The Dark Knight • Reviews 2008

[DiMeS]

Just came back from my 1st viewing and all i can say is that this truely is a great movie. 10/10 for sure! This is truely the Batman Movie we have all been waiting for. Thank you Chris Nolan!

[Fantana]

Awesome! Did you see it in Imax?

[DiMeS]

nah however I will be seeing it again soon at IMAX in the following weeks. This movie is defiantly worth seeing more then once. Once the movie began it just swallowed you in, it truly is an amazing film, well written, brilliantly executed and the acting by Bale, Eckart and especially Ledger was phenomenal.

Heath Ledger's Joker is really the best on-screen Joker ever, his performance puts Jack Nicholson's to shame. Looking back Jack's Joker was just silly compared to Heaths. Also the ending of the film oh man it just sooo awesome. Everyone should see this film, batman fan or not it really is a great movie.

ALSO, the soundtrack is sweet. Anyone listen to the track 'Why so Serious?' Pure AWESOME! lol

[Dingo]

This movie is defiantly worth seeing more then once. Once the movie began it just swallowed you in, it truly is an amazing film, well written, brilliantly executed and the acting by Bale, Eckart and especially Ledger was phenomenal.

Heath Ledger's Joker is really the best on-screen Joker ever, his performance puts Jack Nickolson's to shame. Looking back Jack's Joker was just silly compared to Heaths. Also the ending of the film oh man it just sooo awesome. Everyone should see this film, batman fan or not it really is a great movie.

I can't disagree with any of this. I've been blown away by it, and think I'll go see it again on Friday after work.

And I can't resist, but I just have to put out an "I told you so" about Heath playing the Joker to all the nay-sayers.

[bearvomit]

some people have been saying that they faked Harvey's death at the end and he had a fake funeral. what say you that have seen it? possible? I believe Eckhart was signed for two movies.

[Dingo]

It's possible that they could have done it. There isn't anything to completely contradict that.

But it looks like he died from the fall in the warehouse at the end. It could be that they locked him up in Arkham, but there would be other people that would know, and too much of a possibility for that to affect what Gordon and Batman ended up doing.

[DiMeS]

OK i just came back from my 2nd viewing, i must say this movie fucking ROCKS!

[bearvomit]

you australians suck for getting this 2 days before everyone else

[Topeka]

OK i just came back from my 2nd viewing, i must say this movie fucking ROCKS!

Elaborate please. Include possible spoilers.

[Moonseeker]

if anybodys in california and gets the history channel. turn it on, there is something about batman.

[Joe1138]

if anybodys in california and gets the history channel. turn it on, there is something about batman.

Late notice I know but they're showing it again at 10:00 tonight (Wednesday) on History HD. DVR set.

[DiMeS]

For those that want spoilers

[spoil][align=left]
Spoilers ahead:
-Joker survives, he is last seen dangling over a balcony before police arrives. Coincidently the Joker from Batman '89 dies in a similar manner but in the Dark Knight he is saved by Batman by using his grappling hook.

-Two-Face dies, he is killed when Batman stops him from killing Gordons son who then accidentally knocks off a ledge. Two-Face blames Gordon for the death of Rachael. Two-Face goes on killing spree, using his coin to decide the fate of those he sees that have betrayed him.

-Rachael dies when she is kidnapped by cops who are also working for Maroni, she is tied up with barrels of oil surrounding her and a timer counting down. This happens to Dent as well by is saved in the nick of time by batman but is scared by the explosion. Gordon is to late to save Rachael.

-Lucious Fox resigns from Wayne Industries at the end of the movie.

-Scarecrow returns, however he is in it for only 5mins. He is taken down by batman like a normal thug.

-Joker's origins are not revealed, however he does give different explanations for his scares to Gamble, Racheal and Batman.

-Batman decides to take the blame for Dents actions in killing those that made him who he is. He does this so that people of Gotham still have hope for Dent who becomes mentally unstable and is further more corrupted by the Joker. Batman is last seen fleeing from police. Only Joker and Gordon really know the truth that happens with Dent.

This sets up the story for the next Batman movie where Gordon has to chase down Batman.[/align][/spoil]

[Dingo]

[spoil][align=left]Spoilers ahead:
-Lucious Fox resigns from Wayne Industries at the end of the movie.

I think he doesn't, as he says he "won't work at Wayne Enterprises while [the cell-sonar] exists", so after it's destruction I think he'll stay on.


