The Dark Knight

Obviously someone had to post this.

So I just came back from watching The Dark Knight, the sequel to the Nolan batman movie "Batman Begins," and probably the most hyped and advertised movie in years. The viral marketing campaign was of a proportion unprecedented for movie releases, spanning the course of over a year before the movie's release.

I think I'm going to write a full review at some point soon, but for the moment -- It was a great movie, but I actually feel that I preferred Begins over this one. The joker was a pretty kickass villain, and while I wasn't super-impressed by Ledger's performance, he did convince me he was truly "an agent of chaos" and not just some typical "evil" guy.

In a batman realization that is trying to be more gritty and realistic, this movie had a lot of over-the-top ridiculous parts that took me out of it a bit. In any case it kicked a lot of ass, but it didn't pack that same inspirational punch that Begins did. And the problem is, I think I went into the theatre expecting more of that movie. I wasn't hyped about the movie because of all the, well, hype surrounding it, but because I wanted a similar experience to what Begins gave me.

Anyway I'm probably seeing it again next weekend, except the second time will be on IMAX screens and with better seats(Theatres were all packed)! It's a pretty long and dense movie and the edits are sometimes too quick, so a second viewing would help me better catch everything. The movie feels like it loses a lot of steam near the end, maybe the last 30 minutes or so. The pressure is mounted up and everything is very climactic, but... the movie goes on, and ends on less of a high note than you'd hope for.

En lieu of more detail from ME, post YOUR thoughts if you've seen it.

(Oh, and the scarecrow was wasted in this movie. Pretty brief appearance by him.)

Oh that thing's finally out?

There were like 3 or 4 different hype-fests, none of which ever produced a movie, so I stopped paying attention.

Regardless, this is probably the first time I ever want to see a movie for an actor's performance. I've always hated Heath Ledger's stuff, partly because his casting was the typification of Hollywood using generic pretty-boys for FemaleAudience++ instead of proper actors who actually suited the assigned roles and partly because the movies themselves were so sappy. It was almost the second coming of Leonardo DiCaprio. But after seeing him in some of the recent previews, it seems like he actually got the part right.

i heard it was an enjoyable movie. it was like 2 hours and 30 minutes as well, or something. anyways id like to see it.

Nick Perrin said:

(Oh, and the scarecrow was wasted in this movie. Pretty brief appearance by him.)

Just like the first movie?

Nick Perrin said:

Brief review

That looks like a balanced and fair opinion. I look forward to seeing your fuller review.

Personally, I'm looking forward to this movie. I enjoyed "Begins" because, to me, it captured a lot of what Batman is about. ie, he's not a genetically altered freak or an alien or anything (I feel that those kind of super heroes are essentially "cheats" and quite dull as a result) he's just a guy with lots of training and some really cool equipment. I hope that at least some of that authentic feel is maintained for this movie.

Well, maybe I'm still on the high of seeing it (but that was two days ago), but I think it's quite likely the best superhero movie ever made. No joke. The only real weakness was the soundtrack, which was adequate, and Bale's often-annoying Batman voice.

Believe the hype.

I am still surprised how strong the script is considering this is a superhero movie. Some may be irked by the tech Batman has at his disposal but come on, it's fucking Batman.

alexz721 said:

The only real weakness was the soundtrack, which was adequate

Well it's a lot better than the last one.

Which I guess brings it up to 'average', though I have to admit the first kinda grew on me over the years so the second was a welcome upgrade.

It was the BEST!

Overall good, the chick was too ugly for a billionare to be fighting over though, the batman voice was shit, bat tank was annoying. I think Ledger's performance was pretty brilliant, but very different from the Joker that I personally have internalized, the Mark Hamill character from the animated series. Oververall very dark and violent, though the only wit to speak of came out of the Joker, and maybe Alfred. Most of the other dialogue was pretty weak, but at the midnight showing I went to the audience was very loudly chortling over the Joker's boners. I'd recommend it.

Shaikoten said:

the chick was too ugly for a billionare to be fighting over though

Maggie Gyllenhaal is pretty hot.

Lüt said:

Well it's a lot better than the last one.

Both soundtracks are virtually identical. Every theme is re-used liberally and to me it seems like the arrangement was just.... moved around to suit the movie. Some new joker stuff, but that's just about it.

exp(x) said:

Maggie Gyllenhaal is pretty hot.

