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With a few exceptions, none of you know me in real life. Therefore it's a little bit hard to honestly express my undying love for the Batman comics, shows, toys, and of course the movies. After watching Batman Begins on opening night and finding out The Joker was going to be in the next movie, I literally broke out in goosebumps. You know the feeling you get when you see your favourite band in concert? That's the feeling I get when I see The Joker on the big screen. To be perfectly honest, this is the "movie" of my life. This is the do all and end all of films. This tops any movie I've ever seen, and is essentially the ultimate dream of myself and millions of comic fans around the world. I appreciate Tim Burton's attempt at the rivalry between the two, but Nolan's 'Joker vs Batman' is the best match up I've ever seen in my life. It's going to be hard to review this film without rambling on like a 13-year-old fan boy, but bear with me folks, I have your best interests in mind.
Where to begin. We've all seen Batman Begins, and we know what the movie was about, and how it ended. If you saw it in theatres like I did, I'm sure you jumped for joy when The Joker card was revealed in the final moments. Three years later, we comic fans finally get what we've been craving. Just moments after the opening credits we're treated to The Joker's (Ledger) minions robbing the Gotham City Bank. After a slick getaway, we find out that The Joker has become a real menace - for both Gotham's finest and the mob. In a brief conversation between Lieutenant Gordon and Batman (Oldman and Bale, respectively) we find out that The Joker has been hitting up mob banks all over Gotham, stealing their cash before the police can get to it. At the same time, Gotham's newest District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), is starting his crusade against the mob bosses and corrupt officers as the city's "White Knight". Just to complicate things, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has moved beyond Bruce and fallen in love with Dent. While Batman struggles with his love for Rachel and passing the torch onto Dent so he can finally have a normal life, he is plagued by his guilt. It would seem The Joker has devised a plan to rid Gotham of Batman once and for all. Until Batman removes his mask and reveals who he truly is, the maniacal madman will kill a person every day. He's a man of his word.
All fanboyism aside - seem to be using that word far too frequently - Heath Ledger's performance as the Clown Prince of Crime is the most charismatic and perfectly played character I've ever seen. Everything from the weird facial expressions, fantastically delivered lines and of course, the maniacal cackle of an insidious madman were all spot on. Until now, Nicholson's Joker was considered to be the best, but I think it's high time he step aside and pass this title on to someone far more deserving. There are a lot of rumours circulating a potential Oscar nomination for Ledger's performance. Oddly enough, I could see him winning it. At first I couldn't believe he won the role - in fact, I was downright mad - but after finally watching the movie 2 years after the announcement I couldn't be happier. Nolan is a fantastic director, and knew he'd found the right man for the job in Ledger.
Ledger isn't the only one who pulls off a great performance. Gary Oldman is yet again, a perfect choice for the role of Gordon. I never once see him as anyone but the idealistic, hard working man that Gordon is. Eckhart also did a fine job as Dent. I was a little sceptical at first, but after watching the movie a few times, I think he did a fantastic job portraying the character's fall from grace. Pity he didn't receive a whole lot of screen time as Two Face, but what he did get was excellent.
As far as behind the camera, Nolan has proved yet again that he is one of the few people who "gets" Batman. Being able to combine a comic book world with the real world is no easy task, but he somehow pulls it off. There are some fantastic visuals in this film, and some really great action sequences. A personal favourite is the chase sequence that happens mid-film, and involves The Joker, Batman, Dent and some of Gotham City's finest. Nolan also did a great job of layering this movie so that there's more to it with each viewing. It's a comic book movie, but it can also be so much more. It constantly tests the morality of mankind, and The Joker, while completely insane, never stops testing Batman's limits. I've already seen it a few times, but I know that this is a movie I could never get tired of seeing. All the pieces come together nicely, everyone does a great job, and it's just a shame that Ledger won't be around to play the role again. I could not have asked for a better Joker.
This isn't to say the movie didn't have its problems. Even though Bale's Bruce Wayne is spot-on, he leaves something to be desired in the Batman department. He's good, but there's times where he just bothers me. I can appreciate him going for that "dark and menacing" voice, but it just always seems like he's out of breath and gasping for air. Small point, but this is Batman after all. Also, there seemed to be a few too many one-liners for my taste. Almost everything Lucius Fox and Alfred said was some sort of jab to make the audience laugh, and the police officer in the SWAT van transporting Dent made me want to puke. There were a few small editing problems I noticed, but aside from that this movie was excellent.
