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Morpheus
Morpheus's stats
- Review count2
- Helpfulness votes1
- First reviewJune 16, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 18, 2008
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.5
Morpheus's Reviews
Overall rating
5
/
5
Fictional/ Social Commentary That Succeeds
PostedJuly 18, 2008
Morpheus
from Northern NJ, near NYC
The Dark Knight is the best adaptation of a comic book/ graphic novel character that I have seen to date. The dark side of this film is what every comic book aficionado looks forward to when going to the movies. This was a graphic novel on screen. It did not try to pull any punches, paint a rosy picture, or provide an idyllic Hollywood ending, as most pictures tend to do. As such, it distinguishes itself from many other big-hit blockbusters that feed the audience eye-candy and don't allow them to think for themselves. Yes, if you haven't seen the film yet, this movie is as cerebral (reflective) of modern, post-9/11 America as it is eye-popping.
This next paragraph willl be devoted to the criticisms of the picture, which are few (and don't hold the film hostage), but are still worth noting. The story was told brilliantly, however TOO MUCH was crammed into the script. The creative team must have felt that this was the only way to relate the narrative, but some of it made you work too hard to keep up, or made you wonder if you missed something as you were laughing at a quick quip. Everything piece of dialogue is important, so you have to pay close attention to what is going on. The whole narrative revolves around the dialogue, and there are very few (if any) throwaway lines. With so many subtle and not so subtle societal comments to express, it can become work to take them all in, even if they are interesting in the way they are presented. I found myself whispering to a buddy "What did I miss?" or "Why did he/ she do that?" a few times during the film. It wasn't that I wasn't concentrating; it just comes at the viewer in a flood.
Now to the good stuff! I LOVED the way the film was able to weave action/ adventure/ post-9/11 domestic and global commentary into a story about a vigilante, and what he means to the people in the context of their society. It was a stroke of genius. Batman becomes the anti-hero and he knows it, and he doesn't shy away from it. He understands that people won't like him b/c they feel he is above the law, but he knows his role, and is trying to setup someone else to be his successor (Harvey Dent). Dent is referred to as the "White Knight", in sharp comparison to Batman's "Dark Knight" persona. The movie points out that in the end, even the most well-intentioned, law-abiding do-gooders (Dent) can be corrupted if you hit them in the right way. However, the dark, reclusive vigilante who people love to hate is above corruption, b/c he has been to the bottom, and it has molded him into something more than a mere crimefighter. This misunderstanding of the two characters is reflective of the everyday dealings of many minorities in tis country, who are the last people to commit a crime, yet are the first to be branded when something goes wrong. There are many other examples, but I will leave those for the viewer to discern.
Beyond that, what makes this film work more than anything else is the performance of Heath Ledger. Without his extraordinary turn, the movie doesn't come near to the success that it is and will be. Indeed, the movie revolves entirely around him and how he manipulates Gotham and its underworld to his personal bidding. I was cautious before the film b/c I was concerned that early reviews of his performance were somewhat kind b/c of his untimely demise. However, after seeing the performance, I have no qualms in saying that he should be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. Granted,, it's still early in the moviegoing season, but nothing else I've seen this year made a believer out of me than the Joker come alive on-screen. He made a somewhat silly, fun character become demented and terrifying ( and far too real for comfort!). He is truly a cut above the average criminal, b/c he understands what make ssociety tick, and what throws it for a loop. The thing I took from this Joker was that for all of his sociopathic tendencies, he was quite rational in his rantings, and I was able clearly identify with much of what he said about society (which is a little scary!)
Ledger's performance wasn't the only one of note. All of the key players did their job well, especially Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaced Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. This was an upgrade, IMO. Bale is always solid, playing both roles, and keeping you guessing how does he hold both sides of his identity and his life together? Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman all deliver believeable, likeable performances despite their limited screentime.
The action was excellent. Nolan delivered beautifully, especially with his choice of the City of Chicago standing in for Gotham City. This simple step provided a sense of realism, beauty, brightness and hope to a city that was on the ropes after the first film. It helps the viewer identify real-world landmarks, and appreciate what the real world has to offer. The camera work was well done toward the end of the film, particularly in a scene where the Joker hangs upside down from a building, but it appears as if he's flying upright. I thought it really showed how much the Joker was in charge despite being nearly killed.
All in alll, it was very well done, and I can't wait to see it again. Hopefully, I'll be better rested and catch some things I missed the first time around. As I said before, the social commentary is very effective, and makes the film more about life in a fearful American society, rather than simply a comic book film. I hope you enjoy my review, and more importantly, this film!
