My Review of THE DARK KNIGHT *Spoilers added*

[Crown Royal]

I told y'all for the last two years TDK was going to be great. Anyway...

Batman fans -- and obviously I am one -- were a pyss in the ocean in terms of who went to see this movie this weekend.

A great film is a great film...period.

As I said im my review, it's right up there with all the great crime dramas in history -- despite the fact that the hero is a giant black bat and the villain is wearing a purple zoot suit and make up.

As a Batman fan, this movie exceeded my expectations completely -- and I'm "in the loop," if you will.

Chris needs to get a nom for best director and he and Jonah Nolan need to get a nom for screenplay.

Y'all...how good was Heath?

I was worried that my expectations were too high for this movie, such as they were for the Matrix sequels.

I don't think I'm overreacting when I say that Superman I has lost it's throne as the "super hero movie against which all others are measured." I will always love that movie, it defined much of my childhood imagination, but it now must gracefully and humbly retire.

In my opinion, this movie legitimately transcended the genre (cliche term, I know) into the realm of serious movie. The rhetorical devices involved were unmistakable - you had imagery, allusions, metapher, all of it. The movie actually stood up on the plot and characters at the same time. You could honestly analyze this movie the way you would a Shakespearean play.

BUT you also get great special effects, some campy gadgets, etc. It was all of it.

I can't express how blown away I am right now. Wow.

 

[Crown Royal]

The way they handled all the characters was amazing. Much like Batman Begins presented an 'origin story' that you could actually believe and love, this movie created, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN COMIC MOVIES, a good reason for there to be 'supervillains.' The mirrored relationship between The Joker and Batman was perfect.

 

[thekavorka]

As much as I love the movie, it's not perfect. I really have to nitpick for some of these:

1) Some of the editing/cuts seemed a little off. Like what happened to the Joker in Bruce's penthouse after Batman/Rachel fell out? I also would have liked to see how the Joker was able to take the cop hostage in the interrogation room. Just stuff like that. Basically, I wish the movie was even longer.

2) The dialog during the SWAT chase was terrible. "that's not good. that's really not good".

3) The cell phone sonar was a little out there. Although they introduced it in the Hong Kong scene, I thought the sonar was a little too crazy for Nolan's universe. Then again, we got to see badass Batman with the white eyes.

4) Although they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhall, I didn't think she was any better or worse than Holmes. Just not as pretty.

 

[the kid 05]

If Christopher Nolan introduces Bane, I hope that he can somehow tie the plot into the KnightFall storyline, although I'm not certain how he'll be able to workaround the broken back angle...

Simply mentioning The Penguin gives me bad vibes. Dan Devito's way over-the-top performance still makes me a bit ill.

Cuthbert's an interesting choice for Poison Ivy. I loved her in 24. My first thought was Keira Knightley.

I may see the movie a second time solely to find out if Harvey's breathing at the end (that was a scary fall).

i made sure to look if he was breath i didn't see any movements.

Knightley would also be good cuz she has the sass of ivy

I dont remember the Knight Fall, care to explain?

but i was thinking about the movie while at work last night. They had a funeral for Harvey and talked about him being a leader and what have you, thus signifing the death of the good man Harvey dent...but maybe like a phoenix (thank thats the right spelling) he rises again only more twisted and bent on revenge againts batman for not allowing him to get gordon.

I wouldn't want Dave "batista" as that would tie us to WWE movies...and yeah they suck, Dwayne "the rock" is free from wwe though and is a solid actor who is still learning

knight fall summary : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_Knightfall

 

[theogt]

As much as I love the movie, it's not perfect. I really have to nitpick for some of these:

1) Some of the editing/cuts seemed a little off. Like what happened to the Joker in Bruce's penthouse after Batman/Rachel fell out? I also would have liked to see how the Joker was able to take the cop hostage in the interrogation room. Just stuff like that. Basically, I wish the movie was even longer.

2) The dialog during the SWAT chase was terrible. "that's not good. that's really not good".

3) The cell phone sonar was a little out there. Although they introduced it in the Hong Kong scene, I thought the sonar was a little too crazy for Nolan's universe. Then again, we got to see badass Batman with the white eyes.

4) Although they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhall, I didn't think she was any better or worse than Holmes. Just not as pretty.

All good points, but that's about as much as I could nitpick with the movie, other than not enough Bruce Wayne in it.

 

[SultanOfSix]

I really loved the ending and Gordon's monologue at the end.

And *SPOILERS SPOILERS*

I'm also glad with the way they handled Two-Face's character. He died as a tragic hero and martyr and not as a murderer (due to Batman's sacrifice).

It really wouldn't make sense for Two-Face to come back and become a gangster with a tommy gun like he is in the comics or cartoon. He was only after revenge for what happened to Rachel. I hope he's actually dead (I think he is) since I think his arc was sufficiently resolved.

If Two-Face comes back in the 3rd movie, it would pretty much mess up TDK's ending.

I really loved the monologue at the end. IMO, what made this movie great and more than just a comic book movie great was the moments of introspection the dialogue provided.

