Assault on Precinct 13 and Batman Begins.

[daveblackeye15]

Since I have a bit more time on my hands during summer I've started getting around to movies I've been meaning to watch.

*spoilers*

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Damn, they don't make movies quite like this anymore. Los Angeles is facing a youth gang crisis, and if is further fueled when one man avengers his daughter and is pursued by many of the gangs members to a soong to be closed down police station. The skeleton crew and two convicts are out numbered by at least 10 to 1 as they bolt down and try to survive. I was impressed by the amount of action, yet again I love Carpenter's dark and moody music. I think my favorite element was not only the updated Western theme but the way the gang acted. We got very little information on the gang, they give no reasons as to why the youth is banding together like that. What puzzled the police was that the gang was inter-racial, perhaps a way of saying 'equality.'

The way the gang acted, they were like an act colony. They moved around the station in bunches yet it seemed like they were being given specific instructions. They were smart enough to removed any dead bodies out of the street or side walk, as well as create roadblocks. Damn they were smart bastards. It was very chilling to see the number of youths running around outside, the music it was so creepy. It reminded me of "Night of the Living Dead" but I'd rather take the slow moving zombies than the thinking band with guns.

4/5

Batman Begins: Okay, I think this is easily the best Superhero movie yet. It restarts the whole story in which the viewer watchs Bruce Wayne's training and quest to become the Dark Knight of Gotham. Everything seems to flow so well together, with the exception of some of the action scenes, it's a bit hard to tell exactly what is going on. I loved the League of Shadow's Ninjitusu uniforms, and Batman's costume is better than ever.

Tim Burton's movies were well done but I feel Begins had the best idea. Bruce Wayne is a tramatized man and he's hasn't given up on Gotham City, he's ready to clean it up. It seems like everyone complains about Katie Homes, but I was just fine with her, yes she is a bit young but that certainly didn't take any points away from the film. It was a cool move to make most of Batman's equipment from real military technology, it makes the idea of Batman existing a wee bit more believable (well you gotta have tons of money and even more training but still) The Scarecrow was great. On the outside Dr. Crane looks like a nice guy but that's a mask, he's really a twisted sadistic man, and guys like that don't exactly carry a sign telling you that. (Wasn't the movie 'Henry kinda like that?)

Let's wrap it up with 4.5/5 (action scenes could have been edited a bit more clearly)

[trekgeezer]

I liked the way Nolan shot the fight scenes in  Batman Begins, it puts you into the middle of the chaos.
If they had shown a bunch of cheesy kung fu scenes it would have ruined the movie

They did succeed at doing what Frank Miller said he did with The Dark Knight Returns, they gave Batman his balls back.

[odinn7]

I agree with Trek completely here. The fight scenes seemed to be edited like that on purpose.
Also gotta agree with getting his balls back. Batman, actually the Dark Knight version of Batman, has long been my favorite hero...this movie gave me everything that I had wanted for Batman to be. Angry, brooding, depressed...even crazy somewhat.

Assault is also a great movie. I saw it back in 78 or 79 on tv and have loved it ever since. Very well done film.

[trekgeezer]

I liked Carpenter's Precinct 13 also, 70's movies all have an independent film vibe going on in them. Films from that decade seem to have a lot of atmosphere that you don't get in modern films (at least not mainstream films).