The Dark Knight...

[PhightinPhils26]

Tickets are on sale for opening night!:eek:

[iShater]

Been going to a few movies lately, and the lineup this summer so far is great. I am looking forward to seeing it.

[mcarnes]

Let's put a smile on that face...

[MacDawg]

Let's put a smile on that face...

http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/smile.jpg

Woof, Woof - Dawg http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/pawprint.gif

[Keebler]

crazy....tickets onsale already! lol

that is nuts.

but i'm excited. still want to see hulk too. loved iron man.

for us guys in our 30s/40s, movie making is heaven right now b/c all the stuff we read and wanted to be movies, they can make them now!
And, to boot, they're doing a pretty good job overall.

can't wait to see it. looks crazy.

[PhightinPhils26]

I have been looking forward to this since i saw Begins the first time.

[mcarnes]

for us guys in our 30s/40s, movie making is heaven right now b/c all the stuff we read and wanted to be movies, they can make them now!

Couldn't agree more. Weird, isn't it?

[ClassicBean]

If I had a time machine, the first place I'd go to is July 18th to see the movie. Actually, on second thought, I'd probably travel to a random weekday in August and catch a matinee since the lineup would most likely be shorter.

[swingerofbirch]

I have been looking forward to this since i saw Begins the first time.

I know....that film was just great...it breathed the hauntingness back into the series that was present in the original, but even better here with the Asian martial arts influences....

I liked the whole theme about fighting fear, but Katie Holmes as the journalist was the only blemish on the film. I've heard she was either replaced or chose not to reprise her role in the next one?

There were so many strange connections as well...Katie Holmes is now a Scientologist, and they oppose psychiatry, the villain in the last movie was a psychiatrist using a psychiatric drug to enslave Gotham City, and Heath Ledger from the next movie died from what was apparently an overdose of several psychiatric drugs.

Just to be clear, I didn't dislike Holmes' character because of the anti-psychiatry stuff, it's just that I have seen her in a decent role since Pieces of April.

[hubristol]

I wasn't a huge Batman Begins fan, but I've been stoked for The Dark Knight ever since I saw the first trailer. It'll definitely be one of the few movies i'll be seeing in theaters this summer.

[P-Worm]

I have my ticket to see it on the IMAX theatre. :cool:

P-Worm

[idyll]

Saw them filming this downtown Chicago last year after lollapalooza.
CAN NOT WAIT!:D

[ReanimationLP]

I'm going to see it on July 17th for free. :D

[leekohler]

I'm gonna try to go tomorrow night. It's showing in my neighborhood theater, so it's just a short walk.

[MacGeek7]

I can't wait....

[cycocelica]

Got tickets to the midnight showing on Thursday. Probably go wait in line 2 hours early because I know how obsessed some people are and I hate having a bad seat.

I am pumped though

[P-Worm]

Only a few more hours to go. I am getting really excited. All my friends got together to watch Batman Begins last night (On Blu-Ray of course ;)) and tonight we're going to the IMAX theater with our reserved seats in the center.

I'm not the dressing up type, but I'm seriously considering dressing up as the Adam West Batman.

P-Worm

[Abstract]

I'm not the dressing up type, but I'm seriously considering dressing up as the Adam West Batman.

P-Worm

Love that photo.



*knock knock knock*

"TRICK OR TREAT"

[kkat69]

Love that photo.



*knock knock knock*

"TRICK OR TREAT"

Holy Halloween Phatman... errrr Batman.

[kidwithdimples]

I got tickets to the 12 AM SHOW! w00t!

[Guitarfool5931]

I saw the movie on Tuesday Knight as a part of the Viral campaign that happened. Anyway I just wanted to let you guys know that the movie is everything you've expected and more. I'm going to see it again at the IMAX on Sunday morning at 3am. I checked the 6am shows and they're almost sold out as well. Crazy!

[benmrii]

I've been excited for this movie... well, ever since I saw Batman Begins. But especially since I learned that the Joker was going to be dark (more true to the comics) and played by Heath Ledger. I remember thinking at the time how perfect a casting that was, and everything I've seen since appears to back that up.

I also love that they flat out replaced with Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes with Maggie Gyllenhaal. Holmes was awful, very distracting from an otherwise amazing movie.

Seems to me this movie will be breaking some records this weekend, too. Came across this article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/movies/09dark.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=dark%20knight&st=cse&oref=slogin) a few days ago. It seems the pre-sale of tickets has been so intense that some movie theaters won't be closing for well over 48 hours to handle demand. The midnight showings tonight sold out so fast that they posted 3a showings... which were so popular that there are now 6a showings that lead right up to the 9a crowds. Even down here some theaters are going 12a, 3a and 6a and others have up to 12 screens starting between 12:01 and 12:30a.

[Malfoy]

I remember when i first heard Ledger would be joker. I just told myself and anyone in earshot, this man can't top Jack. But these previews man, he just might. 8.5 hrs left for me. :)

[BillyBobBongo]

Our reviewer (I work for a media company) has been going on about this movie for weeks. Ledger is apparently outstanding as the Joker. Regrettably I didn't get to tag along to the media screening with him....but I shall be sure to get in line as soon as it's released! :D

[benmrii]

Nicholson was great, but the his portrayal was off. Watching Batman Begins you could see that the cinematography of several scenes was lifted straight from the comics. Ledger's Joker is more in-line and that alone excites me.

But even that aside, I agree... looks like this may actually top Nicholson.

[cgingrich]

5.5 hrs to go on the East coast, anyone else going to the midnight screening?

[Teh Don Ditty]

I wanted to go to the Midnight show, that didn't work out too much. Gonna see it Saturday afternoon (hopefully) and then again in IMAX during the week.

This movie looks absolutely filthy. Heath Ledger as Joker will be he his finest performance, without question.

Can not wait!!

For those whom are going, post back in here please! But don't ruin it for us!!

[paola105]

I really want to see it tonight, but can't. So I bought IMAX tickets for Saturday at noon. Cannot wait! I'm gonna watch it in IMAX next week again lol. :cool:

[Malfoy]

Movie of the summer? OH YEA.
Best movie so far this year? OOOOH YEA.


Ledger a better joker than my boy Jack? Eh. They are different but if I had to choose...


VERY VERY VERY GOOD. Lives up to the hype.

[Macvillain]

Just got back home form seeing it like 15 minutes ago. It was probably one of the best movies I have seen in the past couple years. Ledgers performance was unbelievable, no one else o this earth could have played the part of joker better!just when you thought was about to or beginning to end, it just really began to begin. I do not regret spending $10 to go see it, i will probably go see t a few more times within the next couple weeks. I give it a 10 out of 10! (but that might be a little bit biased because i am a huge Batman and Christian Bale fan)

[billchase2]

that movie was absolutely amazing. it's easily the best movie so far this year, and will probably stay that way. heath ledger did an incredible job. what a way to go out...

i'd love to elaborate a bit more, but it's almost 4am and i gotta work in a few hours... haha

[Abstract]

I wonder if this will be like when everyone said Batman Begins was incredible, and I thought it was teh crap.

[Chundles]

I wonder if this will be like when everyone said Batman Begins was incredible, and I thought it was teh crap.

Yeah but you hate everything that's good.

I loved it, saw it last night and reckon it's one of the better movies I've seen. The lighting, the effects gave it the air of a good cop drama (which it is) where the two main characters just happen to be in costume, Ledger was superb - I wouldn't go so far as to say Oscar-worthy but they'll probably give it to him anyway.

I hate using the term "gritty" to describe a film but this really is, it's stark, harsh, oddly bright in many scenes and with a sense of dread and tension that builds and builds and builds.

Two Face is grusome. It's amazing what they've done with his bad half.

I hope they figure out a third installment though I don't think there's really a villain out there that they can do - perhaps Roddy MacDowell as The Bookworm... :D

I dunno, I really liked the movie. It's not a lush sweeping film, it's like looking in a window on a real city with real people having to deal with a clash of two completely over the top characters who in turn are facing their own inner demons.

Great flick.

[P-Worm]

I think everyone owes it to themselves to experience this movie in an IMAX theater. Simply incredible.

P-Worm

[Music_Producer]

I wonder if this will be like when everyone said Batman Begins was incredible, and I thought it was teh crap.

That makes two of us. I couldn't stand the first one, don't know what everyone was raving about.

[arkitect]

I think everyone owes it to themselves to experience this movie in an IMAX theater. Simply incredible.

P-Worm

Apparently the London BFI IMAX will be doing 24-hour screenings since there has been massive demand for tickets.

[leekohler]

That makes two of us. I couldn't stand the first one, don't know what everyone was raving about.

Unbelievable! Sounds like maybe it just isn't your kind of movie. Or maybe you're one of those who likes your Batman with nipples. ;) Batman Begins was fantastic.

I wonder if this will be like when everyone said Batman Begins was incredible, and I thought it was teh crap.

Like chundles said- you hate everything. ;)

[blackfox]

I just returned from a midnight showing - and am still digesting - so will keep my review short.

Pretty great movie. The Joker character, by large virtue of Ledger's portrayal, was scary, funny and a sympathetic character. By far the highlight of the movie. I thought Aaron Eckhart did a pretty decent job with Harvey Dent. Christian Bale was fine - but his Batman "growl" was a bit much. Movie was quite long - but haven't decided if unecessarily so.

An aside, not related to the movie:

I saw, like I said, the midnight showing (actually, they had 12:01, 12:02, 12:03 showings). 14 screens in one theater - 6 lines, all huge (I showed up at 10:30 - met a couple of friends there since 9:30). People in all manner of costumes. I may have been near the oldest in any line in my mid 30's.

My line was the last show. It collapsed into a literal sprint of 800 people for the theatre - complete breakdown of order. Show started at 12:45 (previews).It was pandemonium. There were kids as young as 10 in this show, which got out at 3:35am - they seemed unescorted. Insane stuff.

There were also 3am and 6am showings around - all sold out through the weekend. This movie is going to make unheard amounts of money.

[Abstract]

That makes two of us. I couldn't stand the first one, don't know what everyone was raving about.

Apparently I hate everything good. Soulja Boy must be reeeeeeaaaally good then, because I really really hate him.

[leekohler]

Apparently I hate everything good. Soulja Boy must be reeeeeeaaaally good then, because I really really hate him.

No- you don't hate everything good, you just hate everything. ;)

[tobefirst]

I really liked it. Solid movie. I am, however, now feeling the effects as I begin the 8-hour workday. 2.5 hours of sleep just wasn't enough. Am I too old for this? d-:

[leekohler]

Just got my ticket! I'm going to the 11:45 am show! Yay!

[Iscariot]

I really liked it. Solid movie. I am, however, now feeling the effects as I begin the 8-hour workday. 2.5 hours of sleep just wasn't enough. Am I too old for this? d-:

Hmmm, what's an appropriate taunt? Oldiepants? Yes, that will do nicely.

Oldiepants! Oldiepants! Ha ha ha!

[billchase2]

I think everyone owes it to themselves to experience this movie in an IMAX theater. Simply incredible.

P-Worm

i'm definitely planning on seeing it a second time, this time in IMAX.

[tobefirst]

Hmmm, what's an appropriate taunt? Oldiepants? Yes, that will do nicely.

Oldiepants! Oldiepants! Ha ha ha!

Your incredible wit and original taunts never cease to amaze me, Iscariot. d-: Haha. (:

[bigandy]

*do want to see*

:o

[CalmEnvy]

Loved it, best film of '08 for me. Saw it at midnight there and it was great, everyone laughing at some of Ledgers dialogue but it was still amazing stuff. Lots of ohh's, damn, wahoo, clapping, etc. Oh and also:

The Dark Knight breaks midnight record with $17+M! (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/dark-knight-sold-out-sold-out-sold-out/)

[~Shard~]

Planning on seeing it this weekend, can't wait! :cool:

[leekohler]

Just got out of the theater. It was very good, but a bit long. Heath Ledger was great, but so was Aaron Eckhart as Two Face. There were definitely some surprises. I will also say that this is one dark, gloomy movie and it's kind of put me in a mood. This is a very sad film as there isn't much to be happy about. Overall, good for Nolan for resisting the Hollywood machine and not giving it a happy ending.

[bartelby]

Just got out of the theater. It was very good, but a bit long. Heath Ledger was great, but so was Aaron Eckhart as Two Face. There were definitely some surprises. I will also say that this is one dark, gloomy movie and it's kind of put me in a mood. This is a very sad film as there isn't much to be happy about.



