THE DARK KNIGHT

[HappyGilmore]

Dark Knight was an amazing movie.  I'd never been so excited to see a movie on the big screen.  Joker's my favorite villain, even though I'm more a Marvel Comics fan than DC.  Although, I feel Batman's got probably the best rogue's gallery out there.

If Harvey Two-Face is dead, which I don't feel he is, he'd be perfect for the next.  Although, if not, I'd like to see Riddler or Penguin.

[akiratubo]

The Dark Knight is a big step up from Batman Begins.  Heath was good as The Joker, though his makeup didn't do much for me.  The way Two-Face was worked into the movie actually made sense.  Nolan did a much better job of directing this time around.

However, I'm finally going to come out and say it: I think Bale is a TERRIBLE Batman.  He's all right as Bruce Wayne but his facial expressions and "Batman voice" are horrible.  Also, the way Nolan writes Batman, he's an idiot.  Like, blowing up cars that might have had people in them, racing his Batcycle through a building with civilians in it, or beating up the SWAT cops instead of, I dunno, radioing Gordon to tell him the hostages were the clowns.

The Dark Knight was fine as long as it was The Joker or Two-Face but it fell apart whenever Batman showed up.  The chase scene in the tunnel is a good example: it was probably the best part of the movie but when Batman showed up it just went all to hell.  That's not what you want in a Batman movie.

At least they blew up the godawful Batmobile.  I hated that thing so much.

I'm calling BULLs**t on the feel-goody business with the bombs on the barges.  Just, no.

The beginning with the Scarecrow could have been cut.  The entire subplot about the Chinese guy could have been cut with only minor alterations to the movie.  The subplot about the accountant who finds out that Bruce Wayne is Batman sorely *needed* to be cut.

So, I would normally give this movie a C-, just like Batman Begins: a good effort but mediocre execution.  However, Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart were so good as The Joker and Two-Face, I'm bumping the grade up to a B-.

[HappyGilmore]

I understand where you're coming from as far as Batman attacking the SWAT team when he found out about the hostages.  But on the other hand, he didn't have a whole hell of a lot of time.  Soon as he got in the building, the SWAT team was already there and ready to attack.  Even if he radioed Gordon, Gordon was gone from the scene, as he found out Two-Face had his family.  So I saw him attacking the SWAT team as a necessary step in preventing a bigger tragedy that could have happened.   

[KYGOTC]

The Dark Knight is a big step up from Batman Begins.  Heath was good as The Joker, though his makeup didn't do much for me.  The way Two-Face was worked into the movie actually made sense.  Nolan did a much better job of directing this time around.

However, I'm finally going to come out and say it: I think Bale is a TERRIBLE Batman.  He's all right as Bruce Wayne but his facial expressions and "Batman voice" are horrible.  Also, the way Nolan writes Batman, he's an idiot.  Like, blowing up cars that might have had people in them, racing his Batcycle through a building with civilians in it, or beating up the SWAT cops instead of, I dunno, radioing Gordon to tell him the hostages were the clowns.

The Dark Knight was fine as long as it was The Joker or Two-Face but it fell apart whenever Batman showed up.  The chase scene in the tunnel is a good example: it was probably the best part of the movie but when Batman showed up it just went all to hell.  That's not what you want in a Batman movie.

At least they blew up the godawful Batmobile.  I hated that thing so much.

I'm calling BULLs**t on the feel-goody business with the bombs on the barges.  Just, no.

The beginning with the Scarecrow could have been cut.  The entire subplot about the Chinese guy could have been cut with only minor alterations to the movie.  The subplot about the accountant who finds out that Bruce Wayne is Batman sorely *needed* to be cut.

So, I would normally give this movie a C-, just like Batman Begins: a good effort but mediocre execution.  However, Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart were so good as The Joker and Two-Face, I'm bumping the grade up to a B-.

I agree with him being too reckless in this movie, even for Batman. The scene in the tunnel killed me, (just as it did several people in that tunnel.) Now that I think about it, that tiny little sub-plot with the accountant WAS pretty lame and useless. And Joker couldve laughed more. He was to serious.

[Mr. DS]

However, I'm finally going to come out and say it: I think Bale is a TERRIBLE Batman.  He's all right as Bruce Wayne but his facial expressions and "Batman voice" are horrible.  Also, the way Nolan writes Batman, he's an idiot.  Like, blowing up cars that might have had people in them, racing his Batcycle through a building with civilians in it, or beating up the SWAT cops instead of, I dunno, radioing Gordon to tell him the hostages were the clowns.

Agree most whole heartedly.  Like I said in a prior post the voice he uses as Batman (especially the angry one) hit me as almost funny.  That and I'm not sure if its the suit is to blame but his face looks like a chipmunk in it.  I don't personally recall Batman losing his temper as much as Bale's interpretation.  It all seems off key to me when you compare to the comics. 

The beginning with the Scarecrow could have been cut.  The entire subplot about the Chinese guy could have been cut with only minor alterations to the movie.  The subplot about the accountant who finds out that Bruce Wayne is Batman sorely *needed* to be cut.

