And finally, The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan’s followup to 2006’s Batman Begins is easily the most anticipated movie of the year, and early reviews have been unanimously positive (or as close to unanimous as is possible with this sort of movie). I’m gonna get the obvious bit out of the way first: Nobody is exaggerating when they say that Heath Ledger’s performance is jaw-droppingly good. His Joker is as creepy as Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter, as slimey as Robert De Niro’s Max Cady, and as malevolent as Kevin Spacey’s John Doe. In that sense, The Dark Knight does take a lot of cues from the old guard: there are smatterings of The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en all over this movie.
Usually, I would rail at the unoriginal parts of any movie, but The Dark Knight’s influences are just that – influences. It pulls off its various twists with a unique flair, much of it powered completely off of Legder’s showmanship.
My problem with this movie lay mostly in two things: the first act, and the third act. Specifically: I found the first act to be really irregular and disorganized, and the third act to be mostly unnecessary. Interestingly, my problems with the first act were mostly because of the existence of the third, i.e., we needed to set up so many characters and situations in order for the psycho-analytic/social commentary bits towards the end to make any sense. If he had instead trimmed all of that fat away and concentrated on the tension between the two main leads, I think he would have found that there was more than enough story material in there already. The question is why he decided to do it the way he did. I don’t profess to know the answer to that but of course I have a theory: Nolan was trying to make The Greatest Superhero Movie Ever.
Now, I appreciate that kind of ambition, and I’m sure that quite a few people would even agree that he had actually reached this lofty goal. I do personally think that he lost focus though, and tried to make the material do more than it was necessarily meant to, or even needed to. Nolan’s love for the Batman mythos has always had a lot to do with the depth of the title character’s psychosis – easy pickings for any serious film director. The 2005 Batman spent a lot of time mulling over the concept of fear, while this followup reflects on the dichotomy of order and chaos. I’ve noticed that Nolan likes to use a lot of repetition in his movies, both in dialogue (characters are constantly repeating key lines back to each other) and in characterization. In The Dark Knight, Batman and the Joker are portrayed as opposite sides of the coin, a duality that is then represented visually by Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Both of his previous films, Insomnia and The Prestige, spent a lot of time dealing with similar subject matter in a similar style, but sadly, DK is neither as complex as the former, or as creative as the latter.
So given that I mostly disliked both the first and third acts of the film, it may be hard to believe me when I say that I thought that Dark Knight was a really good movie, up there with Iron Man and Spider-Man II as one of my all-time favorites. That’s how good the second act was; it was lean and spry most of the way through, and idled just enough to allow the tension to build back up again. I’ll probably have to see it again one of these days to make up my mind, but at the moment, DK is at #3 on my personal list of best superhero movies ever made.
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posted by
joriben, 4 months ago
I'm not really a die hard fan of Batman comics but I've read some Batman arcs and this movie kinda give me the impression of Killing Joke with different characters but the idea is mostly lifted from there. Joker is indeed a very strong force of nature but obviously not the central character because the whole story revolves around the OTHER one. Guys listen to all of the dialogues and try to read between the lines.
It is also good to see Batman going CSI though he uses really more advance technologies. Before, I wonder why the Bat Pod is designed like that. You know, the big wheels and the awkward posture. The moment Batman used this vehicle in the movie gives me the answer. And I find it very cool.
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posted by
joriben, 4 months ago
P.S. and O.T.
Puwede na palang mag-embed ng photo. Flickr lang ba puwede o kahit anong hosting?
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posted by
darthjesus, 4 months ago
@kuya jori - yes pede nang mag embed ng . lollers
@tito luis - didn't RTFA because i might get ideas what to expect, spoiler or non at all. i like batman the most so, i won't read anything until i've seen it. ;p
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posted by
MrClean, 4 months ago
One thing that bothered me was the convenience of school buses. I'll leave it at that.
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posted by
listahan, 4 months ago
SM Malls have increased their movie tickets...damn
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posted by
listahan, 4 months ago
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posted by
rafnex, 4 months ago
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posted by
letsugas, 4 months ago
@ Mr. Clean I think the school buses was a way of showing that though Joker tries to to show to us how erratic and unpredictable he is, there are gears turning inside that clownish head. Maybe he isn't that crazy that he wants the world to see and everything he does is just an act in his private play...
I don't agree with luis, I think that Cristopher Nolan juts made the Best Damn Superhero Movie Ever
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posted by
Quentin, 4 months ago
After a while, Batman making that gruff voice over and over just got into me. In fact, after a while it actually annoyed me. Yeah I think they were trying to be consistent with how the first movie was: dark, cold and unforgiving. Excellent factors to cultivate the emergence of a hero.
But this one is a sequel. Something HAS to be different. With people going on the hype of Heath Ledger being an effective Joker as much as Christian Bale was as the DK in the first movie, I just find it lacking a bit more -- I just couldn't figure what it is. It essentially is a far cry from being just a comical hero story. Nothing fancy, nothing in bright red/yellow/blue colors anywhere. Heck, the Joker's face being all faded/cracked with make up can attest to this.
Oh wait, I think I know. It's Two Face. His role is simply ... not necessary. I really wanted it to be just the Joker and Bats. So that scene where Batman is pounding the Joker's face in the interrogation room is one of the best parts. Him, hanging at the final part ain't so even though a lot of psycho conversation went on.
