I never would've thought in a million years that an unknown comic book character like Iron Man would've been adapted into a movie that looks like it could give Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale's latest Batman reincarnation a run for its money. But that's what it's coming down to this summer, with Iron Man hitting theaters first, on May 2nd, and The Dark Knight arriving a full two months later, on July 18th. With an awesome trailer for Iron Man just released a few days ago, the question has arisen: which is going to be the summer's best comic book movie - Iron Man or The Dark Knight? In the end, who is going to stand taller, who is going to make more money, and who will be this summer's real American hero?
First things first, make sure you've watched the full trailers for both movies. Iron Man's newest trailer can be seen here. And The Dark Knight's full trailer from December can be seen here. Now that you've seen both, you can give a fair assessment to each. I'm partial to The Dark Knight, or at least I was before we even saw footage, because I love Batman Begins and am fully confident in Christopher Nolan. But now Iron Man has crept up out of nowhere and I feel like Jon Favreau has that character under control as well as Nolan has Batman under control. It's truly a tough call!
Right now I'm leaning towards Iron Man. Favreau has really captured my attention and shown us that he is the perfect director for Iron Man. The footage we saw at WonderCon combined with the newest trailer were what put me over the edge. Although I loved the footage and trailer for The Dark Knight that came out last December, it doesn't have me as excited anymore as Iron Man. Maybe it's just because TDK has sort of been waiting in the background for another chance to launch an all-out marketing effort, and in the meantime Iron Man has stepped up to be in the spotlight. As in, all that's on my mind at the moment is Iron Man and how awesome it will be, mainly because that trailer just blew me away.
However, I'm also thinking that The Dark Knight will truly be the most amazing comic book movie ever, and that in due time the hype will build back up. With Nolan at the helm, there's a guarantee that this movie is going to be taken to the next level beyond Batman Begins, and with that in mind, I'm very excited. The reason why I'm thinking TDK may be the best is that Nolan is a bit more experience than (unfortunately) Favreau when it comes to action-filled comic book movies. Not only has he already made one of the best comic book movies, but he's directed four other movies, including The Prestige. Whereas Favreau has only ever directed Made, Elf and Zathura before Iron Man, three movies that were honestly not that good.
As divided as I am, I'm still leaning towards The Dark Knight in the end, even though right now I'm way more excited for Iron Man. This whole decision is too tough to make, it's like choosing between your two children. Both movies are going to be amazing and I can't wait to see both. In only a few more months the summer will be here and we won't have to wait any more - Iron Man and The Dark Knight will be in theaters, fighting for your ticket money and fighting for your attention.
What do you think? Who is going to win this summer's big showdown - Batman or Iron Man? Christian Bale or Robert Downey Jr.? This discussion is about what the fans and moviegoers have to say and their reaction together. As in, try and convince me (and everyone else) that one is better than the other. Let the games begin!
User comment: By: Tom BrazeltonThe Dark Knight has the higher profile because there's already one Nolan picture under Warner Bros. belt and they have the pedigree to back it up. But they're going to have trouble marketing it in the face of Heath Ledger's untimely demise. In Iron Man's corner is a shit-hot trailer that EVERYONE is talking about. I haven't heard anyone talk about The Dark Knight in my circle of friends beyond "I'm interested in that, too." Iron Man's big advantage is getting there first. They have the first big slot in May, effectively kicking off the summer blockbuster season. People are chomping at the bit to see this movie.
User comment: By: Boo-YahIf you ask me, this is sort of like asking someone to pick which of their kids is their favorite. I, personally, am hyped for BOTH of these movies. I've been following both movies since before they were filming and have watched their respective trailers more times than I can count. It is going to be a great summer for comic book movies! To me the main difference between IM and TDK is their tone. IM looks to be a bit on the "lighter" side with a little bit of humor and a whole lot of action. The promotional stuff for TDK has all been real dark, feeding off of Heath Ledger's dark portrayl of the Joker. If I absolutely could only see one of these in the theatres this summer, I would have to lean toward TDK (how much would that suck?). As several other posts have commented, there is already a solid base behind the new Batman franchise - Bale, Nolan, Goyer, etc. I have too much faith in them and am sticking with my hunch that TDK could be one of the best comic book movies ever. I'm not writing off IM though - I think it will be extremely entertaining and I'm hoping more like the first X-men and Spider-man movies. Bottomline: IM trailer got my excited for the movie, TDK trailer literally gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.