I may have to see this in the cinema then.

[~Shard~]

Just got out of the theater. It was very good, but a bit long. Heath Ledger was great, but so was Aaron Eckhart as Two Face. There were definitely some surprises. I will also say that this is one dark, gloomy movie and it's kind of put me in a mood. This is a very sad film as there isn't much to be happy about. Overall, good for Nolan for resisting the Hollywood machine and not giving it a happy ending.

Thanks for the review Lee, it definitely sounds as though I'm going to enjoy this one. :cool:

[leekohler]

Thanks for the review Lee, it definitely sounds as though I'm going to enjoy this one. :cool:

Oh you will, ya bastard. ;)

[Collin973]

A fan-freaking-tastic movie.

It left me speechless, unable to utter a coherent thought.

[~Shard~]

Oh you will, ya bastard. ;)

Great - and thanks for the compliment! :D

[cgingrich]

Ok, after digesting it since the 12am showing last night here are my thoughts...

First, need to see this again, at least once more (in Imax hopefully), so much happens, especially in the latter half of the movie that you don't have time to digest what happens before something else happens, the pace of this movie is insane, I literally found myself on the edge of my seat multiple times.

Performance: We all knew Ledger was going to be amazing, but the unseen stuff that wasn't in the trailers is monumental. He is spot on with his performance and I want to see more of his character but unfortunately can't! If you haven't read "The Killing Joke," get it!! It's a very short graphic novel that ties in so much from the movie, especially the way they handle his "origin" in the movie, this novel really makes you appreciate the movie in ways otherwise you wouldn't be able to. The biggest surprise to me was Aaron Eckhart's performance. I love him as an actor but wow, he has so much more potential than I thought. Whether the credit goes to him or to the writing, or perhaps both....the evolution of his character from Harvey Dent to Two Face throughout the movie is beyond that of any movie I have ever seen. The subtle references and moments were crafted to perfection, soooo good!

Plot: As I said above, soooo much happens that this movie deserves multiple viewings. Everything was put together coherently and tastefully though, the progression of the movie makes sense. It is LONG! But there is nothing unnecessary that is put in, it just has so much going on that the length is warranted. This is a depressing movie! The ending is sad, so many parts are sad, but it is brilliant! I have not seen very many other directors take this many risks in a movie let alone a "blockbuster" movie like this but it sure as hell pays off. The ending left a bad taste in my mouth and when I left the theatre I was pissed off. But after thinking about it, digesting it, it was so brilliant and left me wanting more. I came out of this movie simultaneously wanting to see it again as well as see what happens next. Nolan does a superb job of crafting movies in this way, with Begins, the ending monologue made you say "******* yeah, let's kick some a**, get the Joker, come on." I thought the ending of begins was the best in modern cinema, but this ending leaves you wanting just as much but in such a different way. Hard to explain, but when you see it you'll know what I mean.

It lives up to it's hype, it is so much more than a superhero movie, it is amazing on all counts: action, performances, plot, effects, writing, everything! I have never seen a movie and then wanted to watch it again the next day. I wish the weekend wasn't sold out because I would be at the theatre again today in a heartbeat! Awesome movie, see it, if you like good story and are even remotely interested in superheroes especially Batman, it is a no-brainer!

[leekohler]

^This pretty much sums it up nicely.

[dmr727]

I just saw it today - great movie. There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. See it. It lives up to the hype.

[Daveman Deluxe]

I was very unimpressed. The acting was exceptional, but everything else was forgettable. I felt that the plot was very poorly managed--I found myself exhausted from constantly feeling that we had reached the climax of the film. The editing and cinematography during the action scenes were atrocious. I still can't tell you what happened during the most important action sequences of the film. I constantly felt myself two steps behind the narrative arc, and I never was able to get a solid grasp of which characters where who, aside from Batman, The Joker, Commissioner Gordon, Rachel Dawes, and Harvey Dent.

[lostfan916]

Go see this movie. Now. Do it. NOW.

[leekohler]

I was very unimpressed. The acting was exceptional, but everything else was forgettable. I felt that the plot was very poorly managed--I found myself exhausted from constantly feeling that we had reached the climax of the film. The editing and cinematography during the action scenes were atrocious. I still can't tell you what happened during the most important action sequences of the film. I constantly felt myself two steps behind the narrative arc, and I never was able to get a solid grasp of which characters where who, aside from Batman, The Joker, Commissioner Gordon, Rachel Dawes, and Harvey Dent.

Daveman- While pot is fun for watching some movies, you should probably save it for Yellow Submarine or The Wall. :D

Come on, you can't be serious. It wasn't hard to follow at all. But hey- to each his own.

[aosman]

Daveman- While pot is fun for watching some movies, you should probably save it for Yellow Submarine or The Wall. :D

Come on, you can't be serious. It wasn't hard to follow at all. But hey- to each his own.

+1
I would say that exactly. I couldn't word it as well as you have, however.

[Iscariot]

The performances — with the exception of Maggie Ghyllenhal who was only a moderate improvement over Katie Cruise — were excellent, even stellar. The plot, pacing, dialogue and action were all far less impressive, and not of the calibre I've come to expect from Nolan. I felt that the movie was overdrawn, the action clunky and the script overreaching.

[dmr727]

The plot, pacing, dialogue and action were all far less impressive, and not of the calibre I've come to expect from Nolan. I felt that the movie was overdrawn, the action clunky and the script overreaching.

I think this might be a case of the movie being a victim of its own hype. It's a Summer Blockbuster, after all. I walked in, shut off my brain, and expected to be entertained. And I was - the 2.5 hours flew by, and although the plot wasn't exactly Academy worthy, I had to switch my brain back on to catch some of the more nuanced parts.

I can nitpick some stuff, but at the end of the day I was very entertained, and I thought the performances were pretty stellar. That's about all I could ask for, and I got it.

[cgingrich]

I think this might be a case of the movie being a victim of its own hype. It's a Summer Blockbuster, after all. I walked in, shut off my brain, and expected to be entertained. And I was - the 2.5 hours flew by, and although the plot wasn't exactly Academy worthy, I had to switch my brain back on to catch some of the more nuanced parts.


Precisely! People go into this movie expecting it to be a superhero movie on the same level as Spider-man or Iron Man and it's simply not. It's a complex movie with multiple story-lines that happens to have comic book characters in it. People have been comparing it to Heat and I think that's accurate. The Joker is a crazy criminal mastermind and the plot and pacing reflects that. He has so many plans that play out and the pacing and plots get tangled and crazy because they reflect the crazy nature of The Joker character. If you look past traditional film viewing critiques and look at the plot as almost another character or a personification of The Joker character, you will appreciate it so much more and understand where Nolan's vision comes from.

Go into this movie wanting to see a thrilling crime drama and you will not be disappointed. Go into it wanting to sit back and relax and watch stuff blow up a la Michael Bay or Spider-Man (not that this doesn't happen plenty) and not have to think about the plot and you will surely be upset. The pacing will catch you off guard and you will be left by the way side.

[~Shard~]

<snip>



Although I haven't seen it yet I can completely understand where you're coming from and can totally relate, as this is how I am going to go into the movie - to watch a well-written, well-acted piece of film with substance and thought to it. Yes, it has superheroes in it as well as action, but is it truly a superhero action movie, even if it technically falls into that genre? I'm thinking not... I didn't think of Batman Begins in this way, and loved it for what it was. Sure, not Academy award worthy, but above average, quality filmmaking nonetheless.

There are times when I just want to shut my brain off and enjoy a good, fun, over-the-top, simple to follow flick, but this is not what I am expecting out of The Dark Knight. I like being engaged in films, as it feels it draws me more into the characters and the experience in general. I enjoy movies that make me think, that are too smart for Hollywood in some cases (I would put Nolan's masterpiece "Memento" in this category) and do not give into Hollywood's cookie-cutter formulae, and films that reward viewers who can appreciate the nuances and depth contained within. From what I've read so far, The Dark Knight fits into this category, so I believe I will like it, but obviously I'll reserve judgment until I see it for myself. ;) :cool:

[MacGeek7]

Daveman- While pot is fun for watching some movies, you should probably save it for Yellow Submarine or The Wall. :D


Agreed :D

I was hoping to see The Dark Knight last night on IMAX but they were sold out so I'm gonna wait until later on next week...

[~Shard~]

I was hoping to see The Dark Knight last night on IMAX but they were sold out so I'm gonna wait until later on next week...

Oooh, I forgot about that - when Batman Begins came out it came to our IMAX here a couple months later. I hope the same is the case with The Dark Knight, as I'm hoping I will want to see it a second time and that would be an excellent way of doing it!

[rhett7660]

I loved the fact there wasn't a happy ending per say in this. Loved the gloom and doom. To me Batman is dark and gloomy. This movie along with the first Batman in the series played that very well.

Will be seeing it again on IMAX very soon.

We need some spoiler tags........... I found a few scenes very surprising and great.... Mainly the plot line that deals with the Female lead.....

[Rodimus Prime]

All the good reviews make next friday night sound great to me as I am going to go see it at the IMAX. Not on one of those TINY little screens in the movie theater the rest of you watch it on.

Sorry just to tempting. I am going to see it at the IMAX theater next week and this just sounds promising. First time I ever really going to go see a box office hit at an IMAX

[cgingrich]

First time I ever really going to go see a box office hit at an IMAX

This is the first box office hit to actually have filmed several scenes with IMAX cameras. I saw "I Am Legend" on IMAX and was less than impressed and pissed I paid the extra $7. From what I hear (catching it on IMAX second time around), "Dark Knight" is breathtaking on IMAX and really immerses you in the movie. Enjoy it!

edit: Meant to point out that all films prior to this simply had their 35mm prints blown up and stretched out to 65mm prints. Several scenes from The Dark Knight were shot on 65mm film initially therefore will be the highest resolution possible.

[Iscariot]

I think this might be a case of the movie being a victim of its own hype. It's a Summer Blockbuster, after all. I walked in, shut off my brain, and expected to be entertained. And I was - the 2.5 hours flew by, and although the plot wasn't exactly Academy worthy, I had to switch my brain back on to catch some of the more nuanced parts.

I can nitpick some stuff, but at the end of the day I was very entertained, and I thought the performances were pretty stellar. That's about all I could ask for, and I got it.

I didn't buy into any of the "hype". I went in, I turned off my brain, and I can't say I really enjoyed it. It wasn't a matter of it being overhyped, it just wasn't that good.

[leekohler]

The performances — with the exception of Maggie Ghyllenhal who was only a moderate improvement over Katie Cruise — were excellent, even stellar. The plot, pacing, dialogue and action were all far less impressive, and not of the calibre I've come to expect from Nolan. I felt that the movie was overdrawn, the action clunky and the script overreaching.

I'm gonna spank you. ;) I was extremely pleased with it. I liked the darkness, and it put me in a weird mood after. That's the sign of an effective film. To say I enjoyed it isn't accurate though. I was bludgeoned by it, and that is a very good thing for me movie-wise.

[lostfan916]

All the good reviews make next friday night sound great to me as I am going to go see it at the IMAX. Not on one of those TINY little screens in the movie theater the rest of you watch it on.

Sorry just to tempting. I am going to see it at the IMAX theater next week and this just sounds promising. First time I ever really going to go see a box office hit at an IMAX
I would have loved to see it for the first time at IMAX but it's not coming out here (in Sac) until 8/29. And there is no way that I could've/would've waited till then. But I will definitely be catching it again once it's at IMAX. It'll be flippin amazing.

[Teh Don Ditty]

Just got back from seeing it in the theaters. It felt a bit long, but it was stellar film. Very dark and gloomy. There was certainly a lot of plot going on. I did enjoy it, but I do think seeing it a second time will help out.

[Cooknn]

I thought Heath Ledger did a phenominal job as The Joker. Five Stars. But I would only give the script 4 Stars. The movie dragged on too long, and although it seemed as though the producers strived to cover every detail (including a cameo by Cillian Murphy - Dr. Crane from Batman Begins) certain things really bugged me like when Batman's eyes somehow light up and he gets x-ray vision. How freaking stupid is that? At least show us how this functionality is going to work and don't just assume we will accept it. That's what I liked about Ironman. We were educated as to every part of his suit.