As for other spoilers, if there's anything specific, ask it.

Looking at the movie, 3 scenes alone show how good Heath was as the Joker: the first scene in the bank, the climax of the chase on the streets of Gotham, and the destruction of the hospital.

Oldman has been said to have been disappointed with the lack of time that Gordon got in the movie, and you can see why. He doesn't have as much screen time, but I think that he still has a strong presence. The need to set up Dent took away a little of time that could be used, and I would have liked to see more time elapse so that the connection between the 3 was stronger. But it isn't more than an aesthetics choice as a fan of the Year One/Long Halloween time-period.

Caine again provides a wonderfully understated but strong showing as Alfred, and we learn a little bit more of his past as a soldier in SE Asia.
[/align][/spoil]

[DiMeS]

I reckon that the best joker scene would definantly of been his magical pensil disappearing trick. Just remembering back to it, its both funny and disturbing at the same time. I dont know what was better that scene or the fact that half the audience cheered and clapped & the other half gasping lol.

Also, the interrogation scene by the Batman as well as the hospital scenes were both very very memorable. His reaction to the delayed explosion of the hospital is just funny as hell. (':lol:')

[Dingo]

I'll agree that the magic trick was a great way to sum everything up with quickly for the audience. Canberra audiences aren't known for their vocality, but they did react to that scene in my session.

[CoGro]

I just got back from the midnight showing and I loved it.

Heath Ledger stole the show obviously, and there's a lot to love about the film overall.

Here are my two gripes:

Batman wasn't as creepy/mysterious like he was in Begins. I didn't feel like people were afraid of him like they probably should have been. Maybe that was by design, hence the copycats taking his symbolism too literally, but I thought Batman himself should almost be otherworldly.

Hanz Zimmer sucks.

[Dingo]

Batman wasn't as creepy/mysterious like he was in Begins. I didn't feel like people were afraid of him like they probably should have been. Maybe that was by design, hence the copycats taking his symbolism too literally, but I thought Batman himself should almost be otherworldly.

I think that this was deliberate as part of the core story.

[Joe1138]

Wow. I'm still reeling from my midnight experience. The film definitely delivered for me. Can't wait to see it again tonight in IMAX. Cany anyone confirm if The Watchmen trailer is also attached to the IMAX prints as well?

[The Dark Knight]

The movie was simply awesome on every level! I loved it! Going again on Saturday!

[bearvomit]

amazing. believe the hype for once in your life about a movie! It IS awesome, on so many levels. It's an allagory on the war on terror, what's acceptable in the fight and what isn't. It's powerful in ways I wasn't expecting. Friends are made and then turned against each other. Enemies are made and then made equals. The bad guys are good and the good guys bad. No one is left untouched. The Joker wins in the end and his capture seems like why even bother, he's smarter than we are and he'll just get away within minutes.

I don't have a movie in my collection that even compares to this. It really is the greatest movie I've ever seen and I'll be back there tomorrow. Don't take children younger than 12 or 13, too intense. No bad language, but damn if it isn't scary and brutal! FIVE STARS!!


also, way back when we were just learning about this project, it was thought that the Joker got his scars by a battarang from Batman in the beginning. Come to find out that scene IS in the movie, just at the end!

[Wrath Mania]

I think I only have two issues with the movie: One, Nolan still doesn't know how to film fight scenes (though they were better than what was seen in Begins). Two, the score predictably sucks. That's about it. Otherwise, this movie surpassed all my expectations. People will go on about how great Ledger was, but I think the unsung hero of this movie is Eckhart. I feared Dent may have been the weak link in the story, but instead he was integral as anything, and the transformation into Two-Face was totally believable.

This isn't some popcorn crapfest like Iron-Man or Transformers, where it's entertaining the first time you see it, and then repeated views expose it to be a bad movie. Dark Knight is genuinely a great film.

[CoGro]

I think I only have two issues with the movie: One, Nolan still doesn't know how to film fight scenes (though they were better than what was seen in Begins). Two, the score predictably sucks. That's about it. Otherwise, this movie surpassed all my expectations. People will go on about how great Ledger was, but I think the unsung hero of this movie is Eckhart. I feared Dent may have been the weak link in the story, but instead he was integral as anything, and the transformation into Two-Face was totally believable.

