Support NeoGAF

[Trojita]

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/cosmopolis-director-gives-dark-knight-rises-bad-review-181827382.html

Count out one fan of "The Dark Knight Rises." The indie filmmaker David Cronenberg slammed supporters of the movie who call the blockbuster art, saying," I don't think they know what the f--k they're talking about."

The director was speaking to MTV to promote his new film, "Cosmopolis," starring "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattinson as a young billionaire whose rarefied world unravels in just one day.

Cronenberg's scathing words were picked up by the Hollywood Reporter and have been catching buzz.

In the interview, the filmmaker, who did direct a movie based on a graphic novel, "A History of Violence," elaborated on his opinion of the caped crusader.

"I don't think they are making them an elevated art form. I think it's still Batman running around in a stupid cape. I just don't think it's elevated. (Director) Christopher Nolan's best movie is 'Memento,' and that is an interesting movie. I don't think his Batman movies are half as interesting though they're 20 million times the expense."

For his part, Cronenberg did acknowledge that he respected Nolan's mastery of IMAX technology, calling it "really tricky and difficult to do." But he added that the movie was "boring." "A superhero movie, by definition, you know, it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."

But perhaps the director would be fine channeling his inner adolescent. He admitted, "As an actor, I would play Batman."

Lawl

 

[Brobzoid]

ain't saying nothing wrong.

 

[Regulus Tera]

This is almost as bad as the people who want video games to be high art.

 

[Rapstah]

Slightly "less than half as interesting as Memento" sounds about right.

 

[Gray Man]

"A superhero movie, by definition, you know, it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."

Yeah Batman.. for kids!

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

eh.

I think the films do go above and beyond the "adolescent" source material, but I agree, in the end it's still fluff. And there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

This man directed Crash.

Spoiler

I liked Crash. *runs*

 

[SpacLock]

He was half right. The movie was boring and it sucked.

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

For kids might be a bit strong but it is adolescent. Nothing wrong with enjoying that as an adult though.

 

[andymcc]

Cronenberg rules and I liked TDKR. *shrugs*

 

[mescalineeyes]

Yeah Batman.. for kids!

If you don't realize how wannabe edgy that looks then I don't know what to tell you.

That being said, I loved TDKR but I get what he says.

 

[Router]

Comics are for kids? Nah.

Rises was Boring? Yeah.

Memento was awesome? Yeah.

 

[NYR]

"it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."

 

[universalmind]

He probably knows better, though. He does indie films.

 

[Lathentar]

This man directed Crash.

Spoiler

I liked Crash. *runs*

Are you sure you're thinking of the right Crash?

 

[Bleepey]

From the guy who directed the adaptation of the comic book A history of violence. Also the book was better cunt. Clueless cunt. Comic books being just for kids... I swear....

 

[andymcc]

Comics are for kids? Nah.

i'd say that was more of a dig at superhero comics rather than comics as a medium. let's not forget, one of cronenberg's most famous films is a comic book adaptation after all...

 

[Count Dookkake]

He's not wrong.

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

"it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."

He's talking about superhero stuff though.

 

[itxaka]

"it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."

Isn't that a graphic novel?

 

[Gray Man]

Batman has plenty potential to be dark, mature, and serious. Batman also has been more adolescent in the past.

People are weird.

 

[Credo]

And how do you make it less boring? Drop Batman's utility belt and have him shoot batarangs out of a vagina-like shape that emerges from his abs.

 

[Regulus Tera]

Wacky Batman is best Batman.

 

[1138]

I have to say that I somewhat agree with TDKR critique. Biggest letdown of the year.

The only statement I have an issue with is this:

...it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core

 

[Zaph]

I don't think he's slamming the movie at all, just those who call it high-budget art house - like Mark Kermode did in his review.

He has a point. It's like when people say a video game has a great story. Yeah it does have a great story - for a game. The Dark Knight Rises is a great comic book movie.

In unrelated news, Eastern Promises 2 has been cancelled.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

I do have to admit, modern comics do try really, really hard to shake off the "for kids" stigma, though usually in a pretty transparent way.

 

[Red UFO]

He is correct.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

He's not wrong.

