Joker: A fat man review

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening...whenever it is you have found this review.  Today I am going to talk about the newly released Joker flick.

Overall this flick was AMAZING!  While not a complete origin story, because as we all know there is no real origin story to Mr. J, it does a good job of giving a base story...a POSSIBLE origin for him.  We have several others of course, the story from The Killing Joke, the one from the original Batman flick in 92 and others.  They did a good job of mixing a lot of those. 

And honestly aside from Ledger this is a perfect live-action Joker.  This was a subdued Joker because he is just coming into his own.  Like a preteen who has not figured out just who he is yet.  You see him "age" and "come into his own" which is great.

The casting of Thomas Wayne and Murray Franklin was fantastic.  Easily one of my favourite DeNiro's performances especially near the end. 

I do not want to go into too much detail and spoil things but they throw a few curveballs and "possibilities" that I have not seen in Batman lore before. 

I am honestly not sure what else to say about this.  It is perfectly dark and light at the same time.  However I have one complaint, they make Joker almost sympathetic.  Without giving too much away what starts Arthurs turn into Joker is almost, ALMOST, not his fault.  His reaction to the situation is, again, ALMOST normal.  This is what made Heath Ledgers portrayal perfect because there was nothing redeeming or good about his Joker. 

Also, I find it interesting that the director has said that this will not cross over into the DC Cinematic Universe.  This is the first of DC's one-off movies.  It will be interesting to see who else we see in this type of flick and if they do end up in the DCCU. 

I am going to say that this is a 10/10 while IMDB has it at 9/10.  I LOVED THIS FLICK and will be purchasing the Blu-Ray when it comes out!

Movie Review: Batman: The Killing Joke

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, whenever it is you've come across this movie review.  I am back with a review, obviously, this time with the latest animated Batman flick:  The Killing Joke.  I am writing this on 8/20 and it has an IMDB rating of 6.7 (really?  That is low in my opinion). It stars  Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Tara Strong.  "As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness."

• ITS BATMAN!  I mean the real Batman...its like I'm back the Animated Series
• Well at least with Batman and hopefully Joker!
• Wow...Batgirl is not good and horrible lines
• Did Batman just hit that guy with the Batmobile?  Did this become a videogame suddenly?
• Really?  Is he flirting with Batgirl?
• Batgirl just got beat by a common thug, how embarrassing...is she now sulking?
• Why a stereotypical gay character
• Did Batgirl learn nothing from the various incarnations of Robin?  Batman knows best
• THE ELEVATOR?!
• Partners not equals...yeah that sounds right
• Are...are they going to kiss....good grief they did!!
• Are...are we going to have batbabies?

Not a good idea kids

• I already regret not seeing this at the one day screening in the theaters
• This is bad Batman, it is going to cause issues.  You can't have feelings and do what you do...and you know that don't you Bats.  I can't wait to hear the Joker mess with you about this one!
• Why do they even try to use guns on Batman?  Don't they learn?
• Gotham people are much stronger then others, if I got hit in the head with a hook from a motorcycle I think I'd be dead!
• Wow a period joke, foolish young man
• The next Joker?  I wonder if the Joker is more a moniker instead of one person
• Why do they always hold up the tape, can't people duck under?
• That isn't the right Bullock voice...damn I was hoping for a full reunion from the Animated Series
• Did Michael Bay just direct that random side boob shot of Barbara
• Seriously wish it was the voices from the Animated series all around.  Would have made this perhaps perfect
• Is it...could it be...is it him....wait...that isn't even Joker!  

• IT IS HIM!  THE CORRECT JOKER!!!  *does the happy Snoopy Dance*

• Is...is this the legit Joker backstory?
• Not a huge fan the art design for Joker but a minor complaint
• Is it wrong that I just laughed at Jokers joke?  

Insert joke about the spine of a book here

• Well that was creepy with the unbuttoning...even for Joker
• Just like that?  Never walk again....wait...are they implying...that he...wow! 
• I love that they booed the courtroom joke!
• I wonder if Seal-Boy is in this group of freaks...also are they based on American Horror Story

• A musical number?  Wow
• I love the Joker!!
• I wonder if Bats is going to beat up the Fat Lady, I hope so!
• HE IS!, She is like The Blob from X-Men
• HA HA HA!!  BANG!

Oops...wrong pocket

• Wait...is this a moment of sanity for Joker

Is that sanity I see in your eyes Mr. J?

• That was a pretty good joke, even Batsy laughed...which is a REALLY weird sound
• But...why does Joker stop laughing...do you think...that Batsy...you know...delivered the final punch line?

