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- First reviewJuly 20, 2008
- Last reviewJuly 20, 2008
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personaminor's Reviews
Overall rating
5
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5
The Darkest Knight?
PostedJuly 20, 2008
personaminor
from Denton, TX
I had high expectations heading into this one, as did almost everyone who's even vaguely followed the evolution of the Batman movie from the POP! ZING! SMASH! of Adam West's TV action adventure, through the exciting adolescent period of Keaton and Nicholson, and even through the hopeless malaise of Clooney and Schawrzenegger, that lightless time when it seemed that all hope for a good comic book movie had been dashed to the rocks far below.
Batman Begins shed a new light on our intrepid masked hero; enough so that a little joy and warmth might creep into our pathetic, poorly lit Batcave. But you know all about what Batman Begins did to revitalize this hero, don't you? Or else you wouldn't be reading this to ask the simple question, "Can they really make a movie that good again?" Yes. Yes they can.
And this movie great can be made without relying solely upon monolithic figures and images. It can race right to the heart and reside there, regardless of how disturbed the heart might become. The Dark Knight is proof that sometimes we need to destroy before we can rebuild.
And Christopher Nolan has rebuilt. With the help of an outstanding cast and crew, Batman can once again rise to legendary status (where he always was in that permanently adolescent part of my mind).
Technically, the film is just stunning. The visual effects are top-notch, the costumes and make-up second-to-none, which means that they all fit perfectly. Every scrap of clothing or spot of rouge makes perfect sense in its place on camera. In essence, the visual style is unnoticeable, which is really what special effects are all about.
Zimmer and Howard deliver a wonderful, visceral musical soundscape for the film, especially in the Joker's theme music (but more on that in a moment).
Christian Bale is spot-on, as usual, and his interactions with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman have evolved beautifully, as you would expect any close relationship to evolve over time. Gary Oldman serves a solid performance; Gordon is as good and idealistic as ever. Probably one of the biggest surprises was Aaron Eckhart. Perhaps I've not yet seen it, but I always considered him to be a fairly middle-of-the road actor. He has proven me wrong. Harvey Dent has come alive at last. Nothing personal Tommy Lee...
Another big surprise: Nolan couldn't find anyone better than Maggie Gyllenhaal? I think Katie Holmes might have even improved the part of Rachel Dawes. Gyllenhaal delivers a sub-par performance. Luckily, she managed not to damage the movie. Perhaps the whole idea was that she might divert attention away from herself? She was not what I would consider assistant DA material. I kept expecting her to hop out of the suits and dresses; throw on a flannel, some coveralls, and some waders; and sit down on the porch to whittle some. Maybe it's just that she perpetually looks like she's only had two or three hours of sleep. Who can say?
Of course, the biggest surprise of the movie, after all the hype, all the press, and the miles of blog gossip, what did we really expect from Heath Ledger? People love him as the Joker, but is it their grief that's blinding them to the possibility of a flawed performance? I would have to say no. I think it's sad that Heath Ledger died so young, but I don't really care. What I do care about is what he left us on his way out, and it's an inheritance befitting a king. The Joker was creepy and disturbing and absolutely unpredictable, as he should be. I found myself enthralled by Ledger's performance. He was so convincing and so... just mad. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, nor could I get his voice out of my head for a while. Unbelievable. For extra creeps, listen in to the Joker's theme music. It's quite subtle and you might miss it. It's that wonderful kind of soundtrack work that's quiet, persistent and unsettling.
The Dark Knight lives up to it's name. It's very dark. This is not really one for the kids; while the violence is not especially gory or disturbing, the themes of mayhem and madness are not suited for the little ones. They might be excited to see the new Batman, but it's one you should definitely screen first. It's a nightmare maker. Despite that, this is an amazing piece of film. Running almost three hours, it's an assault on the sense and the bladder. I recommend using the restroom first and holding it until the movie ends. It'll be worth the pain.
Batman Begins shed a new light on our intrepid masked hero; enough so that a little joy and warmth might creep into our pathetic, poorly lit Batcave. But you know all about what Batman Begins did to revitalize this hero, don't you? Or else you wouldn't be reading this to ask the simple question, "Can they really make a movie that good again?" Yes. Yes they can.
And this movie great can be made without relying solely upon monolithic figures and images. It can race right to the heart and reside there, regardless of how disturbed the heart might become. The Dark Knight is proof that sometimes we need to destroy before we can rebuild.
And Christopher Nolan has rebuilt. With the help of an outstanding cast and crew, Batman can once again rise to legendary status (where he always was in that permanently adolescent part of my mind).
Technically, the film is just stunning. The visual effects are top-notch, the costumes and make-up second-to-none, which means that they all fit perfectly. Every scrap of clothing or spot of rouge makes perfect sense in its place on camera. In essence, the visual style is unnoticeable, which is really what special effects are all about.
Zimmer and Howard deliver a wonderful, visceral musical soundscape for the film, especially in the Joker's theme music (but more on that in a moment).
Christian Bale is spot-on, as usual, and his interactions with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman have evolved beautifully, as you would expect any close relationship to evolve over time. Gary Oldman serves a solid performance; Gordon is as good and idealistic as ever. Probably one of the biggest surprises was Aaron Eckhart. Perhaps I've not yet seen it, but I always considered him to be a fairly middle-of-the road actor. He has proven me wrong. Harvey Dent has come alive at last. Nothing personal Tommy Lee...
Another big surprise: Nolan couldn't find anyone better than Maggie Gyllenhaal? I think Katie Holmes might have even improved the part of Rachel Dawes. Gyllenhaal delivers a sub-par performance. Luckily, she managed not to damage the movie. Perhaps the whole idea was that she might divert attention away from herself? She was not what I would consider assistant DA material. I kept expecting her to hop out of the suits and dresses; throw on a flannel, some coveralls, and some waders; and sit down on the porch to whittle some. Maybe it's just that she perpetually looks like she's only had two or three hours of sleep. Who can say?
Of course, the biggest surprise of the movie, after all the hype, all the press, and the miles of blog gossip, what did we really expect from Heath Ledger? People love him as the Joker, but is it their grief that's blinding them to the possibility of a flawed performance? I would have to say no. I think it's sad that Heath Ledger died so young, but I don't really care. What I do care about is what he left us on his way out, and it's an inheritance befitting a king. The Joker was creepy and disturbing and absolutely unpredictable, as he should be. I found myself enthralled by Ledger's performance. He was so convincing and so... just mad. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, nor could I get his voice out of my head for a while. Unbelievable. For extra creeps, listen in to the Joker's theme music. It's quite subtle and you might miss it. It's that wonderful kind of soundtrack work that's quiet, persistent and unsettling.
The Dark Knight lives up to it's name. It's very dark. This is not really one for the kids; while the violence is not especially gory or disturbing, the themes of mayhem and madness are not suited for the little ones. They might be excited to see the new Batman, but it's one you should definitely screen first. It's a nightmare maker. Despite that, this is an amazing piece of film. Running almost three hours, it's an assault on the sense and the bladder. I recommend using the restroom first and holding it until the movie ends. It'll be worth the pain.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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