[iJohnHenry]

What??? Batman now has x-ray vision??

Sorry, but I don't remember that.

[Cooknn]

What??? Batman now has x-ray vision??

Sorry, but I don't remember that.How else would you describe his ability to see through floors/walls of the building when he was trying to find The Joker during the ferry scene?

[iJohnHenry]

Well, if I was pressed to account for it, I might first opt for his bat-like hearing.

But that's just me. :p

[Chris Rogers]

certain things really bugged me like when Batman's eyes somehow light up and he gets x-ray vision. How freaking stupid is that? At least show us how this functionality is going to work and don't just assume we will accept it. That's what I liked about Ironman. We were educated as to every part of his suit.

Ummm...It wasn't X-Ray vision. It was sonar kind of like Dare Devil. He explained it in China and then again when he showed Luscious the machine he created to find Joker. His eyes didn't light up, it was something that covered his eyes. Every part of the movie is 5 stars. Maybe a strong 4.5 just because it appears they killed off Two Face.

[cgingrich]

certain things really bugged me like when Batman's eyes somehow light up and he gets x-ray vision. How freaking stupid is that? At least show us how this functionality is going to work and don't just assume we will accept it. That's what I liked about Ironman. We were educated as to every part of his suit.

They did explain it....
highlight for spoilerish explanation
Lucius Fox developed a cell phone the would give off sonar and bounce off of objects and relay a floor plan. Batman then took the tech and applied it to everyone's phone in gotham and relayed the signals through his helmet. That was an entire subplot and why Lucius said he would quit Wayne enterprises because "no one deserved that much power"

[Everythingisnt]

I came away from the movie soooo satisfied.. Heath Ledger was perfect as the joker.. All of his lines were AMAZING!!

I also really liked the two-face subplot. Somehow I don't think that Two-Face is really dead... ;)


This movie totally blew me away though. It's definitely raised the standard in every aspect. 6 out of 5 stars :eek:!!

[aross99]

I thought the movie was very good. As others have said, Heath Ledger was fantastic. He delivered a VERY creepy performance.

[Cooknn]

They did explain it....
highlight for spoilerish explanationI got that. I just didn't buy into how it worked with his eyes.

His eyes didn't light up, it was something that covered his eyes.

That "something" is what they should have explained better, IMHO.

[benmrii]

I loved it. Really appreciated it staying dark (and getting darker) as it dares to be true to the comic, again. Great work diving into the development and torment of characters with the Joker as catalyst.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was a little disappointing (although much better than Holmes), but I kept getting the impression that - particularly in her earliest scenes - she was asked to play up "ditz" so as to lessen the transition between actresses. :rolleyes:

Ledger was, not surprisingly, absolutely amazing. Aaron Eckhart surprised me with his great performance. As usual, Bale was solid.

...good for Nolan for resisting the Hollywood machine and not giving it a happy ending.

Very true.

Lastly, IMAX: it is worth the money and the trip you may need to take to get to one. Go. See it on IMAX. The scenes that are filmed with IMAX technology are stunning.

[danedane5]

It was like a real bat, it used sonar to map out the way a room looks from the cellphones signal within the building.

[leekohler]

I loved it. Really appreciated it staying dark (and getting darker) as it dares to be true to the comic, again. Great work diving into the development and torment of characters with the Joker as catalyst.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was a little disappointing (although much better than Holmes), but I kept getting the impression that - particularly in her earliest scenes - she was asked to play up "ditz" so as to lessen the transition between actresses. :rolleyes:

Ledger was, not surprisingly, absolutely amazing. Aaron Eckhart surprised me with his great performance. As usual, Bale was solid.



Very true.


Lastly, IMAX: it is worth the money and the trip you may need to take to get to one. Go. See it on IMAX. The scenes that are filmed with IMAX technology are stunning.


Yeah- Aaron Eckhart was the dark horse in this film. He did an amazing job as Two Face. Heath was great, but Aaron shocked the crap out of me.

[Abstract]

I got that. I just didn't buy into how it worked with his eyes.



That "something" is what they should have explained better, IMHO.

It seems that you're in the minority, as other people seemed to get it. ;)


I'll wait for the DVD. Don't get me wrong. I really want to see this film. However, I haven't been to the cinema in ages. I may make an exception if I can see it at the IMAX in Sydney. It's the largest screen in the world. :)

[dmr727]

I'll wait for the DVD.

Dammit Abstract - if there's one movie that should get your butt to a movie theater, it should be this one!

I'll even head up a collection for you and your woman. I'll call it the, "Get Abstract off his ass to go see Batman" fund. Post your Paypal account name, and we'll get started. :)

[Abstract]

I can afford it a ticket. :p

Last movie I watched at the cinema was Hairspray (went with 2 female friends because I was bored). :o The other film I saw over the past year was Transformers, which I saw in August last year.


I really need to get out to the cinema more. I wanted to see Wall-E, Indiana Jones, and now this. This summer movie season seems to be one of the best in a long time. I think I need more friends who are also movie buffs. They're usually OK with just getting a bootleg copy off a friend's computer, getting 4-10 friends together in a room, a lot of beer and cheap wine, and watching the movie on a small TV/LCD, or even a laptop. Welcome to life as a student. :p

[bigandy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7515431.stm

Batman film The Dark Knight has set a single-day box office record by taking $66.4m (£33.2m) on its opening night, distributor Warner Bros has said.

Holy Crap!

[benmrii]

Last movie I watched at the cinema was Hairspray...
:eek:

That alone would have me a the movie theater again, just to wash the taste out of my mouth. ;)

There are a few movies every year that should really be seen in the theater and occasionally one is worth heading to IMAX for. I dare say The Dark Knight is the pinnacle of that distinction. This is the first mainstream movie ever to film scenes with IMAX technology. The sweeping views of the city are done with it as are four other major scenes. I was a bit frustrated because at the IMAX here tickets are more than twice as much as I usually pay and I had to spring for a parking garage. Now, when I go see it again I won't even bother downgrading.

[paola105]

Saw it yesterday in IMAX. It was so worth the 30 minute trip and extra money and a wait in line for an hour.
I'm going again next week. Heath did a fantastic job.
And the soundtrack was amazing. Hans Zimmer delivers.

[benmrii]

Saw it yesterday in IMAX. It was so worth the 30 minute trip and extra money and a wait in line for an hour.
I'm going again next week. Heath did a fantastic job.
And the soundtrack was amazing. Hans Zimmer delivers.

Was there a new soundtrack? Sounded to me like they just recycled the previous one... not that I'm complaining.

[Thomas Veil]

As I hate the rush of opening week crowds, I'll probably see this next weekend. Given all the glowing reviews, I'm filled with anticipation.

[Blue Velvet]

Given all the glowing reviews, I'm filled with anticipation.

I can post a link to a lukewarm review (http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/17/dark_knight/) if you'd like to have that anticipation tempered slightly. ;)

[~Shard~]

Was there a new soundtrack? Sounded to me like they just recycled the previous one... not that I'm complaining.

My understanding is that Zimmer "evolved" the Batman Begins soundtrack for this movie, fleshing out more of the initial themes, etc. Will have to listen for myself though. ;)

[donga]

As I hate the rush of opening week crowds, I'll probably see this next weekend. Given all the glowing reviews, I'm filled with anticipation.

good call. i went friday night and it was great, except for the obnoxious high school kids in the next row in front. threw popcorn/trash around, talked during the movie, had cell phones open/closed constantly during the movie (bright cell phone screens are distracting when trying to watch), would not shut up, did not stop talking........

yeah, so enjoy it next weekend. : )

[Chundles]

I can afford it a ticket. :p

Last movie I watched at the cinema was Hairspray (went with 2 female friends because I was bored). :o The other film I saw over the past year was Transformers, which I saw in August last year.


I really need to get out to the cinema more. I wanted to see Wall-E, Indiana Jones, and now this. This summer movie season seems to be one of the best in a long time. I think I need more friends who are also movie buffs. They're usually OK with just getting a bootleg copy off a friend's computer, getting 4-10 friends together in a room, a lot of beer and cheap wine, and watching the movie on a small TV/LCD, or even a laptop. Welcome to life as a student. :p

You going to Wollongong or Warrawong?

Wollongong Greater Union is the worst cinema I've been to - the sound sucks, there's a giant T-shaped area of light right through the middle of the screen because the doors open up directly facing it and it's really uncomfortable.

Now the Regent Theatre - that was how a movie should be seen - gigantic screen, two levels, a cocktail bar, big old seats and then they gave it to the God Squad... A giant art deco masterpiece gone to waste because only the happy clappies are allowed in.

Bring back good cinemas!!

[benmrii]

good call. i went friday night and it was great, except for the obnoxious high school kids in the next row in front. threw popcorn/trash around, talked during the movie, had cell phones open/closed constantly during the movie (bright cell phone screens are distracting when trying to watch), would not shut up, did not stop talking........

That is why I don't do midnight showings anymore. The best time to do these blockbusters is the early morning shows Friday (if you can) or Saturday. Even though the IMAX I went to on Saturday at 9 was sold out it was still full of respectful moviegoers.

[MrSmith]

Nice to see a Brit not playing a villain for once. :rolleyes:

[7livesmanyfaces]

Definitely overhyped due to Ledger's death. It has some good sequences and most of the acting is pretty good. The Joker was definitely a creepy character, and Bale doing his Batman voice was painful to watch and hear. The 2.5 hours was an hour too long and the movie did jump too much and the action scenes were very cut up to the point where it was difficult to see what was actually happening. This is another typical big budget action flick with a shallow plot, some good violence, but it is ultimately a forgettable throwaway like many other action films out there. Just because a talented young actor died does not automatically make this movie great. Overall not a bad movie but most certainly not a great one either. I say wait for the DVD as I should have done.

[P-Worm]

Definitely overhyped due to Ledger's death. It has some good sequences and most of the acting is pretty good. The Joker was definitely a creepy character, and Bale doing his Batman voice was painful to watch and hear. The 2.5 hours was an hour too long and the movie did jump too much and the action scenes were very cut up to the point where it was difficult to see what was actually happening. This is another typical big budget action flick with a shallow plot, some good violence, but it is ultimately a forgettable throwaway like many other action films out there. Just because a talented young actor died does not automatically make this movie great. Overall not a bad movie but most certainly not a great one either. I say wait for the DVD as I should have done.

What hour would you have cut out? I can only think of about 10 mintues I would have removed that would improve the movie.

P-Worm

[benmrii]

Definitely overhyped due to Ledger's death. It has some good sequences and most of the acting is pretty good. The Joker was definitely a creepy character, and Bale doing his Batman voice was painful to watch and hear. The 2.5 hours was an hour too long and the movie did jump too much and the action scenes were very cut up to the point where it was difficult to see what was actually happening. This is another typical big budget action flick with a shallow plot, some good violence, but it is ultimately a forgettable throwaway like many other action films out there. Just because a talented young actor died does not automatically make this movie great. Overall not a bad movie but most certainly not a great one either. I say wait for the DVD as I should have done.

I do agree with you on one point, the action scenes in both of the latest Batman movies have been shot too closely/cut too quickly. Would like to see more of the choreography.

But seriously... did you just say that the plot was shallow? Compared to what? The movie jumped too much? Forgetful? Not to be a prat, but can you give examples? Were you fantastically inebriated when you saw it and had difficulty understanding? :)

[rareflares]

Definitely overhyped due to Ledger's death. It has some good sequences and most of the acting is pretty good. The Joker was definitely a creepy character, and Bale doing his Batman voice was painful to watch and hear. The 2.5 hours was an hour too long and the movie did jump too much and the action scenes were very cut up to the point where it was difficult to see what was actually happening. This is another typical big budget action flick with a shallow plot, some good violence, but it is ultimately a forgettable throwaway like many other action films out there. Just because a talented young actor died does not automatically make this movie great. Overall not a bad movie but most certainly not a great one either. I say wait for the DVD as I should have done.



yeah, dont quite understand what you mean by shallow plot. did we watch the same movie? listen closely to the joker's monologues during the interrogation and elsewhere in the movie and you'll understand what his message and motives actually are. extremely creepy when you consider the kind of "security" the average city really has.

[gkarris]

I thought this was the second most demented movie I have ever seen... :eek:

Not quite my cup-of-tea (I like action and light hearted flix).

Definitely a masterpiece of movie making.... deserves a top spot.