Okay that was amazing.  I mean simply amazing!  I've never read the comic but I am going to find it right away.  

I mean honestly the only complaint I have for the flick is that it wasn't all the original voice actors one last time.  That is just the fan boy in me though it hardly hurt the film.

I am shocked at how low a score this has on IMDB.  I give it a 9/10.  I think this is my favorite Batman flick at this point or right up there with The Dark Knight

Honestly I loved this flick because it is the darkness and grittiness that I like about Batman.  The characters are darker then most other superheroes.  The subjects are darker.  It feels, in a sense, more real.  I mean who doesn't feel for Joker now and then or understand.  I mean if we lived in a world where superheroes and villains roamed I don't know if I wouldn't be the Joker.  My grip on reality isn't the greatest at times or the fact that I'm willing to admit that mean that I am grounded in reality! I guess that is the question the Joker is asking Batsy there at the end.  

The other question, which I mentioned in my blow by blow above, is does Batsy kill Joker?  Jokers laugh stops while he keeps laughing.  Now I imaging Joker looking at Batman like he is crazy because he knows that joke isn't very good but that is just in my mind.  Batman and Joker can't exist without each other in my opinion.  They are the opposite side of the same coin.  Always have been and always will be.  Ying and Yang so to speak.  I look at it that Joker keeps Batman grounded because he knows, deep down, that he is just one step away from Joker.  Seeing the madness in Joker is what keeps Batman from going there.  Without him, what would stop Batman from going into that abyss he mentioned early on in the flick.

Every time Mark Hamill says he wont' do Joker again I get sad but he keeps coming back for "One more" and I hope that always happens.  I know everyone loves Luke but to me Mark will always be the Joker and if there is an animated Joker and Batman it should be Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. Just like Peter Cullen and Frank Welker will always be Optimus and Megatron in my head even with they aren't, the same goes for Hamill and Conroy.  If/when they don't do the voices I feel something is missing.  Yeah, call me a fan boy but I know what I like.  That'd be like someone else doing Kramer on Seinfeld, its just wrong!

If you're a Batman fan you need to watch this flick!  If you enjoy a good story watch this.  I know I'll be going back and watching this again, and it made me want to watch the Animated Show all over again!

Until next time, I'm off to see if Netflix has the Animated Series!

Movie Review: Batman Bad Blood

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening....whenever it is you're reading this.  Thank you for checking out yet another movie review by the Fat Man.  Today, 5/13/16, I'm checking out Batman Bad Blood.  Another animated DC Universe flick.  "Bruce Wayne is missing. Alfred covers for him while Nightwing and Robin patrol Gotham City in his stead. And a new player, Batwoman, investigates Batman's disappearance."  It stars Jason O'Mara, Yvonne Strahovski, Stuart Allan.  Lets check out...Bad Blood!

• Well these guys are look interesting

Rejects from a costume party?  Bad Cosplayers?

• Who is this?  Batgirl?  Batwoman?  Batlady?
• Firefly?  Yep
• A bad Batman?

• Robin the Monk Wonder
• Nightwing basically sexting while fighting...weird
• How did they miss?  How do they always miss?
• Well...that had to hurt
• Lots of destruction....Robin sure knows how to party
• This Batmobile design is weird

• Ah Batwoman is the name, never guessed that.  I like Batlady better
• How great is Ernie Hudsons voice?  
• So Mad Hatter knows Bruce Wayne is Batman?  Weird
• Why even have secret identities?
• They have Alfred very strange these days
• They make this Batman not only brooding but an asshole which I'm not a huge fan of
• Did Alfred....oh nope it is bad Batman....who knows where the Batcave is
• Damian lets his emotions control him too much
• Wait...so does Batwoman know who Batman is now
• Well she does now!
• Wait...is Fox's kid becoming Iron Man?  Sure looks that way to me
• Did he tell his kid where it was?  What it was?
• Are those nuns wearing masks?
• And like that the bad bat is no more, anti-climatic
• Oh good grief!

• How do they always miss?
• Batwing?  Is that name already taken?
• How did Batwoman get her suit?
• Nice Indiana Jones rip off
• This Bat-Team kills a lot of people I've noticed
• That'll give her daddy issues
• They look like the Doctor Who Cybermen earpieces
• I've never shot a gun and pretty sure I could hit something before these people do!
• Is Alfred going to fight?
• Why does the Mad Hatter look like a Leprechaun?
• GOOD GOD ALFRED!
• Who needs the Justice League, Gotham as the Bat Swarm at this point now they're throwing in Batgirl!

