THE DARK KNIGHT
I know every man, woman and dog has written a review of The Dark Knight because it has been out in the US for a week but as Brits only got it last night. So as the Joker would say “Here we go”.
So yeah, The Dark Knight is ………… Pretty F”£king Awesome. I mean I love the Tim Burton Version of Batman, Joel can suck a big one for this efforts but Chris Nolan has save the summer for me with this movie. After the good but not great Indy film and Iron Man being good but I know the sequel going to be good and other films like The Hulk and Hancock just been ok.
I remember a review years ago for Blade Two and Aintitcool calling the movie a blow job of a film. The Dark Knight and I am sorry if people under 16 read this review, Is the full blown monkey dance with Dita Von Tesse (If you do not find her hot there is something wrong with you) of a movie.
I am not going to write anything about the plot because you just have to see the film. Most people know the bad guy is the Joker and Harvey Dent in the movie and so on.
Anyway why is The Dark Knight so good because it a crime film not a superhero movie. I will just to explain myself. The idea of Batman was he was a detective in some respects but it the movies by Burton he did a little bit but most of the time he waited until the moment he can just fight them to be honest.
In Nolan version Batman follow a case and build it up to bring the person to justice and if he has to hunt them down he will. He want to criminal world to do it time. Nolan uses the idea of Batman as a detective so he can create a crime thriller.
It hard to review this film in words to be honest because I do not want to spoil anything about the plot to be honest.
So I will talk about the actors and the performances they gave in this film.
Christian Bale is great in this movie, I like how Nolan play up the idea of the rich playboy when Wayne is out with the public but privately with Alfred he jokes and tell him how he feels. As Batman is great as well, He just fit the part, He knows how to work all the sides to the Wayne/Batman Character.
Sir Michael Caine is great as Alfred, He also play the part to great affect. Alfred is funny, insightful and a good listener. It show Alfred to be a father figure to Bruce, he might be the hired help but he is much more to Bruce and The Batman.
At this point you guessing I am going to say everyone is great and they are. It seem Film Makers have got it right with casting people in Comic Books films, they just do not have to look good but they got to act the part as well.
Maggie Gyllenhaal (My future wife I hope lol) is a good replacement for Mrs Cruise. I felt in Batman Begins I could not believe Katie Holmes to be a lawyer or in fact a assistant D.A because it was Katie Holmes from Dawson Creek. I know that sound cruel but it how I felt at the time. Ms Gyllenhaal look the part as a lawyer and love interest to both Wayne and Dent. She feel to bring more emotion to the role than Mrs Cruise.
Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent (Later Two Face) is one of the best thing in the movie to be honest. He going to be over shadow by Heath and that understandable but I can not take everything away from his performance. Dent is a the bright light of Gotham and Batman see this and believe him to be the true hero of Gotham. Eckhart give the character warm and make you believe that he want to change the City for the better, he got some issues with Gordon. When he become Two Face, Eckhart gives a stunning performace in my opition, it dark and edge and angry and switch personally with great effect. Eckhart is great (that all I can say because again you just got to see the film)
Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox is a good as well, He is Batman Q to be honest, creating new suits and weapons and gadgets, Freeman play him straight down the line. A friend to Bruce who can make a good joke but at the same time warns Bruce about getting too much power.
Gary Oldman as Gordon is soild as per usual, (I love Gary Oldman, he been in some of favourite films like Leon) Gordon is the moral point of the film to be honest, he a good cop who trust Batman to the end of the world and know he the hero of Gotham if no one wants to know. Gordon in a weird way is the sane member of the good guys. Dent will stop at nothing to get the job done as the D.A and Batman is on the same page but uses different methods to get the job done. Gordon has a family and a life he wants to protect so he go along with plans but remember he has people who love him and he does not want them to get hurt.
Anyway Here the big one
Heath Ledger as The Joker. What can I say about him, Ledger is the best actor in the film and I am going to say this better than Jack in the Burton version and the best performance ever of a comic book character to the point where I forgot The Joker was a comic book character and just thought of him as a psycho in the same respects as Alex in Clockwork Orange or Patrick Bateman in America Psycho. The Joker is a anti-hero and I know that sound strange because he a bad guy but The Joker is so twisted and got balls of steel (Just watch the meeting scene in the movie and you see why). Joker want to cause chaos and mayhem and take over the city and is always one step ahead it seem. He the polar opposite to Batman. Put it this way, It not hype because Ledger die at the start of the year.
He is the best actor in the movie and the best actor as a comic book character. Him and Eckhart create two characters which just adds a whole new dimension to the Batman series of movies.
Anyway, just see the film, it great, I am going to see it on IMAX at some moment in London. Nolan, Nolan, Goyer, Bale, Ledger and everyone else who make or starred in this movie has make a great movie because this is not just a superhero movie. It a great crime thriller and character study which happen to have Heroes and villains in it from the DC universe.
Please take note writers of the next Superman movie.
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