Saw The Dark Knight last night...

I'm beginning to think that you're either a moderately telented troll or an extraordinarily stupid person. Or maybe both. The fact that you cannot simply process piotr's point is amazing.

To catch up in TICKETS SOLD (since the concept of inflation just makes you go "blah blah blah"), TDK would have to pull in about $1.2 billion domestically to match Titanic. It will do about half that. At the end of the day, way, way more butts will have been in theater seats to see Titanic than TDK.

It's not a matter of opinion. It's not a commentary on the quality of either film. And it's a difference that the other movies in release couldn't begin to explain. It's a fact. And facts that don't jibe with the way you think things ought to be are facts nonetheless.

 

I'm not all that geeked for this film, but I'm dying to see the pencil scene.

 

There ya go.

 

The number I've seen several times is about $900 million. It still won't get there, but it's about halfway.

 

Any discussion of numbers has to be put in the context of the times.

Titanic put more butts in the seats. The Dark Knight probably won't threaten that. However, Titanic wasn't competing against the caliber of films that The Dark Knight has consistently romped through.

Some of The Dark Knight's monetary success may be a function of higher ticket prices. But a lot of its success has had to do with it just being a damn good film.

The Dark Knight has already made box office history. It won't threaten Titanic's place on the pantheon of films, but it's created its own legendary loft.

 

Enough with the "caliber of films" argument. I've already debunked it. Iron Man ran its course, Indy Jones was crap, Hulk was mediocre . . .so the genre was ready for a good movie.

Does anyone really think the likes of Mamma Mia, Mummy 3, Step Brothers, etc. had a chance? Especially after Ledger died?

And, as long as we're talking "caliber of film" . . . . Titanic was released in December, 1997. That's not when studios release their popcorn flicks. That's when thy release what they think will be the Oscar grab movies, the "high caliber" movies. I don't care to look up what it competed against, because that's irrelevant, since Dark Knight's competition since release has been . . . forgettable films.

In addition, Titanic had horrible advance buzz, with tales of a Waterworld-type disaster from the huge sets and attempts to move special effects forward. Dark Knight . . .well, if we're honest about it, I think we all knew there was no way the movie would fail, especially after the death of Ledger.

Again, no one is saying Dark Knight is not a very good film. It's just that we shouldn't get caught up in how much money it has made, because while the studio and the entertainment media will breathlessly say "HISTORY!!!!!!" as journalists and consumers we should be a little more skeptical.

I will say that I've always regarded Titanic's repeat business as being for the movie's weak link, as 12-year-old girls went back to watch Leonardo DiCaprio in his OK performance and authentic "period" hairstyle.

 

They'll be lucky to get to $600 million.

It made $26 million last weekend. Movies that open with $26 million don't usually get to $150 million and it needs more than that to get to $600 million.

They'll have to "settle" for being No. 2 all time.

 

In adjusted numbers, The Dark Knight hasn't passed Michael Keaton's Batman.
And you have to factor in the more expensive Imax seats this time around.
I liked The Dark Knight. I really did.
But it isn't a genre changing movie event. It is just a really well-done super hero movie with good actors and good writing.

 

Titanic is fantastic the first time. Tried watching it again and changed the channel 20 minutes into it. But the first time is engrossing.

 

I loved Dark Knight. I thought it was 100X better than the Keaton/Nicholson Batman.

People forget what it was like when Titanic was out. People (little girls I assume) were seeing it 10 times. I know a few people who have seen this one multiple times, but none more than three or so. I think Titanic was the No. 1 movie for about three months in a row.

 

OK. I just saw it this past weekend, and here's my 2 cents:


Like it a lot. Definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a while and definitely the best super hero movie I've ever seen.

It set up some interesting moral questions. Do you put aside your morals in certain situations. Do the ends justify the means? (There's a whole other argument about the political parallels, torture, privacy rights, etc., that I won't get into.)

I'm glad they didn't kill the main villain at the end. That would have been soooo formulaic.

It made you think and, yes, the Joker was a frightening/creepy character and I can't believe that was Heath Ledger. Great performance.

Were the actors and dialogue a bit wooden? Yeah. So what? It's an action movie.

 

Pretty much agree across the board...