Batman Begins Making Money
Written on July 24, 2008
Even if you live under a rock, you know about The Dark Knight.
You know about Heath. You know he redefined the role. You know he tragically died. You know about possible Oscar nods. You know Bale is Back. He’s got a new bike. He’s got a new suit. You know people who saw advance screenings or midnight shows. Crowds are gathering like Apple geeks at a product launch. The reviews are calling it a masterpiece, the zenith of cinema; on par with Bach and Amadeus. Ahead of its time. Out of this world. You’ve heard that multiple viewings can cure leprosy. You may have even seen it by now if you’re lucky.
Nationwide, multiple sold-out showings are de rigeur. Here in Chicago, where it was filmed, we had to call multiple theaters, show up in person, and wait in line as every showtime flipped to “Sold Out.” We ended up buying tickets for the first available opening more than 24 hours later – on a school night.
Let me make an educated guess: This movie is going to break every record known to man – including the 100-meter dash, the hot-dog eating contest, and World’s Longest Beard. Scientists are working around the clock to develop the number that comes after “eleventy-quadjillion” expressly so Hollywood can verbalize the weekend box office draw.
So, uh. Is it any good?
I think it is. I remember times during the sold-out showing where I thought to myself, “Seriously? Batman is gonna show up in that costume?” or “Yeah, like he has room for a hang glider in there,” or even, “Why does Batman sound like David Caruso?” After a moment I would remind myself, “Dude. This is Batman.” But the characters and story are very richly drawn, to the point that you almost forget this used to be a five-cent comic kids bought with a pack of Juicy Fruit.
In a summer of super heroes, a clown and a crusader are greatest of them all.
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Update: AdvertisingAge has a really nice breakdown of the media campaigns for Dark Knight versus Iron Man.
Filed in: Advertising,Movies.
