The Dark Knight

[shrader]

I wonder how Batman gets replacement ones? Does he walk into a local Napa and ask for replacements for a 2008 Batmobile?

 

That was one of the things I loved about Begins. They actually explain stuff like that.

[Mark Vader]

I will be seeing this movie Friday night. I could have watched the midnight screening, but it's only at the local arthouse theatre and I want to see it on the BIG SCREEN.

 

BTW, good teaser trailer for Terminator:Salvation. I'm not a huge Terminator fan, but I am glad to see that they are finally moving on to the series of John Connor leading humanity in trying to take back Earth. Christian Bale is just awesome.

 

Very good trailer for Watchmen. I'm not a comic book/graphic novel reader myself, but my interest is piqued. Also Carla Gugino is so fu*%!ng hot!!!

[CosmicBills]

Just got back from the show. Won't give any spoilers, but will sum it up: It was entertaining, but story wise it was a mess.

 

Still worth seeing and most will enjoy it. But it's not close to as good as Begins. It's too scattered and goes off the rails several times.

[erynthered]

Just got back from the show. Won't give any spoilers, but will sum it up: It was entertaining, but story wise it was a mess.

 

Still worth seeing and most will enjoy it. But it's not close to as good as Begins. It's too scattered and goes off the rails several times.

 

Kinda what I thought. Over hyped. Thanks tgregg.

[Mr Info]

Just got back from the show. Won't give any spoilers, but will sum it up: It was entertaining, but story wise it was a mess.

 

Still worth seeing and most will enjoy it. But it's not close to as good as Begins. It's too scattered and goes off the rails several times.

 

Our local reviewer thought it was great until the last 30 minutes "The problem with the last half-hour is that movie builds up to its natural climax, which occurs around the two-hour mark, and then it keeps going. Everything after that first ending feels unnecessarily tacked on, especially when it spins off into peculiar directions. The story, which until then makes sense, becomes considerably less comprehensible. Cross-cutting between scenes is handled ineptly. The performers suddenly begin to overact. Character motivations change. And worst of all for a comic-book movie, the pace drags and it becomes dull. Even the Joker becomes tiresome. You'd be better off missing the last 30 minutes. If you leave when you first feel like you should, the experience will be nothing but terrific."

 

True dat?

[shrader]

That was a great movie, but I'm at a loss for words right now. Really, I'm still trying to soak in everything that I saw. I'm sure they could've trimmed it down a bit, but there were quite a few vital pieces to the story in that last 30 minutes. Suggesting that the Joker became tiresome is way off base though. Every bit of praise Ledger has been getting was well deserved.

[the_franchise]

Ledger nailed the Joker part. The weakest part in the movie IMO was the Batman character. I normally dont pay to see movies but I'm fine with paying to see The Dark Knight. If Ledger didn't pass away, I could have seen him becoming a bigger than the series with him playing the Joker at least one more time. That being said, the movie is worth seeing even if you don't like comics. I've also never been to a movie that people applauded at the end of... if that says anything.

[shrader]

Ledger nailed the Joker part. The weakest part in the movie IMO was the Batman character. I normally dont pay to see movies but I'm fine with paying to see The Dark Knight. If Ledger didn't pass away, I could have seen him becoming a bigger than the series with him playing the Joker at least one more time. That being said, the movie is worth seeing even if you don't like comics. I've also never been to a movie that people applauded at the end of... if that says anything.

 

With or without Ledger, I don't want to see any more of the Joker beyond this movie. I don't know how you top what he did in this one. It should stand alone.

[CosmicBills]

Our local reviewer thought it was great until the last 30 minutes "The problem with the last half-hour is that movie builds up to its natural climax, which occurs around the two-hour mark, and then it keeps going. Everything after that first ending feels unnecessarily tacked on, especially when it spins off into peculiar directions. The story, which until then makes sense, becomes considerably less comprehensible. Cross-cutting between scenes is handled ineptly. The performers suddenly begin to overact. Character motivations change. And worst of all for a comic-book movie, the pace drags and it becomes dull. Even the Joker becomes tiresome. You'd be better off missing the last 30 minutes. If you leave when you first feel like you should, the experience will be nothing but terrific."

