Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Batman Begins

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Posted by Mark Pierce (Member # 3196) on 06-08-2005, 09:00 PM:

I hate to say it, but it's good!

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 06-13-2005, 01:38 PM:

Why do you hate to say that?
I can't wait for it.

Posted by Mark Pierce (Member # 3196) on 06-13-2005, 09:05 PM:

Batman's my favorite super hero and I'm such a big fan of the Burton Batman. Not to mention that Keaton was a great Batman AND Bruce Wayne.

I don't like Christian Bale and I thought Memento was HIGHLY overrated and Insomnia was a complete waste of film. The Batmobile is NOT supposed to be an SUV!!!

Having said that, I really enjoyed the film. Bale was a good batman and a passable Wayne (although he was a bit over the top in his playboy performances). There is a GREAT chase scene involving the Batmobile. I thought that they could have used the villians a bit more but I do understand where the director was going with this film in that he wanted it to be more about Batman/Wayne. It was the best DMR transfer that I've seen so far. IMAX got it done well this time.

Overall, I had a good time. Highly recommended and if you can see the IMAX version, (not that I'm biased or anything!) don't waste your time with the little stuff!!!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-14-2005, 12:33 AM:

You guys do realize this is the first movie in a trilogy, right? True. I can't wait for the next 2, which will be called "Batman Continues" and "Batman Concludes".

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 06-14-2005, 07:46 AM:

I agree ... it's a great DMR transfer. This one looked a little crisper without the "sharpening filter" artifacts that I noticed a lot in Spiderman 2.

As for the movie itself, it was, as everyone who's seen it seems to think, really good!

The first act was a great psychological drama, and quickly paced. It shaped the Wayne character and gave some strong insight into the Batman origins. I think this will be compared a lot to Anakin's transformation to Vader. Or more accurately, you just may hear people saying "Now THIS is the way to tell the story of a character's early struggles in a prequel designed to fill in back story to a familiar franchise!" It was continuously interesting, and deftly brought in the various aspects of Batman ... taming fears, dealing with justice and revenge, anger, growth, lots of stuff. This movie "showed" me what was making Bruce Wayne tick, rather than what the Star Wars script did by only "telling" me about the seduction to the Dark Side. Effective use of flashbacks, and straightforward approach in the directing.

The movie then smoothly leaps into good Batman action. Chases and whatnot. Good villain setup. Great characters all around. The ultimate "evil villain plan to destroy the world"-type aspect of the plot didn't come off as cheesy as it would have if someone told me about it. In another movie, it wouldn't have been as convincing, I think.

Seeing just screenshots, I thought Katie Holmes looked too much like an airhead. However, it's a pretty strong character. I'm still not sure she completely pulled it off, but she did a better job than I was expecting. And not just at refraining from wearing bras ... something she's apparently good at.

I liked Morgan Freeman's character, and Gary Oldman was good too. Yeah, I think this was a strong cast. Michael Caine was perfect.

As a whole, this is a good story, and well told; regardless of being just another in a long series of superhero adaptations. That aside, it still stands on its own. It didn't have a comic book feel. It was just the story of a man, his fears, his city, and Katie Holmes in some cold air.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 06-14-2005, 10:38 AM:

I've been waiting for this movie for over a year...and needless to say when I found out that it would be arriving on Monday, the weekend became that much longer! The film arrived right on time monday morning. I left a note saying call me when it comes in, I want to build it.(To make sure it was perfect [Wink]

) After building it, was a long drawn out day of nothing leading up to the screening.

Like I said, I've been waiting for this film for over a year. I'm a Christian Bale fan, I think hes a solid actor who approach's every role with all his heart. I mean just look at the Machinist. He embodies his roles, and becomes the part. And thats exactly what he did with Bruce Wayne. He wasn't too over the top when being the play-boy Bruce Wayne. You can even see that when hes talking with Rachel he wants to tell her then, that its just a cover up. Just like later on at the party, he doesn't care what people think of him.

I was very skeptical about using Ra's as the main villain, but they made him work. The story arc for the character was very well done. And for anyone who didn't read the spoilers, I think will be surprised to see the outcome. My only complaint is that the Scarecrow, albeit a minor villain in the film. Was really really under used. When the gas was in effect he was very cool, and Creepy.

Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Micheal Cain were all fantastic in there respective roles. I'm so glad there going to be keeping Freeman around for another film. His character was great. Gary Oldman owned Gordon, he was perfect. As well as Micheal Cain, he was fantastic as Alfred.