Not in this movie. It looks like she has a goddamn harelip in The Dark Knight. Total butterface.

Very good movie

exp(x) said:

Maggie Gyllenhaal is pretty hot.

I have no idea where the hell people get this. Gyllenhall is "Plain Jane" from head to toe. Plus she looks like she just got back from being assfucked in a bathroom stall.

Gyllenhall is fugly. There were times when she looked like she was in her late 40's.

Bucket said:

I have no idea where the hell people get this. Gyllenhall is "Plain Jane" from head to toe. Plus she looks like she just got back from being assfucked in a bathroom stall.

Perhaps it's because I find "Plain Jane" hot. Hell, I prefer my women without makeup.

Heh, the movie was great.

Best movie I've seen this year, Possibly the best super hero film I've ever seen.

Well if you hear all the hype people are saying about the movie, well yeah belive it, its really good.

Saw it, loved it.

However, the people I watched it with just suck at watching movies in general. Afterwards, I had to put up with questions like "Why didn't Batman just kill the joker with the motorcycle?" Yeah... that would have made a fantastic movie. Ugh....

I'll be going next week for my brothers birfday.

I would love to own a batbike, that thing is a monster.

Bucket said:

I have no idea where the hell people get this. Gyllenhall is "Plain Jane" from head to toe. Plus she looks like she just got back from being assfucked in a bathroom stall.

She more or less did in Secretary. Very strange movie.

That was awesome :D

Was great. Heath Ledger was incredible. I think he really captured the Joker's psychotic side.

Edit: A few after thoughts...although funny sounding sometimes, Bale's Batman voice is alright...I think it's a work in progress.

Fiend said:

Gyllenhall is fugly. There were times when she looked like she was in her late 40's.

At first I didn't recognize her, she does look like shit in this movie. Where's the other chick from the first movie?

Also, the trailer for Watchmen looks so fucking awesome. I hope they don't fuck it up. You could take that comic panel by panel and make the ultimate comic movie right there.

Best super-hero movie ever made, imo. Even better than Superman: The Quest For Peace.

Now if they would only make a movie based on the Maxx comics (the cartoon was great, but a live action version world be killer)

Use3D said:

Also, the trailer for Watchmen looks so fucking awesome. I hope they don't fuck it up. You could take that comic panel by panel and make the ultimate comic movie right there.

Yeah, judging by the trailer it looks fucking awesome and accurate to the books (Hell, they even got Dave Gibbons' approval). Like every scene I saw in the trailer was pretty much a panel straight out of the graphic novel. Apparently the one thing that won't be in the movie is the pirate comic, but they're going to make it an extra on the DVD from what I've read.

Danarchy said:

Yeah, judging by the trailer it looks fucking awesome and accurate to the books (Hell, they even got Dave Gibbons' approval). Like every scene I saw in the trailer was pretty much a panel straight out of the graphic novel. Apparently the one thing that won't be in the movie is the pirate comic, but they're going to make it an extra on the DVD from what I've read.

"In the end, I just felt Watchmen was unmakeable because – when you reduce it down to a 2-hour film – you're taking so much textured detail out that it kind of loses what it's about. ... I just don't think I can do it justice by reducing it down to a film. I keep thinking it would be better as a miniseries – a five-hour miniseries is what I think Watchmen should be." - Terry Gilliam

Wasn't impressed. It ended up being a pretty good movie, but nothing worthy of the absurd amount of hype. If anything, this just made the soft spot I already have for the 1989 film even bigger.

Michael Caine is very underrated as Alfred.

Creaphis said:

Afterwards, I had to put up with questions like "Why didn't Batman just kill the joker with the motorcycle?" Yeah... that would have made a fantastic movie. Ugh....

This is kind of a dumb question, but was that an intentional homage to the scene at the end of the Tim Burton one where Batman flies his plane at the Joker and misses him with the machine gun? That's immediately what I thought of when I saw that. I'm not familiar with the comics or anything, so I dunno if there's a similar scene in those, but I couldn't help but making that comparison.

Oh yeah and I'm definitely way, way more excited about Watchmen than I could ever be about this new Batman series.

I can really only say one thing about this movie, no matter how irrelevant it may be.

"It's...Ahh, it's gone."