 

True dat?

 

I don't agree that it's just the last 30 minutes that are the problem. Mind you, I'm approaching it strictly from a story-telling perspective which might not matter to a lot of folks. I did enjoy the flick and do think it's worth checking out. However, it's just not a classic or as well told as the original or even Spider-Man 1 & 2.

 

The main problem was related to this note below ...

 

With or without Ledger, I don't want to see any more of the Joker beyond this movie. I don't know how you top what he did in this one. It should stand alone.

 

Yes, Ledger was great. However, the character of the Joker was empty. There was nothing, and I mean nothing, to him. There was no story, no plot, no motive (other than chaos). All of that is fine -- if he's a side character or background character. But it's not fine when you devote over 90 minutes of screen time to JUST that character.

 

Burton's Joker, much more comic book, actually had a story with a background and an arc that you understood. He also had a clear motive and reason. Goyer's Joker did not -- which was the point he was trying to make. But the problem is, it was wildly inconsistent.

 

Without going into detail, look at the beats: We start with a heist and plot line that carries over for the first hour of the movie -- then it gets dumped, quickly. Which works if the Joker is just about chaos and can't be classified as other villains (as they say). But then he GETS a plan/motivation that bucks the original one and goes on doing a "social experiment" which, had he been doing all along, would have been amazing IF the story was Batman's story. But it's not.

 

The real problem with the story is that it's Harvey Dent's story -- but they got so caught up in how fun Ledger is on screen they forgot his character has zero depth which results in boredom. So instead of keeping it Harvey's movie, they tried to make it the Joker's when he doesn't have a story to tell.

[ACor58]

Really too bad about Heath Ledger, he was incredible, absoultely incredible.

[Fan in Chicago]

I will respectfully disagree with the negative opinions here. I do agree that the last 20-30 minutes could have been tighter but (SPOILERS BELOW)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The movie was really really good and not your typical superhero movie. There was so much story that it is likely to feel 'heavy' to some viewers. I will watch it again when it is out on DVD to pick some intricacies of the plot(s) which I am sure to have missed. Excellent camera work and acting all around. Two points where the movie could have been better are: they should have shown some counter-punches (not the physical kind) by Batman as it seems he was mostly trying to limit the damage more than prevent it and (2) I did not get a sense of closure in the movie esp. with the Joker (literally) left hanging.

 

[The Big Cat]

The movie definitely had its flaws- some points in the movie I remember thinking, "really?"

Especially the part after the fund raiser when Batman/Rachel fall feet first onto the cab whilst the Joker is still at large at the party. Resolution to this scene? None.

 

 

It was a movie that wanted to be two separate movies, and probably should have been. A Joker movie, and a Two-Face movie could have been equally potent and the two of them seperated would have been better than DK, IMO.

 

I think that part of the movie's flaws result from it being piggy-backed on to a (surprisingly?) successful C. Bale effort in Begins. I think this really comes through with the Michael Cain/Morgan Freeman cheese-factors. But I guess that's to be expected from those two nowadays. Perhaps the entire movie's creation was rushed?

 

 

All that being said, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the movie, I can name way way way more positives than negatives, and most importantly:

 

HEATH LEDGER WAS INCREDIBLE.

[the_franchise]

With or without Ledger, I don't want to see any more of the Joker beyond this movie. I don't know how you top what he did in this one. It should stand alone.

 

The point I was getting to was that had he not died, I think they would have went back to it at least once more, maybe develop the back story for him. That being said, I doubt within the next 10 years another film maker will attempt to re-do what he was part of recreating in the Joker character.

 

 

I also thought that it might have been a little foreshadowing for another Batman movie (with catwoman maybe the penguin or riddler.) when Lucius said to Bruce Wayne "It might stop a cat" In reference to the dog attack at the beginning.

 

[shrader]

The point I was getting to was that had he not died, I think they would have went back to it at least once more, maybe develop the back story for him. That being said, I doubt within the next 10 years another film maker will attempt to re-do what he was part of recreating in the Joker character.

