Sunday, July 20, 2008

Oh how far we have come, the Maturity and Complexity of "The Dark Knight"


I totally realize that "The Dark Knight" has nothing to do with Avengers. If you could think of two completely opposite subjects to be included in the same blog, the Avengers and Batman might not be the two you think of, but they really have nothing in common. Except, maybe, that I like both of them. After watching this movie, I thought I would blindly follow many other bloggers in reviewing the summer's biggest film. Keep in mind as you read this that I saw "The Dark Knight" during the Thursday midnight showing and on a random Saturday afternoon with my parents.
In preparation for this new Batman instalment, I watched most of the other Batman movies again (with the exception of "Batman and Robin" which I saw a few months ago and didn't want to endure it again and "Batman Begins" because I couldn't find a copy of it). I found the original "Batman" fantastic thanks to Jack Nicholson portraying the Joker so well. "Batman Returns" was decent thanks to the hot Catwoman and Michael Keaton warming up to his role. "Batman Forever" was one of those "so bad its good" types of movies thanks to the awesome/campy performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carry. Enter "Batman Begins," the origin story that was way overdue. Though flawed, it restarted the franchise after the unmentionable travesty that is "Batman and Robin." In "Batman Begins," the camera was too close to the action, the main villain played by Liam Neeson was not very interesting (though the Scarecrow was pretty cool), and it played out like a typical, no-frills origin movie. Having said that, it was a good film with a great sense of respect to the source material and good performances (with the exception of Katie Holmes).
Now I finally get to "The Dark Knight," one of the most hyped movies of my generation. Does it live up to most of the hype? And the crowd yells "YES!" Now, let me point out that it is not the greatest movie ever made, it will not solve all of the world's problems, and it does not summon a happy elf who gives each viewer a pot of gold. It is just a great movie, and one of the best films this year.
As you can tell by my brief analysis of the Batman franchise, I value a Batman movie based on it's villain, not on the Batman. Because of this, I think that "The Dark Knight" is the best film in the series. Heath Ledger is so badass as the Joker, it just makes me tingle inside. He is creepy, funny, unique, and is going to inspire my Halloween costume. Absolute spot-on. I value the Joker as one of the best villains ever, and Heath does him justice. Way to go out with a bang. After watching this movie, you will be licking your lips oddly and laughing with glee (I know I have, maybe I'm just crazy). This guy must be seen to be believed.
I think that "The Dark Knight" comes together very well in the story department. It truly feels like an epic movie not just in its length, but it's complex characters. Unlike most big summer films, the thing that holds this film together is the performances. Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie, and Gary Oldman all contribute something to the story. These performances also complement the script (which is very well written). The audience gets a feel for these characters as the great acting brings them to life. Christopher Nolan learned how to stage action sequences while continuing to apply his great visual sense. The action scenes are kickass too (espcially with the Bat-a-cycle which likes to flip large trucks over). Another plus is that Two-Face looks scary as shit. All in all, its a very well crafted film with a legendary performace by Heath Ledger.
By why does Batman sound like he is possessed! JEEZZ!! For some reason, Bale likes to talk with a really stupid low voice whenever he has the mask on. And compared to the other people in the movie, Gordon's wife can't act at all. Her sobs are grating on the ears. But even with these nagging issues, this is an absolute must-see movie for any Batman, superhero, or summer movie fan. It's also a good film for anyone who enjoys the healing power of laughter. WHY SO SERIOUS! HEE HEE HA HO HA HA HEE HEE HA See I told you the Joker rubbed off on me.

5 comments:

The Film Doctor said...

Nice review, but I thought Aaron Eckhart's subplot involving Two Face was unnecessary. Altogether, the movie was a little too long given all of the hype. I didn't see Emma Peel anywhere in the film though.

Dr. K said...

What a thoughtful, insightful review--much better than others I've read on the internet!

By the way, what do Batman and the Avengers have in common? Both are awesome, and both satisfy a fetish for kickass women in tight spandex.

Anonymous said...

I don't even like movies with explosions, but I really enjoyed the big semi flip and subsequent load landing--very satisfying in some sort of primitive part of my brain. And, I agree that the Heath Ledger role is memorable. I like how he re-tells his origins differently, depending on who he's talking to. While I like A.E. as Two-Face, I really didn't like the added plot stuff at the end. I think that detracted some from the end of the Batman/Joker plot. But, I guess it was worth it for the hospital scene, if nothing else.

George Kaplan said...

I think that Two Face was completely justified because he looks so darn cool. I think that the hospital scene will go down in history. And don't yall think that this movie kicks major patutie!!!

Anonymous said...

i still wish Katie Holmes had stayed on board as Rachel Dawes for the Dark Knight; it was like the time spent getting familiar with her character in Batman Begins was wasted...