I've been defending the Tumbler sense they first released it, I think its perfect for the film. This film is based in reality, Tim Burtons Batmobile would not work in this film. Batman needed something tough, dark, and scary. This is far more scary then a long shoe. This Batmobile had a purpose, Burtons had no purpose but to look "cool". The chase was awsome, do you think that Burton's Batmobile could do what the Tumbler did in that chase? I don't think so.

I give this film a GIANT 10 out of 10

I will be seeing Batman Begins tonight at the 12:01 showing...then I will be traveling down to Grand Rapids on Wednesday to see it on the big ol' IMAX [Eek!]

!

Oh by the way I just wanted to do a shamless plug right here, today (June 14th) is my 22nd birthday. I didn't want to make a post just about that. I hope you all enjoy this great film!

"I swear to GOD!"

"SWEAR TO ME!!!"

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 06-14-2005, 05:38 PM:

POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILER:

My only gripe about the film was the slap. Rachel JUST gets done telling Bruce about the difference between justice and revenge, how justice is about harmony and revenge is just to make yourself feel better ... and then not a minute later, she has a gut reaction to his confession and slaps him. Twice!

I can't tell if it was just an oversight in the writing and she's being unwittingly contradictory, or if it was subtley pointing out the nature of how we're all susceptible to revenge. I'm thinking neither. It's a well-written reaction of a woman being a woman who can get away with slapping a guy just 'cause she thinks he deserves it, and not thinking twice about relating it to justice or revenge in any abstract way. Did he wrong her in any way? I don't think I'm being especially embittered here ... for the two characters in the moment, and not necessarily the scope of the whole film, I think the slap was uncalled for.

Typical woman! [Mad]

Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 06-14-2005, 10:24 PM:

Thought Katie was a wee bit prissy & couldn't act the anger scenes properly.
Short on time, so a solid, nipple erecting 9/10

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 06-15-2005, 03:50 PM:

CINEMA: Century 20 Jordan Creek, West Des Moines, IA
AUDITORIUM: 11
PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital/THX
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: Uh...nothing out of the ordinary.
RATING: Two stars (out of four)

WARNING: Spoilers are an excellent substitute for butter

This movie pissed me off.

First off, it takes about an hour to get moving. Second, the dialouge. I spent a good portion of the movie refraining from shouting "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!" at the screen. Then when the action gets going, much if it is presented in "Michael Bay horror flick trailer teaser" fashion. Thirdly, and most importanly, HOW much does Ducard have to do for Bruce to realize that he IS Bruce's father?!? He didn't die...He went off into the wild to forge a gang of ninja thugs to take back Gotham, and madness ensued. All that crap about how the whole thing was his father's fault? I was a breath short of screaming "HE IS YOUR FATHER, YOU IDIOT!" about a half dozen times through the movie. This would have been SO much better if they'd taken the script in that direction. Then Rachel at the end...Oooh...I would have killed her right there.

The two stars are basically for the production. The soundtrack even managed to push the limits of the sound system here. There's a couple of explosions where it must distort to hell in the cheap builds.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 06-16-2005, 02:19 AM:

Absolutely loved it. It makes you forget that Batman and Robin even exists. As much as I love Burton's work for Batman, I have to give the trophy to this one.

And oh I loved the sound in this one.

AJG

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 06-16-2005, 02:54 AM:

While I enjoyed the perfomances of the characters, this movie is yet another in the line of a most annoying trend in fighting scenes in Hollywood

Shake the camera like crazy, flash body parts like an arm or leg, blurry movement, "thud", fight is over.

I'm sorry but I absolutely hate that kind of cop-out filming for fight scenes. Take the time to train your actors, make some still wide shots with plenty of room to appreciate the work, and hire professionals to work out the details.

Just look at Hero with Jet Li. THAT'S how you film fight scenes.

I give Batman Begins 3 out of 5 stars.

Posted by Jon Morgan (Member # 3059) on 06-16-2005, 12:21 PM:

I thought it was really good, although I had low expectations. I was really pissed at how Ra's Al Ghul was portrayed in the publicity and whatnot, but after seeing the film I was absolutely satisfied. Eight thumbs up.

Katie Holmes is becoming an uggmo, though.

