2081 replies to this topic

[Andrew]

Put your superhero movie prejudices aside, Loomis, as The Dark Knight is a movie about ordinary people. This isn't a world with radioactive spiders or hi-tech iron suits or whatever caused the Hulk to get all green 'n' angry - it may well be the real world.

Exactly. This isn't a superhero movie, this a crime thriller that just so happens to feature a comic book hero.

[[dark]]

Put your superhero movie prejudices aside, Loomis, as The Dark Knight is a movie about ordinary people. This isn't a world with radioactive spiders or hi-tech iron suits or whatever caused the Hulk to get all green 'n' angry - it may well be the real world.

Exactly. This isn't a superhero movie, this a crime thriller that just so happens to feature a comic book hero.

Precisely. And it's executed so convincingly you believe every minute of it.

[Matt_13]

Saw it last night and was amazed. This film surpassed my expectations (which were already high) and delivered one of the most (if not THE most)haunting and edgy movies I have ever seen. Ledger was stunning, I will definitely be checking this film out again sometime soon.

[00Twelve]

Wa-how. I just...man, this movie just assaulted my mind. In the best way possible. Brilliant.

[tdalton]

Here's the top ten:

1. 9.1 The Godfather (1972)
2. 9.1 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
3. 9.0 The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. 9.0 The Dark Knight (2008)
5. 8.9 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
6. 8.9 Pulp Fiction (1994)
7. 8.8 Schindler's List (1993)
8. 8.8 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
9. 8.8 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
10. 8.8 Casablanca (1942)

Right then, I may be ignorant but I'm not stupid, so.... what's the catch? Should we all just surrender to THE DARK KNIGHT right away? I mean, is it the greatest thing since sliced bread? Is resistance futile?

I can't imagine THE DARK KNIGHT staying in that position for too long. Granted, I haven't seen the film (and don't plan to for a while), but I can't imagine that it's so good that it's on par with THE GODFATHER PART II (although I'll guess I'll find out if it is possible for that to happen in December when I get to see the film).

EDIT: Apparently THE DARK KNIGHT has set a new record for midnight showings:

The Dark Knight Sets New Midnight Record!

[[dark]]

Spoiler

What are everyone's thoughts on the arc of Harvey Dent/Two-Face?

Of all the reviews I've read, very few have had any major criticisms. However, one that has popped up more than once, is Dent's transformation into Two-Face. Some have argued it happens too quickly or the story should have been its own film, rather than a subplot.

Also, is Dent actually dead? It certainly seemed so, but as far as I can recall, it wasn't made explicitly clear.

It's tragic that Heath Ledger won't return as there is a clear implication that Batman and the Joker would have otherwise been inextricably linked, but I suppose there is room for Two-Face to return.

While still within spoiler tags, I thought I'd link to this excellent interview with Christopher Nolan, in which he highlights the need for a film franchise to move forward with its characters and narrative. He cites the Bond movies as probably the only film series to successfully continue otherwise (Casino Royale's cliffhanger notwithstanding).

But I love The Dark Knight's conclusion; a real cliffhanger, evocative of The Empire Strikes Back (arguably the greatest cinematic cliffhanger of all). By the end of each franchise's second instalment (or fifth or sixth, depending on how you count), these characters have been absolutely put through the physical and mental wringer. The stage is set for the ultimate third-act finale that so often eludes such stories. Yet if any director is capable of pulling it off, Nolan must be it. The real shame is that Ledger won't be a part of it.

[Loomis]

Put your superhero movie prejudices aside, Loomis, as The Dark Knight is a movie about ordinary people. This isn't a world with radioactive spiders or hi-tech iron suits or whatever caused the Hulk to get all green 'n' angry - it may well be the real world.

Exactly. This isn't a superhero movie, this a crime thriller that just so happens to feature a comic book hero.

Precisely. And it's executed so convincingly you believe every minute of it.

Well, none of that is true of BATMAN BEGINS, so forgive my scepticism. There's precious little that's real world about BB (even the "realistic" bits tend to riff off BLADE RUNNER).

