Gotham City, Illinois
The Chicago Tribune has posted a cool PDF map of Chicago illustrating its transformation into Gotham City for the recent smash-hit, The Dark Knight.
(via Chicago Tribune)
The night is darkest just before the dawn
Christopher Nolan is the best thing to happen to Batman since the 1989 original. Having successfully revived the ailing franchise (after it hit rock bottom - see Batman & Robin) with (2005’s) Batman Begins, expectations were extraordinarily high for Nolan’s latest attempt - The Dark Knight.
Fortunately for fans, The Dark Knight is fantastic! Heath Ledger delivers an absolutely stunning performance as the infamous Joker, while Christian Bale is right at home playing Gotham’s favorite crime-fighter. In the end, the acting, writing, direction, and cinematography all come together to form a more perfect Batman.
rating: 4.5 | 5
Quantum of Solace trailer
Daniel Craig has got to be second only to Sean Connery in terms of mastering 007 - can’t wait til November!
(via CrunchGear)
Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class
(Disney) Pixar’s WALL-E is another success in what has become quite a long line of winning animated feature films.
WALL-E is both visually (can’t go wrong with Pixar animation) and mentally (humans v. humans; humans v. robots; robots v. robots) stimulating.
This timely (see global warming) movie combines robots, space travel, human indulgence, and environmental disaster - all while keeping the attention of kids and adults alike.
rating: 4.25 | 5
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of LETDOWNS
Just got back from seeing the latest (and definitely not the greatest) Indiana Jones flick. Wow…I didn’t think it was even possible for such a storied and beloved franchise to make this wrong a turn…
Gone are the days of Indiana Jones playfully and successfully blending action and slapstick. This felt like a bad theme park ride - not the 4th chapter in what has historically been a fun and rewarding series of movies.
IJ4 is totally lacking substance, plot, and motivation. As a huge fan of the original trilogy, I was willing to accept that there was little chance for the latest chapter to be on par with the first three. However, besides Harrison Ford easily being able to resume his classic role, the entire movie was flat and disappointing.
A sad day for Indy fans everywhere…
rating: 2 | 5
Iron Man? That’s kinda catchy.
Iron Man is a respectable addition to the ever-growing Marvel Movieverse.
Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and The Dude all deliver believable portrayals of (obviously) unbelievable characters. The writing isn’t stellar, but generally the special effects and action sequences make up the difference.
At the end of the day, Iron Man is both entertaining and visually (and technologically) engaging.
rating: 3.75 | 5
It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.
With the fourth installation of Indiana Jones opening in a fortnight, now is the time to order that official Indiana Jones Wool Felt Fedora Hat that you’ve always wanted.
“I’m like a bad penny, I always turn up.” - Indy in The Last Crusade
Thursday video pick-me-up
Looks like a winning equation: Pixar + robots + 700 yrs into the future = WALL•E
Throw your trash away in (SW) style!
What was that? You’re in the market for an over-priced “Japan-only Fully Licensed Star Wars Collectible Office Sized” trash can?
ThinkGeek has you covered! For only $99.99, you can be the proud owner of this R2-D2 replica waste bin.
But don’t take my word…
“Excuse me sir, but that R2-D2 is in prime condition, a real bargain” - C-3PO to Luke
I find your lack of faith disturbing
NPR has a great story about rejected Star Wars merchandise concepts, including an audio-slideshow complete with mock-ups and commentary by the original designers.
Some of the considered ideas: AT-AT Chair Caddy, Bantha Slippers, Cloud City desk lamp, Darth Vader gumball machine, and Princess Leia headphones.
For more, head over to Action Hero Insider to read one of the designer’s blog post and see more original sketches.