This isn't some popcorn crapfest like Iron-Man or Transformers, where it's entertaining the first time you see it, and then repeated views expose it to be a bad movie. Dark Knight is genuinely a great film.

Ditto on Nolan re: fight scenes; Action just isn't his forte. The coolest action moment was the Bat Pod's upside down wall flip, but otherwise there wasn't much to the action except things going boom and people being punched.

I totally disagree about Iron Man and Transformers. Iron Man is a very, very good movie whose only real flaw (in my opinion) is the cartoonish climax. Just because a film doesn't take itself sternly serious doesn't mean it isn't good. In fact, I'd argue that Transformers has more replay value for its action/effects sequences alone whereas Dark Knight's the kind of film you watch start to finish.

Both films know their audience, and both deliver what you'd expect of a summer blockbuster.

[foxbatkllr]

I agree, Iron Man is a great movie. Transformers also holds up well on repeat viewings.

[TiniTinyTony]

At the Whitaker Center IMAX theater in Harrisburg, PA, "The Watchman" was the only trailer that played before the IMAX presentation of Batman.

[Red-Eye Knight]

I saw The Dark Knight this afternoon and was totally blown away. My brother played a Gotham cop-extra in several of the scenes but I couldn't see him since everything was moving so fast. I admire the scope and real-world plausibility of this film, like Batman making his way to Hong Kong. Ledger was beyond anything I expected, it's still a damn shame and a loss of talent that we'll never see him on the screen again. I'm from Chicago, so I enjoyed seeing it play such a prominenet backdrop for Gotham, much better than Burton's big gaudy sets. I went in pretty much spoiler free for a change on Dark Knight, so I was seeing it sans any speculatory expectations. For me, it's like the Godfather of comic films. I can't wait to see it again.

I also saw the Watchmen trailer. I want this film to work more than any other comic film ever made. If you don't agree with me, read the graphic novel and then ask yourself how badly you'd like to see this story unfold on the screen.

[Topeka]

I don't think this can be called a comic book movie. It's a psychological drama on par with The Prestige. Very dark, very twisted. Awesome plot twists. I was conflicted on whether to cheer for the Joker because he was such a perfect villain, or loathe him for being the brutal monster he was.

Anyone else think Gyllanhaal sucked as Rachael Dawes? The audience clapped during two places: the reveal of the batpod and her death!

[Stonegaijin]

Gyllanhaal sucked, but she wasn't even a factor. Holmes sucked in the first one too, honestly, there should not be a female lead in these (Nolan) Batmans.

I'm pissed on Harvey's death, and even more pissed with myself because I agree with the decision in the grand scheme of things. Harvey's Death, makes Two-Face more of a tragedy, and come on, an entire film (Batman 3) with HIM as the villain would have RULED from a comic book fan's standpoint, but hearing the same "Harvey you're good, come back," and "Shut up Batman, flip a coin you die" dialogue throughout an entire film as Two-Face headed up the Villain rampage, would get boring. (Like my run-on sentences)

Anyway, I see the Riddler, unfortunately, being the only Bat Villain left to work in a Nolan film. So expect him. Killer Croc will never work onscreen, and lower class criminals like Black Mask, and Scarface, would be pointless. I'm not sure Victor Freeze could ever work in a Nolan film either. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) would not fit in a Nolan film, because she is a petty cat burglar, not a evil, devious, murderous criminal. Same with Oswald (Penguin) as he's just a crime boss with gimmicks, umbrella gimmicks. I don't know, he MAY work.

We now have both Johathan Crane (Scarecrow) as well as the Joker in Arkham. But anyone other than Ledger trying the role would make me vomit now. They may be able to CG his face in a scene or two, but you can't CG that acting, and mark my words, he will get an (honorary) Oscar in the next Academy Awards.

Heath Ledger was brilliant, this was the role he was meant to play and Damn him for killing himself. (intential or not, he did people, he did.) He was, for lack of a better word, perfect as The Joker.

Well, that's my little opinion, and that's all it is.

Bring on Batman 3 (2011?)

[Verboten]

Croc could work. You didn't watch Gotham Knight, did you? Keep in mind, the chapter with Croc was written by Goyer.

As incredible as Heath's performance was I wouldn't mind if they recast if a) it was intended that the Joker return in a 3rd film and b) they can find an actor that can match or top Heath's performance.

