The Dark Knight review thread

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pepokiss

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DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT

and please, merge after Friday





























Ok... so... I saw it last night... and halfway through my girlfriend sais "your heart's beating fast"... and it was

From the very beggining the whole room was... ECSTATIC for this movie. A waiting line that descended 3 floors and people reacting to the line in awe.


The first thing I want to say is... the acting was SUPREME... from all acounts.. Michael Cain, Gary Oldman, Maggie... but really, those 3 were trying to out-do each other all the time.

At the end, Christian Bale lost aginst those other 2 JUGGERNAUTS of actors.. believe me, Aaron Eckhart was as amazing as Heath, you WANTED him to succed, you suffer with him when Rachel dies and he gets disfigured, and can't believe when he falls for Joker's chaos train of thought.

But what we're here for... the main event.. delivered, and delivered BIG. Heath makes it.. simple. You actuelly BELIEVE that he's somewhat psychotic, not at least paranoid and just playing mind games with EVERYBODY. His voice, his manners, his actions, everything OOZES coolness, freakness and madness. The first killing (the pencil one) got a round of applause for how cool it was.

The Joker was so.... GREAT... that at some point you actually root for him. He turns us all, makes a 180 of all our thoughts of justice and what's good or right and we become more of his clowns, his minions, suporters and all that. We laugh at his jokes.. and that's really disturbing... because we were all laughing sometimes, and laughing with really twisted and morbid things... but HE said it, so we fall for it.

Batman plays 2nd fiddle to everything, trying to get a way out of this wicked way of life of his, but at the same time knows deep in his heart that he's lost.. he "owned" himself for the sake of everyone... the same ones that begin to chace him at the end of the movie.. WE.

WE are exactly what the Joker says we are: animals that could turn on each other when everything says we should. Sure, the boat part was nice, but would you really expect for that to happen in real life and people (or the prisioners) not jumping RIGHT AWAY on the detonator?. That part, in reality, takes little time, and not enought to "vote" for the decision.

The end is great, with Gordon talking, and the audience realizing that Batman is the best we have, but that comes with a cost. And now... like in LOST, the chase is ON!!!


Oscar nominations?... sure... Heath could use that. But really, at least me, I have to see it again, because last night when we got to the car, we realized that I got the car radio stolen... and it's a little dificult for me sometimes to separate the movie from the stealing :(


All I can say is that at the end of the movie, at 12:30 AM, we ALMOST entered to see it again... is THAT good. I want to see it at least 2 times more. And yes... at 12:30, the line was 3 floors long.

And even more... for like half an hour I was making the best Joker imitation ever, hahaha.. and as my girlfriend loves Heath... I had her in my palm :macdevil:



If you read this, you've seen it.. GO SEE IT AGAIN!!!!!!

and please... put a smile on your face haHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!












that was lame, I know :reject:
 
I may see it tomorrow afternoon around 3 pm

I will not stand in a line for very long.


I may just have to wait. (this is not anything spectacular like, Indy 4)
 
Review: The Dark Knight

Reviewer: major_panic

This film has been widely touted for the sheer brilliance of Ledger's acting, and so it was difficult to go in without high expectations - expectations that were, indeed, met and possibly even surpassed. The Dark Knight shines as a film, not because of the explosions or the plot, but due to the excellence of the acting by almost all involved. Ledger absolutely shines as the Joker, and perfectly captures the character as portrayed in classic Batman comics like "the Killing Joke".

However, it's not just Ledger who carries the film. Eckhart is amazing as Dent - portraying the confident, focused DA right up to the moment of his scarring and the formation of his identity as Two-Face, whereby the character's personality undergoes a startling shift that was very well conveyed. Freeman and Caine are, as always, a pleasure to watch, and Oldman as Gordon did a good job. Bale, as before, showcases the character almost naturally; however, Wayne / Batman seem a little underdeveloped and two-dimensional in the film.

The only disappointment was Gyllenhaal, replacing Holmes as Rachel Dawes. Neither really shone as Dawes, and the character herself seems very flat and uninvolved.

The film itself could be held up as the ultimate epitome of the Batman comics - dark, depressing, showing the darkest of humanity; but through it all, a small ray of hope shines. Batman, as always, struggles with his inner doubts, although these seem to be rather glossed over and he quickly returns to action once Dent takes the fall for him.

All in all, the movie did drag on a bit at times, with some rather cut-and-paste action sequences (barring, of course, the extremely cool new Batcycle), but it was a genuine pleasure to see the characters from the comic books portrayed so well that they seemingly leaped off the screen into reality. Does Ledger deserve the Oscar? In my opinion, he's a damn good candidate for it.

Nine out of ten for the film, nine and a half out of ten for the performances.
 
Well I just got back from seeing this... and holy shit on a cracker, man. I'm too tired to post a full review, expect one in the coming days though.

Go see it, peeps.
 
I'm not sure who I hate more; all of you for being able to see this already, or my own procrastination.

Consider me even more ecstatic about this motion picture.
 