However, I'm very encouraged - believe it or not - by the presence of a Starbucks in THE DARK KNIGHT (you can see it in one of the trailers). Why get excited about just another bit of product placement in a Hollywood movie? Well, precisely because it imparts that real world flavour I'm so desperate to see in a Batman flick. I'd cringe at it in Bond (if I even noticed it), but welcome it enormously in Batman.

Also, I have great hopes for the Hong Kong scenes. It's real, but then again Hong Kong is Gotham City. Or Mega-City One, at any rate. Also, I understand that much more of THE DARK KNIGHT than BATMAN BEGINS takes place in daylight.

So I'm excited about THE DARK KNIGHT because it seems to have shaped up into just the sort of Batman outing I'd enjoy, namely a blend of Bond and OLDBOY. Will I be disappointed? Well, probably, but for now the signs look very promising.

BTW, all these EMPIRE STRIKES BACK comparisons make my heart sink. If you ask me, the STAR WARS series absolutely blows, by and large. And if this one is EMPIRE, better hope that the next ain't RETURN OF THE JEDI.

[Harmsway]

Spoiler

What are everyone's thoughts on the arc of Harvey Dent/Two-Face?

I liked it. I thought it tied in really well to everything that was going on. I wish we could have spent a bit more time with Dent throughout the film, but that's just my own wish. Eckhart is excellent.

Spoiler

Also, is Dent actually dead? It certainly seemed so, but as far as I can recall, it wasn't made explicitly clear.

Well, yeah, I think so.

Spoiler

Given that Gordon's speaking at a funeral service for him, I think it's pretty unavoidable. The only way to bring Two-Face back would be to create some awful, fanwanked explanation of some conspiracy on Gordon's part to pretend Dent's dead, while he's really locked up. And that's so awful, I can't imagine Nolan will ever go there.

Well, none of that is true of BATMAN BEGINS, so forgive my scepticism. There's precious little that's real world about BB (even the "realistic" bits tend to riff off BLADE RUNNER).

Indeed. And that's one of the reasons THE DARK KNIGHT is so different from BEGINS. They almost feel like the product of two very different directors.

Also, I have great hopes for the Hong Kong scenes. It's real, but then again Hong Kong is Gotham City. Or Mega-City One, at any rate.

There's not a whole lot of time spent there, but the sequence there is a corker. And it has something that Bond fans will love.

Also, I understand that much more of THE DARK KNIGHT than BATMAN BEGINS takes place in daylight.

Yup.

BTW, all these EMPIRE STRIKES BACK comparisons make my heart sink. If you ask me, the STAR WARS series absolutely blows, by and large. And if this one is EMPIRE, better hope that the next ain't RETURN OF THE JEDI.

I'm more or less with you. I don't think STAR WARS or EMPIRE quite blows, but they're not truly great films in their own way.

But as I said, this is way better than any of the STAR WARS films.

[tdalton]

BTW, all these EMPIRE STRIKES BACK comparisons make my heart sink. If you ask me, the STAR WARS series absolutely blows, by and large. And if this one is EMPIRE, better hope that the next ain't RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Agreed. The comparisons to the Star Wars franchise aren't helping me get more excited for THE DARK KNIGHT. While THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was an OK film (although extraordinarily overrated), the entire series of films was not very good at all and I would hope that THE DARK KNIGHT was better than the Star Wars films.

[Loomis]

Well, none of that is true of BATMAN BEGINS, so forgive my scepticism. There's precious little that's real world about BB (even the "realistic" bits tend to riff off BLADE RUNNER).

Indeed. And that's one of the reasons THE DARK KNIGHT is so different from BEGINS. They almost feel like the product of two very different directors.

Oh, man. That's exactly what I want from THE DARK KNIGHT. I like Nolan (funnily enough, I was introduced to his work, namely the flimsy but haunting INSOMNIA and the clever FOLLOWING.... while holidaying in Hong Kong and Shanghai, so I have a kinda sorta sentimental connection to his use of HK as a location, if you see what I mean - for years, I've been kind of primed to like THE DARK KNIGHT, long before it or even BATMAN BEGINS went into production), and I like BATMAN BEGINS, but like's been as far as it's gone. Until now.