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 06-16-2005, 07:34 PM:

Just got back from watching. Awsome flick. Waaaayyyy better than I thought it was going to be when I first heard of it a year or so ago. I for one LOVED the slow build-up from the beginning to the end. I get sick of every action movie having a James Bond beginning with as many explosions as possable. The movie was much better starting slow and building and building to a great ending. Christan did a much better job than I would have ever given him credit for. Keaton may have been a better Bruce Wayne, but Bayle was a more believable Batman and dont even get me started on Clooney and Kilmer.

I havent heard anything about the new franchise but I would hope that instead of actually being a prequel they just pretend that the other movies dont exists. I would love for this cast and director to tell a much better Joker story than the other first Batman movie. In any event, cant wait for the next installment.

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 06-16-2005, 08:20 PM:

I believe a second and third movie are being scripted to contain a nice arc between the three, and actors have signed on. Whether or not Nolan directs, it seems clear that they indeed are kind of ignoring the previous incarnation of the franchise.

It seems Joe was right! Now, it may be debatable as to "Batman Continues" and "Batman Concludes" being the titles. My vote is for "Batman Drudges On" and "Batman Wraps It Up"! [Big Grin]

Posted by Tracy Bellar (Member # 3049) on 06-17-2005, 12:01 AM:

I think Batman Begins and Sin City, Spidey 2 have changed the face of super hero comic book movies forever. Batman Begins is by far the best Batman movie. It also stands out with a great story. Comic book adapted movies will have to raise to a higher level now to match the films as of latley. I like that the campy cartoonish aspect has been erased. I like the Batman 60's TV show for it's own era and I like that it was not included in this film. The gritty feel of this movie makes you accept the vigilante in a bat suit more than if it had had the comic interjections. This movie makes me look back at the previous Bat movies and lower my view of past films. They just are not as good as they used to seem to me now.
I think that future Batman movies and comic based films that follow this formula will bring in more than the comic crowd. It may be more mainstream accepted.

Posted by Mark Pierce (Member # 3196) on 06-17-2005, 01:20 AM:

How about...

Batman Ooooo Baby I love your Wayne
and
Batman I Hope It's Better Than Revoloutions!

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 06-17-2005, 01:56 AM:

The Clown Prince Strikes Back and Return of the Penguin. Or perhaps Attack of the Question Marks and Revenge of the Dent.

AJG

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 06-18-2005, 04:27 PM:

Loved the movie. Could have been better in terms of music and even the cinematography seemed underlit in the day scenes. Still I do like the creative choices in getting away from the overblown batman music of the past movies, especially the self parody of the last two, and cinematography wise, going with a nice mix of day and night scenes.

This felt like a real movie instead of a boring self conscious comic book adaptation. I always thought Freeman would make a good Alfred despite his race. And it's nice to see him as a sort of corporate world Alfred in this movie. Hated the slap scene. Prissy bitch. Liked the fact that so many fun actors like Hauer and Oldman eschewed chewing up the scenery.

Loved the gritty nature of the gadgets and the props. I liked the Burton movies, but if Burton kept making movies, he was in danger of boring us with the gothic stuff. And besides, Batman 1, was narratively not that gripping.

Liked the 2.35:1 aspect ratio of this batman.

I love the fact that the villains played it straight and not campy. Nicholson did a good job being Nicholson and was entertaining. But as the joker, he wasnt the perfect choice for me. I thought DeVito and Pfeiffer were good. Carrey was not bad, but he was doing Carrey, not the Riddler, and let's not say a word about the other wretched Shumaker villains. It was time for a change in tone. Cillian Murphy looks damn creepy even without a bag on his face.

LIam Neeson was much better in this role compared to his bland presence in Ep1.

All in all, a must see.

One pet peeve: I HATE it when the girl finds about Batman's identity.They did it in Batman. It was not as horrible this time as they establish a long term connection with Rachel, still, it didnt warrant it yet.

Posted by Jason M Miller (Member # 2597) on 06-18-2005, 08:53 PM:

I think this movie, "ROCKS" I would say, one of the best Batman Movies EVER, I can not wait until the next one.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 06-19-2005, 04:58 PM:

How's the Greco factor?

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-19-2005, 05:18 PM:

Zero on the Greco factor, sorry. But the rest of the movie kicks ass and takes names. This is the best of the franchise so far. Very dark. I liked it.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 06-19-2005, 06:35 PM:

Today, 1PM, Regal Cinema World 8 in Eugene, House #3, digital sound (prolly SR-D). Looked and sounded excellent, though there were a few digital dropouts near the end of reel 2. No other presentation complaints. The matinee price has increased from $4.75 to $5.00 since the last time I was there, and business was so slow the cashier was also tearing the tickets. Attendance maybe 75 if I'm being optimistic.