My theater was completely filled up almost by the time I got there (45 minutes 'til). People were hopping to different screenings looking to get a seat. Luckily, my pop, friend, and I got into the only unopened screen and got some primo seats a few rows back and in the middle.

Again, it's great. Any fan of the character or previous film should check this out... or anyone who enjoys a great crime film. This, however, is ridiculous: http://www.imdb.com/chart/top?tt0468569

I really hope that number drops steadily in the coming weeks.
 
I am thinking I may wait a week or two, now.


I fear once I watch this
It will reinforce that Heath, is completely gone.

In a strange way, until I see this, part of him still remains.
 
I had a nightmare about the Joker last night. No lie. By that measure, I guess you'd have to say the film was a tremendous success.

I've never been more hyped for anything and I've never had something completely deliver in such a way.
 
I was probably more hyped for The Empire Strikes Back. Would any of you believe me if I told you when I was in second grade we actually had a school FIELD TRIP to see that movie? That's how big Star Wars was.

But yeah, this film delivered above and beyond. I couldn't believe how every major character, including the citizens of Gotham and the police force of Gotham, were presented with these difficult ethical dilemmas. So rich and well-plotted.

The film was so draining, skipping the normal ebb and flow of tension and release. It really just kept tightening further and further over the course of the film. Just brutalizing. Like Lance's Mom after servicing a platoon of Marines, TDK earns its money the hard way.
 
Sheer brilliance. Among the tops of my favourite movies after one screening. The Joker and Harvey Dent were stunning. I have to see this again. And soon.
 
Just got back. Loved it.

Arnold delivered a few too many ice puns and the cartoon scenery was a bit too much at times, but I just can't get enough of Chris O'Donnell in skin-tight leather!
 
Heh. Not enough to go at midnight at my neighborhood theater (have you guys been to Majestic Bay, tourist? I love that theater). I can barely make myself go to things that start at 10 pm.

But yes, I'm very excited to see it. My expectations are quite high.
 
Oh man, that was incredible. Saw it at 3:15 am last night at IMAX, got there about an hour early, and it was completely worth it. Everything about this film is amazing - the visuals, the acting, the pacing, the story... all of the ethical questions it brings up ... AAHHHHH SO GOOD

two face. holy shit. they did quite a job on him. Much more gruesome than I expected...I think I gasped out loud when they first showed him :lol: and of course the joker was outstanding. Just outstanding.

I can't even really articulate how great this movie is. I want to go see it 398553359 more times (at IMAX, oh man, how gorgeous. I highly recommend checking it out there if you have the chance)
 
Just saw it. Still not comfortable with lack of permanent hair and skin colour on Joker. However, the portrayal of the Joker as a soulless killer with a f***ed up sense of humour was fantastic along with Harvey Dent.

I felt that the Daniel Craig Bond made everyone else's version look like Austin Powers. I think that Nolan and Bale's version of Batman make Burton's Batman look like Adam West's 60's schlab. And Jack Nicholson's version of the Joker is comical in comparison to Ledger's performance.

Best comic book movie ever (well, let's see how Watchmen turns out in the spring)

You're gonna love it if you haven't seen it yet.:up:
 
I honestly felt like I was expecting the world with this movie, and somehow I got the entire solar system. Good, good, good, good, good stuff. I can see myself seeing this one 3 or 4 times in the theater, we'll see what happens.
 
You wanna see it that much, huh? Well so did I. And I wanna see it a second time even more.

That's exactly how I feel.

You get the feeling, though I'm not sure if it is because of Ledger's tragical passing, that you're watching something on a superior level when you watch The Joker on screen. Something on a supernatural level. I don't know, I can't explain it. Did anyone else feel this?
 
I'm not ashamed to admit that I teared up when his name flashed in the credits, and in the memorial credit. He is so alive in that character and then poof, he is gone-and you remember that he is. For me his performance blew away the others, and honestly I kept wishing for him to be on screen again. One review I read said that the movie would be fatally ponderous without him, and I have to agree with that. It's all action and great shots, but when he's not around it seems one dimensional and slow-and that is so true to say that he makes you root for the Joker.

I agree about Maggie too, I expected more from her. But the character is not well written/fleshed out and maybe she did the best with what she had. She looked beautiful.

I enjoyed it very much- but in the end it left me wanting a Joker movie sequel, starring Heath, and obviously that can never be.
 
This review said Eckhart's performance was disappointingly bland and honestly I thought it was too. Maybe it's just expectations that are too high, especially when you witness Heath's. I thought it made the about face unbelievable as well.

(CNN) -- According to a Russian proverb, God makes the priests. Jesters come from the devil.

You won't have any trouble believing that aphorism when you see Heath Ledger's mesmerizing performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," Christopher Nolan's hotly anticipated and often brilliantly executed follow-up to "Batman Begins."

His face caked in cracked white greasepaint, his smile a grotesque red lipstick scar, kohl rimming his eyes, the Joker is a cruel kind of clown, the kind that is only interested in the last laugh.