So to say that I want TDK to feel like the product of a different director may on the face of it seem like a diss, but then again CASINO ROYALE doesn't feel like the work of the man who directed GOLDENEYE, and I think more of Campbell for that, not less. I want to see some versatility and experimentation from Nolan, and I certainly don't want BATMAN BEGINS II (because I was never that crazed about BB to begin with).

I'm getting very, very excited about THE DARK KNIGHT. With a bit of luck and a following wind, I'll get to see it on Wednesday.

[tdalton]

Well, none of that is true of BATMAN BEGINS, so forgive my scepticism. There's precious little that's real world about BB (even the "realistic" bits tend to riff off BLADE RUNNER).

Indeed. And that's one of the reasons THE DARK KNIGHT is so different from BEGINS. They almost feel like the product of two very different directors.

That's good to hear. I'm one of those that didn't find much to enjoy in BATMAN BEGINS so I'm cautiously optimistic that THE DARK KNIGHT will be a better film (only because they really have up to go from BATMAN BEGINS, which is only separated from the bottom of my ranking of Batman films by the truly awful BATMAN & ROBIN).

[Harmsway]

So to say that I want TDK to feel like the product of a different director may on the face of it seem like a diss, but then again CASINO ROYALE doesn't feel like the work of the man who directed GOLDENEYE, and I think more of Campbell for that, not less. I want to see some versatility and experimentation from Nolan, and I certainly don't want BATMAN BEGINS II (because I was never that crazed about BB to begin with).

Well the Campbell illustration isn't that off the mark. The leap from GOLDENEYE to CASINO ROYALE is very much like the leap from BATMAN BEGINS to THE DARK KNIGHT. There's definitely a huge Michael Mann thing going on in THE DARK KNIGHT (even a brief nightclub fight that evokes memories of the fight from COLLATERAL).

As I've said before, in light of THE DARK KNIGHT, BATMAN BEGINS looks mighty shoddy all around.

[Andrew]

Man, the bum rap that EMPIRE is getting around is a bit disappointing. It's been one of my favorite films for a while and my favorite sequel. I believe that it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the STAR WARS series. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

[[dark]]

Man, the bum rap that EMPIRE is getting around is a bit disappointing. It's been one of my favorite films for a while and my favorite sequel. I believe that it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the STAR WARS series. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Probably a debate for a different thread, but yeah, what's the deal?

Granted, as a six-film series, the Star Wars franchise falls short of expectations, but as an example of a sequel that manages to top its predecessor, Empire is one of the best (though The Dark Knight has joined it on that pedestal).

[coco1997]

I saw this last night (midnight) and I just had to drop in and give my .02 cents.

This is not just the Batman movie people have been waiting for. In fact, it doesn't feel like a Batman movie. This is a hard-edged, adrenaline pumping roller coaster ride from start to finish. AND it was the first film I've seen in a while that left me completely satisfied and literally needing to see a sequel. I completely understand people's comparisons of this film to "Empire" and that it is a moodier, grander and surprisingly immense improvement over its predecessor. The scope of this film really casts "Begins", a film which I really do like, in a rather poor light. But I guess that's what sequels in superhero films are meant to do: improve on the original.

Still, I have a hard time even calling this a superhero film. Every character, and I mean EVERY one of them, is stripped down to his/her barest, coldest essentials. Ledger's Joker is a monster. Bale's Batman/Bruce Wayne is more hardcore than ever (the scene where Batman travels to Hong Kong gave me some serious Bond vibes), Aaron Eckhart really makes you feel sympathy for Harvey Dent, Gary Oldman's Lieutenant Gordon is ripped straight from the source material, Maggie Gyllenhaal is markedly superior to Katie Holmes and Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox has a much larger role.

This film really blurs this lines between "superhero movie" and just about everything else. I can't see a sequel POSSIBLY topping this or any 'superhero movie' really being taken seriously after having seen this masterpiece.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Just back from the Dark Knight. I give it **** out of 4.

Best movie of the summer, and no doubt a best pic of the year contender. Heath Ledger's Joker completely lives up to the impossible amount of hype and even surpasses the expectations! Wow.