"The Joker's" thoughts about being an agent of chaos and how he was there to destroy the "schemers" while being one himself.

How Harvey Dent made his own luck with the two-headed coin, but when he became "Two-Face" he left everything up to chance.

How Harvey Dent was the white knight and who fell, while "The Dark Knight" was the real white knight, who sacrificed his reputation for the greater good: "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

How people needed to be rewarded for their faith in humanity, symbolized by Lucius not wanting to spy on people (a little slap at the Bush administration and "Big Brother" I guess ) due to it being unethical, and how he would resign if the sonar machine was to be used in the future, only to see it be destroyed when he typed in his name.

Things like that.

 

[HTownCowboysFan]

Gordon't speech/monologue at the end was fantastic.

Did anyone else get that Alfred burning Rachel's letter as a flashback at the same time that Batman is telling Gordon that people need something to believe in even though if it isn't the truth?

Very subtle.

Nolan's a genius.

 

[DallasEast]

I was worried that my expectations were too high for this movie, such as they were for the Matrix sequels.

I don't think I'm overreacting when I say that Superman I has lost it's throne as the "super hero movie against which all others are measured." I will always love that movie, it defined much of my childhood imagination, but it now must gracefully and humbly retire.

Sometimes, I believe I'm the only guy who loved The Wachowski Brothers' sequels.

Superman was my no.1 superhero flick until Batman premiered in '89. There was (and will always be) three things about Superman which has kept it high on my all-time superhero film list:

• Marlon Brando
• Christopher Reeve
• John Williams' music score

Gene Hackman's role was Lex Luthor was way too campy for one of the best actors of the 20th century (imo). Too many, "Miss Tessmockers (sp?)!!!", were thrown in for my taste. Ned Beatty's inclusion was a complete waste of unnecessary comedic diversion. Margot Kidder never seemed to get Lois Lane 'just right' for me. I can't really say exactly how in words. However, even short elements like Glenn Ford as Jonathan Kent will always keep the movie special for me. It still pains me remembering Ford's fatal heart attack scene, even though I knew the Superman origin inside-out well before I saw the movie.

Spider-Man replaced Batman as my standard until Spider-Man II. Thank goodness, the first two were great because Spider-Man III was an utter embarrassment.

Hollywood is blessed to have someone like Christopher Nolan raising the bar on how to make superhero adaptation movies. Comics have always been filled with a wide variety of unique characters and storylines just begging to be seen on the big screen, but without the idiotic campiness that many producers and directors felt would be accepted by the public. Nolan has effectively killed that nonsense. Now, will others accept that fact and make more superhero movies which will be equally worthy?

As much as I love the movie, it's not perfect. I really have to nitpick for some of these:

1) Some of the editing/cuts seemed a little off. Like what happened to the Joker in Bruce's penthouse after Batman/Rachel fell out? I also would have liked to see how the Joker was able to take the cop hostage in the interrogation room. Just stuff like that. Basically, I wish the movie was even longer.

2) The dialog during the SWAT chase was terrible. "that's not good. that's really not good".

3) The cell phone sonar was a little out there. Although they introduced it in the Hong Kong scene, I thought the sonar was a little too crazy for Nolan's universe. Then again, we got to see badass Batman with the white eyes.

4) Although they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhall, I didn't think she was any better or worse than Holmes. Just not as pretty.

1. I slightly agree on The Joker's exit scene from the penthouse, but disagree about the interrogation room scene. Batman had thrown The Joker against the one-way/see-through several times, causing glass shards to fall everywhere. You can see them in the scene immediately after the Detective Stephens was rolling up his sleeves while telling The Joker he was going to have to, 'find some enjoyment out of beating him'.

The camera cuts back to The Joker cracking his own neck and then smiling as Stephens approached him. The glass can be seen all around Ledger. He could have easily used the glass as a weapon to overpower Stephens since he wasn't handcuffed. Heck, The Joker could have overpowered Stephens without using the glass. Stephens was no Batman, to say the least.

2. Agree about the dialogue. I did enjoy the observation made by one of the officers that bullets wouldn't penetrate the police van. Then, the next scene had The Joker pulling out a bazooka. I totally expected that and thought that was appropriate (and funny) dialogue at that point.

3. If there had been more time for Batman to identify, locate and subdue Joker's men and free the hostages, I would agree about the sonar. He had only a handful of minutes though, so I have to disagree. Having a technological edge to help accomplish his goal in a short timespan was more realistic for me than to watch him somehow mysteriously find all those people exactly where they were stationed and dispatch them.

4. I agree about Gyllenhall. Is it just me or is she not aging well at all from film-to-film?

i made sure to look if he was breath i didn't see any movements.

Knightley would also be good cuz she has the sass of ivy

I dont remember the Knight Fall, care to explain?

but i was thinking about the movie while at work last night. They had a funeral for Harvey and talked about him being a leader and what have you, thus signifing the death of the good man Harvey dent...but maybe like a phoenix (thank thats the right spelling) he rises again only more twisted and bent on revenge againts batman for not allowing him to get gordon.