This is the most well deserved perfect I've ever given, and should essentially knock all my past 10/10's down a few notches. I'm 21 years old, and I think my movie watching career has peaked. I could not wish for a better movie, and I don't imagine I'll ever see one. Might just be the fan boy in me, but I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Two and a half hours in length, and not a minute too long. It's rare that a movie can keep me so glued for that amount of time. So if you haven't already, get out soon and see the one movie this year that's guaranteed to put a smile on that face.
10/10
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2 out of 2 users found this review helpful.
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There are few movies that I would go to the midnight showing for, not because I'm not an avid fan but because I figured the movie will be around the next night and none of my friends like to ruin movies. However, being that I am a huge fan of not only Batman but his recent movies, I knew I had to get the first showing in anticipation of the Joker. Now, having seen it and gotten little sleep because of dreams about it, I can say that it just may be the contender for my favorite superhero movie of all time.
For the three of you that don't know the story for this one, let me flesh it out. The Joker (Heath Ledger) has become a rising star of a criminal in Gotham, a psychopath who kills his own henchmen and whomever he wants, either for chaos or his own ends. As he robs banks and destroys lives, Batman (Christian Bale) is doing his usual badassery against crime; however, some other people have decided to dress up in the caped crusader's outfit and fight crime in his name. This obviously angers Batman, for while they use force and guns, he is trying to make the streets safer and less violent. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent (played here by Aaron Eckert) is the new DA working just as hard (legally top-side) as Batman to bring justice to Gotham, but him and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) are encountering fierce resistance from said criminals.
The Joker quickly becomes the crux to Gotham's criminal leadership, for he comes in on a meeting to not only doing a spectacularly gruesome magic trick but to inform them that he can destroy the one thing standing in all of their ways- the Dark Knight. Through much deliberation and struggle, the Joker becomes the obvious mastermind behind everything in Gotham. And it's always up to Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Batman to stop him.
What a roller coaster ride of a movie. It gets going immediately and never stops until the end. The action was amped up for this one; Batman Begins had a good amount of action but less flowing on-screen. This movie features full-out fistfights and gunfights between Batman and the villains. Not only that, but if you have seen the trailer, in which the Joker says "Come on, HIT ME!" I can tell you first-hand that the scenes leading up to and including that are probably my favorite action scenes since Iron Man.
But let's get to what everyone really wants to know: the acting. Let me assure everyone who reads this that Heath Ledger literally gave his life to perfect this character. He was absolutely incredible; you cannot tell for a second that it is him playing the Joker. He IS the Joker, through and through. Every mannerism, every line of dialogue is seething with malice, insanity, and chaos. With all due respect to Jack, because he started it all, I have to give the character entirely to Mr. Ledger. Saying otherwise is a falsehood. Now, to talk about everyone else. Most actors and actresses reprise their role, and of course naming them all would be too much. Let's just say that there is not one poorly cast person in the movie. Every single person is an incredible actor in their own right and did exactly what was asked of them. Eckert as Harvey Dent was a perfect choice. His transition from DA to...well, if you know the name you know the person, is expertly done.
I cannot possibly say more without ruining the movie for you. However, there is one small gripe. Remember how Bale uses a guttural growl when speaking as Batman? Yea, he emphasizes it more in this one, kind of giving a pseudo-comical feel when he's not kicking ass or yelling. However, it is a SMALL gripe because it didn't take away from the overall feel of the movie or hurt it at all. With all of this said, SEE THIS MOVIE ASAP!
(Can I give it higher than a 10? I want to.)
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1 out of 2 users found this review helpful.
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There are reasons to applaud "The Dark Knight". What director Christopher Nolan has done is take the "Batman" franchise and focus it more on crime and punishment than any of the old comic book mainstays. The film features some stunning visuals, some amazing performances and an intriguing and involving plot that does not confuse the audience. You might have read some other reviews that have pretty much said the same thing. But, they have also called "The Dark Knight" the best film of the year and the greatest comic book film ever made - a bold statement, by anyone's admission. This I cannot agree with. What I loved about "The Dark Knight" is partially what makes it a flawed film. Christopher Nolan's obsession with turning "Batman" into a realistic and more humanized protagonist kind of takes a lot of the whimsy and wonder out of the whole franchise. Personally, I love the fact that the film felt more Martin Scorsese than Sam Raimi - that's one of the reasons that I enjoyed "Batman Begins" - but I kept getting the sense that Nolan was maybe trying a little too hard to make "Batman" more believable. Guess what - he's a comic book superhero who lives in a city called Gotham - you can toss believability out the window. But, don't get me wrong - I enjoyed "The Dark Knight". It is one of the finer executed comic book films I have seen, but I think it has been somewhat over-hyped and it does not live up to the now impossible standards set forth by critics all over the country and beyond.
