The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Fan Review Thread

[BatmanReborn]

My Review of the lead up to The Dark Knight


ok, So now that most of you have seen The Dark Knight, I being the huge Batman fan that I am would like to put forth a very honest review of the film, one that doesnt just praise someone because they died before the film was finished, or play the role of comic nerd because the source material wasnt followed panel by panel.

First off, let me say this, The Dark Knight IS the definitive Batman film, and I dont say that lightly. Though I do own them all, and liked most of them, none of them were truly the Batman that I know from the comics. the 60s show was the comics right off the page, but the comics were also rediculous then, even earlier was the 1940s serials, which were made so cheap it was ridiculous, not to mention extremely racist. the 1989 film, ya when I was a little kid it was great, just cause of visuals, but it really doesnt hold up, it should have been called The Joker, because Nicholson was the whole focus, Batman was just a filler character, not to mention the size of Keaton, and kim basingers inability to stop screaming in the most annoying way. Batman Returns was a visually stunning film, but lets face facts, it wasnt Batman, it was a Burton movie with Batman in it. Forever, had some serious potential, but the direction was terrible, tommy lee jones was wasted, the underlying story of bruce wayne was wasted, and jim carry though brilliant was not the Riddler. Batman & Robin I actually like, because I liked the 60s show, and it was very close to that, but it certainly was not the Batman I wanted to see, I wanted arnold to play freeze like the Terminator, and I wanted Ivy to, well simply not ******ed. Bane, who in the comics broke Batmans back was a ******ed henchman (that pissed me off) and I dont even know who that girl was in the batgirl costume, cause there was never a Barbara who was related to Alfred.

Then the most exciting thing happened, Chrisitan Bale was cast as Batman for a new film called Batman Begins which was going to be made by one of my favorite Directors, Chris Nolan. Bale has been one of my top 3 favorite actors ever since American Psycho, and then Equilibrium was a stunning performance as well. Then they took it even further and cast Cillian Murphy as the scarecrow, I loved Cillain in 28 days Later, the greatest zombie genre film of all time. But truthfully, though better than the other films before it, Begins still didnt hit the mark for me. The plot revolving around a device that evaporates water but doesnt wind up evaporating everyones water content and killing them was ridiculous, not to mention the city itself is an island, and further more, why bother with that when you already had the ability to poison the water supply, just poison the people into fear thru them drinking the water, completely ******ed.

Also, Bales performance was spot on, he was the best part of the film, but, his batman voice is too much, needed to be toned down, which we will get more into further on. I dont like my Scarecrow wearing a suit, it was fine for this one since its the beginning, and in the end he was in a straight jacket which worked for me, but when his fear toxin was used in the end, that was crap, everyone just saw everyone with glowing eyes, no thanks, i want to see everyone freaking out because they see there worst individual fears, not just a panic inducer, but whatever. It was much better, Nolan understood the world, but destorying the city plot devices is not Nolans specialty thats for damn sure.

Now they bridged the gap between begins and Dark Knight with 2 things, 1 was a viral marketing campaign, and 2 was gotham knight, an anime dvd with like 5 half hour episodes. Now the viral stuff was brilliant, though I didnt take part in it as much as many did, I still enjoyed watching it all unfold, it basically acted as a prequel to the film, and it was worth its weight in gold to fans. then gotham knight, this was not worth as much. Im was klinda disappointed, Though I love the work of kevin conroy as the voice of Batman, and I do think he is the best voice batman ever had, it took me out of the film, because its not the universe of the cartoons, its the movies, why wasnt Bale voicing him. basically half the stories were good, half sucked, best part, scarecrow because he wasnt in a suit, he looked right, it was crazy and demented. I also loved Killer Croc and Deadshot, very well done. The first story though is actaully unwatchable to me.

Next..... The Dark Knight

 

[BatmanReborn]

And Here We Go

okedoke, The Dark Knight review, now above all, their are SPOILERS AHEAD, so if you dont want to be SPOILED, do not read until after you have seen the film.















Still here, OK, lets move on, The film opens with a bank heist that I saw back in December attached to I am Legend, cool scene, corny cameo by one of the actors from prison break. then we have a scene with scarecrow, yes he is back, and what is he wearing, A ****ING SUIT AGAIN!!!!!! god dammit, get this right, or dont bother. anyway, the scene is cool.

now im not going to really go into full detail here because the film was 2.5 hours long. but aside from the opening, this film kicks all kinds of ass. but none the less, to be fair, here are the flaws

1. scarecrow (but he is only in it for like 3 minutes so it doesnt matter much)

2. batmans voice - I cant take the growling anymore, i cringe everytime, its overacted, go watch batman the animated series and listen to kevin conroy do it, hell, Keaton nailed it too, Bales is just too much.

3. the boats at the end, you mean to tell me that before loading a few hundred people for evacuation, nobody checked the lower bays for a gazillion bombs, cmon.

4. editing, the film was edited brilliantly, except for a few quick spots that we all noticed ( i saw it with a large group) there were a few shots where the angles changed and people were moved differntly.