Exactly. Although, I think Nolan did elevate it, but not on the intellectual/philosophical level. His films are just bigger events and carry broader appeal because they aren't as cartoony as previous comic book adaptations. They're more serious and watchable for those who have grown tired of strictly super-silly presentation and tone that defines a lot of comic book films.

 

[jerry1594]

This man directed Crash.

Spoiler

I liked Crash. *runs*

Do you know which Crash you're talking about?

I saw this posted on another forum, with a less inflammatory title. I don't really disagree, but he has his own biases.

 

[blame space]

"it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."

The film is loosely based on the original graphic novel. Screenwriter Josh Olson intended from the very beginning to use the original story as a springboard to explore the themes that interested him, and Cronenberg admitted that he did not know the screenplay was an adapted work until he began discussing Olson's second draft.

i don't know if this helps or hurts his case. haven't seen TDKR. love cronenberg.

 

[Forkball]

Now if Wayne actually turned into a bat/man hybrid and went on a rampage, there's your movie!

 

[EliCash]

I wouldn't say by definition they're for kids, that's a pretty ignorant thing to say. He's not really wrong though apart from that. I wouldn't say I found DKR boring, but I get where he's coming from. He's right about Memento, and I've about had it with superhero blockbusters too.

 

[Gray Man]

If you don't realize how wannabe edgy that looks then I don't know what to tell you.

That being said, I loved TDKR but I get what he says.

I don't know what to tell you other than go read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Returns

 

[Forsaken82]

"it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."

History of Violence wasn't a super hero comic. That quote is referring to "Super Hero Movies"

 

[thabiz]

He probably knows better, though. He does indie films.

Naked Lunch, Eastern Promises, Dead Ringers. Shit all over the Batman films. You could also throw The Fly and Videodrome in there too.

I am torn on his comment though. If you put the nolan films against his, yes they are cartoony action films, meant for the younger set. I doubt i would take a kid to see them. i would say 12 and up.

 

[speculawyer]

No matter how well they may be made, they still are fundamentally about some person running around in spandex with fictional super-powers. That is just childhood fantasy and not a feasible part of reality. For long-time adults, it can be very difficult to enjoy such things because you just can't get into the suspension of disbelief.


Really good fiction needs to be realistic enough to be plausible but not realistic enough to be boring.

 

[Stet]

Superhero comics are for kids...oh dear.

 

[UrbanRats]

American superhero comicbooks =/= All comic books.

 

[apana]

I thought TDKR was mediocre but the first two were amazing films, not just amazing Batman films. There are some scenes I will never forget.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

I wonder what his opinion on Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars are.

btw, Cronenberg is the fucking man, I don't care what anybody says.

 

[jerry1594]

No matter how well they may be made, they still are fundamentally about some person running around in spandex with fictional super-powers. That is just childhood fantasy and not a feasible part of reality. For long-time adults, it can be very difficult to enjoy such things because you just can't get into the suspension of disbelief.


Really good fiction needs to be realistic enough to be plausible but not realistic enough to be boring.

Or maybe an active imagination. His movies have dudes growing cancer guns, typewriters that grow boners and Jeff Goldblum turning into a giant fly.

 

[Stet]

Really good fiction needs to be realistic enough to be plausible but not realistic enough to be boring.

Nobel Prize winners Albert Camus, Samuel Beckett, Toni Morrison and Kenzaburo Oe and Booker Prize winners Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Margaret Atwood and Yann Martel would disagree.

 

[Expendable.]

Yeah, he's pretty much spot on. And I definitely agree about Nolan's best movie.

 

[Eidan]

He comes off as a pretentious twat. Who gives a shit what people consider to be "art"? I honestly hate that entire debate.

 

[jerry1594]

Even if it is adolescent I don't see what the big deal is.

 

[finalboss2]

This man directed Crash.

Spoiler

I liked Crash. *runs*

no he didn't, that was Paul Haggis

 

[Count Dookkake]

no he didn't, that was Paul Haggis

lol, no.

Even if it is adolescent I don't see what the big deal is.

Some people are offended by fair descriptions.

 

[zoukka]

Even if it is adolescent I don't see what the big deal is.

He didn't like it. End of story.

 

[Max Armstrong]

Yeah, I think he's right.

 

[ghstwrld]

TDK's final act, especially the ferry stuff, is pretty silly.