User comment: By: DustySorry correction.. I mistyped in my previous post #10.... "... But I am nearly certain it will ...NOT... be Iron Man in monies." Sorry that was probably confusing to read. (wow, typing too fast for brain to keep up) Good points Frame, #11, regarding Marvel's movie selections.
User comment: By: FrameAm I the only one who isn't head over heels in love with Iron Man? Sure looks like it... Judging from what's been shown so far on Marvel's end there's no doubt in my mind that Iron Man will be one hell of a thrill ride. Trailers do a stand up job of showing off the goods as far as blockbuster material is concerned but I still have my doubts on the overall package. Hell, Transformers had one of the most intense trailers ever concocted and the movie was pound per pound a highly entertaining popcorn flick but nothing more. Let's face it, besides Spider-Man and X-Men Marvel's movie line-up has been downright embarassing. My point is I think Iron Man will be an enjoyable if typical way to spend 2 hours in the theater this summer. As a film I have concern that it won't stand the test of time like Spider-Man and Batman Begins will. Based on quality alone I personally think TDK has the edge. The experience of the cast alone speaks for itself, but in addition to that with Goyer off the screenplay I'm sure the Nolan brothers can whip up more down-to-earth dialogue. Cast performance, a highly skilled director and his exceptional execution of what is potentially a well-written, more mature story makes Bats the champ. To sum it up, TDK looks like it can deliver as a summer blockbuster but it doesn't stop with the action. For me, personally, it'll be a better film overall.
User comment: By: DustyRyan #5 - THANK YOU ... that is exactly the point I was going to make on why Iron Man may get overshadowed in May.. and may also be why we have seen a strong push recently with more advertising (i.e. Lost to launch new trailer, numerous time slots in the early evening, etc.) What I can already see is that Batman WILL probably gross more box office money, I have personal differences with the story development of BB(some have already read that, sorry for being a skeptic). But I am nearly certain it will be Iron Man in monies. What I would be interested to see is the demographic of the people attending... 1. Iron Man launched its new trailer on Lost last week, hitting the 25-35 working class demographic. 2. Features an older acting staff(yes gwyneth is not old, but addresses an older viewership) 3. We were introduced to Iron Man(Tony), after he was a successful MIT grad, where as we know of the hardship far earlier in Bruce's life, thus still enabling younger audiences to embrace him as well. The reason I mention it all???? I believe Iron Man will be an amazing flick, and in my mind may edge Batman, BUT I also worry that it is being marketed to an order public than will be truly interested in a Big Blockbuster action flick. For me, Iron Man will have a better story prep and perfection, but Batman will be a clear winner for the summer IN THIS GENRE.
User comment: By: SeanWell I think Batman will do better than Iron Man but I know for a fact there's one movie that will surpass them all; It might not be visually better but it will make more money than both of them at the box office. And no I'm not talking about the Incredible Hulk…let's see if anyone can guess?
User comment: By: MadstickIn terms of B.O., yes TDK will win the contest even though i'm rooting for Iron Man. I'm an Iron Man fan but TDK already has a successful reboot of the franchise coupled by the fact (sadly) that this is Heath Ledger's last opus. Iron Man, on the other hand, as commented earlier, is just the first and hence will be subject to how well the character development is handled. Christian Bale is an excellent and intense actor but Robert Downey Jr i believe nails his charcter with accuracy. Both are great actors but comparing Bruce and Tony, i'd go for Tony coz his character is essentially fun to watch.
