The Weight of the Bat

"No Pressure. No Pressure. No Pressure"

Millions of people will flood the multiplex this weekend to get their minds blown by Christopher Nolan's dreamy new film "Inception." As soon as they get out, there will be one thought somewhere on their mind. It's a thought that have been on many people's mind since 2008.

Okay, now onto the Dark Knight Sequel

According to Nolan, his brother Jonathan has been working on the script for over a year, and recently Michael Caine confirmed an April 2011 start date, so the time is upon us. Nolan is not only a genius director, but also a tactician when comes to the masses. After delivering a masterpiece in "The Dark Knight" he wisely stepped away from the genre to make something "else." This was hailed as a genius move at the time, people saw what happened with director Sam Raimi when he made nothing but Spiderman movies for five years. But now he has made "Inception" , Nolan has no choice but to focus again on Batman. And this is no easy task.

First, there is the issue of the story. The last film concluded with Batman becoming the "bad guy" and going on the run. Will the new film have Batman on the run the whole time, or will it be some other story where is he good? Second, there is the issue of the villain. Previous villains have all been grounded in reality, and with no one getting re-cast as the Joker there is a lack of quality bad guys. Riddler? - Too much like the joker. Catwoman? - Maybe? Penguin? - Doesn't really fit into the world. Two Face returns ? Maybe.

And finally there is the biggest villain of them all -  the fanboys. Every single nugget of news regarding this movie is going to be dissected on the internet. I'm sure at Warner Brothers right now, they are holding every meeting regarding this bad boy in room similar to the ones in Mission Impossible. At this point, this is most anticipated film in the history of the world (yes more than AVATAR 2). And you know what, while the task is daunting, I think that Nolan can do it. I just hope I'm not dreaming.

Is Toy Story 3 The Summer's Best Action Thriller Yet?

Everyone is looking for "Inception" to be the thriller to beat in Summer 2010, however is it possible a top notch thriller has snuck by under our noses disguised in some heartfelt PIXAR wrapping paper?  "Toy Story 3" is a warming Pixar masterpiece, but it also is a well thought out prison break film full of dastardly characters, shocking plot twists, and nail biting suspense. In fact, when the film is viewed as a breakout film, the whole experience takes on a entirely new level of enjoyment.

The best thrillers rest on the shoulders of their villains. The 1963 classic escape film " The Great Escape" has a whole host of evil nazi bastards that try to stop our heroes from escaping from the prison camp. In "Toy Story 3" the bad guy is the cuddly purple bear "Lotso," who runs the Day Care center where the Toys end up. Make no mistake, this cuddly bear is as close to a Nazi as you'll see in a "children's film" this year. He is pure evil and shows no remorse at committing atrocious acts. And like all villains he has to be thwarted.

The thwarting comes during the thrilling escape sequences. In "The Great Escape" and "Toy Story 3" our heroes ( a tough talking all American cowboy and his gang) must evade sentries, security posts, roving patrols, spotlights, and friends that might snitch on them. They use technology like rubber band guns, Mr. Potato head eye balls, and bold improvisational skills to get out. They get inside information from old timers who've tried to get out and failed. There are complications, the power might go out as it does in "Escape" or in the case of "Toy Story" a main character may be compromised. Each are obstacles that need to be overcome to escape the oppression of the camp.


And finally, just like in "The Great Escape" just because the heroes are outside the walls of the prison, doesn't mean they are safe. The third act in "Toy Story 3" doesn't take place in the Day Care center, but rather, like in "The Great Escape", a place much more dangerous: the outside world. Here the dangers are more prescient and the villains are around every corner, even people once considered to be friends.

"Toy Story 3" is a classic Pixar: fun for kids and loaded with meaning for adults. One blogger noticed parallels with the story and the formation of Israel. While that theory is interesting, I just think the PIXAR geniuses, watched a lot of break out films before making "Toy Story 3." And while everyone is pining for the genius of "Inception," Pixar is giving us the break out thrills and the emotional chills.