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The follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Heath Ledger stars as archvillain The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart plays Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as Rachel Dawes. Returning from Batman Begins are Gary Oldman as Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
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- The follow-up to Batman Begins, THE DARK KNIGHT reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of BATMAN /BRUCE WAYNE in his continuing war on crime. With the help of LT. JIM GORDON and District Attorney HARVEY DENT,BATMAN sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminalSee more technical details
By Untitled (nowhere)
Mention character study as a reason to watch a movie to me, and you have just counterproducted yourself. When you say character study, I often say people study. Unlike some movie fans, I try my best to say grounded with reality, trying very hard not get impressed by every character on the screen as much as possible, getting to know (or observing) interesting people, getting into interesting experiences situations by myself, basically, all things real life. That doesn't mean I dislike a character study. Even though plot, film making, characters are crucial in making a movie complete. Interesting characters really can make a movie all that better. Oh who am I kidding? Bland characters can kill a movie. Just ask Roland Emmerich, as his characters are so bland that all the special effects in the world can't make a great movie (although, surprise surprise, his later).
Characters in movies are a peculiar thing. Some of them can be memorable, easy to love, identify, and let you watch and believe it, feeling everything the character is, loving or hating the person on screen. Even sometimes, the actors can make a character that isn't totally unique fall into this catergory. On the flip side, so many characters in movies are so "real" that watching them makes you wonder why the hell your even watching these personalities on the screen. So much that you realize that you aren't living a life of your own at all. Chances are, they don't have much plot revolving around them either.
The Dark Knight is being touted as the most realistic and intelligent comic book movie ever, a label that has so much laughable baggage in it. Basically, I see the whole Batman and DC comic label a gimmick. The story is not that interesting underneath, there is no atmosphere, the characters are not that interesting, the themes are't that original, and everything is ANALYZED to death (Nostalgia Critic hit the nail on what he meant about that). The Nostalgia Critic was right about what he said about analyzed, as everything is talked about at length. And many of the speeches aren't even that original. When the Joker is talking about how civiled people turn into animals, DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? It something that was told in Lord of the Flies, nay, Freud's concept of the id, ego, and supergo already. And Freud's concept says a lot more in less tedious ways.
So who are the characters? Yes, the Joker is all about anarchy and chaos, but so are many other people. Sure, none have been close to taking over a city, but I think that most can figure out that anarchy can get out of hand. Frankly, seeing it really isn't that interesting. The Joker also really doesn't resemble the comic books as much as he should. When drawn, the Joker looks INSANE, crazy, and loony. I remember how much I used to shake at the sight of such pictures as Batman: The Man Who Laughs. Heath Ledger's joker look still doesn't do that much for me. And forget his . Jack Nicholson's is a litte more fun, and since Heath doesn't scare me that much, Nicholson's cartoony edge makes him more fun to watch.
The Dark Knight, however, is not a bad movie. Christopher Nolan is a great director, the acting is stellar, the music is great, basically, the technical aspects are excellent. The action scenes are exciting, as well as some great scenes that I liked scattered about. I also loved the Batmobile and the batbike, watching his costumes, and Heath Ledger's brillaint scene with his hostage. It wasn't exactly scary, but I could only imagine the silence that followed in the theater after it. Also, Two-Face was the best incarnation of the villian, considering that the first incarnation of the villian, well nevermind. Gary Oldman also was a much better Detective Gordon, simply because how well he sinks into the role. Oldman can sink into anything.
Yes, I do like Tim Burton's Batman series better, but that's not why I am rating this as an average movie. Rather everything else above makes it average. While this is miles better than the Joel Schumacher movies (Ya think?), it's touted "realism" is third person, which really hampers the movie since it has absolutely nothing to really offer besides that, a character study. Did I enjoy it? Sure. However, I expected a whole lot more, and The Dark Knight would probably not even got if it wasn't bagged as a comic book movie (ugh), no less known as a Batman movie.
By monira ardell (GRAND JUNCTION CO)
I really enjoyed this movie it was full of action and the dark knight was amazing I really don't like the bat-man but what are you going to do I would have preferred Clooney but what are you going to do overall it is a must see movie!
By Jiang Xueqin (Toronto, Canada)
On one hand it's the easiest thing to make a comic book movie -- the characters, the plot, the fan base are already there. On the other hand it's the hardest thing to make a comic book movie -- the characters, the plot, the fan base are already there.
There is an inherent contradiction in "Batman": a billionaire vigilante who prowls the streets to beat up poor thugs must be a psychopath, megalomaniac, and narcissist -- yet he accepts most social norms, the most important being that murder is wrong. Batman's a psychopath with a conscience -- he's an impossible contradiction.
Nearly everyone before has chosen to ignore this contradiction but the director Christopher Nolan chooses to confront it outright in "The Dark Knight" by asking what a hero is, and what kind of a hero society needs.
Strangely enough Mr. Nolan chooses to ask these questions by showing what a hero is not -- the real star of the movie is Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker, who in his actions and logic begins and drives the plot of the movie.
The strangest thing about a villain named the Joker is that he's not funny. And he's certainly not mad, otherwise he would make sense. In a hospital scene with another villain Two-Face the Joker tries to explain his motivations -- and is completely incoherent. Joker rails against those "with a plan" and the order of things but unlike Tyler Durden in "Fight Club" doesn't point any fingers.