[~Shard~]

I thought this was the second most demented movie I have ever seen... :eek:

What was the first? ;)

[obeygiant]

Definitely overhyped due to Ledger's death. It has some good sequences and most of the acting is pretty good. The Joker was definitely a creepy character, and Bale doing his Batman voice was painful to watch and hear. The 2.5 hours was an hour too long

I saw it last night and I agree, it was a little over-hyped. I enjoyed it, but some of the things from the last Batman movie that made me laugh was back, i.e. batman's voice. Kind of a lispy pseudo throaty voice that hurts your throat to imitate. I liked Christian Bale as the millionaire Bruce Wayne more than I liked Batman, I think.
My favorite scene of the joker though, is when he driving that police car with his head out the window. That sums up his character for me.

[angelneo]

Just caught the film at the theater, overall it is a good movie. It is better than the previous Batman installment. Other than that, I feel the action was too confusing and there are too many convenient exits.

I find Joker and Two Face portrayal to be very good. Joker is really creepy and he really makes me squirm in my seat. I feel for Two Face fall from grace.

EDIT: Forgot to add in the part where I find Batman's voice really really annoying.

[2nyRiggz]

It was a good movie....The joker parts was the most interesting and Heath did a good job filling the big shoes. I really didn't like two face that much but he wasn't the main attraction so its all good.

Overall it was a good movie....glad they didn't kill Joker.



Bless

[Virgil-TB2]

I didn't buy into any of the "hype". I went in, I turned off my brain, and I can't say I really enjoyed it. It wasn't a matter of it being overhyped, it just wasn't that good.Yay!
Iscariot is the voice of reason once again. :)

I saw it yesterday and I must say I had the same reaction. My opinion of the movie is also going down over time as well.

Batman is a bit of a joke isn't he? I laughed out loud (which I hardly ever do), when he spoke in that fakey-fake gravelly voice of his for the first time. I mean come on! :rolleyes:

The Joker was pretty good, Heath Ledger obviously had talent. On the other hand I got the impression that every single frame of celluloid that had Heath in it was edited into this movie. Some of his speeches were so long and rambly that I drifted off a bit. Worse, there was a few parts where it was clear that Ledger was a bit lost in the dialogue at times. This is a pretty common occurrence when an actor has to give a long speech on film (Heath has about four of these), but good directors usually leave those scenes on the cutting room floor to protect the actors reputation.

So ... all the batman parts are the boring, unbelievable, stupid parts and the villains are the only interesting bits which is fairly typical for this kind of fare also.

The thing that really bothered me about this movie (and everyone I was with noticed it also), is that it's basically fascist claptrap. I first noticed how imorral the story line is at the end, when both of the main threads in the plot are tied up ... with lies! Batman and the Police Commisioner (!) collude to cover up a series of murders, and Alfred resolves Batman's girl trouble by lying to him about her feelings for him. Great rolemodels for kids eh?

After about an hour however, I realised that the whole movie is a just a long psuedo-justification for Bush's neofascist state. We are told that:

- some people (terrorists) are not rational and are simply "evil." They like to destroy things just for fun, not because they have any actual grievances (a ridiculous argument at best).

- torture is not only okay, it's basically necessary and will always result in the "evil guy" giving up his secrets. Good guys just *have* to torture, it's the bad guys "badness" that drives them to it. WTF?

- spying on people is okay if you are "the good guys" (in fact it's pretty much necessary cause the bad guys force you to do it), and real good guys are tough enough to eschew the use of spying once they don't absolutely need it. Again WTF?

- to be a great hero and a moral icon or "inspiration," you have to live outside the law, and basically break it once in a while. You might even have to kill a few people, and some innocent people will die as "collateral damage." The film acknowledges backhandedly that these facts kind of makes you *not* a hero, but yet somehow Batman is still a hero??!? In fact, he is sort of a "hero's hero" and above all that. :confused:

When I saw Dick Cheney's name go by in the credits, I understood why they didn't show any credits at the beginning. They were hoping that no one would stay long enough to see which republicans were behind this dog. ;)

[Peace]

Batmans in jail now.

[~Shard~]

Batmans in jail now.

Charged with assaulting his own mother and sister. What kind of person does this? How sad.... :(

[P-Worm]

The thing that really bothered me about this movie (and everyone I was with noticed it also), is that it's basically fascist claptrap. I first noticed how imorral the story line is at the end, when both of the main threads in the plot are tied up ... with lies! Batman and the Police Commisioner (!) collude to cover up a series of murders, and Alfred resolves Batman's girl trouble by lying to him about her feelings for him. Great rolemodels for kids eh?

No, they aren't great role models. That's the point. Do you honestly think this doesn't happen in real life? That politicians don't lie to the public and that people don't lie to their friends to protect their feelings? I'm guessing that if people told the truth, you would be complaining about how unrealistic the movie was.

After about an hour however, I realised that the whole movie is a just a long psuedo-justification for Bush's neofascist state. We are told that:

- some people (terrorists) are not rational and are simply "evil." They like to destroy things just for fun, not because they have any actual grievances (a ridiculous argument at best).

I certainly believe that there are people that aren't rational and just do evil things. Serial killers for example. When did this movie even imply that the Joker was supposed to represent anything other than a deranged serial killer? I can spot no symbolism between the Joker and terrorists in the middle east because terrorists in the middle east don't terrorize "Just to watch the world burn" like the Joker does.

- torture is not only okay, it's basically necessary and will always result in the "evil guy" giving up his secrets. Good guys just *have* to torture, it's the bad guys "badness" that drives them to it. WTF?

That's the interesting duality that Batman is. He wants to do good, but he does evil things to get there. And Batman knew it. He propped the chair against the door because he knew he was going to do something Commissioner Gordon wouldn't approve of. Not to mention that it's quite obvious to me that the Joker would have given up the information to Batman whether he got beat up or not. It was all part of his game.

- spying on people is okay if you are "the good guys" (in fact it's pretty much necessary cause the bad guys force you to do it), and real good guys are tough enough to eschew the use of spying once they don't absolutely need it. Again WTF?

Don't you remember that Lucius Fox didn't condone the use of spying at all? When that was placed before him, he had a really tough decision to make - use evil to save thousands of lives, or stick to his personal convictions. Whether you think he did the right thing or not is irrelevant. Lucius showed his true character at that moment and it is up to us to decide if that choice was the right thing to do.

- to be a great hero and a moral icon or "inspiration," you have to live outside the law, and basically break it once in a while. You might even have to kill a few people, and some innocent people will die as "collateral damage." The film acknowledges backhandedly that these facts kind of makes you *not* a hero, but yet somehow Batman is still a hero??!? In fact, he is sort of a "hero's hero" and above all that. :confused:

And to me, this is the whole point of the movie. Even Bruce Wayne questions throughout the movie if he is doing the right thing. In fact, he wants out because the pain his actions have caused are becoming severe. The whole movie he is trying to pass the torch of justice on to Harvey Dent because he believe that Harvey Dent can accomplish the same thing without breaking the law. Unfortunately for Batman, Harvey Dent lived long enough "To see himself become the villain."

Batman is the ultimate anti-hero and a great catalyst for very relevant conversation. What is the right thing to do under such circumstances? Many in Gotham City consider Batman a terrorist and want him behind bars, but isn't Gotham a better place now that he's gone on his rampage? These are the question Christopher Nolan wants us to ask ourselves.

When I saw Dick Cheney's name go by in the credits, I understood why they didn't show any credits at the beginning. They were hoping that no one would stay long enough to see which republicans were behind this dog. ;)

I think it's fine that you didn't like the movie, but all these statements seem really off base to me. It's like you missed the point of the movie. Just because the protagonist does something, doesn't mean the movie condones it. Think along the lines of the Godfather II or There Will Be Blood.

A great crime drama shows us that the world isn't as black and white as we would all like it to be. People do evil things all the time even though they think they are serving. Is it right? Only you can answer that question.

P-Worm

[leekohler]

Charged with assaulting his own mother and sister. What kind of person does this? How sad.... :(

Excuse me, dear sir- but we weren't there and don't know what happened. Let's not rush to judgment until more has become clear, shall we? ;)

And Virgil-TB2- whatever! Good Lord! Does everything have to be some insidious political plot? Just watch the damn movie for what it is, for god's sake. This is just as ridiculous as saying Wall-E is environmentalist propaganda. IT'S JUST A MOVIE. RELAX. ;)

[Virgil-TB2]

I don't want to disrespect the fact that you took a long time to reply to me and covered all the points but my reply will be brief out of necessity. No, they aren't great role models. That's the point. Do you honestly think this doesn't happen in real life? That politicians don't lie to the public and that people don't lie to their friends to protect their feelings? I'm guessing that if people told the truth, you would be complaining about how unrealistic the movie was.My point was that these guys are supposed to be heroes, "superheroes" in fact.

I understand your point about reality, but that's not what I was arguing. IMO the movie should only be "real" in the sense of the comic books, i.e. not necessarily realistic at all. We all know that Batman can't actually do most of the stuff he does in the movie, no-one could in reality. The same is true for all comic book movies.

My point was, the story of the movie, (the "moral" of the movie if you will), and the ethical positions the characters take is still the main point of the movie and has a very large affect on the viewers, especially kids. If the hero is a torturing, morally ambiguous, lying murderer ... well that's terribly relevant to the story and the movie and directly affects the viewers. This is what movies and stories are all about.

I certainly believe that there are people that aren't rational and just do evil things. Serial killers for example. this is a popular view but wrong. I won't bother going any further arguing against it though. Lot's of people believe that, and it's a hard belief to shake.

When did this movie even imply that the Joker was supposed to represent anything other than a deranged serial killer? I can spot no symbolism between the Joker and terrorists in the middle east because terrorists in the middle east don't terrorize "Just to watch the world burn" like the Joker does.This was my point. Story-wise, the joker stands for all the uncontrollable "crazy," and "evil" people in the world. In the current climate, that's almost certainly a stand in for "terrorists." I don't see how anyone could see it differently. He also blows a lot of people up and almost every tactic he uses is right out of Al-Quaida's cookbook. Yet he is described as just plain old evil and wise-old Alfred describes Joker-as-terrorist as someone who is just that way because he is. This is what most USA citizens reply when asked about the terrorist motivations BTW.

Don't you remember that Lucius Fox didn't condone the use of spying at all? ... Here you seem to be simply believing this because it was said in the movie. More important than what an author has his characters *say* in a movie or story is what those characters actually *do*. Lucius *did* use the spy system, and with no knowledge that it was going to be destroyed afterward. Batman specifically did not confirm this almost as if he wanted to see if Lucius would use it anyway. He did! :)

... I think it's fine that you didn't like the movie, but all these statements seem really off base to me. ... Well the part about Dick Cheney being in the credits was a joke. But in fact other more serious critics than myself have already pointed out how this movie basically works as an apology and justification for all the worst excesses and fascist impulses of the Cheney government.

[~Shard~]

Excuse me, dear sir- but we weren't there and don't know what happened. Let's not rush to judgment until more has become clear, shall we? ;)

Of course. I find it hard to believe myself, hence my post. Facts are facts though, and more of them will surface shortly I'm sure.

[iJohnHenry]

Maybe they didn't like Batman's voice either?? :p

[Superman07]

One of the points I took away from the film is that Batman is being a superhero at the end. Gordon's son specifically asks, "Why is he running dad?" The point, which Alfred made throughout the film, is that Batman takes up the mantle that others cannot. If Two Face takes the wrap for the murders, then so does Harvey, and in turn all of the work he did goes with it (i.e. those 1500 odd criminals). The mayor even cites this as a potential consequence if Dent somehow slips up. In turn, Batman takes the responsibility and goes on the lamb as his friend Gordon is forced to turn the city on him. Some may say it's shallow plot, but the way the various plot points of the characters were woven together to arrive at this point at the end of of the film is rather deep for me, but apparently not others (which is fine, otherwise it wouldn't be an opinion).

[MrSmith]

...it's basically fascist claptrap....
Since when did anyone leave their brain running when going in for some Hollywood fare?

[angelneo]

Virgil-TB2, you are trying way too hard, it's just a movie.

[benmrii]

Just a few reactions. I'm not as eloquent as P-Worm, but I'd like to respond a bit:

My point was that these guys are supposed to be heroes, "superheroes" in fact.