Well that was different.  The extreme violence is a bit of a turn off as it is not what DC is usually about.  I give it a 6/10.  Not horrible but I didn't like it as much as the last Justice League flick.

I don't like the direction they've taken Batman at all.  He is now just a jerk about things and I never felt that was in Bruce.  Gruff, short, brutally honest but not a jerk.  I realize it is a different version of Bats but as I've said before I struggle when they drastically change the character without a real reason for the characteristics to change so drastically.

From a visual stand point this was on par with the newest versions.  They aren't horrible but there are things I don't like about it but I've covered that before.

I guess I continue to say the voice acting is what bothers me the most.  If you don't want Kevin doing Batman's voice fine but this version just doesn't work for me.  It is just....off to me.

Overall if you like the DC Universe and you've followed the others in the series this isn't bad.  I wouldn't go out of your way to watch it otherwise.  Not bad but not good either.  Just there.  

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis: A Review

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening...whenever it is you happen to be reading this.  Time for another movie review but this time it isn't part of the Bottom 100 as my last few.  This time I'll be checking out Justice League: Throne of Atlantis starring Sean Astin, Rosario Dawson and Nathan Fillion.  "When Atlantian troops assault Metropolis as revenge for the death of their king, the Queen seeks help from the Justice League to find her son who has gone missing during the madness."  This is the third movie of the reboot of the Animated Justice League.  As of 5/10/16 over on IMDB this has a rating of 6.6.  Lets jump in shall we.

• While I don't like ALL the animation some of it is REALLY good
• Its weird to have the 2001 Justice League Superman in the flick but not as Superman.  Its the voice I think of as Superman and had to do a double take when I heard it
• I don't like Superman and Wonder Woman being an item

Just seems unnatural for him not to be kissing Lois

• Interesting, he isn't king of Atlantis at this point
• All this over a lobster?  The people in Metropolis really like their seafood
• One of the things I don't like about this most recent reboot is some of the voice acting. Aquaman for example just seems flat and phoned in
• Why is a trench coat always the perfect disguise for people?  the Turtles and others
• However I will say that Fillion is perfect for Green Lantern
• Good grief, they have Wonder Woman now wearing glasses to hide 
• I do not like the Superman model in this flick

The cape is just weird here

• I also don't like the Batman voice actor or his design
• Okay while I don't like Batman or Supermans voice actor Sean Astin and Fillion are great
• I do like that these flicks are more adult orientated than the 2001 series but they are missing some of the magic that the series had
• Where did he get the sub?
• This flick isn't bad...but it is kind of boring honestly
• Cthulhu?
• YES AQUAMAN POWERS GO!
• I kind of like the Atlantis armor, reminds me of some of the Mass Effect armor
• John Henry....nice
• Well that was just stupid looking, a walking Green Lantern maid with a vacuum?  Where have I seen something like that before?

Just paint it Green

• Damn...we're going to need a bigger boat Manta

Lifeless doll eyes

• I like this Orm character, however a little overpowered

Needs a better costume however

• Nice call back, I like that Batman is the one thinking...as always
• Why would they follow someone they don't know?  Because he is in that kinda cool orange outfit?
• I don't like that he joins Justice League so openingly
• King of the Sea stuff?  

Well that was something.  I think the 6.6 rating was about right.  Slightly above average.  I give it a 6/10.

It was one of those flicks that doesn't do anything good but it doesn't do anything bad either.  The storyline is different and I'm sure taken from a comic series.  A different take on the Aquaman origin storyline.  

The animation/art is what it is.  I like it most of the time but I don't like over exaggerated muscles of the male heroes.  I also think the character designs are a little off.  The capes sit weird, the jaws are a little off, everything is just slightly off for me.

The voice acting is there.  I know I mentioned it before it isn't that it is bad it is just hard not to compare it to the 2001 Justice League which I think had the voices just perfect.  However I'm sure that is me looking back through rose colored glasses since I'm a huge fan of the series.

It is what it is.  If you like the DC universe check this out sometime.  Its worth the 80 minutes or so...what is this?  An after credits scene...with Luthor?  NICE!

There you go, a little different review today then lately.  I'll continue with my Bottom 100 reviews in the near future.  I also think I'll start watching the top 250 randomly as well to give a balance.  As always if you want me to watch a flick just let me know and I'll do it.  Until next time, remember, never mess with a lobster!

Movie Review: Batman vs. Superman....BATMAN WINS!

Good morning, good afternoon or good evening, whenever it is you happen to be reading this.  I FINALLY got a chance to see this flick.  

