The Governor's Corner

Reviews

Dark Knight Rises provides a complicated story and happy ending for an alright trilogy

By Kelly Butler
Advertising Manager

     Fans of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight eagerly counted down the days until the last movie of the trilogy hit theaters, their hopes as high as Bruce Wayne’s mansion.
     And with good visuals, high-tech kick-butt gadgetry, and a happy ending, many were satisfied – but was the satisfaction an illusion?
     I am going to, with a courageous heart, say what many of us have been refusing to acknowledge and continually pushing to the back of our minds since the credits started rolling: The Dark Knight Rises was…eh, all right.
     Step back. Compose yourself. Breathe.
     I know how badly we all wanted to love The Dark Knight Rises, but we have to realize that Nolan was extremely overconfident and made a lot of mistakes I wouldn’t have if you’d given me a cheap phone camera from Toys R Us.
     First off, introducing even one new central plot character into the finale of a beloved seven-year trilogy is risky – and yet Nolan decides to bring in four, half of whom are hardly necessary and whose subplots are far too distracting.
     The most curious of Nolan’s decisions is Miranda Tate, the beautiful millionaire who takes over Wayne Enterprises, played by French actress Marion Cotillard.
     She is an incredibly random, unnecessary character who is terribly developed. Without any depth, she sparks a romance with Wayne which is impossible to believe: he is so intent on avoiding her at the beginning, and then after a quick tour of the house, takes her in to be his lover? I don’t know, Nolan.
     Another bad character choice is, surprisingly, Catwoman. Right off the bat (no pun intended) I didn’t buy into Anne Hathaway’s fighting, seductive role since she is best known for playing such awkward, innocent girls (The Princess Diaries, Enchanted, etc). And the role itself of Catwoman is poorly conceived, no matter who plays her.
     She has no back story whatsoever; the amount of impact she has on the unfolding of the plot is second to none (blowing up cars with the Batpod? A job easily accomplished by John “Robin” Blake, played by Joseph Gorden-Levitt); and her romance with Wayne at the end is predictable and cheesy.
     It seems as though Nolan added her just because she was in the comics, something that only should have been done if it was done from the beginning. She takes focus off Batman, when her entire presence in the movie is a mistake.
     Beyond the poorly developed and executed characters, the movie’s plot is a veiled disappointment as well. Nolan leaves customers reeling from the explosive and all-inclusive ending, but it makes them forget the unfortunate first half, which has almost nothing to do with the second half.
     The confusing and hard-to- follow politics hold very little meaning, and even the promising character of Bane, the tough and mysterious super-villain played by Tom Hardy, ends up reaching a spectacularly unimportant and anticlimactic ending without even any redemption for Batman.
     The twist that prompted this was a surprise, but a lame one, considering how little we knew or cared of Tate anyway and how random and unnecessary it was.
      All these things set aside, The Dark Knight Rises was not

Photo courtesy of Disney

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The Strokes' first album is their best

By Daniel Bang
Co-Sports Editor

      “Is This It,” the debut album of the Strokes, an indie rock band from New York, is undoubtedly the best record they’ve put out in a decade.
     Obviously influenced by rock-and-roll tunesmiths Buddy Holly, the Velvet Underground, the Doors and the Cars, the Strokes deliver 11 gorgeous tracks in 36 tracks that go by in a blur.
     Just about every track is armed with an energetic, creative guitar solo played by either guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. or Nick Valensi. The entire album is packed with extremely well-crafted songs such as “The Modern Age,” “Last Nite,” “Someday,” “Hard to Explain” and “Barely Legal.”
     The beauty of Is This It is it uses very simple, straightforward instruments (two electric guitars, a bass, and drums), and it doesn’t try to do too much with it. The Strokes’ musical arsenal include angular guitar riffs, steady drumming, a varying bass which come together to complement each other.
     I’d have to say my favorite track is “The Modern Age.” The song is very technically sound and played with precision. The guitar solo, which is thought to be incredibly difficult, is performed smoothly and with flair.
     The Strokes also utilize Casablancas’ sleepy, slurred voice to add to their don’t-give-a-damn image and rock star swagger. Many of the lyrics are highly controversial. “New York City Cops,” for instance, had to be listed as a B-side due to the September 11 attacks, although the album came out two months earlier.

Photos courtesy of Pierce the Viel

Photos by Ron Phillips, courtesy of Warner Bros.