Because he's an amoral thinker and tinkerer of the human condition the Joker would be better off calling himself "Philosopher" or "Professor." Remember how in college you attended classes where a very serious man stood on the lectern and lectured on endlessly with big words and complicated syntax? You have to believe he was talking about something serious but you just don't know what he's talking about, and in the end you have to believe he doesn't know either -- well, that's the Joker in "The Dark Knight."
After two and a half hours we learn absolutely nothing concrete about the Joker -- and he's just implausible. He's brilliant but incoherent. He can plan the perfect bank heist, and kill anyone he wants -- but he can't articulate his motives. So we're stuck with this brilliant villain who likes to kill and maim but doesn't know why -- and we all know that what brilliant villains can do best is rationalize -- Hitler and Stalin and Mao all thought they were saviors and saints.
It is impossible to watch the Joker, and not think that this is Heath Ledger playing the Joker. Heath Ledger gives a marvelously subtle performance in "Brokeback Mountain," and you have to believe he's trying his best to articulate something in "The Dark Knight" -- possibly re-create Milton's Satan for the 21st century? -- but either the script or the director or the producer doesn't co-operate, and he's left with saying nothing whatsoever. He's trying and he's talking but he's been muted -- isn't that one of the most frustrating, unsatisfying positions an artist can find himself in?
Because of Heath Ledger's death we'll all remember the Joker, and what will we remember about the Joker? That when the whole world was paying attention he said nothing at all.
And how about the director Christopher Nolan? His debut "Memento," though rough and jagged and excessive, is still nevertheless powerful and shocking -- one of the best films ever made. And with "The Prestige" -- his best film to date -- he shows what a very skilled craftsman he is. And "The Dark Knight" is competently made -- the music is superb, the various subplots weave together nicely, and the cinematography is stunning and innovative. But the director is clearly unsure of what kind of movie he wants to make, or capable of making. Does he want to make eye candy, and delight the 16-year old boys who are the cornerstone of the Summer Blockbuster industry? Or does he want to make a thought-provoking character study that will affirm his status as one of Hollywood's best young filmmakers? Unfortunately he wants both, and the result is thoroughly unsatisfying. He asks hard questions but gives easy answers; he wants to be an artist but he wants to appeal to popular tastes.
And thus the consistent and competent Mr. Nolan may be stuck making consistently competent films all his life, and already Mr. Nolan must be asking: why? "The Dark Knight" says nothing, and even worse it tries too damn hard to say something.
And then there's Christian Bale. He's proven himself a brilliant actor in "American Psycho" and "The Machinist," and why he's chosen to play a Phallus for two and a half hours is an even harder question than why Joker chooses to kill and why Christopher Nolan chose to direct "The Dark Knight." At least the Joker must enjoy killing and Christopher Nolan enjoy directing but Mr. Bale does not look happy playing Batman -- he looks bored out of his mind. Neither Batman nor his alter-ego Bruce Wayne has any personality -- he's a hero, and he's not allowed to have any flaws.
And so let's end with the question we began with: just who is Batman? Again, in our popular culture, Batman is one of the great contradictions. But more importantly he's one of the greatest inventions. Boys all think it'd be cool to be powerful and unique -- they all think they can be a superhero. Parents and teachers rightly are concerned that this aspiration unchecked could easily lead some very special children to become mass murderers. So adults imbue every comic book superhero with a conscience, and adults always tell kids it's this conscience that makes the superhero really a superhero.
Now do kids really buy this? Is a superhero with a conscience really cool? But -- wait a minute -- does a superhero with a conscience make any sense? Isn't the point of having superpowers to do whatever you want, to kill whomever you choose? What's the point of being God if you have follow human laws and rules?
Well, adults get away from these difficult questions by making Batman cool. How? By outlawing him -- by branding him a vigilante, and trying to arrest him. Batman is a misunderstood superhero -- and for kids that's really cool, and if their misunderstood superhero has a conscience that's okay because he's being chased by the police.
That ultimately is how "The Dark Knight" ends. By becoming a fugitive and being outlawed Batman shows he's cooler than the Joker. We may not know the difference between what's good and what's evil but we certainly know the difference between what's cool and what's not -- and that's more important. Isn't it the coolest thing in the world not to kill but to have everyone think you killed? You have a clean conscience, and you have the respect of all your peers. That's why we can leave the movie theater exhausted but smiling -- we were right to cheer for Batman all along.
By J. Nguyen (Orange County, CA)
When I went to see this movie for the first time, I had very low expectations because Batman Begins wasn't in my taste. I am not Christian Bale's biggest fan, but I love super hero movies. To my surprise the movie turned out to be very entertaining. It's funny, dramatic, clever, and full of action sequences. My main issue with this movie is that it has a few noticeable continuity problems. This movie should be labeled: Joker Begins. In my opinion, there has never been an actor who could portray the Batman character properly (besides the voice of Kevin Conroy), but most of the supporting actors in this movie are fantastic, especially Gary Oldman aka Harry Potter's "Sirius Black" and Heath Ledger aka Brokeback Mountain's "Ennis Del Mar".
By Patrick N. J. McCaffery (The Patcave|Farmingdale, New York 11735-5229|U.S.A.|patricnasty@yahoo.com|myspace.com/vadervader)
All I have to say is this; after seeing Heath Ledger's portrayl of The Joker, I left the theatre realising that is the kind of character I'm going to be...
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