5. the mayor wore black eye liner, that was just weird

6. the sonar room, though cool, and a nice nod in my opinion to brother eye from the comics, it was kinda off, it wasnt needed, they could have found the joker in a differnt way.

7. seems like they killed off a great chracter at the end

and thats it, and truthfully, thats nitpicking there, this movie was ****ing incredible. I wanted to really add a number 8 and call it the time limit, but i cant, because everytime the movie slowed, it picked back up with such incredible scenes that I didnt want it to end.

now for what made it great

maggie gyllenhal was a huge improvement over katie holmes, but I will say this, it didnt feel like the same person, and thats a problem because i no longer felt there relationship from begins, it felt like a new girl, and when bruce is sitting in the room crying, i didnt feel it like i think i would have if the same actress played it both times, I hate recasting, and i hate katie holmes for dropping out.

gotham city, the cinematography was incredible, they made the city look gorgeous.

morgan freeman, I love this guy no matter who he plays, and his role as lucius fox is no differnt, great stuff

bales reason for a new suit - "You want to be able to turn your head" - a direct nod to the fans, and a perfect way to transition.

The human factor - bruises and bale stitching his own arm, plus the dealing with pain throughout the film, it was perfection

christian bale was brilliant as bruce wayne the playboy, the tortured soul, and the monster Batman, though check my complaint on his bat voice, at least this guy is physically imposing.

Gary Oldman was a great Gordon, his role is much larger in this film and just as crucial. He is a key plot point and it even took me by suprise, love this guys work as gothams police commisioner

michael cain - very good, little less screentime i think in this one, but he commands the screen when he is there, and he is very important to bruce understanding a world without rules

aaron eckhart - personally, i thought he was the key character of the film, his story drives the movie, and he was teriffic in it.

MAJOR SPOILER





he better not be dead, because he and batman took the same fall and batman got right back up, but everytime they showed dent he wasnt breathing, i want to see him again in the third, there is so much more Nolan can do with him.



END MAJOR SPOILER





and finally,

Heath Ledger - after this its more like Heath Legend. the hype is delivered, Heath was magnificent as the Joker, I dont think I have seen better acting in a film, Period, I dont know what to say, the little touches he adds to the part are incredible, my wife and I have been talking about it since we lef tthe theatre, and she hates batman. I dont want to say much but let me just say this, people arent saying he is worthy of an oscar just because he died, he deserves it. the man stole every scene he was in, and the dialogue (hats off to Nolan for this) was spot on the psychology of the Joker. I left the theatre extremey sad and I did shed a tear when he tells batman "were destined to do this forever" because its tragic that they wont be able to. at the delivery of that line I wasnt the only one, i heard people throughout the theatre whispering rumbles throughout. this film is supposed to be his last finished work, and I must say congratulations, because heath created a Masterpiece with his portrayal of the Joker. I only wish he could have at least seen what he made. I know that Joker was supposed to back for the third film to complete the trilogy, but i think that will be changed now. I must say this, Im sure it wont happen for a long time, but eventually the joker will be back on the screen, and I would hate to be the guy who tries to fill those purple shoes.



So what I am basically saying is Thank You Christopher Nolan for delivering to me the first DEFINITIVE Batman movie. This is what I, as a Batman fan have been waiting for my whole life, the real Batman brought to the screen, a dark, tortured man who is simply that, a MAN. someone with flaws, someone who is hurt and beaten and scarred. and a Joker who is actually threatening. I was sold when he told batman "I dont want to kill you, what would I do without you, YOU COMPLETE ME" it was brilliant, not to mention the dialogue he has with Two-face in the hospitol scene, or his magic trick with a pencil, or.......

there is so much i could write all day long. the movie hits every kit perfect, and as i said earlier, the problems i saw, are so miniscule that there is no point in really even bothering with them, this is not a superhero movie, this is an epic thriller that will take your breath away.

So Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, and above all, Heath Ledger, thank you for giving this bat-fan the movie he always wanted.

 

[BatmanReborn]

I just want to clarify before Im torn apart for any negative words I had, I am a filmmaker with two movies in preproduction, I tear my own stuff apart far worse. I am extremely critical on story elements, because plotholes really, and i mean really bother me. SO that said, I usually have about quadruple the complaints I had here. the film was brilliant! seeing it again tomorrow night 8}

 

[Zimmy]

I think Batman broke his fall on some beams before hitting the ground, Harvey fell like a rock.
That Gordon & Batman speech would be pretty ridiculous if he was still breathing.
Still, they should have done the movie cliche of eyes wide open when you are dead.

