny Based upon Batman characters created by Bob Kane (****and Bill Finger***) And published by DC Comics Story by Sam Hamm Screenplay by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren Produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber Directed by Tim Burton Dave I remember sitting in the cinema, eventually. This was the hype of the summer. Kev Yeh, and I remember having gone down, to queue really early for one showing of it, and managing to get into an earlier showing. Dave Yeah. Kev But me, you and Mike couldn’t get seats together. Dave It must have been a Saturday, or something. Kev I think you’re right, man. I think it was a Saturday. Dave Because we would have been back at school at that point. Kev Right enough. Dave Here’s a thing, they very rarely do this in movies nowadays; an opening credits sequence. Films are just, “Bang!” into the film. Kev Yeh. Dave Here you had these opening credits. Kev And this is great, with the camera going through the symbol. Dave Yeah, because it really helps set the mood for the movie. Kev It really does. Although, I never quite understood why they used the plain font for ‘Batman,’ rather than the block with the gold outline.  "Yellow Smiley offers me X, like he's drinking 7 Up." Dave But then again, it’s the yellow, which ties into the yellow on the Batman emblem. Kev The yellow, definitely. You’re right, man. Dave It’s got an impressive cast; Jack Palance, Billy Dee Williams, I mean, Christ! Kev Yeh, there're quite a lot of heavy hitters in it, aren’t there? And from across a wide time period… Dave ...of cinema. It’s well designed, this shot, because you still don’t know what this is going to be. And, of course, Prince, as well. Kev Yeh, that was a big part of it, wasn’t it? The Prince soundtrack. Dave Yeah. And we’re still on these opening credits, which you never see in films now, do you? Kev No, you’re right. A lot of films tend to just leap right into it. Dave Yeah. And half of them don’t even have opening credits, they just give you the title. Kev Funny you should say that, I watched the ‘Miami Vice’ movie again recently and there’s not even a title card until the very end. They give you absolutely nothing until the end of the film. It’s great though. I loved that Michael Mann did that. It really worked for that movie. Dave This is quite good, with just the bat symbol. Kev Yeh, the concrete looking bat symbol. Just in case you were unsure of which movie you were watching.  "Makin' us see a trippy picture." Dave Gotham City. Okay, fair enough. It's very 'Blade Runner'-esque. Kev Yeh, it's definitely ‘Blade Runner’ influenced, with the backdrop matte paintings here. Look at them. I think they're excellent. Dave And the steam coming up from the streets. Kev Yeah, that’s very Scorsese, ‘Taxi Driver’ actually, now that I think about it. A little bit of diegetic Prince in the background too.  "All is well, in Gotham City. The sound of terror is all you hear." Dave It’s very timeless as well, isn’t it? Kev Yeh, they really went for a sort of noir-ish kind of thing, with the hats and the overcoats and stuff. Dave Yeah, yeah. Kev I suppose this is kind of a mirror, with what’s happening to this family here, to what happened to Bruce Wayne. Dave You can kind-of see where Nolan got some of his Gotham City from as well. Kev Yeh, definitely. Particularly in 'Batman Begins.' Dave This is actually a bit weird, this scene now, with the hooker and the wee kid. Kev Yeh, the hooker approaching this ten year old boy is a bit odd. Dave You never thought about it back then, but this is definitely a bit strange. Kev How much pocket money has this kid got? I’m just going to hire a hooker for the night. Right in front of my mum and dad.  "Hollywood conjures images of the past." Dave Yeah. Kev Proper junkie-looking make-up on the street criminals of Gotham too. Dave Yeah. This is Moxey from 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.' Kev Yep. That shows you it was Pinewood Studios it was filmed at. Quite a bit of British talent in it. It looks great though. The set was custom-made for this film. Dave And this little animated bit here. Kev I like the way that flips. Where initially you think you’re looking at the image of Batman, but it reveals that it's the shadow that you’re actually looking at. That’s good.  "And I'm the wildest in the city." Dave Yeah. It’s got a good atmosphere from the start, doesn’t it? Kev It really does, man. Tim Burton is a bit hit or miss for me, but in terms of atmosphere, this is great. Dave In this one, yeah. In number two, he went for a Tim Burton, gothic fairytale featuring Batman. That was probably the issue with the second one. Kev I remember, while we were in school, two of the guys in my year, Reggie and Barry, were able to do this entire scene. They stood in the playground reciting this for most of first year, I think. Dave The thing is, the amount of times I’ve watched this film, you end-up knowing half the dialogue. Kev Yeh, you do, don’t you? Dave That’s a great bit when Batman’s coming down in the background. Kev Yeh, that’s brilliant.  "Systematic overthrow of the underclass." Dave That’s an awful lot of smoke for one cigarette. Kev Yep. Your big reveal with the cape there as well. Dave How many times did they show this stuff on TV to advertise it? Kev It felt like the ads were never off the TV. Which was a good thing for us, back in those days. It's not like you could just hop online in '89 to watch this stuff whenever you liked. And here we go with the wings and the cape. Nice side thrust kick coming up. Dave I love the mannerisms that Keaton gives to the performance. Kev Definitely. Especially with half his face hidden underneath all that rubber. They show you the Batarang right away here. I remember, in the novelisation of this film, Craig Shaw Gardner describes the gravel cutting into the mugger's elbows here. I always thought that was really evocative. Good writing, that. It's stuck with me for 30 years. Dave This was probably the most used piece of footage for the advertising of the movie. Kev Yeh. It’s totally iconic, isn’t it? Dave Yeah. Kev And that whole, ‘I’m Batman” thing has been used in almost every Batman film since. Or certainly variations of it.  "Come closer. Feel what you've been dyin' for. Don't be afraid, Baby. Touch it and explode." Dave I mean, if you look at it, there’s six minutes gone, and you’ve got a great opening to a movie. You’ve not lost the audience, you’ve actually GOT the audience in six minutes. Kev You’ve established so much of it. You’ve established Gotham, you’ve established Batman, NOT Bruce Wayne, so you’ve established arguably your two biggest characters there, because Gotham IS as much of a character in this as anyone else, well, maybe other than Jack’s Joker, but we’ll get there. Dave Some movies can go on, and they just lose you in the first ten minutes, because they’ve tried to put this massive, epic scene in and they’ve shown their cards too quickly. Kev Or, the opposite, where nothing happens in the first ten minutes and it starts to feel laboured. Dave Yeah. Kev Now there you go, race-swap casting, before race-swap casting was really even considered a thing; Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent. Dave Exactly.  "I've seen the future and it will be. I've seen the future and it works." Kev Does Two Face need to be white? Dave No. Kev And it’s just a pity that they never followed through on that. Dave I know. Kev "And here we..... go." Dave Jack Nicholson. Very contained isn’t he, as Jack Napier? Kev Yeh, and very relaxed with his feet on the image of Jerry Hall’s face. Dave It’s brilliant, isn’t it? Kev Casting Jack Nicholson in this was such a big get, wasn’t it? I know they had to pay through the nose TO get him for it, but..... Dave Yeah. This film made him rich. Although, I find it hard to believe that he wasn’t rich beforehand, but there you go. Kev Yeh, because he ended-up with a back-end, profit share on it, didn’t he? Which is apparently what Downey Jr. has got for the Avengers films. He gets a cut, so they say. “You look fine.” “I didn’t ask.” The glance at the hand is great, it’s like, ‘Don’t touch.'  "Scandalous! I'm talking 'bout you and me." Dave Yeah. William Hootkins as well. Another good character actor. Is Eckhardt supposed to be like Harvey Bullock? Kev Yeh. I think so. He must be. I don’t know why they didn’t just do Harvey Bullock. Dave Yeah, he looks exactly like Harvey Bullock. Kev “Christ, Knox!” Ha, ha! Dave Ha, ha! See? They’re good at establishing all the characters. Kev Hootkins is great as that grizzled, noir cop. That voice is like gravel, isn’t it?  "If a man is considered guilty, for what goes on in his mind, then give me the electric chair." Dave Yeah. Kev And a swear. Dave Well, this WAS a twelve certificate. This was the first twelve in this country. Kev That line was used in a lot of the promo stuff, “Is there a six foot bat in Gotham City?” Dave I love that little bit of steam in the background. Kev Yeh. Dave Lots of steam. Kev Yeh, there’s steam everywhere. It gives it that really sweaty, oppressive, ‘Taxi Driver’ feel. Dave Yeah. A shithole of a city, basically. Kev Y’see, that’s interesting, that they’re using that line, “I answer to Grissom, not to psychos” to establish that Napier was already unhinged before he fell into the vat of chemicals. Dave Yeah. Ha, ha! That look. Kev And here we have Bob the Goon. Dave Those painted sets are quite funny. Kev Yeh. Typical of Burton though, that they’re really interesting choices in terms of architecture.  "All is well in Gotham town. This is where she wants to be." Dave Yeah, the architecture is interesting, definitely. And it’s nice, short scenes. It’s continuing the story. And compared to Tim Burton’s previous work, this is very un-Tim Burton like, isn’t it? Kev Yeh. Little Bob Kane signature there on the artist's rendition of Batman. Dave Yeah. Kev Aww, man. It’s Cassandra’s dad from ‘Only Fools and Horses’ that’s the artist. Dave Is it? Kev Yeh. Denis Lill, he played her dad. And here we have Vicki Vale. Nice shot of the pins on Kim, right there. “If you want me to pose nude, you’re going to need a long lens.” That’s such a terrible line. Knox comes across like such a douchebag.  "Black and white, red and green." Dave Ha, ha! Yeah. It’s definitely got a 1930’s feel to it, doesn’t it? With the look of the offices and stuff like that. Kev Yeh. That thing of having the first Batman film, in this series anyway, kind-of, sort-of being set in the decade that the first Batman comics came out. Dave It really was a nod to the original 'Detective Comics.' Kev Yeh, he obviously wanted to keep some of that visual aesthetic, if nothing else. There’s a shot right up the side of your models there. Dave Even the goon in the background there, the heavy, he’s very 30’s looking. They’re all very 30’s looking. Kev Yeh. You just need a couple of Tommy Guns. Which, again, we'll see later on. Dave Jack Palance. He’s a great actor. Kev Yeh. And Napier’s already wearing a purple suit. Dave Yeah, and the Joker card. Kev With the bullet hole in it,  "Whatever floats this Joker's boat, is whatever this Joker will bang." Dave They did mash it up with some bright, weird artwork, didn’t they? Kev Yeh. Dave It’s not completely over the top, but it’s still a contrast to the darkness and shadows. Kev No, you’re right. There’s some contemporary artwork against that 30’s looking fashion. And the architecture isn’t particularly 30’s looking. Dave Obviously with nods to noir though. Kev Yeah. And here we have the Battle of the Jacks. Palance Vs Nicholson.  "You whispered something, it took my mind out. Like a G flat major with an E in the bass." Dave I like the background music as well. It’s just kind-of there. Kev Yeh, the Elfman score, in its subtler moments as well, is really good. I like that bit there, where Grissom flicks the deck of cards into Napier’s hat. That’s such a good, “Screw, You” act, isn’t it? Dave Oh yeah. Kev I remember reading a bit in an article about this film where they were discussing how they’d already cast Nicholson as Napier, so they needed someone with an even greater Hollywood stature for it to be believable that they were Napier’s boss, so that’s why they went with Palance. Dave Yeah, he’s old-school Hollywood. Kev And he’s got a face like granite. I suppose all those western movies do that to a man. Here’s old Wayne Manor.  "I rock the party, I rock the house." Dave With the Prince music in the background. Kev And the Gotham socialites. Dave And Alfred. Kev Yep. Our first sighting of Alfred. Dave And Knox giving him a tip. Kev Ha, ha! I know. I love how Alfred sneers at that tip like, ‘Where do you think you are? Some strip club, or something?’  "Money! How much will make you happy? You can have it all, if it'll suit you right." Dave Ha, ha! Yeah. Dirty Alfred. Kev Yep. Alfred having a sneaky wee peek down Vicki Vale’s dress. Dave I like the fact that Bruce Wayne’s not even wearing his collars properly. They’re not even tucked down. It’s like he’s done them at the last minute. Kev Yeh. I love this here, with the pen and the fact that Alfred’s right behind him, and there’s also the bit with the glass, when the glass almost falls off the table and it’s Alfred who saves it. Basically showing you that Alfred has been wiping this guy's backside his entire life, y’know what I mean? He’s just not particularly good at looking after himself.  "The funkiest man, you've ever seen. Tell you what his name is. Partyman! Partyman! Rock a party like, nobody can." Dave Ha, ha! “Your Honour, great suit.” “No comment.” Kev Kim Basinger really was just impossibly good looking at this point, wasn’t she? She’s a stunningly good looking woman.  "Vicki didn't laugh at all." Dave Oddly enough, Sean Young was the original casting for Vicki Vale. Kev Yeh. Did she not campaign to be Catwoman for the second one as well? Dave I don’t know actually. I think they made the right choice with Michelle Pfeiffer though, ‘cause she really took that role on. Kev Oh yeh. Michelle Pfeiffer, another impossibly good looking woman. Dave Yeah. Keaton’s got a great presence, doesn’t he? Straight away. He doesn’t have to do or say much. Kev Yeh, you’re right, man, he certainly has presence. He has a really unusual energy, which, I suppose, was part of the reason Burton wanted to cast him. Dave Yeah. Kev I love this scene in the armoury. “Because I bought it in Japan.” I love the delivery of that line too. Dave Yeah. Kev And this is the first time he introduces himself as Bruce Wayne, which, of course, comes way after we have seen him introduce himself as Batman. Dave I like how Keaton’s collars are just hanging over. He’s not done them up properly at all. He doesn’t give a shit, does he? Host of the party, but whatever, open six more cases of champagne, yeah. Kev Very Bill Murray that delivery from Robert Wuhl there, “Six. Yeah, six is good.” That was a Peter Venkman in ‘Ghostbusters’ style of delivery, right there. I like that Bruce Wayne knows Alexander Knox’s writing and knows Vicki Vale’s photography. This is a guy who keeps his eye on things, y’know? Dave Yeah, yeah.  "Hey, Ducky! Let me stick the 7-inch In the computer." Kev As much as this film has aged, in a lot of ways, it still….. Dave It stands up. Kev It does, it still stands up. It’s got a really strong identity of its own, doesn’t it? Dave Yeah, and I think a lot of that is due to how quickly it jumps from scene to scene. It’s not plodding. Kev No, not at all. Bruce is keeping an eye on everybody here. Which is something that happens in ‘The Dark Knight’ as well, when he syncs-up all the mobile devices. Dave Yeah. It’s a pity Eghardt gets killed here, I liked that character. Kev That’s a good point, man. If they had have kept that character alive, there was maybe something more they could’ve done with him in the following films. Not that many of the supporting characters carried on into the following films though. Those are some nice pin-striped suits on the henchmen there. Dave Yeah. Very 1930’s-1940’s looking. Kev Bob always looks a bit dishevelled though. He’s not quite as sharp as the other goons. Dave Yep. Tracy Waller. That’s the name of the actor. Kev The pants, the coat, the hat, none of them match. He’s obviously a lower paid goon. Dave Yeah. This is another bit that was heavily used in the advertising of the film. This is a good scene. Kev Yeh, man. This is great. Burton’s not really an action director, is he? So this stuff was kind-of out of his wheelhouse. Dave Oh, yeah. I love how Eghardt just sneaks off. Kev Ha, ha! Yeh, he kind-of just slopes off to the side, doesn’t he? I’d forgotten just how many little comedic touches were in this actually. It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, so this has been quite surprising to me. Like that little bit with the megaphone there. That's a nice little piece of business. Dave Yeah.  "In the west, 17 horns blowin'." Kev Jack’s just turning everything on here. Including a wind machine somewhere, apparently. Dave And of course we have Batman. I like how he lurks in the shadows. This scene is a good showcase for his skills. Kev Absolutely, yep. And the rappelling into action is always really cool. Dave I love the expression on Keaton’s face when he pulls that guy over the rail with the cable.  "Your face looked so good, I wanted to touch your mouth." Kev Yeh, it’s quite brutal. Keaton’s facial expressions are brilliant. Dave That was the thing, he always gave the impression that he could hurt somebody. Kev That’s true, man. Dave This is Jack Nicholson showcasing that he was a reserve fireman when he was younger. Kev Was he? Dave Yeah. That’s why he’s so handy with the axe. That’s the story with ‘The Shining;’ when he took the door down on his first attempt with the axe, they forgot he was a reserve fireman and that he’d know how to do that.  "Somebody told him playin' cops and robbers was cool. Would our rap have been different, if we only knew?" Kev And Kubrick scared Shelley Duvall to death. Dave It’s a great little scenario here at Axis Chemicals. Kev Definitely, man. This is a great action set-piece. Bang! Love that backfist. Dave Yeah, that was used a lot in the clips of the film. That’s a great one. Kev And the way Keaton just looks as the goon drops to the floor. But then he’s struggling to go round the corners with the weight of the cape. Dave Yet Napier’s oblivious to him being there, because he’s lurking. This is the skills of Batman, how he can meld into the shadows. And in a close environment like this as well. Kev Especially where the visibility is quite compromised because of the steam and the fumes. Yeh, you’re right, man, those skills of being there one second and not being there the next. Like a ninja. Now we’ve got a bit of a stand-off here, as Batman gets to Napier, but Bob gets the drop on Gordon. Little Keaton smirk there, off the back of the "Nice outfit" line, as well. More good facial expressions under all that rubber. Dave And Elfman’s score is nice. It kind-of plays the tension in the scene down, as well. More steam after Eghardt gets shot, of course. Kev And that trademark Nicholson grin. And then all of a sudden, the Bat is back. Ah, and using the gauntlets to deflect the bullet as well actually, I’d forgotten about that. And a very karate-style block at that.  "Get the funk up! Batman!" Dave Yeah. Now, did Batman let Napier go, knowing what he knows now? Because that look on his face; there’s a moment of ambiguity there. I don’t know. Kev That's an interesting point, man. I'd never really thought of it like that. I just always took it that, despite his best efforts, he couldn't get a good enough grip, or hold onto Napier, because of Napier's glove. This is a good bit of comedy here. Will I go this way? Oh no. Will I go that way? Nope. Smoke bomb it is then. Dave I love that he just stands so still as the smoke rises around him. Kev Yeh, he’s very statuesque, isn’t he? Dave That’s a nice little shot. Kev That one of Batman under the neon Axis sign? Dave Yeah.  "I saw your friend first, that's who I danced with, all the time I was watchin' you." Kev You’re right, that’s a cracking shot. And then this weird, mannequin-looking, hand just rising out of the water. Dave But the good thing is, it’s not completely over the top, like your typical Tim Burton stuff. Kev No. No, it isn’t. Yeh, Knox is very much like Peter Venkman actually, now that I’m watching it and thinking about it. Dave Yeah. You know who he reminds me of a bit as well? Paul Reiser. Kev Yep, you’re right, man. Dave He’s definitely got a bit of Paul Reiser about him as well. Kev “This is not my locker.” That’s ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ isn’t it? Dave Ha, ha! Yeah. That’s a brilliant line, that. He has a similar delivery to Paul Reiser. I think Paul Reiser’s a great actor. Kev Yeh, he’s great, man. He’s in some episodes of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and he’s brilliant in them. He’s is seasons two and three of ‘Stranger Things’ too. Dave This is good as well. I love the way Keaton has Bruce Wayne eating the soup.  "She says conversation's better than being lonely, so I try my best to ad lib." Kev He’s like a child. Dave Yeah. He is kind-of, almost child-like. Kev This is like the table at the Al Ghul’s, that we were talking about in ‘Son Of The Demon’ as well; this massive table that they’re at opposite ends of.  "Although we're worlds apart, I'd cross the stars for you." Dave It’s a dining room, but yet there’s a couple of couches in the corner. I suppose with a house that big, you would just decorate it with anything, wouldn’t you? Kev Yeh. And is this supposed to show you that this guy doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing? You know what I mean? In terms of decoration, dating or anything. Dave Haha. Yeah, he’s totally cut off. Kev Yeh. He’s totally cut off from everyone else. Financially, because he’s so rich, but also emotionally because of what happened to his parents. And this bit here, “Do you want to know the truth? I don’t think I’ve ever been in this room before.” That’s great. And Alfred here, with the very much parental-like, embarrassing stories. The kind that your parents would tell