Batman is a historically dark, tormented character, at times bordering on anti-hero. This movie was dark, definitely earning the PG-13 rating, but it's just being honest to the original character. You can't hold Batman to the same light as Superman, Spiderman or the Shoveler... just very different.

Speaking of Spiderman, he killed more people than Batman in his movies.

... If the hero is a torturing, morally ambiguous, lying murderer ... well that's terribly relevant to the story and the movie and directly affects the viewers. This is what movies and stories are all about.

That's a pretty bold statement about Batman, particularly considering one of his greatest struggles throughout the movie is knowing he can't bring himself to kill the Joker. Remember what kept him from being a part of the League of Shadows was being unwilling to murder a criminal. And the only thing I recall him lying about was taking the blame for the crimes of Two Face/Harvey Dent to not let his pre-face-burn heroics die.

this is a popular view but wrong. I won't bother going any further arguing against it though. Lot's of people believe that, and it's a hard belief to shake...

... he is described as just plain old evil and wise-old Alfred describes Joker-as-terrorist as someone who is just that way because he is. This is what most USA citizens reply when asked about the terrorist motivations BTW.

While it may be tossed around too flippantly at times, particularly with respect to terrorism, the view that there are people who simply do evil things without conscious motivation is not "wrong," it is a psychologically credible diagnosis.

Well the part about Dick Cheney being in the credits was a joke. But in fact other more serious critics than myself have already pointed out how this movie basically works as an apology and justification for all the worst excesses and fascist impulses of the Cheney government.

I didn't get that at all. I think you're going way too far with a summer blockbuster, comic book adaptation. :D The themes, and struggles and stories are consistent with the original comics moreso than they seem political commentary.

[Iscariot]

And the only thing I recall him lying about was taking the blame for the crimes of Two Face/Harvey Dent to not let his pre-face-burn heroics die.

That was the dumbest part of the movie*, (and that ending narration was cringe-worthy). Why would Batman, a character with high-tech weapons, explosives, and bat-bikes, kill a couple of guys with a six-shooter? Why would Harvey Dent escape a hospital to an abandoned warehouse to fall to his death? (Alternatively, how would Batman kidnap Gordon's family when he was very obviously occupied beating up the swat team and capturing Joker). Why would Comissioner Gordon not at the very least lose his Comissioner title for co-operating so willingly with a killer (provided anyone would actually believe Batman shot some guys)? Additionally, those Dent left alive would at the very least point out that he held a gun that matched the description of the murder weapon to their heads and was obviously insane.

For a superhero movie trying to be smart, it sure is asking us to be pretty dumb.

__________
*Totally out of place sonar cell phones was pretty close

[kretzy]

I saw it the other day and I thought it was good but not great (an improvement on Batman Begins though). I really liked Heath Ledger as the Joker, he did an amazing job. Actually all of the characters were really well acted...except for Batman - Christian Bale just doesn't do it for me. Not only that, but the character development [of Batman] was nonexistent, to me the Joker was the main character. I also think Harvey's transition into Two Face happened far too quickly. One minute he's this big hero, next thing you know he's insanely evil. That said, I thought it dragged a little overall. 3 stars from me.

[~Shard~]

Not only that, but the character development [of Batman] was nonexistent, to me the Joker was the main character.

From my understanding this movie is effectively about the Joker - he is the star, even though he is not the hero. Batman Begins told the origin story of Batman and was rife with character development - I think it is probably just natural that you would not see as much development in a sequel. That being said, from what I've heard, there is still a great deal of inner struggle, conflict and so forth for the Bruce Wayne character in the movie, and he is not the same character as he was in Begins.

But, I guess I just have to go see it before making too many comments. :o ;) Hopefully this weekend! :)

[P-Worm]

But, I guess I just have to go see it before making too many comments. :o ;) Hopefully this weekend! :)

Cool. Be sure to tell us what you think. I got balcony tickets to see it on the IMAX again on Friday. It's been a long time since I saw a movie multiple times in the theater.

P-Worm

[~Shard~]

Cool. Be sure to tell us what you think. I got balcony tickets to see it on the IMAX again on Friday. It's been a long time since I saw a movie multiple times in the theater.

Absolutely, will do! Very much looking forward to it.

[leekohler]

Absolutely, will do! Very much looking forward to it.

Go see the damn movie already, ya bastard! :D

[MacGeek7]

My understanding is that Zimmer "evolved" the Batman Begins soundtrack for this movie, fleshing out more of the initial themes, etc. Will have to listen for myself though. ;)

Yeah - I noticed that there was a certain sound that grew whenever the Joker was about to strike. I loved his magic trick at the beginning where he made the pencil disappear.

Overall, a great movie - I can't wait to see it again, only this time on IMAX

[~Shard~]

Go see the damn movie already, ya bastard! :D

Maybe I'll avoid seeing it just to be a bastard and annoy you. :p Ooh, and then I'd be a bastard to myself in depriving myself from seeing it as well! :D

Nah, you're right Lee, I'll check it out, hopefully this weekend. This past weekend (when I was initially going to see it) ended up including an impromptu evening out and then the following day at the beach, so what can you do... ;)

[leekohler]

Maybe I'll avoid seeing it just to be a bastard and annoy you. :p Ooh, and then I'd be a bastard to myself in depriving myself from seeing it as well! :D

Nah, you're right Lee, I'll check it out, hopefully this weekend. This past weekend (when I was initially going to see it) ended up including an impromptu evening out and then the following day at the beach, so what can you do... ;)

Well, I suppose one must enjoy the few warm days in Canada to the fullest. :)

[~Shard~]

Well, I suppose one must enjoy the few warm days in Canada to the fullest. :)

Warm?! Frick, it's hit 95 Fahrenheit already this summer and next week looks like it will feel well over 100 with the humidex! Yes,we have the extremes here on the Prairies... -40 Celsius -> +40 Celsius, it's great.... :D

[maestro55]

Haven't seen it yet, probably going with the girlfriend this weekend.

[MrSmith]

Hearing his press conference, he seems to have picked up an American accent. Or are my ears bad?

[Daveman Deluxe]

MrSmith: Christian Bale uses an American accent when doing publicity work for the Batman films, so as not to "confuse" anybody as to why Batman has an English accent.

[bigrell486]

This was a really good movie but I could has done without the fake raspy voice.

[MrSmith]

MrSmith: Christian Bale uses an American accent when doing publicity work for the Batman films, so as not to "confuse" anybody as to why Batman has an English accent.This was a press conference about his alleged assaults. ;)

[noodle654]

I finally saw it about 2 days ago. I was amazed...Heath Ledger did a great job!

[Agent Smith]

I'm not one for exaggeration, but The Dark Knight was the GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!! THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE BETTER, NOR WILL THERE EVER BE!!!

Exaggeration aside, it was a fantastic movie; I've seen it 4 times now (once in Imax), and I'll be seeing it a few more times (I have friends who haven't seen it). Heath Ledger was phenomenal, and I can completely understand where all the talk of a post-humous oscar nod is coming from. I wouldn't be surprised if the movie got nominated for best picture/best director.

[donga]

I'm not one for exaggeration, but The Dark Knight was the GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!! THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE BETTER, NOR WILL THERE EVER BE!!! ...I've seen it 4 times now

wow. i guess you really like the movie. i enjoyed it too, i just don't think it's on par with say, the godfather

[neiltc13]

I saw this tonight and was totally underwhelmed and disappointed. I had never seen a Batman movie before, but this one made me never want to see any of the others or any more of the DC Comics movie output. What a load of utter rubbish - I spent the whole time in the cinema totally confused by what was happening on screen, at one point the good guy became a bad guy and the two lead characters spent the whole time fighting with each other but never dealt the final blow.

Definitely NOT worth the discounted $11.40 student entry price.

[MacDawg]

I saw it today and liked it
Wasn't the greatest movie EVAR!!!!111! but it was very good in my opinion

I guess you have to be a fan of the genre to appreciate it

I thought it was better than its predecessors in that it gave a lot of time to character development over special effects or a "campy" feel

I would compare it to the difference between the newer Casino Royale versus any of the Roger Moore Bond movies

Woof, Woof - Dawg http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/pawprint.gif

[P-Worm]

...at one point the good guy became a bad guy...

What's wrong with character development? Sometimes heros aren't what we want them to be.

...and the two lead characters spent the whole time fighting with each other but never dealt the final blow.

What are you talking about? *Highlight for spoilers* The Joker was caught and Two Face died.

Definitely NOT worth the discounted $11.40 student entry price.

Besides Wall•E, what movie do you think WAS worth $11.40 this year? Space Chimps?

P-Worm

[~Shard~]

Besides Wall•E, what movie do you think WAS worth $11.40 this year? Space Chimps?

$11.40?! Yikes, I just go to our main theater here on Cheap Tuesdays and pay $4... suckers... :p :cool:

[MacGeek7]

What are you talking about? *Highlight for spoilers*

Highlight to see my response to the spoiler alert

The Joker was caught but we don't know for certain that Two Face died - just because they held the funeral doesn't mean he was actually there - it could have been a cover up. In the comic series none of the villains that Batman catches ever die

[iJohnHenry]

$11.40?! Yikes, I just go to our main theater here on Cheap Tuesdays and pay $4... suckers... :p :cool:

You have a cheap IMAX theatre?? Cool. :cool:












:rolleyes:

[~Shard~]

You have a cheap IMAX theatre?? Cool. :cool:

Ah, IMAX, no. I was referring to our Galaxy Cinemas here. The IMAX here will run me another $3. :p :cool:

[PkennethV]

After reading all the comments about Batman's voice I just *had* to share this YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2yv8aT0UFc):D

and I think I must be one of the few people that actually likes Batman's voice:cool:

[P-Worm]

I had a revelation this morning. If they put The Riddler in the next movie, they should cast Crispin Glover to play the part. I tell you, that guy is The Riddler.

P-Worm

[~Shard~]

I had a revelation this morning. If they put The Riddler in the next movie, they should cast Crispin Glover to play the part. I tell you, that guy is The Riddler.

Was the Riddler ever part of the Dark Knight universe specifically though? I'm referring to the graphic novels and so forth... I was thinking about that the other night as well, in terms of what other villains they could use in another installment. A proper version of Catwoman?... dunno... guess it depends how true they want to remain to "The Dark Knight" and what elements of the various Batman worlds they want to incorporate... :cool:

[benmrii]

I had a revelation this morning. If they put The Riddler in the next movie, they should cast Crispin Glover to play the part. I tell you, that guy is The Riddler.

P-Worm

If they do, I agree 100%.

http://www.thecinemasource.com/moviesdb/images/Crispin_Glover-3-Beowulf.jpg

[P-Worm]

If they do, I agree 100%.

http://www.thecinemasource.com/moviesdb/images/Crispin_Glover-3-Beowulf.jpg

The more I think about it, the more it works. Not only does he look like The Riddler, but he's the quiet guy that is too smart for his own good. He's the normal guy that would absolutely snap one day.

A scene from Willard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu2sSVt32bo)

P-Worm

[Nicolecat]

Yeah, I saw it yesterday...

I have to agree with MacDawg...it was really good, but by far not the best I've seen.

That having been said...it was a fantastic performance by Heath Ledger.
I wish it wasn't as long as it was...but it almost had to be for the character development, and the many twists in the plot.

I completely forgot to look for the iphone...and yet, don't remember seeing it. There was a touch screen phone, but thinking back on it...it was skinnier and resembled the instinct. :(

[Teh Don Ditty]

^That was a Nokia phone in development.

I saw it again this weekend and it was even better than the 1st time.

[Nicolecat]

^That was a Nokia phone in development.

I saw it again this weekend and it was even better than the 1st time.

Okay...makes sense, i knew it was touch screen...just couldn't place it. :D

[MUCKYFINGERS]

This movie completely lived up to the hype.

I loved every minute of it.

[billyripkin]

Just saw it in Imax yesterday and loved it. I left on a trip overseas just before it came out and was dying to see it. I guess I could have if I really wanted to....

[~Shard~]

Finally going to see it tonight, can't wait! I'll post my thoughts afterwards. :)

[leekohler]

Finally going to see it tonight, can't wait! I'll post my thoughts afterwards. :)

Are you sure? I can't believe you're finally going! :D

[benmrii]

Finally going to see it tonight, can't wait! I'll post my thoughts afterwards. :)

IMAX?

