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Anyone who didn't like The Dark Knight is a tool.


EHK for Darwin

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Well Ive been avoiding these threads until i could see it. I'm not going to try and catch up on three threads right now, but man, this is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Anyone who doesn't see it is doing themselves a disservice.

As people have said i'm sure, just a wonderfully crafted movie. Ledger is on top form, and so creepy, it forces you to be off guard, and taken along for the ride. What a freaking movie. I went into it not really knowing anything other than Joker vs Batman. I knew Dent was in the movie, but i figured they were just gonna be setting him up for the 3rd one. I was completely blown away that he was a central and vital character in this one. I know I'm still on the high from the movie, but i have no complaints whatsoever. I left the theater wanting to see the movie again.
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[quote name='Simon of Steele' post='1453650' date='Jul 23 2008, 21.44']First off--if Megatron got the cube--we'd be fucked. I know you couldn't see the last battle between Optimus and Megatron because the director of the movie thought it'd be more interesting to watch the military guys fight a Decepticon, but I'm pretty sure Optimus got his ass handed to him. Had Megatron took the cube then Earth would be a new Cybertron and only producing Decepticons. That is scary. Did you see those girls in the car whose steering wheel came to life and turned into a Decepticon and clawed off their faces (presumably)? Those girls were kind of hot. And seriously--yes to Megan Fox--WAAAAAAY over MG. I wish Fox had been in Donnie Darko.

What's the Joker got? Laughter? Shit, Megatron has a whole other transformer (Starscream) who handles the maniacal laughter for him, because he's too busy kicking ass.

Edit: I haven't actually seen the new Batman, I'm just basing my judgment off the bits and piece of TV spots I've seen from the corner of my eye.[/quote]

Ok this is hilarious. And yes, Megan Fox is hotter than MG and for the record, I was not comparing looks.

Seriously though, how do you people (not you specifically Simon) visit this thread with spoilers? Do you have no interest in the movie?
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[quote name='CarpathianTheVigo' post='1452442' date='Jul 23 2008, 10.15']It could be titled "Batman Punches Aquaman for Two Hours", and I'd still pay $10.[/quote]
Aquaman could take it.

After I saw this, the thing that stuck out in my mind was Joker saying Batman would have to break his one rule, and in the end he does, but with the wrong villain. Nice move by Nolan.

Wish I'd seen it IMAX. Maybe then the guy I went with wouldn't have slept through it.
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Yay, my review's finally up.

[quote]THOUGH several films have elevated the genre, The Dark Knight is the first superhero film to throw aside its comic-book roots and fight on its own merits. More so than its predecessor, 2005's Batman Begins, The Dark Knight is a grim, beautiful thriller that never lets up or pulls its punches.

Add to that a fantastic cast and emotional gravitas, and the film accomplishes what few thought possible: It lives up to the hype.

Superhero films have long created a stage for the battle of good versus evil. Director Christopher Nolan, however, has twisted the conflict to order versus chaos. It's the most inspired directorial choice in the whole film, and sets it apart from the superhero genre.

After all, what is a comic book other than a modern fairy tale? Instead of the classic morality play, The Dark Knight is a full-blown tragedy that would do the Bard himself proud. The very virtues characters possess lead to their downfalls. Good can only come from reinstating order, however cruel or unfair the cost. And, as in any work of Shakespeare, the villain embodies total chaos.

In bleak Gotham, where we lay our scene, Batman (Christian Bale) has driven lesser criminals back to their rat holes. But the people of Gotham want a chivalrous knight rather than a masked vigilante, and Batman sees that Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) represents the hope and goodness that the city needs.

A quieter hero also exists in Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman), a policeman who will bend the law for the greater good. Then the Joker (Heath Ledger) arrives, and everything implodes.

Nothing that has come before compares to this film's Joker. He's a marionette-jerky psychopath who cares as much for breaking souls as blowing things up. He's also a blank slate. Does that hyena laugh cover a long-buried melancholy, or is he really in it purely for the anarchy? This enigmatic yet terrifying and sickly amusing character is the linchpin of the film. Heath Ledger, thank you.