Yeah that had absolutely no premise to the movie what so ever.  Hell, I'd say the plot forgets about the Chinese character post capture quicker than the audience does. To think, that screen time could have been given more to the Joker's exploits. 

And Joker couldve laughed more. He was to serious.

Yeah, for me Ledger nailed the dangerous side of the Joker but if he laughed more while killing he would have seemed even more maniacal IMHO. 

Another negative side note, am I the only person sick of Morgan Freeman?  He seems to play the same role in every movie.

Ok, nerdy moment over, I'm moving on.   

Edit 8/5/08
By the way, just because I don't like Morgan Freeman acting style doesn't mean I wish him bad.  He was just in a serious car accident. Heres the link.  Hope all is going to be well. 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_en_mo/morgan_freeman

[Torgo]

The beginning with the Scarecrow could have been cut.  The entire subplot about the Chinese guy could have been cut with only minor alterations to the movie.  The subplot about the accountant who finds out that Bruce Wayne is Batman sorely *needed* to be cut.

Yeah that had absolutely no premise to the movie what so ever.  Hell, I'd say the plot forgets about the Chinese character post capture quicker than the audience does. To think, that screen time could have been given more to the Joker's exploits. 

Any kind of criticism of the film's plot cites that example right there. 

[peter johnson]

Saw it last night --

Overwhelmingly Gothic at times, I had no problems with the Chinese guy, as the kidnapping & bringing him back to Gotham was intergal to the busting of the crime bosses that made them loose the Joker on the city -- Really, what would you have put in place of that?  I think it was a necessary part of the falling dominoes. 

Had no problem with Batman's voice, and as far as the "bad-cop" Batman goes, have you ever read Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke" or one of the other Batman graphics from that era?  Batman does some serious smacking around in the interrogation rooms --

The bombs on the ferryboats?  At least that was something unexpected -- I thoroughly enjoyed it when the huge killer threw their trigger out the window -- That was an unexpected choice & it tickled me.

Those of you who find Maggie G. unattractive:  Check out "The Secretary" & get back to us --

Having said all that, both the wife and I found the whole thing to be too damn long & felt that it could have been cut by a good 40min.  How many more drawn-out big, bad expolsions do you really need in a film?  The l-o-n-g-g-g-g scene of The Joker blowing up (finally!!) the Gotham hospital could have been done away with altogether. The only reason to drag a film out that long is to show us something new or different, and we felt that a lot of the film almost seemed like padding, as we were shown things for a second or third time that we'd already seen.

A mixed bag, but generally wonderful.  I too was bothered by Batman blasting his way through traffic, but quickly forgot my discomfit as we roared on to something else.  Very mythic at times:  (Lucius Fox = Lucifer).  I found the licking motion of Ledger to be serpent-like/Garden of Eden/Agent of Chaos -- he even says that about himself at one point, lest we don't get it.

Well, it sure were a movie, innit it?

peter johnson/denny still deaf and blind with ringing in my ears . . .

[trekgeezer]

Well, poo-poo on  you guys, I loved it all. Plot holes included. It's so tremendously better than all the s**t they were trying pass off as Batman before.

And I most heartily disagree about Bale as Batman, I understand what he's going for when he's in the suit.  Batman should be a scary SOB and he pulls that off.

Oh and the suit is responsible for the way his face looks, it was the same way in Begins.

[akiratubo]

And I most heartily disagree about Bale as Batman, I understand what he's going for when he's in the suit.  Batman should be a scary SOB and he pulls that off.

Different strokes and all that, but I think his voice is just painful.  Whenever he was speaking, I couldn't help but think, "Do you need a lozenge, buddy?"

[Psycho Circus]

Different strokes and all that, but I think his voice is just painful.  Whenever he was speaking, I couldn't help but think, "Do you need a lozenge, buddy?"

"I'll tell you what's painful...."

[Oldskool138]

And I most heartily disagree about Bale as Batman, I understand what he's going for when he's in the suit.  Batman should be a scary SOB and he pulls that off.

Different strokes and all that, but I think his voice is just painful.  Whenever he was speaking, I couldn't help but think, "Do you need a lozenge, buddy?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2yv8aT0UFc

[Mr. DS]

And I most heartily disagree about Bale as Batman, I understand what he's going for when he's in the suit.  Batman should be a scary SOB and he pulls that off.

Different strokes and all that, but I think his voice is just painful.  Whenever he was speaking, I couldn't help but think, "Do you need a lozenge, buddy?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2yv8aT0UFc

Thats funny sh*t and so accurate. Almost hard to tell from the original...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY8fei3Zres
roarrrrrblahblahblahbrooooarrrroaaarr....

[Texdar]

I loved the film myself but his voice kept making me think about Pee Wee's Big Adventure when Pee Wee played the bellhop in the movie about himself and had that voice.  I kept waiting for Batman to say "Paging Mister Herman".

[Joe the Destroyer]

*shrugs*

I guess I'm the only person that really doesn't mind Batman's voice. 

[KYGOTC]

*shrugs*

I guess I'm the only person that really doesn't mind Batman's voice. 

I doesnt bug me.