I also think there is a 100% improvement in the fight scenes from the first movie which reminded me of an old Steven Segal fighting (all close ups and jump cuts) but Nolan still needs to invest in a real fight coordinator.
The fight in the Hong Kong office was pretty good but the Joker "fight" was confusing. I didn't know who was getting hit or how bad. You can say Spidey 3 was a let down but Raimi knows how to film a fight scene.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

yea but raimis fights scenes are like 80% cgi

 

[Sharkboy]

That moment when joker walks out of the hospital and all sorts of explosions occur behind him, then he goes into the bus, ALL done in one single shot, no cuts or close ups. NOW that alone gives this film a massive thumbs up

 

[Cain]

Well here's my finalized review. I apologize for the very long length but as a lifelong Batman fan this is a subject that I'm fairly passionate about and the film understandably left me with a lot to say. If it's too much feel free to skip to the next post I just need to put my thoughts out there

Spoiler

For those of you who are also of the opinion that Batman Begins was overrated well I truly believe this is the definitive Batman movie and the best superhero film we've seen thus far. It is the only theatrical Batman film that could be universally loved by the entire fanbase yes even topping Mask of the Phantasm. There is something for the fan of every Batman incarnation here no matter your sensibilities. It really is a tribute to the dark knight detective above everything else because it showcases how important the status as well as fate of Gotham really are to him. Most importantly this film feels personal I see how Nolan poured his soul into his work this time last time he was playing more by committee.

This is the Batman movie you knew Christopher Nolan was capable of making when he was first announced for this franchise, happening right before your very eyes. In many ways it is strangely similar to the last franchise with BATMAN being a film made by comittee and Batman Returns being a much more personal artistic endeavor for the director. You really don't see the studio all over this one unlike it's predecessor and it's all the more better for it. For this same reason though I think Nolan will take some time to top this one though cause it is his best film by far. I think he's capable of it I think his involvement in The Prisoner will just help him grow as a creator much the same way The Prestige prepared him for this. He certainly put himself in an interesting situation by building a challenging premise for a follow up with it's climax.

This film is everything a sequel should be and more. A complete improvement over it's at times quite bland predecessor and a great extension of what this Batman film universe really has to offer. No longer are we subjected to phoned in performances from highly capable actors, no longer do we have to sit through contrived and generic dialogue anectdotes and obnoxiously choppy action photography most importantly the film contains a great pace all throughout it doesn't stop nor loses the audience for a moment.

Where it's predecessor had a great 1st act followed by cliche ridden uninspired and by the numbers second and third acts The Dark Knight applies it's theme of escalation to it's structure not just it's story. There is an escalation of quality throughout all 3 acts. The first act captivates you, the second act moves you and the third act leaves you in amazement and waiting to see what comes next due to it's setup.

I like so many elements of this film like how Gotham is the core and springboard for everything in the film. Like in all other great Batman stories Gotham is itself a character here. Everything that happens is influenced by the city itself. Whether it's making people want to shine a ray of light and hope on it or make others want to further drag it into the mud by raising the stakes of chaos it's all because of the city. It was great to see the mob & conventional gangs losing their control over crime in Gotham City to freakish and outlandish personalities who find amusement in drawing Batman's attention like The Scarecrow (briefly but memorably) and The Joker. With that Nolan manages to take one of the basic threads from what I consider to be an average Batman comic story The Long Halloween and deliver a better execution than the story's author Jeph Loeb ever did.

He also manages to incorporate a great element from Batman mythology particularly Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns that when it comes to the live action films was last seen in Tim Burton's BATMAN 19 years ago and fairly ignored ever since, the media presence. To see the reactions to a vigilante like The Batman from the "voice of the people" is simply a joy. The reason being because a media presence has always benefited the satirical elements of a film and also helped sell the film's universe to the audience by making it feel more alive and authentic. This has worked in a lot of Paul Verheoven's films for example and in this film there is no exception to that theory even though it plays a fairly minimal role within it it's also an effective one.

Last time Goyer's script wasn't too helpful a lot of the dialogue felt forced to me and fell flat. It just didn't feel natural at all it felt like I was watching a movie but Nolan reteaming with his talented writer of a brother helped deliver a much better package this time around. The way this film was written yeah it's still a movie but I finally believe in this world, I finally buy these characters. For instance Rachel Dawes comes across as a person who really cares about justice it no longer seems laughable and she's far from the best supporting player and probably the weakest performance but Maggie Gylenhaal finally sold me on this character even though she was just a mere plot device in the end.

Batman himself I could finally say is brilliant. After 3 years I finally buy Bale as Batman and not just Bruce Wayne. The fact that he lost a little weight helped in the contrast between both characters helped but also him using a consistent voice throughout the flick came a long way. My main gripe was the inconsistent voices in BB that has been rectified there is no more experimentation Bale's Batman finally had one single sound voice and it helped a lot as I was no longer laughing at Batman like in the last film. Mind you it still isn't quite perfect but it's a definite improvement. Also his posture and body language here is more effective it seems more assured even in the "clunky" BB suit he owned the scenes he was in off sheer presence alone. He was composed but observant and never oversold anything he was natural.

Finally being able to actually see the level of brutality he dishes out is also very helpful in selling his intimidation factor. Batman dropping Maroni a couple of stories below is possibly my favorite Batman scene in the history of his movies. Most importantly he was a scientist and detective here at all times he figured things on his own he no longer needed the extra help like last time. If he has to have a CSI moment he is prepared to tackle it, if he needs to find away to utilize new tools to further his mission he will, if he must exploit another identity to carry on his Batman work in the daytime out of pure selflessnes he will, he is Batman.