With such a forceful villain, we need a strong hero, and Bale remains in fine form. But under the impressive musculature of his disguise, Batman battles with his own issues - just how far will he have to go to stop bad people, bad people that his vigilante ways first drew to Gotham?

As for the question of how to outmaneuver the Joker, the Scarecrow provided the answer years ago in the comic books: ``Silly man in a suit. You can't!'' Nevertheless, he'll try, and his brooding struggle is the anchor of the film.

Dent, Gotham's crusader, is an Othellolike figure. He becomes the pitiless Two-Face, but Nolan has redrawn him as a virtuous chevalier broken down into a brutal monster. Eckhart smartly shows early on that, despite (or because of) his ideals, a latent rage simmers just below the surface.

Visually, the film is starker and brighter than Batman Begins. The choice fortifies the genuine emotional darkness while keeping the film from becoming a slave to its artistic vision.

The writing also deserves praise. Though it relies somewhat too often on exposition, it has beautiful moments. When the Joker has an oddly lucid monologue toward the end, the thrill burning in the back of one's throat is not just because of Ledger's phenomenal performance.

In the end, the film makes a choice and stays with it. It's a high, brutal, elegant tragedy, mixed with enough hope to refrain from total depression. Infection remains in Gotham, despite the actions of a few. Yet there is always the lingering goodness that fights, dies and drags itself on.[/quote]
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Blown away by this movie. I can't think of a better movie I've seen in a theater. Ever. Maybe Braveheart, but I was like 11.

I only got thru a few pages in the spoiler thread that got closed before I got bored with the comic book talk, but I didn't realize that the Joker switched the addresses on Batman, either. Silly me.

A few random scenes that I loved (that I'm sure has already been mentioned, but I'm still giddy so fuck it):
- The pencil trick at the beginning of the movie.
- When the Joker first visits Dent in the hospital, sits down next to him and says "Hiiiii!" Don't know how to describe it, but the way he said "Hi" was just awesome.
- The Bat-Pod was ridiculously cool: how it detached from the Batmobile and later when it blew out of the alley, how it's whole front wheel was rotating in sync with the side drift. Badass. Me wants one.

I can't imagine what anyone will dislike about the movie, but will go back and read thru the first spoiler thread. Just couldn't wait to post my opinion about it. Right after it was pau, I wanted to go right back and watch it again, but that idea got nixed. Planning to watch it again tomorrow, if possible. And the day after that.

Nolan is a god and Heath is his Jesus.

One nitpick: I like the sassiness of the new Rachel, but she's pretty homely looking. You'd think a stud DA like Harvey and a billionaire playboy like Bruce would be a little more superficial. Sassy only gets you so far, doesn't it?
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[quote name='BJ Penn' post='1453970' date='Jul 24 2008, 06.06']One nitpick: I like the sassiness of the new Rachel, but she's pretty homely looking. You'd think a stud DA like Harvey and a billionaire playboy like Bruce would be a little more superficial. [b]Sassy only gets you so far, doesn't it[/b]?[/quote]
You know nothing, young man.


(And Gyllenhaal is NOT homely anyway.)
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Maggie Gyllenhall is hot, but in the movie, there was something a little ... off or something. Sometimes I was just sitting there thinking "Is it me, or is her mouth HUGE?".
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[quote name='Shryke' post='1454003' date='Jul 23 2008, 23.56']Maggie Gyllenhall is hot, but in the movie, there was something a little ... off or something. Sometimes I was just sitting there thinking [b]"Is it me, or is her mouth HUGE?".[/b][/quote]

:stunned:

That's a bad thing?
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[quote name='potsherds' post='1453976' date='Jul 23 2008, 19.12']You know nothing, young man.


(And Gyllenhaal is NOT homely anyway.)[/quote]
Maybe "homely" isn't the word I was looking for. She just didn't seem to have that "It" factor that I could understand two hotshot boy heroes pining for.