Like others have said, any differences in performance can easily be explained by the Joker's mental disorders.

I have no suggestions for who could take the role next, though. I mean, Heath took me, and many others, by complete and total surprise.

I'd love to see a bit of a team-up with the Joker and the Scarecrow in the next.

[bearvomit]

www.bloomberg.com



it just broke Episode 3's record for opening midnight sales. $18.5 million for Thursday midnight only

[Raveers]

Now THAT is impressive if it can break Revenge Of The Sith's record. I can't wait to see this movie in two weeks.

[Joe1138]

Anyway, I see the Riddler, unfortunately, being the only Bat Villain left to work in a Nolan film. So expect him. Killer Croc will never work onscreen, and lower class criminals like Black Mask, and Scarface, would be pointless. I'm not sure Victor Freeze could ever work in a Nolan film either. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) would not fit in a Nolan film, because she is a petty cat burglar, not a evil, devious, murderous criminal. Same with Oswald (Penguin) as he's just a crime boss with gimmicks, umbrella gimmicks. I don't know, he MAY work.....

See now I'm of the opinion that should Nolan's take on the Batman become a trilogy, they should use a lesser or second tier villain/mob boss in the next film and put the focus back on Batman as a hunted vigilante a la "Begins'" Bat-centric storyline and really develop the relationship between Gordon, Batman and the city of Gotham. It's the line at the end of the film, "I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be" that really opened up the possibilities for a third film. Ofcourse if they really had some balls, they would cast a serious movie heavy to play the ultimate mobster. I mean how can any comic book villain/portrayal of a villain top Ledger's Joker?

By the way, the "Watchmen" trailer rocks in IMAX. They also showed a very brief teaser for the next Potter picture before the flick at the Irvine Edwards.

[ETandElliott]

I've been a fan of Batman ever since I was a kid and I saw the 1989 movie. Perhaps like many of the fans from that generation, I also watched the 1966 movie and series in re-runs (come on, you know you took it seriously way back when). We also got that great animated series and Batman Returns, which is my favorite comic-based movie to this day. I had a bit of a falling out with the franchise as the movies started to suck, the toys went all medieval and they made that futuristic Batman Beyond show. I took some time off from Batman.

When Begins came out, I was not impressed. I thought it was a stellar 45 minutes that basically built up to a great film that never transpired. It was mediocre at best, but it had its moments. Dark Knight is, simply put, sensational. Believe the hype. Take it all in and enjoy it while you can. It's unlikely a movie like this will ever come around again. It's been a long wait for Batman fans, but we've finally got an absolutely awesome movie. When the Joker tells Batman "I think we're destined to do this forever", I got chills. Okay the suit's still bad, Batman's raspy voice is worse but hey at least they destroyed the Tumbler (please keep that car retired btw). I'll be damned if I wasn't semi-hard when the Batpod burst out of the Tumbler and spun after flipping Joker's semi. The collective gasps of the audience were literally louder than the movie. This is the greatest movie based on a comic franchise you're likely to see.

[bearvomit]

just beat Spiderman 3's biggest opening day take. Friday was $66.4 million

friday's take

[SI]

An absolute quailty flick.

Jker alive, Dent dead, Batman on the run, the knives are out in Gotham !!!

Is it 2011 yet..??

Thank you Heath.

[Dingo]

When the Joker tells Batman "I think we're destined to do this forever", I got chills.

You weren't the only one.

The unfortunate bit is that it ends up being such a bitter-sweet moment too without it being originally intended that way.

[Longtime_Sunshine]

I'm sure you all heard the rumor of the script getting out. Unfortunately, the whole story seems to be bogus. However, I've noticed that people seem to be chatting about what was in it.

I haven't read it.
I don't have it.
I don't know if there is anything to have anyway.

But since people are chatting about it, I did come across what can best be described as a condensed spoiler report of it. I'm tagging it, but it sounds like b.s. Draw you own conclusions and we'll look back on it come July.

[spoil]

[align=center]The Dark Knight[/align]

The movie begins by showing the goings on in Gotham City. Despite the Caped Crusader, it's still a real mess. It seems that copycats are running around pretending to be Batman. They show up at crime scenes, involve themselves in the situation in some way, and often end up getting killed. This is an unforeseen dilemma for Gordon and the real Batman.