Great job from all cast members...the film is really an engrossing drama rather than a super hero movie we've become used to.I really hope Nolan isn't bored with Gotham City because the next film will be at the top of the franchise food chain in terms of anticipation. Who knew a tired series could be so on top of the market?

I really wanna see THE CAPED CRUSADER (my prefered title) asap!

[Johnboy007]

I've ordered my ticket to see this on the local IMAX screen next Friday.

[The Dove]

Just back from the Dark Knight. I give it **** out of 4.

Best movie of the summer, and no doubt a best pic of the year contender. Heath Ledger's Joker completely lives up to the impossible amount of hype and even surpasses the expectations! Wow.

Great job from all cast members...the film is really an engrossing drama rather than a super hero movie we've become used to.I really hope Nolan isn't bored with Gotham City because the next film will be at the top of the franchise food chain in terms of anticipation. Who knew a tired series could be so on top of the market?

I really wanna see THE CAPED CRUSADER (my prefered title) asap!

Excellent!! Glad you really enjoyed it Tarl!! If you gave it a 4 out of 4 stars thats awesome!! I'm definitely catching it either tomorrow or Sunday.. We can compare thoughts about Dark Knight over a Vesper martini or two in a couple of weeks when I come out to Vegas!!

[sharpshooter]

I’ve been trying to write something down as a review, but after what I have witnessed I am finding it hard. It is difficult to put this film into words.

I’ll just say for the moment what I loved:

Spoiler

The opening bank heist, Joker’s magic trick, Joker’s absolutely chilling laugh on television with his hostage, Batman’s use of ropes in the film to hang his opponents, the ‘hit me!’ moment was pure Joker – Batman sliding out of the way and becoming unconscious for Joker to ‘win’ without doing a thing. The interrogation. Anything with Ledger on screen was gold.

The batpod, the use of the cord to flip the truck and how Batman turned the vehicle by pressing against the wall – how the batpod emerged from the Tumbler was outstanding, Batman dropping the mobster to break his legs, the gruesome look of Two Face and Echkart’s performance, the tense ferry sequence, the downbeat ending.

The whole damn film basically. I’ll have to see it again soon.

[freemo]

Loomis, I too thought BEGINS was only "solid". This is in another league.

Spoiler

What are everyone's thoughts on the arc of Harvey Dent/Two-Face?

Of all the reviews I've read, very few have had any major criticisms. However, one that has popped up more than once, is Dent's transformation into Two-Face. Some have argued it happens too quickly or the story should have been its own film, rather than a subplot.

Spoiler

Yeah, I kind of would have liked it to be it's own film, because I think that there's a story there that deserves a whole film to play out over. I "get" what he and his downfall symbolizing in the grand scheme of things, but it makes the "tragedy" less of a personal one. Doesn't it kind of reduce the character to just this symbolic prize that the Joker has snatched from Batman/Gordon?

I also think more was needed on Harvey, and particularly the Harvey-Rachael relationship before the "transformation".

I loved the movie, I just would also have liked a Two-Face movie as well. Maybe that's just greed on my part.

[K1Bond007]

Spoiler

What are everyone's thoughts on the arc of Harvey Dent/Two-Face?

Of all the reviews I've read, very few have had any major criticisms. However, one that has popped up more than once, is Dent's transformation into Two-Face. Some have argued it happens too quickly or the story should have been its own film, rather than a subplot.

Honestly, I thought it was pretty much the entire point of the movie. The Joker took things and turned them all upside down and his greatest work was taking

Spoiler

Dent and transforming him from the White Knight to the villain. It was central to the theme of the entire movie. I really don't see how anyone can complain about it. Could it have been its own movie? Sure, but it works way better like this. The rest of the movie was chaotic and really didn't have much of an arc at all. But in the end you see Dent's transformation and what the Joker did to him and you realize that this defines Batman's role in Gotham and the entire movie comes together.

Being its own movie IMO would have made it be way too much like a stock superhero movie and that ... that's no good anymore. I think Batman is now beyond that. And that's a really really good thing.