Michael Keaton and Christian Bale: [thumbsup]

Val Kilmer and George Clooney: [thumbsdown]

All in all this is the best Batman yet and I can't wait to see the next installment. Very classy cast and like someone else said, thank god they didn't camp it up with the villains.

3.75 out of 5 stars from me.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 06-19-2005, 06:47 PM:

Sorry Adam but the Greco facto is there...from what I can tell from Katie Holms, Gothom is avery cold place. [Wink]

Greco factor is very low but there are a few scenes

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 06-19-2005, 10:13 PM:

What's the Greco factor? How interesting the movie is in paedophile terms?

Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 06-20-2005, 12:40 AM:

Better than I expected. Spiderman does not even compare to Batman.

Posted by Daniel Burns (Member # 1549) on 06-20-2005, 12:50 AM:

I watched this on friday at the UA Galaxy 10 in dallas. The only problem was the bad reel 3, about 12 places where the film was mis-colored and after each one of course it dropped out of digital. To tell you the truth I cant really recall what was going on at the time because that sound was getting on my fucking nerves! I told a manager about it and said I'd rather watch it in stereo so I couldn't hear it drop, but he looked at me like I was crazy. Thumbs up for the movie, thumbs down for the theatre that couldn't catch that bad reel the first time it was ran.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-20-2005, 09:26 AM:

quote: Daniel Burns
The only problem was the bad reel 3, about 12 places where the film was mis-colored and after each one of course it dropped out of digital.

If the "mis-colored" sections were cyan-blue in color, I suspect safelight fogging, which could also affect the sound. Might also be a processing problem. The reel should have been replaced:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/illumination/page01.blind

Posted by Daniel Burns (Member # 1549) on 06-20-2005, 10:03 AM:

thats exactly what it was

Posted by Ron Yost (Member # 1850) on 06-20-2005, 11:01 AM:

I agree, Jen. [Smile]

This may prove to be the best film of the summer, as well as one of the most satisfying films I've ever seen. Great, really rich entertainment experience. Bravo to all concerned. [thumbsup]

Ron Yost

Posted by Stephen LaPadula (Member # 3050) on 06-20-2005, 12:16 PM:

Last night I got to see Batman on the IMAX at Regal New Roc City Stadium 18 just north of the NYC border. Movie was great as everyone has already stated. Presentation was just about flawless. The screen was evenly lit, even in the corners, and the sound was definitely IMAX. It was a 10:10pm show and it was packed. I was a little surprised for a Sunday night. Although not the biggest IMAX at 400 capacity, certainly more people than I expected. My only complaint.....during most of the fighting scenes the camera angel changed so quickly and the action was so fast I could hardly tell what was going on like who was beating the hell out of who, maybe because of the large picture and my little brain trying to process it all. Did anyone else fell the same, weather on IMAX or in a regular house?

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 06-20-2005, 12:21 PM:

One of the reasons I "only" gave it 3.75 stars (like anyone cares!) is because I felt the fight scenes consisted of too many closeups and quick-cuts. I know the filmmakers probably have plenty of good reasons for doing it that way, but as a viewer it's kind of hard to follow what's going on and who's doing what to who. IMAX must make it worse due to the size of the image. There were also a couple of times when something major happened, like an explosion or a crash, and there was no accompanying sound effect.

Did anyone besides me notice that some of the dialog sounded kind of "piped in", like bad ADR or something? It was only in a few early scenes. It just didn't sound right.

Posted by Dwayne Caldwell (Member # 417) on 06-21-2005, 01:34 AM:

Personally, I think this was the best comic book adaptation I've ever seen. I wasn't a big fan of Burton's Batman. In fact, until this one came out, I thought the best Batman movie was the animated one. I do have to agree with the fight sequences being a little too incoherent. That and the Batman voice. But those were about the only qualms I had with the film.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

I have noticed though that most people find that Katie Holmes' slap unexpected. Most people let out a short laugh. Personally, I found the slap to be perfectly acceptable. It wasn't done out of malice, she didn't do it to make herself feel better, and I don't think she's a prissy bitch because of it. That slap was a slap of disappointment, pure and simple.