But the true Batman is always in action, and he's not alone. Gotham City has a new District Attorney running the show. He is a brash, talented prosecutor named Harvey Dent. On the personal side, Dent has begun dating Rachel Dawes, the childhood friend and confidant of Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman).

Together, Batman and Dent seem poised to face the criminals of Gotham. When Gambol, the new mob boss in the city, decides to pool all the mob money (we're talking billions of dollars) and put it in China, he sends Lau (a crooked accountant) to Hong Kong. It seems he wants to launder the money through investments in the Pacific Rim. The Batman is able to follow Lau, capture him, and bring him back to Gotham. Dent uses the information taken after his capture to round up a lot of criminals including the notorious Sal Maroni. It is a great victory for Dent, for Batman and for justice.

Unfortunately, the peace does not last. The Joker, a new criminal madman, reveals himself to the people of Gotham City. He demands that Batman must remove his mask and reveal his identity or he'll start killing innocent civilians. He states that he works for the mob. He wants all of their seized funds back. It seems he's been promised half the cash if he gets it back. The Joker kills some people, but decides to set his sights higher and kidnaps both A.D.A. Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent.

As part of his plan, Joker gets captured by Gotham's Finest. He reveals the location of his prisoners. They are in different places and Batman can’t get to both in time. The Batman has to decide which one to save. He rushes to rescue Rachel, but the Joker has lied. Batman ends up saving Harvey Dent instead while Rachel dies. Dent loses his mind when he discovers that not only has the woman he was falling in love lost her life, but the Joker has escaped. To add insult to injury, the Joker has set fire to both the money and Gotham Police Headquarters. Clearly, the Joker is only interested in mayhem. He was never interested in the money. The mob is now involved with someone they cannot control.

Filled with confidence, the Joker announces that the Mayor has to go or he'll blow up Gotham Hospital. Dent decides to hunt down anyone who was involved in Rachel's kidnapping. He loses all control and starts killing people. He finds Sal Maroni and kills him soon after Maroni (now worried about Joker's craziness) informs Batman where he can find the Joker. During this time, The Clown Prince of Crime does indeed blow up the hospital.

The Joker reaches a point where he feels that it is he who runs Gotham City. He tells the citizens of Gotham that they have to deal with him or leave. Two big ships set out from the metropolis: one filled with dangerous criminals and the other filled with ordinary citizens afraid to live in Gotham City anymore. The Joker stops the ships in the harbor and announces that he'll blow up both the boats at midnight. However, he gives them a choice. Each ship has a controller capable of blowing up the other ship. If one ship’s passengers choose to blow up the other vessel, the remaining ship will not be destroyed. The Joker wants the innocent to kill in order to save their own skin.

Meanwhile, Harvey Dent finds Jim Gordon, who may have become corrupt. Dent feels this is what led to Rachel's kidnapping and subsequent murder. He threatens Gordon with a gun, but Batman arrives in time. He dives at Dent, knocking him through a hole in the floor and apparently to his death. At this point, Batman decides he must go on the run. It seems he wants to take the blame for all those that Dent has killed. He feels that Gotham City needs to have its ex-D.A.'s image untarnished for the people to believe in law and order again. As for the Joker, he is captured and sent back to prison or possibly to Arkham Asylum.

The End.

[/spoil]

Wow, we've had this in front of us since January!

Also:

Lucius Fox's comment about the suit being safe from cats. Catwoman reference?

[Raveers]

Well it broke opening weekend records as well, sent Spider-Man packing according to this article here on msn. Now I wonder if it'll beat Titanic's record.

[Obi-Wan Starkiller]

That will never happen. The major demographic for DK is men 18-49. Titanic grossed 600 million in the U.S. because of women going to see it 10 times. Men don't do that. Except for the diehard fans, most people will see DK at most 2-3 times in theaters. Titanic was a phenomenon that didn't have a monster opening weekend (or any weekend for that matter). It stayed in the 20-30 million dollar range each week for most of 4 months. Though a film like DK deserves to be the biggest of all time overall, it just won't have the repeat viewings that Titanic did.

That said, I've seen it twice. Will probably see it 2 more times in theaters. It is just that great.

[CoGro]

Not to mention there's too much turnover these days. Even blockbusters don't stay in the theatres for more than 3 or 4 months. I'm not sure, but I think Titanic was in theatres for almost a year. Not to mention if you're that big of a dork that you want to see The Dark Knight 20 times, you're probably resourceful enough that you can get a pirated copy. The only reason Shrek or Pirates or Spider-man does 400 million is because the kids that see them don't find pirated copies of movies on the internet; they make their parents take them over and over again. This movie appeals to a much older demographic.

