The Dark Knight part deux

[me399]

[quote name='dits' post='1445760' date='Jul 18 2008, 10.33']Heath Ledgar was effing brillliant as the Joker. His Joker was psychotic yet oddly charismatic. Couldn't take my eyes off the screen whenever he was on it.[/quote]


I agree.

I really hope he gets an Oscar Nomination for this. Has a dead person ever won one before? To bad he is not around to hear all the love he is getting for this role.

[Azmure]

This one opened on Wednesday night here in Australia, so I saw it Wednesday, Thursday and going again this afternoon (a friend has free tickets). Can't remember the last time I saw the same movie three times in one week! Especially not on the big screen. Maybe never.

I loved every minute of it. The Batman raspy voice thing didn't actually bother me, but I agree the music was too loud, especially over Gordon's final speech. I also thought Christian Bale looked a touch too skinny, especially compared with how beefed up he was for Batman Begins.

Favourite moments:

Batman jumping off the building in Hong Kong and circling the skyscraper like a giant bat before going in through the window swinging.

The whole chase scene, especially when the guard tells Dent that the Joker will need something bigger to get through the armoured vehicle...and he pulls out a bazooka!

Pretty much any scene with the Joker, but especially his first entrance at the mob meeting, and the scene with Batman at the police station. Chilling and funny by turns.

One thing that really got me is how damn intense this movie is. There aren't many 2.5 hour films that can keep you on the edge of your seat, but this one did. There was always that sense that something was at stake, that something unexpected and probably bad was about to happen.

Huge props to Chris Nolan, the man is a genius director. After Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Begins and Memento I'd go so far as to call him one of the top two or three directors of his generation.

[Tempra]

Brilliant.

[Fez]

Absolutely amazing.

Though I will second (third, whatever) the opinion that at points the music was far too loud, and that seems like such an easy, technical issue that could've been fixed I thought it was just a problem with the projector at the theater. But since I see other people saying that too, I guess it was the movie's fault. But such a minor quibble for such an awesome movie.

[Commodore]

Not so much loud, but overbearing. They were playing this ominous tension building music during normal conversation between Gordon and Batman, it made no sense and wasn't necessary.

EDIT: For some reason the Joker's look and mannerisms reminded my alot of Michael Hutchence, watch [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zRFrm0HEM&feature=related"]this[/url] video and tell me if you don't agree (I'm tempted to start a U2 vs INXS thread, they are such an underrated band).

[Caligula_K]

Wow. Most probably the best comic book movie I've ever seen, and I know after another viewing or two, it'll be up there as one of my favourite movies. Perfect takes on Joker and Two-Face (though I am sad that Two Face won't be in any sequels- nonetheless, his death fit the movie very well). My only very minor complaint is that I thought Bruce Wayne/Alfred could have used more screen time, but hey, you can't have everything.

[Mexal]

Incredible movie. I'm so glad I saw it in the IMAX. It made the first experience that much better. I will end up seeing it again. There is no way I can't. I can't get it out of my head.

I agree that it would have been nice to see more Batman/Wayne. I didn't mind the voice...it was necessary to mask who he was. I didn't notice the loud music. I did fall for the Gordon death and I did not see the Rachael death coming.

I was absolutely memorized.

Dent was amazing. Ledger was amazing. Cain was amazing. Bale was amazing. Gyllenhal was solid.

I really need to get my thoughts down coherently at some point.

[WarGalley]

I hear you man. This type of comic book movie was a long time coming. Amazing.

[delete this account pls]

Incredible. This wasn't just an excellent comic book film, it's an excellent film period.

[Jacen]

-Really good movie on its own, and incredibly good for a comic book movie. Perhaps a slight victim of it's own hype.

I'd give it a solid A or A-

minor nitpicks/tidbits

-I wonder if the Joker was originally supposed to die in the film, and if they cut it out due to obvious reasons? They just leave him and us hanging there with no conclusion on it.
-It would have been nice to see a few more scenes with Bruce and Rachel...he didn't seem to be all that upset about her...and why did he go to rescue Dent, didn't he say he was going after her?
-Ledger was great and chewed scenery left and right. I can't believe Bale was upstaged by him (maybe a little more Bruce Wayne in the movie would have helped?). That never happens. I loved his little ticks, the lip smacking and combing his hair, his knives, crazy laughter, all that stuff.
-Call me a cynic, but I'd be willing to bet that the "ordinary" people would have blown the convicts right up. :P

[Mexal]

[quote name='Jacen' post='1446689' date='Jul 19 2008, 00.00']-Really good movie on its own, and incredibly good for a comic book movie. Perhaps a slight victim of it's own hype.