[[dark]]

Spoiler

What are everyone's thoughts on the arc of Harvey Dent/Two-Face?

Of all the reviews I've read, very few have had any major criticisms. However, one that has popped up more than once, is Dent's transformation into Two-Face. Some have argued it happens too quickly or the story should have been its own film, rather than a subplot.

Honestly, I thought it was pretty much the entire point of the movie. The Joker took things and turned them all upside down and his greatest work was taking

Spoiler

Dent and transforming him from the White Knight to the villain. It was central to the theme of the entire movie. I really don't see how anyone can complain about it. Could it have been its own movie? Sure, but it works way better like this. The rest of the movie was chaotic and really didn't have much of an arc at all. But in the end you see Dent's transformation and what the Joker did to him and you realize that this defines Batman's role in Gotham and the entire movie comes together.

Being its own movie IMO would have made it be way too much like a stock superhero movie and that ... that's no good anymore. I think Batman is now beyond that. And that's a really really good thing.

Nice post.

I can't say I agreed with the criticisms I initially posted (I think I need another viewing or two to make that call), but your reading is pretty well on the money.

[Righty007]

The Dark Knight blew me away. I'm speechless.

[Tarl_Cabot]

So to say that I want TDK to feel like the product of a different director may on the face of it seem like a diss, but then again CASINO ROYALE doesn't feel like the work of the man who directed GOLDENEYE, and I think more of Campbell for that, not less. I want to see some versatility and experimentation from Nolan, and I certainly don't want BATMAN BEGINS II (because I was never that crazed about BB to begin with).

Well the Campbell illustration isn't that off the mark. The leap from GOLDENEYE to CASINO ROYALE is very much like the leap from BATMAN BEGINS to THE DARK KNIGHT. There's definitely a huge Michael Mann thing going on in THE DARK KNIGHT (even a brief nightclub fight that evokes memories of the fight from COLLATERAL).

As I've said before, in light of THE DARK KNIGHT, BATMAN BEGINS looks mighty shoddy all around.

I really enjoy Liam Neeson in BB. He's a damn fine character. But, yes, this film is an upgrade...huge!

[bond 16.05.72]

Well, none of that is true of BATMAN BEGINS, so forgive my scepticism. There's precious little that's real world about BB (even the "realistic" bits tend to riff off BLADE RUNNER).

Indeed. And that's one of the reasons THE DARK KNIGHT is so different from BEGINS. They almost feel like the product of two very different directors.

That's good to hear. I'm one of those that didn't find much to enjoy in BATMAN BEGINS so I'm cautiously optimistic that THE DARK KNIGHT will be a better film (only because they really have up to go from BATMAN BEGINS, which is only separated from the bottom of my ranking of Batman films by the truly awful BATMAN & ROBIN).

I'm sorry!!!

Batman Forever is better than Batman Begins, that is what your saying.

OK I can live with the First Film only just and I happen to think Returns is the best of the old bunch but saying Forever is better than Begins.

Beggars Belief

It just goes to show the world is made of such diffrent people, whatever floats your boat

Putting Begins & Batman & Robin in the same sentence you should be ashamed.

[sharpshooter]

Putting Begins & Batman & Robin in the same sentence you should be ashamed.

I agree. Begins is an excellent Batman film and would be top if not for TDK.

[[dark]]

The Dark Knight fetched $63 - $65 million on its opening day, easily breaking the record set by Spider-man 3. Stunning!

[Joe Bond]

Well the estimate right now is 66,400,000 which is amazing since it made more in one day than the whole opening weekend gross for Batman Begins which grossed 48 million and this is good news since it is probably going to make above what WB expected which means the DVD will come out in 3-3.5 months since WB does this when a movie outperforms their expectations.

[Genrewriter]

Saw it this afternoon and enjoyed it a great deal. Ledger makes a fantastic Joker and while this will never beat out the two Burton entires for me, this is still a very good movie.

[Qwerty]

Haven't gotten a chance to see it yet as I've been away on vacation, but am planning to head out with some friends later tomorrow afternoon/evening.

The box office numbers sort of speak for themselves though.