Alfred plays a crucial role I would say, he is the one that keeps driving Bruce to accomplish what he needs to no matter how down and insecure he may be, a true father figure to the fullest. Scarecrow is finally showing what the Batman veteran rogues always do in the comics. That he like other bat villains takes some kind of sick pleasure in facing off with the Bat ("that's more like it") that was cool to see and made me like Murphy as him even more with just five minutes of screen time.

Gordon is finally Gordon like he's not acting like an idiot and saying stupid one liner's the man really is Gordon off the page now. No more evident than in Oldman's first scene with Eckhart in the film and also the revelation of his role in the Joker takedown. I'm glad they addressed the whole issue of a WE employee figuring something is fishy about their tech being used by Bats. Lucius Fox was very well handled too the way he told Bats he would resign after he felt he pushed the limit showed me just how pure this portrayal really is.

Harvey Dent couldn't be better you could see why this man is beloved by so many. He truly embodies the fighter's spirit he is the embodimment of truth in this seedy world, their "Apollo" indeed. This is why you feel so bad when he finally gives in to the madness the Joker wanted to see him break out in during the hospital visit. The way Eckhart plays the transformation is great in itself it's very subdued but also very direct and nonchalant about it. In his eyes he is what Batman nor Gordon could never be a beacon of true justice who doesn't play with the grey area and just deals with absolutes. A person who still deems himself incorruptible despite proving to be corruptible by going down that road. The beauty of it was the way it contrasted with Gordon and Batman's reactions to his tragedy you could believe they're in pain seeing their former peer lash out this way and that is what that tragedy is all about. The filmmakers nailed it and no I don't think we've seen the last of him quite yet.

The Joker is amazing they hype is completely true on this matter. Don't let the lack of perma white and use of make up and scars fool you he's still the same character he's always been. He's theatrical, narcissistic, anarchic and funny he is a force of nature blowing through Gotham. About that funny claim I've seen some people in mainstream media say the Joker is not supposed to be funny to anybody but himself but they got it all wrong.

The reason many of us have enjoyed the character throughout his history is because there is a side to all of us a sinister side that smirks with him & finds humor in his dark punchlines and contextual humor. This film remains very true to that element (Ie: the magic trick, the explosives pin and firetruck on fire). He is like the little devil side of your conscience that sits on your shoulder and caters to your deepest darkest desires. However he is also something more he's all those elements we're familiar with but revitilized. There is a level of freshness and surprise in something that is already familiar with this interpretation because of his body language and mannerisms.

Everything just clicks. The way he slithers across this world like a snake tricking person after person, the way he smacks his lips around and the way that affects the voice. The way he walks as he leaves a hospital in chaos, using hand sanitizer before launching into chaos, the glee in his face at the expense of other people's fear and weaknesses and even his own pain which you see all throughout the interrogation sequence when he knows he's got Batman in checkmate, the way his eyes have no spark in them you try to see something behind them and there is nothing there just unpredictability.

He truly is as soulless as they come a person that in the end may be perfectly sane but is never afraid to reach any extremes if in his eyes it's the only way to deliver a punchline. He does all he does to prove points and show us what we're all capable of when we have our spirits and beliefs broken down. To show us that we all have a price to our morality and ethics. He's kind of been stripped to his core he doesn't really use too many deadly props or anything he just likes a knife, explosives and using the media to play games with the authority.

This is the way the character was played during his first comics appearance but of course just contemporized and also mixed with the intentions of his counterpart from stories like The Killing Joke and other subsequent tales. A terrorist with no contempt just playing out his actions for his cause. In this case that cause being anarchy. As he says "I'm an instrument of chaos". It's going to go up there with other loved Joker interpretations as it takes what they brought to the table and modernizes it with a more contemporary and neo realistic twist. In many ways that's why it will top the favorite lists of many fans.

The Nolan brothers deserve a lot of credit for this but so does Heath Ledger as well for delivering the performance Nolan directed him to do. His dedication to the role helped spring life into the character and made him pop out of the film and find a place where he could permanently ingrain himself in your psyche. You will never forget Ledger's performance in this, it definitely will be one of the definining villain performances of cinema for years to come and the best we've seen in a superhero film to date.

The nod to some of the comics history a staple of every Bat film were also awesome here. There were tons throughout so much at one point I kinda lost count but the ones that still stand out to me a couple of hours later include Batman versus the swat and saving Gordon's son Year One style that was really nice to see. Alfred's background as a fighter. The Joker's multiple choice stance on his own origins. The lenses and the purpose they served, a nice nod to the Batman's intuity and also his questionable ethics with the whole universal sonar by tapping on every celly thing which was very Brother Eye esque.

Now that doesn't mean there aren't flaws cause there are they'll be different for each individual but here were mine. Like everyone else I couldn't believe Batman rescues Rachel but leaves The Joker in not just any penthouse but his own penthouse/headquarters where some guests know he has a "panic room". Which also has Harvey Dent hidden in a closet I smacked my forehead when I saw that considering the attention to detail Nolan usually uses in his films cause we don't know what the hell happened afterwards. It's hard to believe The Joker just upped and left. Also I would've liked to have seen a bigger role for Alfred considering what Bruce/Batman was going through what we got is great though and maybe he does work better in small doses but I felt he was underused.