[iJohnHenry]

IMAX?

Doubt it. That's another four bucks. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g158/MouseMeat/Smilies/terical.gif

[benmrii]

Doubt it. That's another four bucks. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g158/MouseMeat/Smilies/terical.gif

That's not bad, actually. Where I'm at the closest IMAX is 16 miles away instead of 2 for my usual theatre. The cost for the ticket is twice as much at $16 and it's $5 for parking instead of it being free. Still worth it for the difference in experience, IMO.

[~Shard~]

IMAX?

Doubt it. That's another four bucks.

No, it's not playing at our IMAX yet - I think it comes in another month or so, perfect timing for a second viewing. :D

And yes, in the meantime I'll put that extra 4 bucks to other uses... :p

[Lyle]

I know that you've all been waiting to hear what I think about it, so I just wanted to let you know that we finally went to see the movie Saturday afternoon.

My review is more or less like some others. The movie was, overall, good but not great. A bit more editing wouldn't have hurt; for example, the sequence towards the end where Batman's working his way through the building where Joker has all the hostages could have been cut down drastically. I completely tuned out during that part. Ditto for the chase sequence in the tunnels (where Dent's in the SWAT van). Or the whole subplot with the Oriental guy.

On the other hand, Heath Ledger's Joker was amazing, can't say much more about that. I think I stopped breathing for a few minutes there during the scene when he confronts Gambol (Michael Jai White). The character development for Harvey Dent was handled really well until he abruptly became Two-Face with very little transition time at all (and then was killed off shortly thereafter).

If I had to choose, I guess I'd have to say that I preferred "Batman Begins" to "The Dark Knight". I'm definitely looking forward to the next movie, though.

[Much Ado]

Just saw this myself too.

Ledger was amazing, and that's not because of hype or sympathy. His performance was an simply incredible piece of acting, and deserves the praise it has garnered.

The Joker was also well written, and I loved the way he was always one step ahead of the 'good guys'. It was a thrill just to see what he did next.

The Harvey Dent development was also handled nicely, and the ending was executed well.

Perhaps some of the action sequences were a little over-zealous, but this was definitely the finest superhero movie I've seen. And Hans Zimmer remains a God.

[~Shard~]

Are you sure? I can't believe you're finally going! :D

Yep, it's true! :eek:

;)

That's not bad, actually. Where I'm at the closest IMAX is 16 miles away instead of 2 for my usual theatre. The cost for the ticket is twice as much at $16 and it's $5 for parking instead of it being free. Still worth it for the difference in experience, IMO.

Yeah, I'll be checking it out in IMAX as well for sure. But tonight it's $4 Cheap Tuesdays so I can't pass that up! :D Alas, the IMAX is double that. :(

;)

Nice thing is, both are only a 10-minute drive from my house so neither is a problem to get to. :)

[iJohnHenry]

I like the way they stage the "release" in your town.

Get you first with a regular screen, then zap you for IMAX. The reverse would net them squat at the regular one.

That's like selling you a condo with an ocean view, and then building in front of it.

:p

[~Shard~]

I like the way they stage the "release" in your town.

Get you first with a regular screen, then zap you for IMAX. The reverse would net them squat at the regular one.

That's like selling you a condo with an ocean view, and then building in front of it.

:p

Yes, quite bastardly - hence, why I approve. :D

[Music_Producer]

Unbelievable! Sounds like maybe it just isn't your kind of movie. Or maybe you're one of those who likes your Batman with nipples. ;) Batman Begins was fantastic.


No, I just didn't like Batman Begins - the way the entire movie developed (it started off great.. and then just stretched on)

Saw the dark knight a few days ago, incredible movie. I went in reluctantly, expecting another long one, but this one got my attention throughout the movie.

Heath was fantastic.. but, why does everyone say that Maggie is better than Katie? :confused: I think they both sucked.

Someone quoted that Hans Zimmer is a God, yes he is.. but don't forget James Newton Howard as well. Also, with these music producers - when they get so busy, they give the work to their sub-producers/directors.. and approve the final mix/versions.

I loved the movie so much that I made an attempt at reproducing the score by just using GarageBand (except for Heath's vocal samples of course) Just wanted to see how well GB would handle it - Check it out! (ps - this is from whatever i could remember while watching the movie, nothing is quantized - very rough) :apple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTtW56ko5SA

[jpmittins]

I was in the theater watching it, feeling "Is this it? I mean, I know it's cool, but is this all?" Then I stopped feeling like that, enjoyed the movie, but when it finished, the four people I was with were all raving about it, while I was there going "It was okay." A few days later when my parents asked about it, I said the Joker was amazing and I really like what they did with Two-Face. My mom asked how Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine were, since she loves both those actors. I said they were great; as I also said Gordon was (in response to my dad). Upon further reflection, I realized that one of the only things I didn't like about the movie was Batman himself. Then I realized that I didn't really hate Batman, he just grated on my nerves (but I like Bruce Wayne better). Maybe I need to watch it again; I felt the same way about Juno when I saw that.

[~Shard~]

Well, I just got back from it and have to say that it was awesome! Not sure what else I can say that hasn't already been said in this thread... Ledger was amazing, I was surprised with how good Eckhart was, and although it was long, it felt more epic than drawn out for me, which is a good thing. The plot was complex at times, but I enjoy films that engage me and reward my attention. :cool: It was definitely dark and intense, but not as bad as I was thinking, based on some of the other reviews I had previously read. Children of Men, now that was bordering on depressing near the end! Although still an amazing movie of course... ;)

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish - a great ride. Good writing, acting, plot development and action. Another well thought-out work from the Nolans. I'll definitely be seeing it again. :cool:

[P-Worm]

I loved the movie so much that I made an attempt at reproducing the score by just using GarageBand (except for Heath's vocal samples of course) Just wanted to see how well GB would handle it - Check it out! (ps - this is from whatever i could remember while watching the movie, nothing is quantized - very rough) :apple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTtW56ko5SA

That was great. Would you mind posting the garage band file so I could examine it? Your compositions sound so much better than mine. Is it the filters you play with?

P-Worm

Well, I just got back from it and have to say that it was awesome! Not sure what else I can say that hasn't already been said in this thread... Ledger was amazing, I was surprised with how good Eckhart was, and although it was long, it felt more epic than drawn out for me, which is a good thing. The plot was complex at times, but I enjoy films that engage me and reward my attention. :cool: It was definitely dark and intense, but not as bad as I was thinking, based on some of the other reviews I had previously read. Children of Men, now [i]that[/b] was bordering on depressing near the end! Although still an amazing movie of course... ;)

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish - a great ride. Good writing, acting, plot development and action. Another well thought-out work from the Nolans. I'll definitely be seeing it again. :cool:

Glad to hear you liked it. I think a few of use were waiting for your review to come in. And I agree with you about Aaron Eckhart, he was the definate dark horse actor. Not many expected much from him and he ended up giving a great performance. Now you need to experience it on the IMAX!

P-Worm

[jizwood1]

I absoultely like this film. Good acting.

[~Shard~]

I loved the movie so much that I made an attempt at reproducing the score by just using GarageBand (except for Heath's vocal samples of course) Just wanted to see how well GB would handle it - Check it out! (ps - this is from whatever i could remember while watching the movie, nothing is quantized - very rough) :apple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTtW56ko5SA

That is great Music_Producer, thanks for sharing! And good to see you around the other Forums, I must admit I miss chatting with ya in our old haunt. ;) :)

Glad to hear you liked it. I think a few of use were waiting for your review to come in. And I agree with you about Aaron Eckhart, he was the definate dark horse actor. Not many expected much from him and he ended up giving a great performance. Now you need to experience it on the IMAX!

Absolutely, can't wait to see it again. It takes a lot to sit through that movie, but I'm definitely up for it again. ;)

One other comment while I'm at it, I don't understand why people had trouble following the plot, or found it confusing. It was complex, yes, but everything made sense to me and was all woven together quite well. Lots going on, sure, but not impossible to follow. I think I said it in an earlier post - if I wanted to turn my brain off for a fun, simple movie I'd go see Get Smart - but that's not what I wanted nor was expecting from Dark Knight, and I was definitely not disappointed. :cool:

[benmrii]

...why does everyone say that Maggie is better than Katie? :confused: I think they both sucked.

She certainly wasn't spectacular, but I thought she was a significant improvement from Kate.

Glad you enjoyed it, ~Shard~. I liked your comment

...although it was long, it felt more epic than drawn out for me, which is a good thing.

I felt the same way. There have, unfortunately, been quite a few movies lately that I've been checking my watch during to see how much longer I was going to have to watch it. I checked my watch during The Dark Knight once, saw it was only an hour into it, and was ecstatic that I had so much more to watch.

[~Shard~]

She certainly wasn't spectacular, but I thought she was a significant improvement from Kate.

Yeah, I thought she was a marginal improvement, but nothing special. I wouldn't say she sucked or was a detriment to the movie, just that her performance was average.

I felt the same way. There have, unfortunately, been quite a few movies lately that I've been checking my watch during to see how much longer I was going to have to watch it. I checked my watch during The Dark Knight once, saw it was only an hour into it, and was ecstatic that I had so much more to watch.

I actually checked my watch around the same time and thought the same thing haha. ;) Yep, it was one of those movies that I wanted to be long since Nolan did such a job job of immersing the viewer in the universe that was created for the film. Lots of depth and substance, it was great to see. :cool:

[AliensAreFuzzy]

I went to see TDK this week and Oh. My. God. That was one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life.
I may go again this weekend.

[leekohler]

I went to see TDK this week and Oh. My. God. That was one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life.
I may go again this weekend.

I'm going again Saturday!

[benmrii]

I'm going again Saturday!

I'm debating on whether or not to go see it again tonight. IMAX is on my way home from meeting up with some friends earlier...

[Music_Producer]

That is great Music_Producer, thanks for sharing! And good to see you around the other Forums, I must admit I miss chatting with ya in our old haunt. ;) :)




Hey bro, good to see you.. and yes, I miss chatting around there as well - it's just that I've been through a lot of stuff recently.. taking some time off and trying to come back slowly. Seems like music really, really helps me to do so.

I should start trading this week - I'll start off with the NFP :eek::D

[~Shard~]

Hey bro, good to see you.. and yes, I miss chatting around there as well - it's just that I've been through a lot of stuff recently.. taking some time off and trying to come back slowly. Seems like music really, really helps me to do so.

I should start trading this week - I'll start off with the NFP :eek::D

You and me both - I've had a lot on the go with my investment properties, other trading (mostly commodities) and personal stuff to bother with forex... NFP might be interesting this week though...

Anyway, enough off-topic chatting :o Back on topic - The Dark Knight was amazing! :D

And seriously, I am looking forward to seeing it again - I won't be surprised if there were some nuances and such which I didn't fully catch the first time around. I like movies that you have to watch a couple times to truly get everything out of it. ;) That takes me back to an earlier exmaple I gave in this thread of my favorite Nolan work, Memento - a brilliant piece of film and one of my all-time favorite movies. Highly recommended for those who haven't seen it. :cool:

[leekohler]

And seriously, I am looking forward to seeing it again - I won't be surprised if there were some nuances and such which I didn't fully catch the first time around. I like movies that you have to watch a couple times to truly get everything out of it. ;) That takes me back to an earlier exmaple I gave in this thread of my favorite Nolan work, Memento - a brilliant piece of film and one of my all-time favorite movies. Highly recommended for those who haven't seen it. :cool:

Glad you liked it, ya bastard. :)

[benmrii]

... :o ... :D ... ;)

That takes me back to an earlier exmaple I gave in this thread of my favorite Nolan work, Memento - a brilliant piece of film and one of my all-time favorite movies. ...

:cool:

Memento is indeed a great film.

I actually decided to suck it up and go again tonight. The 10:50 showing was sold out. :mad: Probably for the best considering 10:50p + 2.5 hours + previews + 30 minute drive home = bad day at work tomorrow. But just thought it was worth mentioning that it is still selling out. IMAX at least, but I wasn't about to downgrade.

[Piarco]

After avoiding this thread like the plague, I finally got to see The Dark Knight at the IMAX last night.
Everything that I was hoping for and a lot of things I wasn't! I'm going again at the weekend to a regular cinema as my other half hasn't seen it yet, and I'm looking forward to it again.
I was at the 2100 showing so by the time it finished it was about 2345, and the midnight showing was sold out... so apparently were the showings at 0230 and 0530... it's going to make soooo much money. Able to sink Titanic? I can only hope...