And by "It", I mean she didn't have a great rack and a smoking ass

(just kidding)


[quote name='Shryke' post='1454003' date='Jul 23 2008, 19.56']Maggie Gyllenhall is hot, but in the movie, there was something a little ... off or something. Sometimes I was just sitting there thinking "Is it me, or is her mouth HUGE?".[/quote]
Maybe that's it. I dunno.

Whatever. It was still the greatest movie (not just superhero movie) I've ever seen in a theater and I can't wait to see it again. The criticisms I read on the previous thread are pretty laughable. Didn't like his Batman voice? Oh no! The fight scenes weren't up to snuff? Goshdarnit!

I'm right there with Mackaces criticisms about those criticisms. Who gives a fuck? That movie f-rocked!
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[quote name='BJ Penn' post='1453970' date='Jul 24 2008, 00.06']One nitpick: I like the sassiness of the new Rachel, but she's pretty homely looking. You'd think a stud DA like Harvey and a billionaire playboy like Bruce would be a little more superficial. Sassy only gets you so far, doesn't it?[/quote]
QFT. She's a good actress and not completely unattractive, but it's hard to imagine guys like Eckhart and Bale competing for her affections... unless it's some costumed version of In The Company Of Men.

But then again, I'm the shallow sort who would've never left the sailboat and the Russian Ballet company.
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[quote name='Blaine23' post='1454433' date='Jul 24 2008, 10.32']QFT. She's a good actress and not completely unattractive, but it's hard to imagine guys like Eckhart and Bale competing for her affections... unless it's some costumed version of In The Company Of Men.

But then again, I'm the shallow sort who would've never left the sailboat and the Russian Ballet company.[/quote]

She's cute and has sass. I can see it.
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I didn't realize it but [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zsasz"]Victor Zsasz[/url] was in [url="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000270/"]Batman Begins[/url]. Granted it's in a very minor role, but I always enjoy these type of details.
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[quote name='WarGalley' post='1454501' date='Jul 24 2008, 11.21']I didn't realize it but [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zsasz"]Victor Zsasz[/url] was in [url="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000270/"]Batman Begins[/url]. Granted it's in a very minor role, but I always enjoy these type of details.[/quote]

Yeah. He was the one convicted near the beginning IIRC. Then it showed him escaping from Arkham. I thought it was one of those background details that showed Nolan really cared about what he was putting on screen.
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[quote name='WarGalley' post='1454501' date='Jul 24 2008, 10.21']I didn't realize it but [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zsasz"]Victor Zsasz[/url] was in [url="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000270/"]Batman Begins[/url]. Granted it's in a very minor role, but I always enjoy these type of details.[/quote]

I liked seeing him in there as well. Its ironic that in the film he's depicted as a mob hitman getting off on the insanity plea while in the comics he was a serial killer who was always acknowledged as criminally insane. Although in the film, he still did have the notches on his skin for each victim he killed, so in a way, he was crazy.

I remember reading his debut in Shadow of the Bat as a kid. Batman lets himself get checked into Arkham to find out how Zsasz is escaping, only to have a manipulated Dr. Jeremiah Arkham arrange for all the villians to attack him at one point. All the while Zsasz runs free at night and kills. Chilling stuff, especially for a DC comic back then.
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Yeah, I didn't learn about Zsasz until after I'd seen BB. I really should read all the graphic novels (Killing Joke and Long Halloween etc.) since I'm a Batman fan, but my Barnes and Nobles never has it (and I don't think I've ever purchased something on Amazon before).

On another note, I was going to buy tickets to see it again and all the 8pm IMAX shows are sold out for a week. Damn. With all the people re-watching it, this thing is going to have Titanic style numbers.
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I had a friend ask if I wanted to go see it Saturday at IMAX... I said yes. Her other friend got tickets... and they never told me what time. Its at 12:15 in Louisville, which is an hour away and I have appoitnments scheduled until 11:45. Damn them. :tantrum:
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