We had a chance to talk with Matthew Modine about his upcoming role in The Dark Knight Rises recently. While everything remains a mystery until June 20, Modine did share some of his overall thoughts of working with Chris Nolan and how the film is much more than a summer blockbuster.
TBU: What do you think fans will feel when they see the movie for the first time?
Matthew Modine: Have you wondered why we traveled all over the world to film in those places?
TBU: Of course.
Matthew Modine: Why do think that is?
TBU: I'm sure a lot of it has to do with there is a lot more to it than Batman is in Gotham City. There's a whole lot more to what we've been told. A lot of the traveling has to do with getting those exact great locations that you have to travel for.
Matthew Modine: Exactly. So where so many modern films create environments, what Christopher Nolan has done is gone to incredible locations to where he doesn't have to create computer generated locations, he's filming in actual locations that are epic in their size and their scope and their drama. So, what the experience of watching the film is going to be is something that's not obviously computer generated, but like Batman, a real human being. He's a man, right? We've established that we love Batman because he's a man. That these locations that we've filmed at are real earthly locations that are epic because of the scale and size and openness, the drama. The trailer that was released of the opening of the film, how extraordinarily beautiful is the location that was filmed at. It was a stunning environment. That's what you'll get to enjoy when you watch the film is these epic locations that Christopher Nolan took him crew to film at.
TBU: Avengers is another superhero movie, quite honestly at this point, even though we are a Batman site and we support everything that is Batman. Batman has really transcended the whole superhero genere as far as the films, because they're not really superhero films, because he's not a superhero, he's a hero.
Matthew Modine: He's a legend.
TBU: Exactly. The films has transcended above all the those superhero type movies. This summer we have Avengers that has already come out and the Amazing Spider-man that will come out. Avengers has done really well in the box office and blown some of the box office records from The Dark Knight. As far as The Dark Knight Rises goes, at least we feel that this movie will surpass everything and every expectation that anybody has. What do you think?
Matthew Modine: I don't think there is any question that it will surpass The Avengers. The Avengers, not to speak disparagingly of their brand and their characters and everything, but it's a comic book. Batman is more a story that has become legend. He's a legendary character. Legends don't die, characters die, people die, but the legend that is Batman, the epic character of him and his journey is a kind of Odyessy. The other things, they are just trifles. Did you see The Avengers?
TBU: Yes. I did see The Avengers. It's not a bad movie.
Matthew Modine: When Avengers worked best was when it was being humorous, when it was making fun of itself. When the Hulk picked up the man who said he was a god and he smashed him on the floor like a ragdoll. When Robert Downey was telling Thor, referring to him from Point Break like Patrick Swayze. It was fun when it was making fun of the genre. Batman is something that is much more serious and it can be. It certainly was [not for] the television series, which was much more like The Avengers is today, making fun, making jokes. Although Adam West always seemed to be so serious about the problems he was trying to solve.
To check out the entire interview, listen to the audio interview over at The Batman Universe Interviews feed.
The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters on July 20.
Posted by Dustin Fritschel