ABOVE, CHRISTIAN BALE as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' action thriller "The Dark Knight Rises," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. TM & © DC Comics.

BELOW, ANNE HATHAWAY as Selina Kyle.

Screenwriters' input

     EPGY screenwriting students had a unique perspective when they saw the finale of the Batman trilogy: “The Dark Knight Rises” at Redwood City on its premiere weekend.
     “The day before we saw the movie we talked about script analysis,” said Kavya Garikipati, a 16-year-old from India. “We learned how you split a movie into three acts. When we discussed it afterwards, we could pick out the acts.”
     “I feel like ‘The Dark Knight’ was much more clear with the thematic content,” said Sarah Jones, a 17-year-old from Minnesota. “The character of the Joker was just so strong.”
     The screenwriters put aside many of their qualms in the interest of appreciating the last of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films.
     “It had flaws; all movies do…but it was pretty satisfying,” said Paul Watkins, 16, from Missouri.
     And it must have been. Nolan’s film earned $161 million on its opening weekend, the most money ever for a 2-D film, which is ironic considering the series ends with billionaire Bruce Wayne penniless.

an awful movie. At some points I was on the edge of my seat with excitement and anticipation. But someone needs to point out the flaws and acknowledge that, no matter how painful it is to hear, Christopher Nolan’s long-awaited masterpiece just wasn’t what we wanted.
Maybe Joseph Gordon-Levitt will show his adorable face again in the next masterpiece.

Two Treat movie reviews

By Nancy Coleman
Assignments Manager

Students at Treat House last week were treated to a pair of classic movies:

     Up (2009): After his wife dies, Carl Fredrickson takes a journey they always planned and never took, by tying thousands of balloons to his home and flying to South America.
But his trip goes awry when an 8-year-old boy accidentally tags along, and they meet up with a talking dog and a chocolate-eating bird.
     Up is uplifting for all ages. Its child-friendly humor is woven with adult themes of death, loss and the need to appreciate the present rather than mourn the past.
     Roman Holiday (1953): Gregory Peck is a muckraking journalist and Audrey Hepburn is a runaway princess in this comic romance. When Hepburn goes into hiding, Peck finds her and they fall in love, leading to a moral dilemma for Peck: go for the girl or write her story.
     The Oscar-winning script focuses on the contrast between the social classes and motives of the main players. And the sarcastic jabs and physical comedy, combined with the chemistry of the stars, make it a true classic.

Photo courtesy of The Strokes

     Furthermore, the Strokes’ instant universal acclaim spearheaded the start of new indie rock bands such as the Libertines, the Arctic Monkeys and the Shins. Lead singer Julian Casablancas’ unmistakably charming swagger coupled with his unique attire also influence many aspiring rock stars and independent musicians today, as well as casual hipsters.
     The only blemish on the album is its lack of variety. Many of the tracks follow the same 4/2 beat, with a rhythm guitar, bass and a lead guitar.
     Another complaint is the poor quality of the recording. However, I am a firm believer that this was done on purpose to further their label as a garage punk rock band.
Score out of 100: 97. The Strokes’ debut album is “the stuff of which legends are made.” (Joe Levy, Rolling Stones)

Pierce the Veil's new album hits the sky

By Oliver Hsu
Co-Lifestyle Editor

     San Diego post-hardcore quartet Pierce the Veil’s third studio album “Collide with the Sky” keeps the core elements of the band’s previous work, while taking a step in a heavier direction.
The album opens with the familiar high pitched croon of singer Vic Fuentes, the band demonstrating their ability to put a signature spin on a simple breakdown
     The majority of the album is heavier than the band’s sophomore release, Selfish Machines. Bassist Jaime Preciado’s screamed vocals are an important element of the record, being much more prominent than previous releases. Slight electronic elements have also been introduced to the band’s breakdowns, which have also made more frequent appearances.
     However, the album still makes use of the Latin American elements that have become a trademark for the Hispanic quartet, most notably the flamenco guitar solo on “Bulls in the Bronx.”
     Notable songs include the first single “King for a Day,” featuring Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens. Letlive’s Jason Butler appears on “Tangled in the Great Escape,” introducing an effective blend of Fuentes’ piercing voice and Butler’s raspy singing.
     Pierce the Veil do an excellent job of standing out from the generic pile of chugging breakdowns and screaming vocals of this genre, making Collide with the Sky one of the best post hardcore albums of the year.
     Score out of 100: 98