Batman seemingly quitting just cause the stakes have been raised higher bothered me that is just un Batman like. But I took into consideration that this is still an early Batman he's still allowed to be a bit unfocused. The fact that his father figure was the one who taught him that he must "endure" under those type of circumstances somewhat rectified all that. Batman's final decision to take the blame for Two-Face's actions did not sit right with me initially. It really seemed unneccessary and out of character I also think it took away from the tragedy of Dent's arc. It would've been more impactful and I think more influential to the people of Gotham to see what succumbing to rage induced madness could do to even the greatest of their citizens.

I think it would've influenced them to be stronger and more on their guard as a city than anything else since even such a seemingly heroic figure could be broken down. However at the same time I think it raises an interesting premise for another film and one that would be interesting to see explored in a Batman film so for that reason alone I could buy it. Also since the criminals are of the knowledge that Batman doesn't kill which makes them view him as somewhat soft I think it ups his intimidation factor amongst the lowly criminals since now in their eyes there are apparently no extremes that he wouldn't reach.

Nolan finally decides to pull the camera back a bit and show us the glory of his kick ass choreography even his chase scene was better for it he's improving as an action director. This is great but then at some point he decides to revert back to BB mode and at the most crucial and exciting part of the film we're left scratching our heads a lot during the final confrontation between Joker and Bats. I wasn't fond of the ferry boat sequence I felt that wasn't really needed. I understand representative of how the entire city no matter what class system they belong to won't give into sacrificing their morals regardless of a terrorist demanding they give into fear. I know that it's used as a measure of proving The Joker wrong but in it's execution I still I found it to be a drag.

The Hong Kong sequence while not completely draggy and worth watching just to see Batman leave Gotham in the movies for once and for Batman's gliding through the city and the capturing of Lau alone also still felt somewhat tacked on. As if the Lau role could've been assigned to almost any other shady character or the character even relocated with some rewrites. These things are enough to remove half a point but that just means it's not a five star classic as I rate it 4.5/5 (quite great but not excellent) or since SHH doesn't deal with half points a 9/10 on their ratings scale.

 

[The Sage]

Great review Cain.

 

[Tony Stark]

I think Batman broke his fall on some beams before hitting the ground, Harvey fell like a rock.
That Gordon & Batman speech would be pretty ridiculous if he was still breathing.
Still, they should have done the movie cliche of eyes wide open when you are dead.

I also think there is a 100% improvement in the fight scenes from the first movie which reminded me of an old Steven Segal fighting (all close ups and jump cuts) but Nolan still needs to invest in a real fight coordinator.
The fight in the Hong Kong office was pretty good but the Joker "fight" was confusing. I didn't know who was getting hit or how bad. You can say Spidey 3 was a let down but Raimi knows how to film a fight scene.

I totally agree, the fighting had absolutely no improvement over the first film. There were a couple of good action scenes with the Bat-pod, but outside of that the action was limited.

 

[KillerBat]

LEAVE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was obviously joking when I said "This movie was terrible! Batman and Robin was a much better movie!"

The Dark Knight was AMAZING! 10/10 stars.

 

[GDM]

How long is the actual movie? Cause I guess 2.5 includes the credits right? Is it about 2hours and 20 minutes?

 

[Darknightnomis]

So how do you follow up the Best origin story of a Superhero in a movie?

By making the GREATEST superhero movie of all time!!!! and consequently the greatest movie of all time.

It's been said before but needs to be said again. The Dark Knight raised the bar on what is considered a "comicbook" movie, although calling it that would be misleading.

This is how an intelligent, exciting, thought-provoking and all out bada*s of an interpertation of a comic book character should be handel on the silver screen. And Not just the main character but the supporting cast as well.

Chris Nolan just gets it, he really really get it. These movie are at they're best when it's but in the context of the established history.

Superman should be inspiring. SpiderMan should be about beating the odds. Ironman is about bconquering your personal demons. And Batman should be Dark.

But Dark with a sliver of light and the end. And Nolan certianly has given us that with Dark Knight. But not Dark and too weird i.e 'Batman Returns' but dark and intriguing.

Christian Bale continues to prove that he's the best Batman/Bruce Wayne ever to grace the screen.

When I see him as the playboy Bruce Wayne, wether it be braggin' on the restaurant he owns, or enter a fund raiser with not one, not two, but three babes on his arm, and definately when he has the entire Russian ballet group on his yacth, I see the way I always thought he should be from the comics when trying to divert as much of the Batman pesona from people's mind.

But when he's BATMAN, he is the scariest, toughest, and to qoute Superman from JLA # 5:"The most Dangerous man on earth".

There have never been a more intimitaitng version of Batman then Chris Bales on, and yes including Michael Keaton. But at the same time we got to see him stake a claim as being the "world's Greatest detective" that was very welcoming and very convincing.

Bale is the Batman. Period. Nuff siad. End of story!!!!

And what can you say about Heath Ledger Joker that hasn't been said already. Amazing! Mesmerizing! Outstanding! Oscar Worthy!