User comment: By: Darrinthe incredible hulk might top both TDK and Iron Man reason being it has a great cast, a blockbuster director and the cgi hulk looks quite good. when u look at the competition well batman begins was great and recaptured the batman series but the director hasnt put up much since batman begins and the prestige but on the other hand iron man looks incredible in its trailers but the Jon Favreau hasnt had a history of making action films but zathura was still a fun ride. as for elf (it was good but doesnt fit in with the great). My choice will be The Incredible Hulk.
User comment: By: CHEEKYmonkeyI think someone failed to mention that Christopher Nolan also made memento which was a great movie. I saw the bank robbing scene for batman in imax before i am legend and it seemed amazing. so i have no doubt that TDK will be a great movie. As for Iron Man it is hard to tell while some of the early footage from the trailers does look amazing, it is still only a trailer and even a bad movie can have a good trailer.also Favreau Hasn't made the best movies but im sure there is a good director in there some where just wiating to come out and this might be that movie. In the end i think Iron Man will be a good movie and give TDK a run for its money but TDK will ultimately prevail.
User comment: By: RyanQuality wise, that is a draw for now but B.O. wise, Dark Knight hands down. It already has a bigger built-in audience, where as Iron Man is just the first of the franchise and Dark Knight has virtually no big competition. As the poster above me said it is Iron Man, Narnia, Speed Racer, Indy Jones, it certainly will have a tough time finding a decent amount of screens to be shown on in the upcoming weeks while Dark Knight really only has X-Files and The Mummy, which aren't as nearly as big as Narnia or Indy.
User comment: By: Neil MillerIron Man... Batman... Who to choose? If we are talking about box office receipts, I think you can't overlook "Indiana Jones and the Kindom of Geriatric Heroes" as the clear frontrunner to rake in the dough. Between these two flicks though, I want to say "The Dark Knight", purely because it has less competition in late summer. I would like to draw your attention to the May release calendar, which will see "Iron Man", "Speed Racer", "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian", "Indiana Jones" and "Sex and the City" in consecutive weeks. What comes out after "Dark Knight"? "X-Files 2" and the third "Mummy" film, only one of which is getting big buzz. Additionally, and I don't mean to sound crass, the tragic death of Heath Ledger is going to have an effect on the box office performance of "Dark Knight", it is undeniable. I say "Dark Knight" wins, but neither film really loses.
User comment: By: Mark RThis is a tough one for sure, however I'm kind of thinking that Iron Man might have the edge because of it being the first of its series, for me, I love the beginnings of all the superhero movies because the character building is so fun to watch. However I agree with Spider, that The Dark Knight will definitely make more money because of Heath Ledger's last role. Either way, I don't see a loser.
User comment: By: SpiderI believe "The Dark Knight" will make a little more money because "Batman Begins" was a great flick and an optimum re-boot that left the other Burton/Schumacher movies in the dust. Also, I believe that being Heath Ledger's last completed role will stimulate curiosity from non-Batman fans alike. On the other hand Jon Favreau and "Iron Man" seem as though it is Marvel's answer to Christopher Nolan and "Batman". The trailer looks fantastic and I think Favreau really nailed the true essence of the comic book---much like Sam Raimi did for "Spider-Man". "Iron Man" is definitely generating a lot of hype and much will boil down to it being a good movie--hence, word of mouth. All in all, I know that both DC and Marvel comics have a great summer to look forward to because they are both winners. Edge: Marvel......has "The Incredible Hulk" up its sleeve! Just like the hunch I had with Favreau directing "Iron Man", I can almost be sure "The Incredible Hulk" is going to pleasantly surprise.
Visit here to subscribe to commentsUser comment: By: Michael CohenBatman will most likely make more money, however I bet Iron Man gives it a run for the money. Iron man looks excellent, and of course Batman will NOT disappoint either, but Batman is a sure thing, Iron Man may not be.
0 comments:
Post a Comment