I seem to recall a similar instance in Spiderman that people found uncalled for. The scene I refer to is the one in which Peter and Uncle Ben were talking for the last time. Many felt Peter's pushiness was out of place. That he was too antagonistic towards Ben. True, it was rather an abupt change of character, but I also felt it was necessary. Peter was picked on all his life. He was weak. Do people really think that a person endowed with powers like that is going to think about anyone but themselves? That they won't abuse it? Had Ben not died at the hands of the very robber Peter let escape, Peter may very well have abused his power and gone down the path the Green Goblin took. That moment defined Peter. It was an important crossroad in his life.

Now take a look at Bruce. His outlet of private justice (i.e. revenge) denied, he wouldn't walk away from all that inner torture. Assuming he didn't decide to walk into Falcone's place and kill him because he's the only identifiable target left for his revenge - Falcone is creating dozens of Joe Chills, remember? - he may well have gone down the path Ra's Al Ghul did. Al Ghul lost someone too. So Bruce may very well have cut off that murderer's head. But Rachel slaps him. Why? Because she believes in justice. She believes Bruce is a good man. His parents stood for what was right. And the only way he could think to right their injustice was by gunning down their murderer. In essence, Bruce is admitting attempted murder. But more than that, he's showing her he's a coward. That he was willing to sacrifice that which distinguishes him from someone like Chill. So this was a wake up call. In fact, her final words to him before he leaves the country probably hurt him more than the slap (or rather slaps.) But that slap and those words stuck in his mind. He would not be an executioner. And because of that, he kept his compassion. That moment in the car (seems like all the important hero crossroads take place in a car) was pivotal in Wayne's evolution as a crime fighter. I'm sure people get that. It's really not that hard when you think about it.

Okay, I'm done ranting. Anyway, this movie just proves to me that Nolan has talent. I'm glad somebody finally got it right.

[ 06-21-2005, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: Dwayne Caldwell ]

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 06-21-2005, 05:15 PM:

For all you Bat fans like myself who are itching for the next installment. Its been announced that they will go on with the sequel. No release date yet, but Cain, Freeman and Oldman have all signed on for two more films. Only person from the principle not to resign yet is Katie Holms. HMMM...personally not a good sign, that was one of the major downfalls of the original. I think they need to bring her back and have the Joker kill her. Giving Batman more of a hatred for the Joker.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 06-21-2005, 11:36 PM:

quote:
The only problem was the bad reel 3, about 12 places where the film was mis-colored and after each one of course it dropped out of digital.

If the "mis-colored" sections were cyan-blue in color, I suspect safelight fogging, which could also affect the sound.

Shouldn't this be in the Cyan Tracks thread?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-22-2005, 09:30 AM:

quote: William Hooper
Shouldn't this be in the Cyan Tracks thread?

Was just commenting on a specific (and likely isolated) problem mentioned on a print being reviewed in THIS thread. Safelight fogging could affect ANY track, and is not related to the use of cyan dye tracks.

Posted by Dan Suomi (Member # 2585) on 06-22-2005, 04:21 PM:

It's okay Katie Holms is dumb anyway. I'd rather see Viki Vale any day of the week before Katie Holms's character.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 07-08-2005, 09:06 PM:

OK, saw this one today at the Showcase Cinemas Stony brook 20 Imax theatre in Louisville, KY. This is actually the second time I saw it the first being in standard 35. The picture quality of the Imax film was excellent nice and sharp and dirt and scratch free. I could not even tell that there were splices in the film. The color looked very good too. Sound was excellent and probably from a DTS source I am assuming. The only problem I had is that there were some noticeably strange shadows going around the picture that looked like layers of shadows going about two or three feet into the picture that were effecting the light output around the edges. The picture filled the entire screen surface except for a couple of times during certain scenes you could see a black line at the bottom. overall I give the movie and Imax experience *** out of four stars.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 07-09-2005, 10:09 AM:

.~* SPOILERS *~.

I refrain from reading these review forums until i've seen the movie, so I'm just now hearing that this will be a trillogy. I saw batman last night and loved it. But I was a little thrown when the flash-back to the Wayne murders didn't include the line, "hey kid, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?" that was central to the Keaton film. It kind of pissed me off that they overlooked that part for consistency. After hearing that this will be a trillogy though, it will probably make more sense when the entire series gets fleshed out.