Yes, believe the hype. It's all true. He embodied the Joker in his perefomance and is obviously the wild card in the whole movie. Who but the Joeker would se a fire truck on fire and a diversion and the "pencil dissapearing trick" may be one of the best scene in movie history!

But he most convinicing thing that Ledger did as Joker was not when he was droping women from a windo, or using a bazokka to blow up a police escort, or even setting up a scenerio to prove to people that the only way to live in his world is without rules.

No the best thing Ledger does as the Joker is when he's trying to convince others, in just words alone, of his philosophy of how chaotic this world is and how he expose it for being that.

And how those who think they can keep the status qoute is only fooling themselves. Very much a homage to the theme of 'the Kiling Joke'.

His best scene to me are when he's telling Gordan how alone he is in his own precent, explaining to Batman that everyone really see him as a freak and will discard him once they don't need him anymore. And even more chilling is how he convince Harvey that he should join in the chaos of his own making.

And the scariest thing about it is that he makes sense in all his senselessness. His last speech to Batman while hanging upside down about their relationship was hyponotic.

"and you know what they say about going mad, it's just like gravity...all you need is a push". That said it all.

And as great perfomanc as Bale and Ledger did, Gary Oldman was jsut as top notch as Lieutenant/Commisioner Gordan.

Throuoght all the craziness and conspiricies in thei movies when he's onscareen there is a sense of stability and saneness. he is the clam within the storm. he is the example that a normal life can be lived in abnormal situations.

But to me, the icing on an already sweet cake, was Aaron Echart as Harvey Dent/2-face. He played Harvey as the White Knight so convincing that I would beleive he would be someone to take up the mantle of Gotham city defender if Batman was to give it up.

But his portrayl of 2-face was astounding. when he picks up his coin that's now burned on one side in the hospital, his pain was real. And every scene he was in as 2 face was just as intense. You believe he went through all he did and that he would be capable to kill a little kid if the coin dictated him to do so.

By the by whoever did the make-up/CGI for 2 face better get an oscar nod! that was phenominal and look a lot more scarier than any of hte leaked pics that came out on the web before.

The rest of the cast was solid as expected, Sir Micahel Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Mggie was a step up as Racahel from Katie Halmes but I am one who liked Kathei holmes perfomance in Batman Begins and wished she would've been in Dark Knight.

The action scenes were definatley steped up, how badas* was BAtman flying over Hong Kong and getting Lao back to the states and what he did to flip that semi is already a classic.

Is it perfect. Of course not. they were some faws, some very outstandingly, But it is the Best Batman movie ever made.

Which means its the best movie ever made.

 

[Cain]

Great review Cain.

Thanks Sage glad to see you enjoyed reading it

 

[javi1024]

5. the mayor wore black eye liner, that was just weird

to be fair, thats just how his eyes/ eyelashes are. he looks the same on "Cane".

 

[Zimmy]

yea but raimis fights scenes are like 80% cgi

I'll take 100% CGI for an enjoyable fight scene.

Batman is supposed to be schooled in many fight styles. I want to see him fight, not the back of shoulders while he spins around.

I don't expect Matrix slow mos, but let me see something. If you told me Bale did zero fight training for the role I would believe you.

 

[Demon Within]

I'll take 100% CGI for an enjoyable fight scene.

Batman is supposed to be schooled in many fight styles. I want to see him fight, not the back of shoulders while he spins around.

I don't expect Matrix slow mos, but let me see something. If you told me Bale did zero fight training for the role I would believe you.

Bourne films type fight scenes right?

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

I enjoyed Batman Begins more.

 

[Johnny Drama]

I enjoyed Batman Begins more.

more so that you rate this movie a "1"??

 

[kane9321]

Well I can see why people would vote it as a number one (Fail). The main reason could probably be Batman..Chrisitian Bale FAILS as Batman he failed in batman Begins and he even failed more in this movie. Why everytime Batman spoke it sounded like he was gasping for air? Hell, he made me wanna pick up an inhaler, I thought I had asthma. Why is Batman's costume so tight and why does Christian Bale's cheeks fall out of the mask? It's obvious the costume did not fit at all. Why did Batman look and move like a slow OGRE? Batman had his head haunched over like he was a cripple? The fact that Christian Bale's acting and costume was terrible with the Batman's parts is the reason why Batman failed for me. Batman just sucked in Begins and in this one. Christian Bale played Bruce decent but They gotta do better


bingo

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Yes. Felt more like heat than a batman movie.

 

[kane9321]

I really wish peeps would stop treating this movie as if it was "the best thing since sliced bread". It was good but damn it wasnt all that great.

 

[Tony Stark]

Well I can see why people would vote it as a number one (Fail). The main reason could probably be Batman..Chrisitian Bale FAILS as Batman he failed in batman Begins and he even failed more in this movie. Why everytime Batman spoke it sounded like he was gasping for air? Hell, he made me wanna pick up an inhaler, I thought I had asthma. Why is Batman's costume so tight and why does Christian Bale's cheeks fall out of the mask? It's obvious the costume did not fit at all. Why did Batman look and move like a slow OGRE? Batman had his head haunched over like he was a cripple? The fact that Christian Bale's acting and costume was terrible with the Batman's parts is the reason why Batman failed for me. Batman just sucked in Begins and in this one. Christian Bale played Bruce decent but They gotta do better


bingo

Well I think that's a bit overstated, but I understand and even agree somewhat with your point. This movie isn't about Batman, it's about Harvey Dent. I was also dissapointed that they really reduced Michael Caine's Alfred, when he did such a wonderful job in the first film

This isn't really a superhero film, it's not really a batman film. This is taking the basis of the superhero character, turning it into a real world scenario and then making it into a Robert Mitchum film noir piece.