Then again, it's a movie. Why so serious? >:D
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posted by
Quentin, 4 months ago
After a while, Batman making that gruff voice over and over just got into me. In fact, after a while it actually annoyed me. Yeah I think they were trying to be consistent with how the first movie was: dark, cold and unforgiving. Excellent factors to cultivate the emergence of a hero.
But this one is a sequel. Something HAS to be different. With people going on the hype of Heath Ledger being an effective Joker as much as Christian Bale was as the DK in the first movie, I just find it lacking a bit more -- I just couldn't figure what it is. It essentially is a far cry from being just a comical hero story. Nothing fancy, nothing in bright red/yellow/blue colors anywhere. Heck, the Joker's face being all faded/cracked with make up can attest to this.
Oh wait, I think I know. It's Two Face. His role is simply ... not necessary. I really wanted it to be just the Joker and Bats. So that scene where Batman is pounding the Joker's face in the interrogation room is one of the best parts. Him, hanging at the final part ain't so even though a lot of psycho conversation went on.
Then again, it's a movie. Why so serious? >:D
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posted by
muffin, 4 months ago
man oh man! that movie really left a smile on my face. i absolutely loved the way they portrayed the joker as a random force of absolute chaos with no definite origins, its though as if he came to existence as pure nemesis for the batman. most of the scenes were just jaw dropping with some breathers here and there. i just felt a little effy with the point of two face in the movie, sure he looked all cool and death metal and all, but a rather dull segway to the story.
and i also love how they assimilated the people of gotham along with the story, i.e. they are not at all running around and dying like headless chickens which is usual with most sci-fi movies that involves giant lizards. along with batman, they too have to make difficult choices during the joker's "social experiments" which made the story much more richer.
i also loved the way "the batcave" was layed out, very minimalist, with gadgets popping out of the floor here and there. i wish i could have an office just like that :p.
over all, best gaddemn batman movie yet.
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posted by
darthjesus, 4 months ago
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posted by
MrClean, 4 months ago
letsugas: I am sure that the joker is a criminal genius. What bothered me was that none of the schoolbus drivers said WTF after seeing a bus back up out of a hole in a bank.
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posted by
letsugas, 4 months ago
^What made you think that those bus drivers were really bus drivers eh? thats why the Joker rules..or maybe I just love him too much
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posted by
avatar421, 4 months ago
Best batman film yet. i found my head spinning with so much going on since the plot was loaded with a lot of twists and turns, but it's certainly put together better than Spidey 3. After going over the synopsis at Wikipedia, I now fully appreciate the whole story arc structure-wise. Kudos to the cast and Chris Nolan for pulling off something this as epic as this.
I especially liked how the Joker strutted into the mob boss meeting and then coming over to Michael Jai White's "office" for a hostile takeover (and subsequent "try-outs" lol ).
Oh, and I love how he recruited psychos like him. Other than Batman pointing it out for Harvey, it was awesome how the madness in Joker's henchmen was betrayed through their unnatural, wide-eyed stares and other creepy mannerisms.
The best thing about this was the "Empire Strikes Back" kind of ending, since the film wraps things up on a dark note, but sets up an even greater confrontation for a third movie. Sucky part is whoever is gonna fill in the Joker's shoes will have one hell of a time trying to outdo the late but great Heath.
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posted by
avatar421, 4 months ago
typo: "for pulling off something as epic as this"
and, Bale's Batman voice put me off at first, but it grew on me real quick. I don't know if it's just the postmortem appeal talking here, but Heath's performance was just...wow.
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posted by
arjay, 4 months ago
I think I just saw the best movie ever made
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posted by
seth, 4 months ago
i find joker's tongue smacking annoying though.. the only thing i didn't like about heath's portrayal.
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posted by
avatar421, 4 months ago
^ i think it's a part of his abrasive character. am i too crazy to suggest Mark Hamill as the next Joker? it might be a good comeback role for him. He's already got the voice down pat :)
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posted by
spitsmaster, 4 months ago
I just love how they featured Chicago as Gotham City. Even my friends didn't know it was The Windy City until I told them.
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posted by
arjay, 4 months ago
^did you see Gotham Transit Authority? hehehe
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posted by
spitsmaster, 4 months ago
^dude, i was laughing so hard. I was like, "hey, that's my bus!!!" hahahaha! did you notice the plates on the cars? they were Illinois plates. hahaha!
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posted by
Stingray, 4 months ago
i watched it last friday. what's with the hoarse voice when hes in his bat costume?... christian bale needs valda pastilles. haha.
Ledger was fantastic as joker. he completes the movie somehow. hehe. Harvey Dent is uncalled in the whole movie. he just fucked it up.
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posted by
arjay, 4 months ago
^^really? then i have to see the movie again. but i doubt it dude, maybe it's just similar in font. :D
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posted by
arjay, 4 months ago
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posted by
spitsmaster, 4 months ago
^LOL! You had me searching in the Geeky Forum for nothing. hahahaha! Hmmm... I could have sworn they were Ill plates. I'll watch It again. hahaha!
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posted by
arjay, 4 months ago
^i'll actually tell that to people who watched it and ones who didn't so they'll look for IL plates in the movie. lolz
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