I'd give it a solid A or A-

minor nitpicks/tidbits

-I wonder if the Joker was originally supposed to die in the film, and if they cut it out due to obvious reasons? They just leave him and us hanging there with no conclusion on it.
-It would have been nice to see a few more scenes with Bruce and Rachel...he didn't seem to be all that upset about her...and why did he go to rescue Dent, didn't he say he was going after her?
-Ledger was great and chewed scenery left and right. I can't believe Bale was upstaged by him (maybe a little more Bruce Wayne in the movie would have helped?). That never happens. I loved his little ticks, the lip smacking and combing his hair, his knives, crazy laughter, all that stuff.
-Call me a cynic, but I'd be willing to bet that the "ordinary" people would have blown the convicts right up. :P[/quote]

Couple of things.

First, I think they left it open cause they were going to bring him back in the next movie.

Second, he rescued Dent because the Joker fucked with him and gave him the opposite address. He knew that he'd go after Rachel so he said Rachel was really at Dent's address and vice versa.

And I think if they flipped the switch on the detonator, it would have blown them up since that's something the Joker would have done.

[Jacen]

Well I completely missed the Dent part.

And you're probably right about the other two points as well.

[Lord O' Bones]

[quote name='Mexal' post='1446690' date='Jul 18 2008, 21.03']And I think if they flipped the switch on the detonator, it would have blown them up since that's something the Joker would have done.[/quote]
I didn't think of that , but damned if I don't believe it completely.

Since he repeatedly lies about it, I've got to ask: Where did the Joker get his Chelsea smile? Or was that something that Burton's Batman started that Nolan's Batman modified and ran with?

[Guy Kilmore]

I think Dent is probably dead, but they left wiggle room for him to come back. It could be a comma or unconcious, and Gordon made it look like a Hero's death; while he chills at Arkham or some such.

[dits]

me399: The lead actor from the movie Network won an Oscar for Best Actor posthumously. I do hope Heath Ledger gets at least a nomination. His Joker was inspired.

[Intercept]

I didn't think it was possible for Christian Bale to be an even worse Batman than the first time around. He proved me wrong.

I also thought Heath Ledger's performance was going to be overhyped. I was very wrong. He was fucking brilliant and it is an absolute travesty that he died. The script did a good job of making him into a criminal mastermind, and I liked how they kept the sociopath angle with no rhyme or reason to his motive. And he only exists because of Batman.

But every time Christian Bale came on screen my eyes were rolling into my skull. And as always, the fight choreography is horrific.

[Crazydog7]

It takes a lot for me to say "wow" but oh my God "wow".

Better then Begins and thats saying something.

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

I'm just not seeing this great movie that everyone else is seeing.

It was decidedly mediocre. Character development was non existent, no effort was made to get me to care about any of them. And if I don't care about them, how can I give a rat's ass about what happens to any of them?

I really wanted to like it, and there were moments when I thought the movie was going to get me to like it, but it ever quite got over the hump.

[sckma]

^ Burn the Heathen! :whip:

[Azmure]

So, I just saw it for a third time. It holds up very well on repeat viewings, which is a good sign for this kind of movie (for example, I can't imagine watching Spider Man 3 a third time, or Superman Returns, they just don't have re-watch value IMHO).

I'm surprised that quite a few people don't seem to get that the Joker gave Batman the wrong address. I thought that was pretty damn clear, but I had to explain it to a couple of friends who wanted to know why he went after Dent instead of Rachel.
I also agree with Mexal that if they'd flipped the switch on the ferry they would have blown themselves up. All part of the Joker's mind games.

Repeat viewings also gave me an even greater appreciation of what Ledger did with that role. His Joker will go down in film history as one of the great, iconic villains.

And Bale is easily the best Batman. Don't get me wrong, I liked Michael Keaton well enough in the Burton films, but I never really bought him being a badass vigilante. With Bale, I actually believe that he can kick butt.