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- First reviewJuly 19, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 19, 2008
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Darclyte's Reviews
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5
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5
Holy Mindscrew, Batman!
PostedJuly 19, 2008
Darclyte
from Michigan
So, about a month go I found out that they were selling tickets for a 12:01am showing of TDK in IMAX theaters for last night/this morning. I went online and bought a ticket. About a week later, I went back to see if they had any tickets left for a friend who was curious. Nope, sold out. I haven't been to a midnight premiere in a long time, so yesterday I went to the theater's website to see if there was any information. Turns out that they also had a 3:30am showing in the IMAX that also was sold out. But the bigger news was that they also were showing TDK in all of the other 29 theaters at 12:01...and ALL of them were sold out! Holy Moola, Batman! There also was a 3:30am showing in one of the regular theaters, but it wasn't sold out as of yet. When I left the theater last night, there were so many people and cars there, that maybe they were showing it at 3:30 in ALL theaters. Wow!
Ok, so I got to the movieplex at 10:30. When I walked into the IMAX, it was 80-90% full already. Oh joy. It took me some time to find a seat, but I eventually found 1. How hard is it to find one seat, right? The time really dragged, and the people around me and I began making fun of the repetitive ads up on the screen and stuff. At 12:02, the previews started. There was a very brief teaser for the next Harry Potter...essentially just the title, the theme music, and a line of dialogue. It got great applause. Then they had the trailer for The Watchmen, which is a movie based upon the most acclaimed graphic novel of all time, written by Alan Moore. It's being made by the director of 300, and looks awesome. Then, TDK began.
Wow.
Just...wow.
There are at least 5 "Holy Crap" moments in this movie where you think to yourself, "Holy crap, what the Hell am I watching?" I mean that in a good way.
The movie starts, and it's relentless up until the end. I've never noticed a score that seemed so omnipresent and driving as in this movie. Even when it seems like maybe not much is happening, the score is driving, pushing you on, letting you know that, nope, it may not be time to take a breathe.
The writing is good, the acting is superb, and the directing was great.
And then there's the Joker.
What The Joker does in this movie is unlike anything I've ever seen. There are things that he does that are just mind boggling. The Joker is not just an "agent of chaos," he IS chaos. You have to wonder, why the heck would anyone live in Gotham City?
As for Heath... I was very affected by his passing. I didn't know him and had never met him, but I really enjoyed so many of his movies and I knew that his untimely passing would be a loss to fans of great movies and fans of this franchise. I also felt for his young daughter and loved ones. What he does in this movie is take what was written and portrays the character in such an interesting and truly unique way. This isn't Cesar Romero. This isn't Jack Nicholson. This isn't The Joker from Batman: The Animated Series/Justice League: Unlimited. This isn't even The Joker from the animated series, "The Batman" cartoon of the past few years. Nope, this is Hannibal Lecter if instead of becoming a doctor he had decided to become a criminal, and dropped acid everyday for 10 years while learning how to be the best there is. They say that genius and insanity are flipsides to the same coin in many cases. Well this Joker is the result of that coin being melted down and then recast into a knife blade.
There is some hype about Heath getting an Oscar nomination. Traditionally, actors who have died haven't done well with Oscar noms. Movies like TDK aren't taken seriously, either. I hope that this one changes all of that.
This movie is to comic book movies as The Godfather was to gangster movies. It is something so very different, and takes it to such a whole different level that it would be a shame if the writer, director, movie, and Heath weren't all given Oscar nominations. I'm not saying they should win, but at least recognize how truly amazing this film and Heath's role in it were.
I will say that the ending is a little bit of a let down in a way, because while I see why things go down the way they do, it doesn't mean that I have to like or agree with it. But even with that one small caveat, this movie is mind blowing.
Even if you're not a fan of "comic book" movies I would recommend this. Iron Man was great entertainment, and one of the best "comic book" movies ever made. The Dark Knight may be one of the best MOVIES ever made. Yes, it's based on comic book characters, and yes people are running around in masks and all of that. But, aren't ALL movies just actors "running around in masks" of one kind or another?
If you can see it in an IMAX, please do so. There are 20 minutes or so that were filmed with IMAX cameras, and seeing those scenes on an IMAX screen are awesome. You'll be glad you saw it, no matter where you see it.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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