Let me start of by saying that I enjoyed the flick.  Was it perfect?  Of course not but it was better than I expected.  Over on IMDB as of tonight, 4/30, it has a rating of 7.2.  I'd give it a solid 7 almost an 8.  

Lets start with the good.  The main actors, Ben and Henry, were amazing.  I thought that Ben was great in his role of grizzled angry bitter Batman while Henry did another great job was Superman. Throw in Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne and Holly Hunter and it was a great cast.  That isn't to say that I thought everyones character was good but everyone did a good job with what they were given.

I also thought, for the most part, it was a good film visually.  Early on they did do a few too many artsy shots for my taste but films wonderfully.  The effects were also very well done.  I didn't think at any point things seemed out of place or green screened.

Also the fight scenes were awesome.  I think my favorite was the "dream" fight scene with Batman and Supermans agents.  Batman fighting and shooting while the weird winged soldiers were grabbing people was amazing.  Ben was amazing was Batsy!

Now onto my few bad points.

Jeremy Irons was just out of place.  This version of Alfred as "Q" and what not just didn't fit for me. I felt he was too friendly with Batman with some of his comments.  

I didn't like the inclusion of Wonder Woman.  It felt forced to include here.  Also how does her weapon hurt Doomsday even though it is only Kryptonian weapons that can.  Does that mean her weapon is of Krypton?  I'm still not sold on Wonder Woman in general.  She just didn't feel like WW to me.

Next let me talk about Luthor.  I liked how Jesse performed what he was given but I didn't like it.  I think my opinion of Luthor is clouded by how wonderful a job that Clancy Brown did in the animated universe years ago.  My wonderful girlfriend and I had a long debate that she liked the change and that it is more realistic that he would have ticks and idiosyncrasies like Luthor did in the film.  For me it just didn't feel like Luthor.    A great character but not what I think of as Luthor.

Next the flick is long.  151 minutes long.  Throw in trailers and what not and it was nearly a 3 hour movie going experience.  LONG!  The weird thing there weren't a lot of scenes they could remove. Maybe the email scene and airplane scene.  The stuff about the staff in the water but we're looking at 5 minutes, maybe 10.  

Oh one more complaint.  The fact that Grant Gustin isn't the Flash makes me sad.  Grant is amazing. I know the two Universe are different but with Grant and Stephen Amell doing amazing jobs in the roles of Barry and Oliver respectfully it makes me kind of sad.

Overall I enjoyed it and I'd like to see the supposed R rated version that might be released on DVD. Not sure where things will go with the upcoming Suicide Squad and Justice League flicks.  Oh and if you saw the flick you know that Batman wins which everyone knew would be the outcome because he is awesome!

Gotham Season 2 Episode 4: Strike Force

I am back boys and girls, this time with the next episode of Gotham!  This time "Barnes forms a task force with help from Gordon; Penguin is kept busy trying to fulfill a favor for Galavan; and Nygma asks Kringle out on a date."  Who is Barnes...I guess we find out!  And away we go!...

• Still no happy about Jerome being gone already
• Did I turn on The Warriors?
• Butch is back!  AWESOME!
• VIC MACKEY!  He is the new boss?  He is Barnes?  Awesome!
• Wait...he is a good cop?  Weird...
• I bet Harvey is regretting his decision to come back
• Why is he being so up front with Penguin
• Why would Theo stop the Maniax and then go to Penguin
• Someone will be sleeping with the Fishes...see what I did there
• Now did I turn on the Police Academy?  Where is Hightower?
• How great is Butch!
• Pretty sure it wouldn't be hard to tell the cops who did it
• Those kids have some stupid hair cuts....and the hair comments are back
• Damn Alfred!
• Them is some WHITE shoes!
• What is he going to do with his clothes?
• Gollum is back....I mean Nygma
• Nygma has a five head!
• I like Barnes already
• Oh Theo, you know exactly how to play people
• Kringles hair is weird...more hair comments!
• Oh man Victor is back!  You don't mess with him!
• Jim, I think your past is catching up with you
• How did the best shot in the Academy constantly miss?
• Nygma, you dog!
• Worlds are colliding boys and girls

Well that pretty much set up the rest of the season doesn't it.  The Strike Force vs. Penguin vs. Team Theo.  Where will the cards fall?  I'm intrigued to say the least.  I like the direction and the writing is good, although the initial exchange between Barnes and Gordon was a bit cliche.  

Overall even if I hate Jerome being gone I am still enjoying each episode.  I also like the inclusion of Bruce this season.  It doesn't seem as forced as last season.  

I give it a 7 out of 10.  Until next time, Abyssinia!