I gave this movie 9/10, so people better not give me grief over this, but TDK is a great movie, it's not a great superhero movie.

 

[kane9321]

There's a lot of hyperbole flying around here. A lot of it. As such, I'm sure this won't be a real popular review. Frankly, I don't know how to feel about this movie. I really don't. I'm a huge Batman fan, like many of you, a student of the films, comics, animated series and anything else, and so I'm going to give THE DARK KNIGHT a 9 out of 10 because of the things it got right, and it's ambition in doing so.

On one hand, I'm glad Nolan explored some of the more serious elements of the Batman mythology. On the other, he forgot some key ones, and some elements of this movie are so absurd that I was somewhat disappointed at the end. Not because this was a bad movie, but because clearly Christopher Nolan and company have learned very little from the filmmaking mistakes made in BATMAN BEGINS. The pacing is still iffy. I don't know that there was much that could be done (trim the story, perhaps, allow for some of the emotional stuff to register?) The dialogue is still preachy and overdone (easy fix, this simply involves some restraint on the part of the director and the writer). The extras are still hard to stomach. Bale's Batman is still somewhat meandering and inconsistent and almost, dare I say it, unsure of himself at times in this outing.

STORY
More of a crime drama than a comic book movie, my ass. A few RICO references and some mobsters being hauled in and killed does not a crime drama make. This was a comic book movie about superheroes and supervillains through and through, and on several levels. The script is good, probably a little bit better than BEGINS. The story is interesting and relatively engaging. It is what it is. Point A to point B to point C, with a couple of really obvious and predictable twists along the way, which Nolan usually manages to give away with his clever camerawork (Oh, is Ramirez evil, that lingering camera shot never would have tipped me off). THE DARK KNIGHT has all the right elements to be a classic Batman story, and to its credit, most of it worked very well.

The bank robbery was ok. A lot of the dialogue and performances felt very forced. The Joker's reveal is cool.

Gordon using the signal as a deterrent is good to see. The stuff with the copycat Batmen was all right. Nice intro for Batman himself. The Scarecrow was almost completely wasted. Very disappointed on that front.

It's always good to see Bruce patching himself up, and to see the scars from his war on crime. His garage was really, really boring compared to the cave.

It was nice to see Fox and Bruce in the context of Wayne Enterprises, even if it was just for a little while. Despite the visuals of that flight, I could have done without the trip to China. Batman could easily have found Lau somewhere in Gotham in a scene that involved similar visuals. The plane thing was just...a chartered plane and a giant blinking balloon?

Dent's intro was ok. Harvey Dent punching someone out in the courtroom was a bit much. How does a mobster get a gun into a courtroom like that? I liked the interaction between Gordon and Dent, and Dent's insistence on meeting Batman.

The Joker approaching the mob was classic. Ledger approaching him as a slightly nervous "new supervillain" was great, and the scene itself was pretty funny.

The mobsters being arrested en masse stuff was a bit hard to swallow. I am familiar with RICO and its merits, but they arrest and try all 500 people at once? A scene that should have been more powerful (even as a montage) was made less so by the moment being played for comedy.

The Joker somehow having everyone's DNA and the police tracing his victims via that route? Come on...

The campaign party sequence was decent. I'm confused as to how Batman stopped their fall. Did he use his cape? I didn't see it billow open, or them gliding, or anything along those lines. And then The Joker just...what, left?

Batman utilizing some forensic detective work was nice to see, if a bit confusing as to how he actually tracked anyone down via it.

I loved Batman's "interrogation" of Maroni. I do think that Batman showed his emotions to others a few too many times. He let Maroni make him doubt himself, and then he let The Joker do the same. Not thrilled about that.

The scene between Batman and The Joker in the interrogation room was fantastic. I wish it hadn't been so bright. The Joker's interactions with random-cop-who-should-have-been-Bullock was also very good. Not quite sure how he got the drop on him, though.

The Joker sending Batman to one address and Gordon to another is a bit much and something of a random plot point. Is Batman stupid? At this stage of the game, does he really not expect a doublecross? Oh well.

Bruce blaming himself to the degree that he did for what happened to everyone else, like in BEGINS, was just absurd. What's there to blame himself for? He didn't kill Rachel, nor did he kidnap Harvey and Rachel. Nor is him existing actually the cause of the deaths The Joker caused. I'm tired of seeing Bruce wallow in self pity everytime someone hurts someone close to him or causes him to fail somehow. And I know that he feels "responsible" for the Robins deaths in the comics, but this is something entirely different.

