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- First reviewJuly 18, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 18, 2008
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DDV8's Reviews
Overall rating
5
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5
Oh yes, the Knight is Dark
PostedJuly 18, 2008
DDV8
from MIlwaukee
I have been waiting for this film for the past 2+ years; Heath Ledger was cast 2 years ago on my birthday; my only disappointment was that in that time, I had spoiled any subjective effect the movie might have had because of my foreknowledge of the plot (and related twists).
If you were smart enough to have stayed away from superherohype.com during the film's production, congratulations . . . this movie is going to be everything you wanted and more.
Ledger's performance is every bit as idiosyncratic and sadistic as the buzz has insinuated; he breathes disorder; his mannerisms and facial expressions fume; he inhabited this character. To say he stole the show is an understatement. Ledger's screen time is significantly less than Nicholson's Joker in Batman (89), although there is an ever-present foreboding throughout the film as The Joker lurks unseen by the audience.
Bale was . . . well, Bale. His performance as Bruce continues to grow in sync with his character(s); especially entertaining are his public displays of jackassery as the shallow megalomaniac that is Bruce Wayne, or at least as the residents of Gotham perceive him.
This film had the signature 'Nolan-twist' that he's come to be known for; multiple twists, actually; and executed with the precision that M. Night Shyamalan would give a kidney to adopt. He treats these characters with a 'real-film' approach . . . that's why they rise above the ranks of 'comic-film' characters in this film.
This film was nearly perfect; I could go on and on about my praises, so it's easier to pick out the few problems it had.
They seem to have edited a handful of scenes to make it more appropriate for a PG-13 audience; this results in momentary snippets of ??wtf?? It becomes apparent that this may also have been done to shave off as much of the already 152-minute running time; a huge dose of Batman in itself; but n’er a dull moment.
My other quam was the dimensionality of Aaron Eckhart who plays Harvey Dent. He was the third choice for this role (after both Edward Norton and Matt Damon passed) and it kind of shows. He's a good actor, even in some parts great; but his consistency pales in comparison to Bale and Ledger. He would have been my first choice for a Lifetime production made-for-TV Dark Knight, however. Ok, ok, he's not that bad, but you'll see what I mean.
That being said, the action, thrills, and psychoanalysis of the characters through this film's plot far outweigh any residual corniness this film might harbor . . . speaking of harbors . . . watch out, is that The Joker!?!?!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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