So I don't think it'll do 600 million, but I think it has a great shot to pass 400.

[bearvomit]

Spiderman can eat a bat-dick! I've seen it twice already and have the cam version. Heath was amazing! oh, and the new suit was hardly noticeable in the movie. it was lit so dark that you can hardly even tell he changed it at all.

[DiMeS]

LMAO! Bat-Dick! Good choice of words. HAHA!

[Obi-Wan Starkiller]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Warners will be able to pull Nolan and Bale back for a third movie. Nolan has never said that he would definitely come back to complete a trilogy and I can't imagine Bale being Batman without Nolan directing.

I know that it is too much to expect Nolan to pull another fantastic movie on par with this one, but I can't see another director being able to keep up with the world he created.

[Joe1138]

That will never happen. The major demographic for DK is men 18-49. Titanic grossed 600 million in the U.S. because of women going to see it 10 times. Men don't do that. Except for the diehard fans, most people will see DK at most 2-3 times in theaters. Titanic was a phenomenon that didn't have a monster opening weekend (or any weekend for that matter). It stayed in the 20-30 million dollar range each week for most of 4 months. Though a film like DK deserves to be the biggest of all time overall, it just won't have the repeat viewings that Titanic did.

That said, I've seen it twice. Will probably see it 2 more times in theaters. It is just that great.

Yeah, Titanic was like Dark Side of the Moon, it just stayed at the top of the box office for weeks and weeks. Although, when I saw The Dark Knight again last night, most of the people in line next to me had already seen the film atleast once before and tonight's 7:00 showing for the local IMAX screen in my area has been sold out for about two days now. Pretty darn good for a Monday night.

[Obi-Wan Starkiller]

That's the same here for 7:00 tonight (in Nashville). I wouldn't have imagined that would happen in this city on a Monday night. I will say the IMAX version is great.

[darthpsychotic]

The first hour for me was a bit slow and the movie didn't really pick up until the transport of pre-Two Face Harvey Dent. When The Tumbler phoenix-ed into The BatPod, that's when the movie took off. Although the part after the Joker hi-jacked semi-truck flipped over, where The BatPod did a about face when it appeared it was going to crash into the wall was a bit odd.

The standout performance in this film wasn't Ledger's Joker, it was Harvey "Two-Face" Dent. That motherfucker stole the show straight up. The Joker was more like Ledger playing Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter character . I'm convinced any actor could do the job and all credit for should be given to the screenwriters.

The weakest part of the movie was Batman or should I say the voice of Batman. The growl of Batman is something I would expect from a death metal band's lead vocalist. Bruce Wayne's natural voice should have been used as Batman's. The costume that bothered me and a few others worked in the movie. The batsuit is a militaristic armor whose style is in keeping The Tumbler and The BatPod. What turned it arould for me was the awesome flight-glide segments and the Bat Sonar built into the cowl's eyes towards the end. Although Batman's gold utility belt is something one would expect Wonder Woman to wear. Batman needs a utility belt with huge compartments.

Bruce Wayne the character was another standout. As with Begins, the blurring of Batman and Bruce Wayne is continued in The Dark Knight. When Bruce Wayne was hauling ass down the road in the dark blue Lambo, I was all like: "fuck yeah".

Seriously, the movie could have worked with just Bruce Wayne and not even feature Batman (sans "playboy" Bruce Wayne of course).

Regarding the success of the film, there is a lot of pent-up summer demand and no real competition. Indiana Jones came and went, The Incredible Hulk had weak special effects, including a shitty looking Hulk, and Wall-E is just another pixar film. In the summer there should be big event movies released once a week, not once a month.

[bearvomit]

The first hour for me was a bit slow and the movie didn't really pick up until the transport of pre-Two Face Harvey Dent. When The Tumbler phoenix-ed into The BatPod, that's when the movie took off. Although the part after the Joker hi-jacked semi-truck flipped over, where The BatPod did a about face when it appeared it was going to crash into the wall was a bit odd.

The standout performance in this film wasn't Ledger's Joker, it was Harvey "Two-Face" Dent. That motherfucker stole the show straight up. The Joker was more like Ledger playing Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter character . I'm convinced any actor could do the job and all credit for should be given to the screenwriters.