Slouched in his purple suit, Ledger gives him a lopsided shuffle, a permanently craning neck and an insinuating, deceptively neighborly voice. But there's something reptilian about the way his tongue flicks through his pursed lips like a pickpocket. He's hungry for trouble, a maniac for mayhem -- and in Gotham City, where crime is still running wild, he can make himself right at home.

Ledger dominates this movie as a living presence, a live wire, dangerous and unpredictable. It's an astonishing performance, as extravagant and free ("deranged" might be a better word) as his Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain" was inhibited and tongue-tied.

And "The Dark Knight" takes him -- and its world -- very seriously.

Even more than Batman himself, the Joker would usually scream "camp" (and has in the TV series and other movies) but Nolan refuses to go there. His Gotham is cement and glass, a "real" city not so different from what we might find in any contemporary action thriller. (Chicago doubles for Batman's metropolis.)

Unlike Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher, who directed previous Batman films, Nolan favors location work over studio artifice, and he seems determined to keep the computer-generated imagery within the bounds of gravity. Even the fetishistic attention to Batman's toys -- his suit, his weaponry and transport -- emphasizes utility and design; this is not a superhero in the supernatural sense. (He may not be a hero, either, according to the serious-to-a-fault script by Nolan and his brother Jonathan.)

"Batman Begins," which came out in 2005, was about the politics of fear, the power of nightmares. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) overcame his own phobia to turn fear back on the fear mongers and restore hope to Gotham.

In "The Dark Knight" (Nolan must have been tempted to add "of the Soul" to the title), the Joker might be his shadow or his evil twin. In some sick way, they need each other.

"You complete me," the Joker lisps to Batman, mimicking (mocking?) "Jerry Maguire."

The word is nowhere stated, but this Joker is unmistakably a terrorist -- he blows up hospitals, rigs bombs to commuter ferries, burns his own ill-gotten gains. (He even manages to put Gotham's crime syndicates under his thumb.) That makes Batman a kind of one-man Department of Homeland Security. And if he has to ride roughshod over civil liberties to get the job done -- eavesdropping on the entire city's cell phone data, for example -- then so be it.

To their credit, neither Nolan nor Bruce Wayne is comfortable with this glorified vigilante figure. However, the only legitimate alternative turns out to be a civic crusader, District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).

Dent, who carries around a double-headed coin, may seem honorable, but he was once known as "Two-Faced Harvey." With whom will he cast his lot? That's the movie's ultimate ideological battleground.

Unfortunately, if Dent gives the movie a classic character arc, Eckhart's disappointingly bland performance fails to nail the narcissism that must be the flip side to his zeal, making his ultimate about-face hard to accept.

That's the film's most obvious flaw. Whenever the Joker and Batman are in the vicinity, the movie hums with finely tuned dread and anticipation. But the longer it goes on (and yes, it does go on too long), Dent triangulates the equation, ultimately pulling it out of whack.

Still, for the most part, "The Dark Knight" is an exceptionally smart, brooding picture with some terrific performances. In a summer when action overwhelms intelligence (and even good sense), here's a movie that works on many levels. It even features the single most awesome truck stunt I've ever seen.

And though Ledger's tragic death in January can't help but cast a morbid pall over the proceedings -- and that's saying something, given some of the film's plot points -- when he's on the screen the movie lights up. It's a bravura turn. I'll be surprised if Ledger doesn't get a posthumous Oscar for it.
 
Again, it's great. Any fan of the character or previous film should check this out... or anyone who enjoys a great crime film. This, however, is ridiculous: IMDb Top 250

I really hope that number drops steadily in the coming weeks.

Since everyone here seems to be head over heels in love with this movie, I'm going to keep my thoughts to myself, but damn those numbers better drop.
 
Since everyone here seems to be head over heels in love with this movie, I'm going to keep my thoughts to myself, but damn those numbers better drop.

You should post how you feel and not worry about how everyone else feels. If you disliked it, or liked it a lot less than everyone else, why not say so, and say why? This is not FYM, you're not going to get attacked.
 
Just saw it. Fucking unreal. Blew my expectations out of the water. I thought I knew the general plot of the movie because of the previews. Not even close.
 
I never used to care that we Brits get films weeks, sometimes months, after their American release dates.

Then I joined a predominately American forum.

Fuck you all until next weekend.
 
I think the movie needed Dent, and I thought Eckhart's performance was solid. Not quite up to the level of Bale and obviously Ledger, but still very, very good.

What I really like about this movie is none of the characters are completely likable, nor are any completely despicable. Even before he became Two-Face, there was something annoying to me about Dent, like he was too idealistic. It's simultaneously tragic but also almost satisfying to see his character fall into Two-Face. Meanwhile we see Bruce Wayne act like a cocky asshole you can both love and hate (sort of like Stark from Iron Man, except for me Stark was much more on the love end, plus that was his entire character as opposed to just a part) and we see Batman almost become a monster and not always the obvious hero. Then The Joker is clearly completely insane but as others have mentioned, how can you not absolutely love his performance, and furthermore see some truth in what he says?
 
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