As a life-long mega Bat-fan, I thought that Batman Returns did the best job (of all four films) of portraying the Dark Knight. Sure, the 1989's Batman was great, but it was lopsided; it might as well have been called "Joker" considering the focus of the film. Batman Returns allowed us a better look at Batman/Bruce Wayne himself, who was little more than an imposing supporting cast member in the first film; I loved Jack Nicholson's over-the-top performance, but THIS fanboy wanted more of the Caped Crusader in the film. Batman Returns gave us that and more...we got Batman/Bruce character development, the AWESOME give-and-take between Batman and Catwoman (one of the strangest courtships in comics), and Burton even tossed us a little bit of fun, dark humor with Shreck and the Penguin. Everyone's performances maintained consistent characterizations that came across beautifully as both mad and tragic; Keaton was subtly psychotic, Pfeiffer was fatally seductive, Walken was deliciously megalomaniacal, and DeVito was unwaveringly grotesque. Everyone pulled off their characters with gusto and memorable appeal. Though not as dark and gritty as the first film, "Returns" captured the subtle madness that permeates Gotham City. When you compare "Returns" to the other Batman films, it is easy to see that it gives Batman's world the touch of underlying insanity (as only Burton can capture) that the first film lacked (where was the Joker's twisted sense of humor?) and the last two increasingly turned into the Three Stooges ("Chicks dig the car"!?!). Batman Returns excelled in that it was a dark, disturbingly insane portrait of Batman and Gotham City; a film that carefully balances on the fine line where and darkness and madness meet. For those movie lovers brave enough to try walking that line, I recommend this film.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Six-String Samurai
(1998)
A post-apocalyptic Kung Fu Rock'n'Roll road trip that delivers!
23 September 1998
"Six-String Samurai," director Lance Mungia's first venture into feature film, and is definitely one of the year's best action movies. With no punches pulled, co-writers Mungia and Jeffrey Falcon dish up a "Rockin' & Ronin" film that is sure to give Hollywood the good, hard slap in the face it's been needing.
A frenetically-paced, high-octane romp set in a post-apocalyptic world where the Russians have taken over a nuked USA and Elvis is king of Lost Vegas, "Six-String Samurai" chronicles the tale of Buddy (Falcon), a hero who's a '50s rocker and wandering warrior rolled into one, too-cool package.
Armed with his six-string in one hand and his kitana in the other, Buddy is on his way to Vegas to succeed Elvis as King. Along the way, in what is one of the most exciting opening scenes you will find in any movie, he saves an orphan (Justin McGuire) who decides to play tag-along to his newfound savior.
What follows this in-your-face opening is, as they say, the stuff legends are made of. From the very first slash of Buddy's sword, the audience knows that this road trip isn't going to be your average trip through Nevada, and they are right.
They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In "Six-String Samurai," the road to Vegas is paved with plenty of danger, as Buddy is forced to fight his way through the Nevada Badlands. Buddy and his junior sidekick encounter a wide variety of weirdos and baddies, including King wannabe's, spinach monsters, cannibals, an annoying kid with an arrow in his back, and even Death himself (apparently played by Rob Zombie).
The film's many action sequences, choreographed and executed expertly by Falcon, a Hong-Kong action veteran, give "Six-String Samurai" a high-voltage, "catch-me-if-you-can" rhythm that is fun and exciting to keep up with.
Adding to the film's overall effect are it's often off-the-wall humor and many homages to other films, including "The Wizard of Oz," "Star Wars," and the "Mad Max" trilogy (as well as many others). Done with just enough sarcasm, irony, and hipness, it all works perfectly.
If all this weren't enough, the great surf-a-billy tunes from The Red Elvises (who also appear in the film) and score by Brian Tyler add perfectly to the movie's surreal, ultra-cool atmosphere.
"Six-String Samurai" is cinema's biggest surprise of the year. It is what film-making is supposed to be: a lot of heart, a lot of hard work, and most importantly, a hell of a lot of fun. And if a post-apocalyptic, Kung Fu, Rock'n'Roll, road trip movie isn't fun, what is?
So, forget all the killer asteroids, giant lizards, renegade toys, and Spanish swashbucklers of the summer; if you've been needing a good, swift kick in the face that leaves you smiling, get on the road to Vegas, ya dig? I guarantee you'll enjoy the ride.
A frenetically-paced, high-octane romp set in a post-apocalyptic world where the Russians have taken over a nuked USA and Elvis is king of Lost Vegas, "Six-String Samurai" chronicles the tale of Buddy (Falcon), a hero who's a '50s rocker and wandering warrior rolled into one, too-cool package.
Armed with his six-string in one hand and his kitana in the other, Buddy is on his way to Vegas to succeed Elvis as King. Along the way, in what is one of the most exciting opening scenes you will find in any movie, he saves an orphan (Justin McGuire) who decides to play tag-along to his newfound savior.
What follows this in-your-face opening is, as they say, the stuff legends are made of. From the very first slash of Buddy's sword, the audience knows that this road trip isn't going to be your average trip through Nevada, and they are right.
They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In "Six-String Samurai," the road to Vegas is paved with plenty of danger, as Buddy is forced to fight his way through the Nevada Badlands. Buddy and his junior sidekick encounter a wide variety of weirdos and baddies, including King wannabe's, spinach monsters, cannibals, an annoying kid with an arrow in his back, and even Death himself (apparently played by Rob Zombie).
The film's many action sequences, choreographed and executed expertly by Falcon, a Hong-Kong action veteran, give "Six-String Samurai" a high-voltage, "catch-me-if-you-can" rhythm that is fun and exciting to keep up with.
Adding to the film's overall effect are it's often off-the-wall humor and many homages to other films, including "The Wizard of Oz," "Star Wars," and the "Mad Max" trilogy (as well as many others). Done with just enough sarcasm, irony, and hipness, it all works perfectly.
If all this weren't enough, the great surf-a-billy tunes from The Red Elvises (who also appear in the film) and score by Brian Tyler add perfectly to the movie's surreal, ultra-cool atmosphere.
"Six-String Samurai" is cinema's biggest surprise of the year. It is what film-making is supposed to be: a lot of heart, a lot of hard work, and most importantly, a hell of a lot of fun. And if a post-apocalyptic, Kung Fu, Rock'n'Roll, road trip movie isn't fun, what is?
So, forget all the killer asteroids, giant lizards, renegade toys, and Spanish swashbucklers of the summer; if you've been needing a good, swift kick in the face that leaves you smiling, get on the road to Vegas, ya dig? I guarantee you'll enjoy the ride.
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