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DigitalBill
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- First reviewJuly 19, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 19, 2008
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DigitalBill's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
TDK Delivers
PostedJuly 19, 2008
DigitalBill
from Tampa, FL
Wow. This is one very, very, VERY good movie. If not for the hype -- which is bound to take some of the polish off anything -- I might even say "great" or "magnificent." But this ain't no "comic book movie," gents. Except for the guy in the kevlar suit and the guy with grungy hair and bad make-up, this is a gritty, violent, sociopolitical crime drama/action flick. Yeah, it's all that. And more.
Don't let anyone spoil the pencil trick for you. It's quick, but it so clearly defines all that the Joker is and sets us up for everything that comes afterward. Nicholson's Joker was the kind of clown that makes us laugh at the circus. Ledger's Joker is the kind of clown that haunts your dreams. But I hope no one makes the mistake of thinking it's Ledger alone who's made this movie the blockbuster it will become (or already is). He's icing on the cake, the crowning touch to a great ensemble that fits together seamlessly.
There are really no throwaway parts here; each character plays a pivotal role in the story, from Caine's Alfred to Oldman's Gordon to Eric Roberts' Maroni to Eckhart's Dent to, yes, even Gyllenhaal's Rachel Dawes. (Perhaps the movie's only weak link, she's certainly got the acting chops Katie Holmes lacks, but she lacks the drop-dead gorgeous beauty a Bruce Wayne squeeze needs to justify his longing, IMNSHO.) And of course there's Bale as BW/Batman, firmly entrenching himself as THE definitive Caped Crusader once and for all. This ain't Michael Keaton or Val Kilmer or George Clooney running around in a rubber suit and tossing bad puns around amidst candy-colored backgrounds. Nope, Bale's is a Batman that kicks butt and takes names. (He still may have an aversion to killing, but he's certainly not afraid to really seriously work you over!) And, much like Downey's Tony Stark, he's just as good WITHOUT the suit. Really.
I loved it. My wife loved it. The audience loved it -- a packed house so jazzed for the flick they started clapping and hooting and hollering the moment they saw the Warner Brothers logo come up. And, perhaps as amazing as anything else, I couldn't help but be struck by how quiet and attentive and downright mesmerized they were from beginning to end. At several quiet, tense moments you could hear a pin drop in the theater -- no mumbling, no grumbling, no nervous laughter, NOTHING. Either this was the most well-behaved audience I've ever been a part of or this movie REALLY made them pay attention. Maybe both?
Yeah, I'd go see it. But I wouldn't take the kid, and I'd see it in a packed house to get the full effect. I'm gonna see it again -- maybe the IMAX version next time -- and that's the first time in a long time I've felt that way immediately.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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