This next paragraph willl be devoted to the criticisms of the picture, which are few (and don't hold the film hostage), but are still worth noting. The story was told brilliantly, however TOO MUCH was crammed into the script. The creative team must have felt that this was the only way to relate the narrative, but some of it made you work too hard to keep up, or made you wonder if you missed something as you were laughing at a quick quip. Everything piece of dialogue is important, so you have to pay close attention to what is going on. The whole narrative revolves around the dialogue, and there are very few (if any) throwaway lines. With so many subtle and not so subtle societal comments to express, it can become work to take them all in, even if they are interesting in the way they are presented. I found myself whispering to a buddy "What did I miss?" or "Why did he/ she do that?" a few times during the film. It wasn't that I wasn't concentrating; it just comes at the viewer in a flood.
Now to the good stuff! I LOVED the way the film was able to weave action/ adventure/ post-9/11 domestic and global commentary into a story about a vigilante, and what he means to the people in the context of their society. It was a stroke of genius. Batman becomes the anti-hero and he knows it, and he doesn't shy away from it. He understands that people won't like him b/c they feel he is above the law, but he knows his role, and is trying to setup someone else to be his successor (Harvey Dent). Dent is referred to as the "White Knight", in sharp comparison to Batman's "Dark Knight" persona. The movie points out that in the end, even the most well-intentioned, law-abiding do-gooders (Dent) can be corrupted if you hit them in the right way. However, the dark, reclusive vigilante who people love to hate is above corruption, b/c he has been to the bottom, and it has molded him into something more than a mere crimefighter. This misunderstanding of the two characters is reflective of the everyday dealings of many minorities in tis country, who are the last people to commit a crime, yet are the first to be branded when something goes wrong. There are many other examples, but I will leave those for the viewer to discern.
Beyond that, what makes this film work more than anything else is the performance of Heath Ledger. Without his extraordinary turn, the movie doesn't come near to the success that it is and will be. Indeed, the movie revolves entirely around him and how he manipulates Gotham and its underworld to his personal bidding. I was cautious before the film b/c I was concerned that early reviews of his performance were somewhat kind b/c of his untimely demise. However, after seeing the performance, I have no qualms in saying that he should be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. Granted,, it's still early in the moviegoing season, but nothing else I've seen this year made a believer out of me than the Joker come alive on-screen. He made a somewhat silly, fun character become demented and terrifying ( and far too real for comfort!). He is truly a cut above the average criminal, b/c he understands what make ssociety tick, and what throws it for a loop. The thing I took from this Joker was that for all of his sociopathic tendencies, he was quite rational in his rantings, and I was able clearly identify with much of what he said about society (which is a little scary!)
Ledger's performance wasn't the only one of note. All of the key players did their job well, especially Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaced Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. This was an upgrade, IMO. Bale is always solid, playing both roles, and keeping you guessing how does he hold both sides of his identity and his life together? Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman all deliver believeable, likeable performances despite their limited screentime.
The action was excellent. Nolan delivered beautifully, especially with his choice of the City of Chicago standing in for Gotham City. This simple step provided a sense of realism, beauty, brightness and hope to a city that was on the ropes after the first film. It helps the viewer identify real-world landmarks, and appreciate what the real world has to offer. The camera work was well done toward the end of the film, particularly in a scene where the Joker hangs upside down from a building, but it appears as if he's flying upright. I thought it really showed how much the Joker was in charge despite being nearly killed.
All in alll, it was very well done, and I can't wait to see it again. Hopefully, I'll be better rested and catch some things I missed the first time around. As I said before, the social commentary is very effective, and makes the film more about life in a fearful American society, rather than simply a comic book film. I hope you enjoy my review, and more importantly, this film!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Good adaptation of the comic; could've been better
PostedJune 16, 2008
Morpheus
from Northern NJ, near NYC
If you're a fan of the comic book fan, The Incredible Hulk is a must see. The Abomination come to life on the big screen was worth the price of admission, and the script was more tailored for an action movie, with thrills and some light-hearted moments (instead of being an in-depth character study, like 2003). Also, I thought this film did a better job of explaining the relationship between the characters early on, instead of playing a guessing game until the end of the film. Having said that, I think the film could have been better, and that's where some of the ideas from the 2003 Ang Lee version might have helped this film. First of all, the animation was much better in the '03 film, and this cannot be discounted when the main character is a 10 foot tall green body builder. After watching the '03 film again after seeing this new version, there's no comparison in the animated Hulk. His movements, and the attention to detail were more realistic (fluid) and gratifying in '03. Had this level of detail been achieved in the '08 version the movie would have been much better. One other thing that the '03 Hulk accomplished better was the relationship between Bruce (Hulk) and Betty. It showed her as a calming influence on him (although it went too far into psychosis and repressed memories). And that the Hulk gets stronger as he gets angrier, which is why he is near impossible to contain. Overall, though I'm happy with this version. Having Tony Stark cameo at the end was certainly appealing, and makes me pine for the next film!
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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