Dark Knight, A Review

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Welcome to a World Without Rules
So, Malach and Dr. Murk went this afternoon to go see The Dark Knight. We were supposed to be joined by The Angry Piper, but he pulled a Otis Serungis on us.

The Dark Knight is of course the latest in the series of Batman movies, this being a sequel to the very good Batman Begins, and like it's predecessor has nothing to do with the Batman movies of the late 80's through 90's. Like those movies it attempts to move Batman away from the campy 60's version my parents grew upwith, and return Batman to what he really is.

It of course was excellent overall, Christian Bale once again does an decent job portraying a tough character to portray, playboy billionaire industrialist by day, and violent costumed vigilante by night. The polarity of a hero who is doomed to be the same as his villains.

This movie of course features Heath Ledger's version of the Joker, Gary Oldman retaining his role of Jim Gordon, and Aaron Eckhardt playing an awesome Harvey "Two Face" Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal takes up the role of Rachel Dawes, the role Katie Holmes played in Batman Begins before she was kidnapped by Xenu. Micheal Caine returns as Alfred, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

The casting is excellent, Bale does a adequate job in the Bruce Wayne/Batman role (better than any previous), even though his whispering disguised voice as Batman is kind of annoying; Ledger lives up to the hype as the Joker, a very dark, psychotic, insane genius version of him, maybe too insane, a bit far from the comic book version, but I prefer the Joker this way anyway (IE The Killing Joke). Eckhardt though, steals the show as Harvey Dent, and especially his transformation into Two Face.

The movie is a shade under 3 hours, and in that time explores mainly the Joker, and how he completes messes up Gotham City, from the Crime Lords, the Police, Harvey Dent, and Batman. While not giving a true origin of the Joker beyond little tidbits from the Joker himself ("ask me how I got my scars"), the movie explores the reasons for the Joker being, how Batman and Joker are the same person in a way, and Ledger plays up his psychotic brilliance perfectly. The Joker does these excellent choice based death traps, that add a real sense of nuttiness to the character. While Batman won't bring himself to kill, the Joker refuses to kill Batman, or he would have no reason for being. As he is Batman's greatest foe, Batman is his. As the Joker states in one great scene to the Bats, "You complete me". Better than Nicholson, but Mark Hamill still did the best Joker.

The Joker is eventually captured, but this is all part of his plan, and plan that turns Harvey Dent into Two Face, and further crumbles Batman and Bruce Wayne's world around him, by the end of the film, Batman is as wanted as the villains he fights. Wayne Manor is still ruins, and the love of his life is dead.

If you are any sort of fan of Batman, this is a must see movie, just for the portrayals of the Joker and Two Face. The movie is obviously open for a sequel, Batman's greatest enemy lives (though the actor portraying him didn't).

I have few complaints about the film. The first is it does not come across whether or not Two Face dies in the movie, neither myself nor Murk could figure that out. Also, this might be too realistic as a Batman movie, Batman almost seems out of place in his own movie, which is pretty much a dark gritty homicide drama. He was almost like if you had a pro wrestler leading a homicide investigation. Finally, it is the complaint I have about EVERY Batman movie. Why can they not ever get the costume so it looks cool, and not stiff, over armored, and more fluid like the comics? They could do it for the Spiderman movies, why not Batman? Perhaps they are trying to make it too realistic, Batman is a comic book hero, and does not look like one in this movies? He looks more like a armored martial artist. Use some CGI if you need too.

Was is better the Ironman? I am still debating that. But is get 3 1/2 Rubbersuitheads out of 4.

I am Malach, and you wanna know where I got my scars?