 

 

I also thought that it might have been a little foreshadowing for another Batman movie (with catwoman maybe the penguin or riddler.) when Lucius said to Bruce Wayne "It might stop a cat" In reference to the dog attack at the beginning.

 

They'll have a 3rd with Two-Face, but I really can't tell if they planned to use the Joker again or not. They never intended to do any kind of back story for the Joker though. He really doesn't have one anyway. I loved how he told multiple versions of how his face was scarred. That right there is the Joker. Giving a backstory gives a reason why he is as crazy as he is and he doesn't need it. In the comics there is no accepted origin story for him and that just adds to his insanity.

 

The only real backstory he needed was taken care of in the movie. He's basically some minor criminal in Gotham that escaped from Arkham in Batman Begins. Batman's presence made him take that next step, it gave him meaning.

[Fingon]

I don't think I've ever seen a performance more haunting than Ledger's.

[Mark Vader]

Saw it on the big screen with a packed house of about 900 people.

A very intense movie. I tend to disagree with the negative comments on how since there is no backstory to the Joker, it makes the character empty. Chris Nolan said he wanted to portray the Joker as a lunatic criminal, nothing more, I found that to be quite effective. After all there was'nt much backstory on The Scarecrow in Batman Begins.

 

Anyway, I enjoyed the movie a lot, although they may have attempted to do too much. The hype is justified and Heath Ledger was outstanding. Solid performances by Christian Bale & Aaron Eckhart as well.

 

Bravo, Christopher Nolan, I look forward to your 3rd outing.

[CosmicBills]

... I loved how he told multiple versions of how his face was scarred. That right there is the Joker. Giving a backstory gives a reason why he is as crazy as he is and he doesn't need it. In the comics there is no accepted origin story for him and that just adds to his insanity.

 

The only real backstory he needed was taken care of in the movie. He's basically some minor criminal in Gotham that escaped from Arkham in Batman Begins. Batman's presence made him take that next step, it gave him meaning.

 

But you're missing the point a bit. I'm not saying he needs to have backstory to be an interesting or full character -- not at all. But he needs to have STORY on the screen that's consistent.

 

If the Joker were just crazy and hell bent on anarchy, that's fine. That's one story. That's what he starts out as in this flick. But then they GIVE him a reason and logic and SANITY when he forms a second, totally separate plan. It's a HUGE disconnect from where he starts the film. Initially it's about the mob and Batman, then he makes it something 180 degrees different. And that sort of thing does not work with a character who's just "crazy".

 

It was trying to give the Joker a different pathos half way through the movie, but you just can't do that.

 

Had they kept the Joker as just insane, they could have cut 30 minutes of his screen time out, and it would have instantly tightened the movie and brought the story back to it's main focal point: Harvey Dent. And it would have worked beautifully because Dent's transformation would have been tied in concretely to the Joker's plan. Instead, they left it bloated and the story wandered. As a result, the characters (all of 'em) suffered.

 

Also, for a super-hero movie, there's almost no action. There are two scenes? Maybe. That's rare for these sorts of movies (and not necessarily a bad thing). But I think it's bumping some people because it is clearly more of a thriller than an action flick -- but people are going in expecting it to be an action flick.

[Dr. Fong]

Brilliant movie. Guys, you can nitpick it to death if you want, but that was an incredible movie experience. I walked out of the theater cursing the fact that Heath Ledger died and that we wouldn't see him as the Joker ever again. When he was announced as the Joker I was among the myriad of people that hated the selection. Wow was I wrong.

[shrader]

If the Joker were just crazy and hell bent on anarchy, that's fine. That's one story. That's what he starts out as in this flick. But then they GIVE him a reason and logic and SANITY when he forms a second, totally separate plan. It's a HUGE disconnect from where he starts the film. Initially it's about the mob and Batman, then he makes it something 180 degrees different. And that sort of thing does not work with a character who's just "crazy".

 

He's not so much crazy, but that he wants to create insanity.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Outstanding movie.

 

I loved how Dent was the focal point, but the storyline and all the characters worked off of the Joker. Really neat story-telling. Great visuals. Great acting.

 

The only thing I could have done without were the two passing political innuendos (the cell phone thing and the Joker's comment about the soldiers)--but even those were subtle enough.