We find Batman (Christian Bale) protecting a Gotham that thinks of him more as a crazed vigilante than anything else. Alfred (Michael Caine) is still keeping him in one piece, while Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) is running Wayne Enterprises like a champ. Bruce's former fling, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is now dating Gotham's new district attorney, the fabulous Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), whom all of Gotham - including Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) - thinks will help raise Gotham out of the crime infested slums and restore peace and order. Enter Joker (Heath Ledger), a sadistic madman who promises the mob he will kill Batman for half of their funds. A game of cat and mouse ensues between Joker, Batman and the people of Gotham, with Joker constantly testing the moral foundations of all involved. Joker promises he will kill people daily until Batman turns himself in and removes his mask, revealing his true identity. There are some elaborate, but understandable, plot revelations and plot progressions in the film that keep things more than interesting, and it's always nice to see just how Joker is going to handle a situation or keep his efforts moving along. Eric Roberts co-stars as Salvatore Maroni, a crime boss; and Anthony Michael Hall stars as television reporter Mike Engel. By the end of the film, the line between hero and villains seems to have been blurred somewhat.
Let's start out with the positive. Heath Ledger. Believe it or not, he's every bit as good in the film as everyone has been saying. He takes Joker and injects so much life and so much venom into him that he's impossible not to watch. Ledger tackles the role with a sinister whimsy that is sometimes hysterical and sometimes frightening. I don't know that he deserves Academy Award consideration, but I won't be protesting if he receives it. Even stronger a performance comes from Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Gordon. Oldman's role in "Batman Begins" was so miniaturized that it was nice to get to see him really go at it here. He gets some of the strongest emotional scenes in the picture. Aaron Eckhart is also very affective as Harvey Dent, who becomes Two-Face. Eckhart brilliantly shows the downward spiral from decent, hard-working civil activist to jaded, murderous villain. The visuals of the film are also stunning, at times. I loved the chase sequence that comes towards the middle of the film, and I loved the famed hospital explosion towards the end. Nolan overwhelms the senses here and never lets up for a moment with the action. The music, by the always phenomenal Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, is pounding throughout and makes a real impression. And, finally, the camerawork by Wally Pfister is inventive and makes a nice picture throughout. There is a lot to admire about this motion picture.
Now, here comes the negative. Christian Bale. First off, I still don't buy him as Batman. His Bruce Wayne is boring and bland and he delivers his lines with all the emotion one would expect from Bill Pullman in the role. His Batman looks like an action figure and sounds like he has tuberculosis - like Harrison Ford from "Air Force One". Did someone not listen to Christian Bale's Batman voice and think, "Ouch. Not good"? I also have a very difficult time with the fact that, evidently, Batman can fall ten stories or get shot and be as spruce as a goose, but can't handle a couple of dogs? Batman receives more damage from dogs in this film that he does any of the other conventional villains. And, when Harvey Dent catches fire - does Batman really not know how to put the man's head out before it burns him all the way to the bone? If Batman's afraid of dogs and can't put out a fire, what good is he to Gotham in the first place? I also had a problem with Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes. On the whole, I suppose she was better than Katie Holmes, but she has absolutely no chemistry with either Bale or Eckhart and she plays the role one-note throughout. And what was with Nicky Katt during the chase scene, right before the helicopter crash, spitting out those cheesy one-liners and ruining any tension that was being built?
The biggest issue is that Christopher Nolan wanted to make Batman more realistic and a more humanized superhero. Fine. But you cannot take away everything that makes a superhero a superhero. I'm sorry, but Batman didn't seem very 'super' in this film. Luckily, we had Joker and Lieutenant Gordon to keep us interested and to offer some real emotion and some real conflict. "The Dark Knight" is a good film, and an entertaining film, but it floats on a suspended logic and constantly asks the audience to believe something simply because it's a comic book movie, even though the filmmakers go out of their way to try and make anything but a comic book movie. What's always separated Tim Burton's "Batman" from Christopher Nolan's "Batman" is the sense of whimsy and fantasy that Burton brought to Gotham and the characters. Once again, Nolan's version is not as strong as it could have been because it ignored those principles altogether. I want some whimsy when it comes to my comic book movie. I want some fantasy and some color. In the end, as much as I enjoyed "The Dark Knight", it's a mixed review from me, even though I know most of the audience out there will swoon. This one isn't as grand as you're hearing, but strong performances from Ledger and Oldman do make it definitely worth your while.
7/10.
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0 out of 5 users found this review helpful.
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![The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dsvLqo5XL._SL75_.jpg "The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]")