Gordon's "death" lacked impact. Gordon faking his death? Stupid. You don't feel for his wife because you've never met her. Suddenly she's just hysterical. I would have much preferred to have Gordon just sit back and not be able to help as events unfold. Why anyone would actually believe he is dead with such a quick "death scene" is beyond me.

Bruce quitting for five minutes simply because The Joker made a threat was stupid. Just really stupid. It's been done before, and it was done for a better reason in BATMAN FOREVER. Batman doesn't quit when innocent people are threatened, he straps on a pair and he hunts down those who are targeting innocents. I found that a great disservice to the character, and it makes me like this version of Bruce Wayne even less.

Dent accidentally knocks gasoline over onto half of himself? Come the hell on. Yeah, THAT's more powerful than an act of courtroom revenge by mobsters.

The cell phone device? Very deux ex machina. I see what they were going for thematically, but Batman shouldn't be to that point in his career. Not quite yet.

The lenses were ok. The POV reminded me of DAREDEVIL.

The stuff with the barges...kind of cheesy, really. I think they picked the most annoying extras possible. I get where they were going with the whole "not everyone succumbs to fear/violence" theme, but I wanted to see the barges blow up or something. The Joker's final "joke". And then to see Batman basically have to restrain himself not to kill him. And how did two barges get filled with hundreds of barrels of gas without anyone noticing?

The hostages/clowns angle? It's been done to death, but it's in keeping with the kind of things The Joker has done over the years (See NO MAN'S LAND).

Why did Batman get his ass kicked so badly by The Joker to the point where he couldn't even struggle? He just lay there under a piece of wood after a while.

And...Batman killed. Anyone catch that? He essentially caused Two-Face's death in order to save Gordon's son. So much for his one rule. I thought people had a problem with Batman killing...

I liked Two-Face's vengeance against various people, but his suen revenge scheme against Gordon was very forced. It was never suggested that he had gone insane, so I guess we're supposed to believe he thinks Rachel's death is Gordon's fault. Which is just absurd. That whole "It's my fault, no it's mine" scene was very poorly conceived.

Killing off Dent was just a bad move, and very forced. Destroys a lot of potential the character arc had for the future, for Bruce, Gordon, for Dent, for Gotham...and the resolution of Dent's death more or less neutered the meaning of Dent's "fall from grace" in terms of the mythology.

I like Batman being hunted, although the reasons for it are a bit suspect. Gordon's speech at the end was a bit too much. Batman is about a lot more than just "he can take it", and there has got to be a less melodramatic way to say it.

Batman taking the rap for Dent? Absurd. Completely out of character. There's no reason for Batman to say he killed those mobsters. No reason at all. That's not a good role model, and that's not a good lesson to teach people. "Lie because people handle lies better?". Screw that. The whole point of THE DARK KNIGHT is that it's a failure for justice/the law. That things in Gotham, which had been improving, suddenly take a turn for the worse. The point of the tragedy of Harvey Dent's fall from grace is that it is a freaking tragedy, not that Gotham loses all hope because of it. That was a really difficult element to buy, that Gotham would suddenly give up because their "White Knight" is a bad guy now. That's kind of the point of Two-Face. It works even better when he's still out there ****ing things up for the city he once sought to clean up. Chris Nolan and his writers implying that Batman could never be a symbol of hope tells me that as much as he gets the character...he doesn't get the character that much. He just doesn't. And I understand "You're the (kind of) symbol of hope I could never be", but the inference is obvious. It bothers me, not because people in Gotham thinking that Batman will kill (Why would the people of Gotham care if Batman kills those who prey on them?), but because instead of Batman and Gordon mourning the fall and transformation of their friend, and the state of things in the future of Gotham, they went the whole "I'll pretend to have killed them" route instead, and glossed over Dent's "fall" almost completely.

The last shot of the movie was pretty derivative. There had to be a better way to end the movie than using yet another shot of the bike in the tunnel.

This entire post is how I felt too...exactly

 

[Superman-Prime]

I enjoyed Batman Begins more.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yes. Felt more like heat than a batman movie.

Gosh, I want to shoot that troll of the internet.


And I disagree with your stupid sig. Heath Ledger is way better than Jack Nicholson.

 

[Zimmy]

This entire post is how I felt too...exactly

Me too, I made some of those exact points in the "ASK" thread.

I compared the Two Face in this film to Venom in Spidey 3, a major villain discarded in 5 minutes of screen time.
I'm talking about Two Face, not Harvey Dent. They could have set up a great villain for the third picture, now what are they going to do, the Riddler? Penguin? Even Catwoman would be seen as a joke in a serious trilogy.

BTW, I think the mob guy got the gun in the courthouse because it was plastic or something.

As mentioned, the Joker character kind of lost some menace to me because he became a "superman" type character.
There was nothing, NOTHING, he couldn't do, get access to, police he couldn't corrupt, chemicals, weapons, whatever he wants. In a short few weeks, he was able to do anything he wants. Every plan he executed went off without a hitch. Road blocked that needed to be blocked at every location. I think someone loading hundreds of barrels of gasoline into various buildings and huge boats in a major city, would garner some attention.

Don't get me started on how he hands Batman his lunch, this world class fighter.