a first date about you. “Alfred is my family.” Dave Yeah. Probably though, him and Alfred don’t really do stuff like that. Kev No, you’re right. You get the impression that this is the first time….. Dave …..that they’ve sat down, in company. Kev Yes. Or that he’s ever had a woman in that house, in a dating scenario. Which kind-of goes against the Bruce Wayne playboy cover-story thing. Dave Yeah. He doesn’t seem like a playboy in this one. Whereas the Christian Bale one, they had him as a playboy. Kev Yeh, he always had the models on his arm and stuff. Now what is he talking about there? The cave is very much him? The rest of it, the Bruce Wayne stuff, not so much? Dave Actually, this is quite a good bit as well, the bit with the surgeon. It’s funny, but it’s still got that darkness and tension to it. Kev How many times has this scene been referenced and parodied in stuff now? With the “Mirror” line and everything. Dave Yeah. I like the music as well and the use of it. Kev The music’s great. It’s quite horror inflected. The crying, and then the laugh. I like NIcholson’s Joker laugh. Some people are a bit funny about it, saying it's a bit too close to the campiness of Cesar Romero's, but I like it. Dave Is Bruce Wayne pissed here, or is he putting it on? Kev I think he’s putting it on, because she says here, “And you’re not anything.” I just love the smile that she gives as she pulls him in for the kiss. She's just beautiful.  "Every time you kiss me, lemon crush. Nay, I can't resist thee, lemon crush." Dave Elfman’s score in the background is brilliant. It’s very subtle at times. Kev Yeh, you’re right, man. I’d forgotten how subtle it is in places, because I tend to remember the big, bombastic pieces. Dave The silhouette of Napier there is great. Haha. “Who the hell are you?” Kev This is where Grissom knows he’s messed up. Dave Yeah. The gargoyles are visible outside the window in the background, to show you just how high up Grissom’s office is, and you can start to slowly make out those elements of Napier’s face, but not quite enough yet. Kev Yeh, and Grissom trying to get back over to his gun here. Dave Do you not think that Jack Nicholson sort-of sounds like Don Johnson here? Kev He does a bit, actually. Yeh. Dave You’re gradually beginning to see what Grissom’s seeing here. Kev Yeh, Napier’s gradually coming into the light. That “You can call me Joker” line and shot was used in almost every bit of promo for this film as well. Dave Yeah. He’s quite maniacal, isn’t he?  "Young and old, gather round. Everybody hail the new king in town." Kev Yeh. And the music here is completely at odds with the fact that he is repeatedly shooting another man. Dave And missing half the time too. Kev Ha, ha! Did Nicholson not say that the prosthetics they used to keep his mouth in place were really painful? Dave I think he did, yeah. “What a day.” Haha. Kev You’ve got this character thing here, where Bruce is lying with her whilst she sleeps, but he’s awake….. Dave Because his mind can’t switch off. Kev Yeh, because he’s basically nocturnal. And of course we have this shot of him swinging upside down, which I’m not entirely convinced by. Dave Yeah.  "Is my character enough to be one that deserves a copy made?.....Until then she's held at bay." Kev Hanging upside-down, like a bat. It's a bit on the nose. What is it exactly that he’s supposed to be doing? Is it meditating? That line there, “Gotham City. Always brings a smile to my face.” That was another one that was used in all the trailers and TV spots and stuff. Dave Yeah, that’s excellent. Kev I love the smearing of Grissom’s blood across the paper too, that’s great. Dave Why is he sleeping on the coach? Is she snoring? Kev Ha, ha! She’s getting the feeling that he’s just brushing her off as a one-night-stand. Dave Yeah. Some people have always criticised the Vicki Vale character for just screaming too much, but I think Kim Basinger plays a good part. Kev Yeh, me too, man. Dave I thought she gave us a good counterpoint for Bruce Wayne. In this film, he’s very cut off, it’s her, her and Knox that are the two more relatable characters. Y’know what I mean? Kev Yeh. Dave Bruce Wayne’s a bit standoff-ish, you’re not really getting to know him. You’re learning stuff through her and Knox really. Kev You’re right. Those two are the vehicle into the story for the audience really. (D) & (K) Next: 'Batman' (1989) Act 2.  |
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