The weakest part of the movie was Batman or should I say the voice of Batman. The growl of Batman is something I would expect from a death metal band's lead vocalist. Bruce Wayne's natural voice should have been used as Batman's. The costume that bothered me and a few others worked in the movie. The batsuit is a militaristic armor whose style is in keeping The Tumbler and The BatPod. What turned it arould for me was the awesome flight-glide segments and the Bat Sonar built into the cowl's eyes towards the end. Although Batman's gold utility belt is something one would expect Wonder Woman to wear. Batman needs a utility belt with huge compartments.

Bruce Wayne the character was another standout. As with Begins, the blurring of Batman and Bruce Wayne is continued in The Dark Knight. When Bruce Wayne was hauling ass down the road in the dark blue Lambo, I was all like: "fuck yeah".

Seriously, the movie could have worked with just Bruce Wayne and not even feature Batman (sans "playboy" Bruce Wayne of course).

Regarding the success of the film, there is a lot of pent-up summer demand and no real competition. Indiana Jones came and went, The Incredible Hulk had weak special effects, including a shitty looking Hulk, and Wall-E is just another pixar film. In the summer there should be big event movies released once a week, not once a month.

wow DP, you're taking the "too cool for school" approach on one of the highest reviewed movies in a long time! I didn't expect that from you. kinda nit-picking. just admit that you liked the fucking movie and Heath gave an electrifying performance. We FINALLY have a serious, scary, and FUN Batman movie that we can be proud to be a fan of.

We might have to make a "DP hates Dark Knight" thread in Res for ya!

[darthpsychotic]

I don't hate The Dark Knight, it's just that Ledger and his Joker have been blown up to mythic proportions. We didn't get the script early but we got tons of stills and the bootlegged first six minutes of the movie IMAX footage. So it maybe a case of being overexposed to Ledger's Joker and overspoiled in general.

All I am saying here is that I did not expect get knocked over by Eckhart's Harvey Dent or Bale's Bruce Wayne performance. I was much more impressed by those characterizations than the Joker's Silence Of The Lambs role. I'm not into DC characters or Batman in particular but Dent and Wayne were all sorts of awesome in the movie. The first hour didn't do it for me which leaves the remaining one hour and a half that did do it for me.

Lastly, I don't go into every movie thread and shit in it. We shouldn't be the type of place where if the other person is a asshole if they like or don't like what you like.

[Dingo]

We didn't get the script early but we got tons of stills and the bootlegged first six minutes of the movie IMAX footage. So it maybe a case of being overexposed to Ledger's Joker and overspoiled in general.

That's an interesting thought. Personally I was fairly under-spoiled for this compared to most things by sheer timing and luck. I'd only seen 2 of the trailers, a couple of promo shots and pretty much nothing else.

I also can't discount the fact that I've been a big fan of Batman in comics for years, and the impact that seeing what I think is the way Joker should be on screen has influenced my view.

[TroyObliX]

I haven't been compelled to see this one yet.

[bearvomit]

uh oh http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1453926.ece

COPS allowed Batman star Christian Bale to attend the biggest film premiere of the summer last night — despite him being accused of assault. Bale, 34, faces questioning over the claim — made by his own mother and sister. But he was able to attend the first European screening of new Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight in London’s West End. He is alleged to have lashed out on Sunday night at Park Lane’s Dorchester Hotel — where he has a suite.

Mum Jenny, 61, and sister Sharon, 40, who lives in Dorset, went to a police station in Hampshire yesterday to lodge the allegation. The matter was referred to the Met Police. Detectives, well aware of last night’s glittering bash, took the decision not to approach Bale yesterday. But they are expected to make attempts to quiz the Wales-born actor today.

A source said: “It was a very difficult situation but it would have been wrong to have wrecked the premiere over a complaint which we don’t yet know is founded in truth. “But Mr Bale will be contacted at the earliest opportunity and be asked to provide an account of anything that happened.” A Met Police spokesman said: “We can confirm we have received allegation from another force in relation to an alleged incident in central London.”

The allegation is the latest drama to surround the film. In January Heath Ledger, who plays arch-villain The Joker, died from an accidental drugs overdose aged just 28.

developing..

And as for Transformers, the last one sucked. Not really interested. Terminator 4 though has my interest !