[BoyBach]

I thought it was okay.

Far too long though, I must admit that I was starting to get bored towards the end.

[poolish]

the odeon was way too hot, everyone was sweating! just made the film even worse, was so bored and just wanted to leave by the end!

[Diatribe]

I guess I am late to the party but I saw it last weekend and I must say I am very torn.
Up until about ~2 hours in I loved the movie, better than Iron Man but the last 40-60 minutes were just way too long, messy and incoherent, worse than Iron Man. After all I think both are about on par as to the whole movie but Batman could have been so awesome if they had just not drifted off so much in the end. A two hour movie would have been awesome.
A comment though on Heath Ledger's performance... I definitely thought it was Oscar worthy, it was one of the best villain performances I have seen. Definitely lived up to the hype. Too bad the last part of the movie didn't...

[~Shard~]

Up until about ~2 hours in I loved the movie, better than Iron Man but the last 40-60 minutes were just way too long, messy and incoherent, worse than Iron Man. After all I think both are about on par as to the whole movie but Batman could have been so awesome if they had just not drifted off so much in the end. A two hour movie would have been awesome.

I hear where you're coming from. I was thinking a similar thing too at the time - basically, if the movie was just about the Joker, a 2-hour length (or thereabouts) would have probably been perfect, however with the Harvey Dent/Two-Face story line to resolve, this required the additional half-hour, give or take. So, I understood why the film was longer and didn't mind it. I must admit I was getting "mentally exhausted" near that time, so I hear what you're saying about it being the weaker part of the film, but for me I don't think it was a thing of the movie starting to drag and become weak - rather, just the fact that so much had gone on I was in a bit of overload, coupled with the fact that there really was no better way to tie up the Harvey Dent story line. This added to the tragic nature of it for me - you know this cannot end well, and that's basically what happened. Incoherent, messy - these are words you used to describe the ending and I think that suits the tragedy that is Harvey Dent's reality perfectly - throw in desperate as well. :cool:

And yes, I would agree with you that the last act of the film perhaps was not its strongest point in that respect, but as I said, I didn't see any other real way to deal with it and I think the writers still did a pretty good job. The final chapters did not ruin the movie for me or even to a lesser degree leave me with a sour taste, they just accented an already-amazing, epic story.

Further to this, you may consider me a freak for saying so, but I am looking forward to the DVD release in hopes of being able to watch an extended edition of the film! :eek: Or if nothing else, at least a bunch of deleted scenes. :D :cool:

[benmrii]

I hear where you're coming from. I was thinking a similar thing too at the time - basically, if the movie was just about the Joker, a 2-hour length (or thereabouts) would have probably been perfect, however with the Harvey Dent/Two-Face story line to resolve, this required the additional half-hour, give or take. So, I understood why the film was longer and didn't mind it. I must admit I was getting "mentally exhausted" near that time, so I hear what you're saying about it being the weaker part of the film, but for me I don't think it was a thing of the movie starting to drag and become weak - rather, just the fact that so much had gone on I was in a bit of overload, coupled with the fact that there really was no better way to tie up the Harvey Dent story line. This added to the tragic nature of it for me - you know this cannot end well, and that's basically what happened. Incoherent, messy - these are words you used to describe the ending and I think that suits the tragedy that is Harvey Dent's reality perfectly - throw in desperate as well. :cool:

To me, the Two-Face/Harvey Dent story is the culmination of the Joker story, at the very least a major part. The Joker is much more the maniacal, psychotic, criminal genius because of his creation of Two-Face. I keep hearing and reading people speak of the quick transition of Harvey Dent to Two-Face, but it never felt that way to me. The whole movie he teeters between being righteous and going too far. The troubled mind of Bruce Wayne sees him as a hero, but that doesn't make him one... the fictional eulogy for example.

Take Harvey Dent, add the Joker. In one night the Joker burns half his face off and kills the woman he loves and is engaged to. While that is happening they are talking to one another and just before she dies he realizes she is going to because Batman kicks in the door and saves him instead. In his eyes, here is the "Dark Knight," his partner in saving the city, making the wrong choice and essentially killing off Rachel. Then who comes by to visit him in the hospital but the man responsible... and makes sense... and is empowering. His whole world has been turned upside and the only person that makes sense is pushing him in the direction it's already going.

Not to mention: if the movie had been shorter and been sans Two-Face, we wouldn't have gotten to see the Joker dressed in drag as a nurse. That was hilarious. :D

Just my take...

[~Shard~]

Very well said benmrii, I agree - I also agree with your white text. ;) :D

[Pittsax]

Someone quoted that Hans Zimmer is a God, yes he is.. but don't forget James Newton Howard as well. Also, with these music producers - when they get so busy, they give the work to their sub-producers/directors.. and approve the final mix/versions.

I dunno...I just wish Zimmer would come up with something original, which he hasn't done since probably Gladiator. Someone mentioned the "theme" for the Joker, which worked VERY well in the theater, but is practically unlistenable on CD. I read that Zimmer did handled the Joker theme while Howard did the Harvey Dent theme. I can just imagine the meeting of the minds on that one:

Howard: "Here's what I came up with for Dent" *plays the very appropriate and intricate theme for Dent that morphs into something more menacing a-la Two-Face* "What did you come up with?"

Zimmer: "Um...I have one note."

[Music_Producer]

I can just imagine the meeting of the minds on that one:

Howard: "Here's what I came up with for Dent" *plays the very appropriate and intricate theme for Dent that morphs into something more menacing a-la Two-Face* "What did you come up with?"

Zimmer: "Um...I have one note."

Lol, yeah I have noticed that too. I think Zimmer is just too busy with multiple movies.. he's probably spending time running around and passing on projects to his subs, rather than taking the time to work on things himself.

[Much Ado]

I amend my quote then. Hans Zimmer's subs are Gods :)

[~Shard~]

Regarding the soundtrack, I'm just glad that they didn't sell out and include a bunch of pop songs in the movie or something like that. Supposedly they were approached by hundreds of artists. It really cheapens the film and dates it when movies do that. For a movie like The Dark Knight I just don't think it's appropriate either.

[leekohler]

Regarding the soundtrack, I'm just glad that they didn't sell out and include a bunch of pop songs in the movie or something like that. Supposedly they were approached by hundreds of artists. It really cheapens the film and dates it when movies do that. For a movie like The Dark Knight I just don't think it's appropriate either.

Amen! Oh god, can you imagine? We could have ended up with some horrible faux-goth band like Evanescence or something worse.

[benmrii]

Regarding the soundtrack, I'm just glad that they didn't sell out and include a bunch of pop songs in the movie or something like that. Supposedly they were approached by hundreds of artists. It really cheapens the film and dates it when movies do that. For a movie like The Dark Knight I just don't think it's appropriate either.

Amen! Oh god, can you imagine? We could have ended up with some horrible faux-goth band like Evanescence or something worse.

So, so true. The soundtrack is memorable only because it reflects the movie, rather than it being a pop song mix tape that is "appropriate" because half of them use the words Gotham, Joker or Batman. It helps the flow of the movie rather than being distracting and/or overbearing.

[Unspeaked]

I actually decided to suck it up and go again tonight. The 10:50 showing was sold out. :mad: Probably for the best considering 10:50p + 2.5 hours + previews + 30 minute drive home = bad day at work tomorrow. But just thought it was worth mentioning that it is still selling out. IMAX at least, but I wasn't about to downgrade.

No way this beats Titanic, or even comes close.

Audiences are really impulsive nowadays and even blockbuster as big as this one see their interest die out relatively quickly.

Look at Spider-Man 3: it held all the opening day/opening weekend records before this film broke them, and it ended up grossing less than the previous two Spider-Man movies!

[benmrii]

No way this beats Titanic, or even comes close.

It may not beat either of them in theatre sales, but it sure is a lot better than either of them.

[Unspeaked]

It may not beat either of them in theatre sales, but it sure is a lot better than either of them.

Now that I can't argue with ;)

[Much Ado]

Amen! Oh god, can you imagine? We could have ended up with some horrible faux-goth band like Evanescence or something worse.

I sit alone,
In this empty room,
It's a dark vacuum,
Like my bat costume

"Oh bleed! Sweet tears"
I shout and I squeal,
I'm cutting myself
In the Batmobile

But no! *Fuzzy guitars*

The darkness consumes me,
I can feel the pain,
This loss of identity,
Am I Batman? Bruce Wayne?

-Yeah, you're right. That would be terrible.

[~Shard~]

So, so true. The soundtrack is memorable only because it reflects the movie, rather than it being a pop song mix tape that is "appropriate" because half of them use the words Gotham, Joker or Batman. It helps the flow of the movie rather than being distracting and/or overbearing.

Exactly. Case in point - I much preferred Elfman's soundtrack for Batman (1989) than Prince's album for the movie. Although Prince is an accomplished, talented musician (it's the truth whether you like him or not! :p) the simple fact is that his music for the movie dated it.

Lastly, while I've brought it up, I must say that although I love many of Zimmer's themes in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, especially Molossus, nothing is quite as memorable and "catchy" (in a good way) as Elfman's main Batman Theme. ;) :cool:

[iJohnHenry]

That amounts to little more than "product placement", and should be abhorred by everyone.

So many good old movie soundtracks prove that they can be done, and done well.

[bigandy]

Finally got to see it.


I think I might just have to go again. :)

[iJohnHenry]

I think I might just have to go again. :)

2nd door to the right, and please remember to aim this time. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g158/MouseMeat/Smilies/terical.gif

[MattKanzler]

best. movie. ever.

[Markleshark]

Well there is 9 pages on this so someone must have gone into some detail, but I'm not... What a film. Brilliant.

Has to be the best film I've seen this year, without a shadow of a doubt.

[benmrii]

That amounts to little more than "product placement", and should be abhorred by everyone.

So many good old movie soundtracks prove that they can be done, and done well.

I'm still a big fan of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack compositions, although my unhealthy love for spaghetti westerns probably fuels that a bit.

[leekohler]

Went for the second time yesterday. Even though there are flaws, it's an astounding achievement in filmmaking. Every second is absolutely beautiful to look at. Chris Nolan should also be congratulated for avoiding CGI as much as possible. There's no substitute for stuntmen.

[benmrii]

Chris Nolan should also be congratulated for avoiding CGI as much as possible. There's no substitute for stuntmen.

Ah, great point. It didn't occur to me as I watched through it the first time, but I agree wholeheartedly.

... I need to see that sucker again.

[~Shard~]

Went for the second time yesterday. Even though there are flaws, it's an astounding achievement in filmmaking. Every second is absolutely beautiful to look at. Chris Nolan should also be congratulated for avoiding CGI as much as possible. There's no substitute for stuntmen.

Yeah, very good point. The CGI that was used blended well with the film and didn't stand out as CGI. In my mind, that's the sign of truly good CGI - you don't know it's there, and it complements the film, not stands out from it. ;) :cool:

[Lone Deranger]

I was fortunate enough to be part of the team doing the VFX of twoface. And one thing that struck me was that throughout production Nolan always emphasized his decision to only use CGI where practical effects were not possible.
While that essentially means less potential work for us CG VFX guys it also means our craft does not get abused so much, which is better for all. :)
With that I mean that "lesser" directors often get carried away by the power and possibilities of having a team of VFX artists at their disposal. Dreaming up crazy shots that defy logic, not because they should, but because can because the budget's there.

Nolan's a guy that knows what he wants and uses the right techniques for the right type of shot. It's a pleasure to work with such directors. Alfonso Cuaron's another such director.

BTW... Glad you liked the work.


Yeah, very good point. The CGI that was used blended well with the film and didn't stand out as CGI. In my mind, that's the sign of truly good CGI - you don't know it's there, and it complements the film, not stands out from it. ;) :cool:

[~Shard~]

I was fortunate enough to be part of the team doing the VFX of twoface. And one thing that struck me was that throughout production Nolan always emphasized his decision to only use CGI where practical effects were not possible.
While that essentially means less potential work for us CG VFX guys it also means our craft does not get abused so much, which is better for all. :)
With that I mean that "lesser" directors often get carried away by the power and possibilities of having a team of VFX artists at their disposal. Dreaming up crazy shots that defy logic, not because they should, but because can because the budget's there.

