Title: The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan
Producer: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
Written By: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (Screenplay), Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer (Story)
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman
Distributed By: Warner Bros., DC Comics
Year: 2008
I'm not going to give you any sum-up of the storyline or anything here. I choose not to do that because there is so much other stuff I would rather dive right into in regards to this film. I saw it in the theater two days ago and went back to see it a second time today. It was even better the second time around. No joke, I'm already hoping I can get to see it a third time around. Nothing would please me more than once again sitting in that theater for two and a half hours of wonderful chaos.
Everyone knows the hype that was surrounded around this film for what seems like forever. I must inform you, the film surpasses the hype. Now this means something coming from me. Why so? I am not that big of a fan of Nolan's Batman Begins (2005). First off, the whole opening segment that focuses on Bruce Wayne and his martial arts skills? Not for me. I think it is way too long and doesn't stay on track with what is important. Also, Cillian Murphy's portrayal of The Scarecrow doesn't impress me in regards to the villain category. I would much rather see Jim Carrey come back as the Riddler again than deal with Murphy and his silly potato sack head. Overall, it is a great Batman film, but I knew that Nolan could do a hell of a lot better with the whole idea of digging into the darker side of Batman that has previously been left untouched.
With The Dark Knight, Nolan has really brought forth his A-game, creating a film that is ten times better than Batman Begins. I think anyone would agree with this statement.
Heath Ledger. Now this is some serious shit right here. I don't think I have ever seen an actor do what Ledger did with his role as The Joker. Honestly, I'm still in awe of his performance, and I know for a fact that everybody walking out of the theater with me was feeling the same
way. Never before has any actor gotten so into character to portray an evil man and left such an impression on his audience. It's so intriguing to think about the talk surrounding his death back in January, about everything that he was going through in order to really get into his character. It's also really eerie, because you watch Ledger on screen and think, "Woah. This guy isn't playing any games here. This is some serious stuff, and his death might've come about because of what I am witnessing right now." Locking yourself up in a hotel room for a month, all alone, in order to learn your character and basically become him?! Yeah, it's that serious. The Joker's first major scene involves him showing up at the Mob meeting in order to give them his proposition. It's an awesome scene, and then by the end of the film, I realize that every scene that Ledger was in was as incredible as the last. Every time you know you are about to see The Joker again, you get all excited in your seat and cherish the minutes you are lucky enough to be a part of. I know that's how I felt. Acting that is able to create that intense an excitement inside of you is what the cinema is all about. If you are wanting to ask me, "Why so serious?", my answer is because Heath Ledger is that damn serious. Also, just for the record, Heath beat out Jack, by a loooooong shot. Hands down, one of the best acting performances I've ever seen.Now that I've gotten out only some of my thoughts on Ledger, I'll bring up the fact that the cast is an all-round great one. Christian Bale was never someone that I considered some great, big actor, and I still feel that way, but he also isn't half bad. I was never a big fan of Michael Keaton, the only other actor who played Batman for more than one film. It's a definite fact that Bale will continue to be the man in the bat suit, and I think that's a good thing. He has developed a nice Bruce Wayne persona over the course of the last two films, and I feel confident that he will do a good job with expanding it. Michael Caine is always great, and he is even better in this film than the last, playing the role of Alfred. I think Gary Oldman fits like a glove with his character, Commissioner James Gordon. It seemed to me that Dark Knight focuses more on Gordon and his character, and I really liked that aspect. Besides Ledger, my favorite of th
e film goes to no other than Aaron Eckhart. I never did get around to watching Thank You For Smoking in it's entirety, only the second half of it. Even so, I knew right away that I really liked Eckhart. He has this persona that I can't seem to get enough of. Almost as if he knows how good he is. He does an amazing job playing Harvey Dent, and his portrayal of Two-Face is something that Tommy Lee Jones can only achieve in his sweetest dreams. I will most definitely be on the lookout for more Eckhart films to check out, because the man has talent.I gotta say, I'm really impressed with Christopher Nolan right now. As a director, he did an incredible job working at this film. He took a film that is comic book based and turned it into something so much more. The Dark Knight isn't just a comic book movie, it's a dark and gritty crime drama that is actually a lot better than the others of that that genre that are being released these days. I can only imagine what the next installment in the Batman series will be like. All I know is that I am most definitely on board the Nolan Train.
So, Ironman or The Dark Knight, you ask? I gotta tell ya, you might as well ask me if I choose apples or oranges! Ironman is a fantastic comic book film on the lighter side, while The Dark Knight is an untouchable comic book film that delves into the much darker side of the spectrum. And it comes out on top, already establishing itself as one of the best comic book films to date, if not the best.
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Check it out:
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