I wouldn't want Dave "batista" as that would tie us to WWE movies...and yeah they suck, Dwayne "the rock" is free from wwe though and is a solid actor who is still learning

knight fall summary : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_Knightfall

Thanks for checking out Harvey.

I'm twisted on Dent's demise. His death makes for a great ending for TDK. Then again, he's a great supervillain in The Batman's universe.

Glad to see you found a KnightFall summary. It's a great storyline.

 

[Crown Royal]

On some other forums and in some other conversations I've had, I am finding that people don't seem to find it easy to accept that Dent died. I felt it was obvious that the character died in the fall, but everyone seems to expect him in the next movie. For me, if that character returned, it would almost ruin TDK for me!

 

[HTownCowboysFan]

On some other forums and in some other conversations I've had, I am finding that people don't seem to find it easy to accept that Dent died. I felt it was obvious that the character died in the fall, but everyone seems to expect him in the next movie. For me, if that character returned, it would almost ruin TDK for me!

Agreed...totally.

The next one will be about Batman's redemtion. Of course, that means that Harvey will have to be exposed and Gotham will have to come to terms with "The Dark Knight" being the hero that they truly need.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

DallasEast

I see you are listing the rundown of superhero movies...

for me:

1. Spider-Man 2 - was the best of that superhero. It really brought the comic book to the screen... I also think that Doc Oc was brought to the screen the best out of all the villians for SM. The Goblin was a joke with that costume.
2. Superman 2 - I liked this one more than the original. I think the 3 villians stole the show.
3. Hulk - they both stunk. I think the 1st one had potential. Maybe if they hadnt made the first one and morphed 1 and 2 together they may have come out with something better. I rate the 70's series better than BOTH movies.
4. Ironman - was ok... first 2/3 was pretty good. That unimaginable ending was horrible.
5. Batman - I am not a fan of Tim Burton at all. I actually like Barman only because of Nicholson "wait till they get a load of me" "this town needs an enema" "what kind of world do we live in where a man dressed a s bat gets all my press".....Batman Begins was good... but needed more. I have seen TDK yet.
6. Catwoman - yeah... on a smaller note. I like that one.
7. Looking forward to Captain America - it will have to be perfectly to be good. With that said... I dont think they can pull it off.

 

[the kid 05]

On some other forums and in some other conversations I've had, I am finding that people don't seem to find it easy to accept that Dent died. I felt it was obvious that the character died in the fall, but everyone seems to expect him in the next movie. For me, if that character returned, it would almost ruin TDK for me!

its all symbolism in my eyes...his "death" was that of the "hero and protector" of Gotham. What didn't die was his want to revenge the death of Rose (think that was her last name) thus creating the villain two face who goes and attacks the city more so specifically batman as he didn't allow him to get his revenge on the Commish

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

On some other forums and in some other conversations I've had, I am finding that people don't seem to find it easy to accept that Dent died. I felt it was obvious that the character died in the fall, but everyone seems to expect him in the next movie. For me, if that character returned, it would almost ruin TDK for me!

I was under the impression that this would be a review thread... not a spoiler thread.

Thanks.

 

[HTownCowboysFan]

I was under the impression that this would be a review thread... not a spoiler thread.

Thanks.

YM, haven't seen it yet? That sucks. If I spoiled anything for you, my apologies.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

YM, haven't seen it yet? That sucks. If I spoiled anything for you, my apologies.

No prob HT.. having a "spoiler warning" in title would be nice in the future. It is commonplace on forums.

 

[tomson75]

No prob HT.. having a "spoiler warning" in title would be nice in the future. It is commonplace on forums.

+1

I'm going to see it in an hour, and I didn't need to know about Dent's fall. A warning would be nice.

Maybe the mods will hook up the thread title.

 

[HTownCowboysFan]

+1

I'm going to see it in an hour, and I didn't need to know about Dent's fall. A warning would be nice.

Maybe the mods will hook up the thread title.

Well, in NOT all forums are spoilers forwarned. But I don't allow them on my site of forum BTW. Since I started the thread, I'll add a spoiler warning in the title.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

]Well, in NOT all forums are spoilers forwarned. But I don't allow them on my site of forum BTW[/B]. Since I started the thread, I'll add a spoiler warning in the title.

So then I completely disagree with you on that.

If I got to a "review" thread. I want a viewers "review"... not spoiler scenes.



Dont allow? I totally dont understand that.... but hey thats just me...
Structure in the world is good!

 

[locked&loaded]

Gordon't speech/monologue at the end was fantastic.

Did anyone else get that Alfred burning Rachel's letter as a flashback at the same time that Batman is telling Gordon that people need something to believe in even though if it isn't the truth?

Very subtle.

Nolan's a genius.

ya, when bruce would have read it and found out rachel was going to marry harvey. Bruce goes "she was going to wait for me".

than he burned it, pretty cool. my friend also walked out and said he was a genious.

 

[locked&loaded]

So then I completely disagree with you on that.

If I got to a "review" thread. I want a viewers "review"... not spoiler scenes.



Dont allow? I totally dont understand that.... but hey thats just me...
Structure in the world is good!

If i hadnt seen this film, and i knew others had i woudlnt have touched this thread.