I loved the tumbler. I don't know what it is, but the sound of large tires spinning sideways always sounds great.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 07-09-2005, 10:02 PM:

Adam,

Tim Burton put in to his film that the Joker aka Jake Napier killed Bruce's parents, to give more of a tie between Batman and the Joker. Joe Chill killed them in the comic, hence the reason you did not hear the line. Many people swear Joker killed his parents, all because of Burton.

And also this film has nothing to do with the other 4. Its a stand alone film, acting as if the other ones don't exist. Its not a prequel its a Restart of the Series. SO NO ROBIN!!! [thumbsup]

yes

Posted by Dennis Udovich (Member # 1066) on 07-10-2005, 01:28 PM:

I am not into comic book movies at all! Just never cared for them. Well, finally, my staff persuaded me to see Batman Begins. All I can say is, "This is the best picture I have seen this year!" [thumbsup]

It had a great story, explaining Bruce Wayne's childhood and his growing up and becoming Batman. I can't wait to see the sequel.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 07-10-2005, 03:34 PM:

Thanks for the info Kurt. .~* More Spoilers *~. At the end of Begins, Gordon says that "someone" with an eye for theatrics was a double murderer. I thought he was referring to Joe Chill because of Burton's self-made connection, and the double murder of Bruce's parents.

I'm sure others are in the same boat as me, with our only knowledge of Batman coming from the previous crappy films (and possibly the old fox animated series [thumbsup]

) This film needed a tag line, "forget what you've seen before" This not being a film I was even looking forward to, I'll be excited when the next one comes out. [Big Grin]

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 07-13-2005, 11:44 AM:

Batman Begins, Just bloody loud and bright in dts that didn’t make the slightest difference yeah sure your not going to hear the splice from reel 1 to reel 2 wow big deal, the major problem hear is the flawed sound system at the Odeon Westover Road Bournemouth, in there screen #1 Altec A4 behind the screen can you believe that, they just sound too bright and the bass distortion makes my skin crawl, its been like this for a while now.

Back in 1999 Star Wars episode 1 will be playing in Dolby SR-D only with no Dolby surround-EX adaptor low numbers man, and the very first film noticed this naff quality was “The Matrix” I thought the bass drivers where going to bottom out.

The surrounds are the JBL 8330 16x in all, in the worse set-up I have ever seen and heard and the feel from them is just pants.

So around 4 weeks ago I saw “Batman Begins” I spoke to a young projectionist there he said we have just installed DTS, wow what else is new, when I asked him what amp are there in the booth, he’s reply was I don’t know, he really knows his stuff and very little history about this field, no names mentioned to protect there secrets.

As for the amplification QSC 6x in all as for the model number for the life of me I can remember, also there running the Dolby CP-500

Also screen one as no sub bass in the installation which explains the bass distortion the LFE as been down mix into the main left and rights cheep cinema, and smelling too, the carpet stack to my shoes man that’s just plainly disgusting, you really need to ware a white suit as the carpet must have a billon upon billions of little bugs within it and I swear the carpet is walking well crawling more a les towards the nearest exit door to catch a breath of summer air fragrance, if you all get my meaning.

Conclusion, it was just the worst film presentation I have seen this year so far, I’ll stay far away from that stinking cinema until they clean the sound system up with new JBL behind the screen, and for god sakes clean the carpet….

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 01-17-2006, 02:44 PM:

I finally watched this on DVD over the weekend.

I prefer Christopher Nolan's approach to the Batman saga over Joel Schumacher's; it's far grittier and more real. I still don't think he can hold a candle to Tim Burton, though. Nolan works on a simple staging basis that sort of cancels out the fanfare and regal essences that surround the bat, but since most of this film revolved around a more troubled Bruce Wayne, I guess it's appropriate.

So Katie Holmes isn't Bruce's sister? That was unclear to me until he planted one on her. Michael Caine doesn't seem to be Alfred either. His performance made him seem more like himself. That & how the Joker was supposed to be Bruce's parents' killer... The timeline is screwed up, okay.

The scenes dealing with the formulation of Batman were compelling, and the action sequences looked very appropriate, but I miss Burton's visual wit, too much of this film played like Daredevil. If you don't like to be surprised over what's going to happen in a given scene, don't worry, there's plenty of scene setups in the dialouge. Basic, just really basic.

Balls-out sound as I remember it from my first week at my new theatre. The only really pushy mix that was out this year, but not really flawed.