Nolan's a guy that knows what he wants and uses the right techniques for the right type of shot. It's a pleasure to work with such directors. Alfonso Cuaron's another such director.

BTW... Glad you liked the work.

Thanks for the post, quite insightful. What you have stated is what I would expect from someone such as Nolan. Since you were part of the team, I must compliment you on a job well done! :cool:

[Lone Deranger]

Thank you very much Shard! :)

Thanks for the post, quite insightful. What you have stated is what I would expect from someone such as Nolan. Since you were part of the team, I must compliment you on a job well done! :cool:

[Stardotboy]

I finally got around to watching it for the first time this morning (on IMAX) and my feelings about it are a bit mixed.

Great performances from most (Ledger, Bale and Eckhart particularly I thought), which were definitely the highlight of the film and were the key to keeping people in their seats for the full duration.

The plot was the main downfall of the film. Despite setting up some interesting scenes, to put it bluntly it had piss-poor construction. It was easy enough to follow, but seemed to continually go off on tangents that were uninteresting at best and irrelevant at worst. I also get the feeling that the editors had the chance to pull out anything from a good to a fantastic film, and basically failed in their task to splice things together well enough to hit all the high notes - and as a result churned something out that was decent enough, but not stunning.

Batman Begins worked for me because the character development was done particularly well. The end result was a relatively dark film with a fairly tortured central character. It seemed to me The Dark Knight was aiming for the same result, but tried to skimp on existing character development - the Joker and Two-Face developed pretty well (except for the instant and largely off-screen transition from Harvey the hero to Harvey the villain) but with regards Batman and Rachel Dawes I felt a bit WTF... I mean, did it not cross anyone's mind to develop the central character here?

I guess I'm coming across as more critical than I would do if the last film were not as good as it was, but in my mind this film clearly had the potential to blow me away a lot more than it actually did.

[soberbrain]

CNN confirms it... What's with Batman's voice in 'Dark Knight'? (http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/04/mondaymoviebuzz.darkknight.ap/)

I enjoyed the movie, but I was often distracted (and almost had to laugh) at the big difference between Bruce Wayne and Batman's voice.

[Chappers]

I finally got around to watching it for the first time this morning (on IMAX) and my feelings about it are a bit mixed.

Great performances from most (Ledger, Bale and Eckhart particularly I thought), which were definitely the highlight of the film and were the key to keeping people in their seats for the full duration.

The plot was the main downfall of the film. Despite setting up some interesting scenes, to put it bluntly it had piss-poor construction. It was easy enough to follow, but seemed to continually go off on tangents that were uninteresting at best and irrelevant at worst. I also get the feeling that the editors had the chance to pull out anything from a good to a fantastic film, and basically failed in their task to splice things together well enough to hit all the high notes - and as a result churned something out that was decent enough, but not stunning.

Batman Begins worked for me because the character development was done particularly well. The end result was a relatively dark film with a fairly tortured central character. It seemed to me The Dark Knight was aiming for the same result, but tried to skimp on existing character development - the Joker and Two-Face developed pretty well (except for the instant and largely off-screen transition from Harvey the hero to Harvey the villain) but with regards Batman and Rachel Dawes I felt a bit WTF... I mean, did it not cross anyone's mind to develop the central character here?

I guess I'm coming across as more critical than I would do if the last film were not as good as it was, but in my mind this film clearly had the potential to blow me away a lot more than it actually did.

I'm probably gonna get flamed for agreeing with you but - you are right.

Amusingly - when I went to see it yesterday with my wife (12 noon session) - we were the only ones in the cinema.

[Rhosfelt]

I really did like the movie a lot but I'd have to agree with some of the posters saying the plot was a bit weak. I can say this because I felt at times the movie dragged on, and I personally felt it could have ended so much sooner. A good plot doesn't do that. I believe if they focused more on character development as Stardotboy said it would have pulled me in that much more, and I would not have felt that ancy feeling to get me to leave.

However, everything else about the movie I loved, and if I had to give a rating I would give 9/10, just shy of perfect, but if there is another (which is rumored there may be called "Gotham") they could very well receive a perfect score. All the writer(s) would need to do is revolve around a more linear character based plot (it's batman I mean it is hard to not focus on his struggles).

Also, now the movie maybe cursed, with all the hype about Ledger and now Freeman.

On a last note, I hate Maggie maggie gyllenhaal she looks like a sad cartoon turtle. If Katie Holmes would have been Rachel I would have been happier.

[~Shard~]

Also, now the movie maybe cursed, with all the hype about Ledger and now Freeman.

And don't forget Bale's current situation as well wrt assault charges.

I hope Freeman has a swift recovery. It sounds as though none of his injuries were life-threatening thank goodness.

[Rhosfelt]

And don't forget Bale's current situation as well wrt assault charges.

I hope Freeman has a swift recovery. It sounds as though none of his injuries were life-threatening thank goodness.

From a MSN article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26010759/) I just found it sounded as though he was lucid and joking with the medical staff.

However the Bale situation wasn't as serious as it was made out to be. I believe it was his sister wanted money, he refused, she tried to make a big deal out of it by calling him on on assault. Which is why it's kind of over now.

[~Shard~]

From a MSN article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26010759/) I just found it sounded as though he was lucid and joking with the medical staff.

However the Bale situation wasn't as serious as it was made out to be. I believe it was his sister wanted money, he refused, she tried to make a big deal out of it by calling him on on assault. Which is why it's kind of over now.

Good to hear, on both counts. :) I never thought Bale would be the type of person to engage in that type of behavior in the first place.

[Piarco]

CNN confirms it... What's with Batman's voice in 'Dark Knight'? (http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/04/mondaymoviebuzz.darkknight.ap/)

I enjoyed the movie, but I was often distracted (and almost had to laugh) at the big difference between Bruce Wayne and Batman's voice.

This was tackled in the first film... kinda. I remember when a picture was released of the new batsuit (now old batsuit) and the two triangular "buttons" that are near the neck and hold the cape are actually voice masking devices - hence the voice change.
On the new batsuit they are intergrated into the shoulders...

[~Shard~]

This was tackled in the first film... kinda. I remember when a picture was released of the new batsuit (now old batsuit) and the two triangular "buttons" that are near the next and hold the cape are actually voice masking devices - hence the voice change.
On the new batsuit they are intergrated into the shoulders...

Yeah, I thought there was an actual explanation for this as well. That being said, the voice effect does seem more pronounced in The Dark Knight versus Batman Begins. Regardless, although I noticed it, it never really bothered me during the film.

[Thomas Veil]

Just saw this Sunday.

No disrespect to Ledger, but I think a large portion of the credit for his Joker performance must go to the writers, who gave him some very good material to work with. It wasn't as sharp as I would've liked, but you definitely get the impression that Joker was an agent of chaos at best, and a human piece of filth that wanted to drag everyone down to his level at worst.

That said, Ledger's performance was really good. Not better or worse than Nicholson's, just different...an entirely different take. For my money, they're both terrific acting jobs.

Another thing about the Joker character was that, if memory serves, he's always been, in the comics and the Tim Burton movie, a sicko who literally gets his laughs out of murder and mayhem. Jack Nicholson's Joker certainly fit this mold, but Ledger's...not so much. I left with the impression that the movie would've worked just as well if his character were named The Terrorist.

But that's a small carp. Another is the same one I have with a lot of action films: sometimes the action scenes move so fast you almost don't know what you're looking at. And sometimes the camera just moves too damn much. Halfway through the movie I thought if I saw one more shot where the camera circled around the actors as they talked, I was gonna whoops.

But again, those are minor complaints about a very good film. No superhero movie (that I've seen) has ever had the complex layers of this one. So kudos to Nolan and the writers.

Some fantastic shots, especially those that look like they're "diving" off a skyscraper. And that CGI shot where Joker left the hospital was incredible. In one continuous shot he exits the doors, and by the end of the shot the entire building is going up...without one single trace of where the genuine shot ended and the CGI began. Really, really impressive.

I do have to agree the whole section with Batman's night-vision/monitoring system was the one place where the movie seemed to go off the rails and slid dangerously close to becoming "camp".

Only bad thing about the showing I went to was, the audio mix was horrible. The music was often so loud it drowned out the dialogue. I trust that was the theater's fault, and not the movie itself.

Last point: I talked with friends who've seen the film, and they all agree with me -- it's difficult to say I actually enjoyed this film. I liked it very much, yes...but "enjoyed"? The movie is almost relentlessly downbeat, and (SPOILER WARNING; MOUSE OVER TO READ) at the end, everybody loses. The Joker does, Harvey Dent does, certainly Rachel does, Gordon's friendship with Batman is in peril, Lucius Fox has abandoned him, and Batman himself is now an outlaw and loses the woman he loves, both literally and figuratively. It's a terrible price to pay for protecting the people of Gotham City. I can't recall in recent memory a movie which had such a bummer of an ending.

Again, not that I'm saying the movie was bad, it wasn't...but Jesus, was it depressing.

[Grasbak]

Some fantastic shots, especially those that look like they're "diving" off a skyscraper. And that CGI shot where Joker left the hospital was incredible. In one continuous shot he exits the doors, and by the end of the shot the entire building is going up...without one single trace of where the genuine shot ended and the CGI began. Really, really impressive.

I am probably being gullable but listening to an interview with Chris Nolan he specifically mention the hospital incident - said it was all one take, really happended - I dont think there was any CGI.....

[djellison]

Saw this last night. It was OK.

I agree with others - Ledger did the best job available with the script, but no more than that. I think he will get an Oscar nomination, and thus will win ( you can't not vote for the dead guy )

Batmans stupid bloody voice was like a bad smell thru the whole thing.

I didn't feel anything with the whole Dawes plotline. She's essentially just a two timing slut to be honest.

It was entertaining, it was funny, but it was occasionally disapointing, often annoying and never as good as it could have been.

Doug

[Thomas Veil]

I am probably being gullable but listening to an interview with Chris Nolan he specifically mention the hospital incident - said it was all one take, really happended - I dont think there was any CGI.....I considered that but find it unlikely (though not impossible) that they would construct a complex of buildings taking up a good part of a city block, and then blow it up. Fantastically expensive, even for a high-budget movie...plus you only get one shot at getting it right.

[Piarco]

I considered that but find it unlikely (though not impossible) that they would construct a complex of buildings taking up a good part of a city block, and then blow it up. Fantastically expensive, even for a high-budget movie...plus you only get one shot at getting it right.

If memory serves, the "hospital" was actually an old multi-storey car park that was due for demolition. Add some window and fake walkways, and there you go a hospital.

One or two of the Chicago MR members saw or at least heard it...

Edit: It wasn't a car park, it was a "four-story building on the former Brach Candy factory site"

[~Shard~]

Yeah, I had heard it was real as well, which makes it an even more impressive peice of cinematography.

James Cameron did this on a slightly smaller scale in T2 when he blew up the Cyberdyne Systems head office. No CGI there either.

[Grasbak]

James Cameron did this on a slightly smaller scale in T2 when he blew up the Cyberdyne Systems head office. No CGI there either.

I thought of the same scene! Excellent!

[~Shard~]

I thought of the same scene! Excellent!

Another one of my all-time favorite movies and another memorable scene... ;) :cool:

[leekohler]

If memory serves, the "hospital" was actually an old multi-storey car park that was due for demolition. Add some window and fake walkways, and there you go a hospital.

One or two of the Chicago MR members saw or at least heard it...

Edit: It wasn't a car park, it was a "four-story building on the former Brach Candy factory site"

Yep- I was gonna correct you, but you did it for me.

[arkitect]

Over the weekend managed to see Dark Knight at the BFI imax.

I must admit that it has been a very long time since a film has "moved" me… alas. Dark Knight didn't either.

IMO it was over-long… and maybe seeing it on "The UK's Biggest Screen" didn't help as both me and my partner felt a tad exhausted when we left. :o It just came across as a 2-3 hour long visual and aural assault with an inch thick veneer of heavy handed moralising to give it some "depth". Meh…

Heath Ledger had all the best lines — and if it wasn't for "The Joker" we probably would have left half way through. But then "bad" guys are always much more fun. :D Unless someone else pops out of the woodwork before hand, he's probably a shoe-in for the Oscar — self-congratulatory weeping standing ovation and all.

Strangely for me the closest I felt to being touched was when the "Batmobile" (?) said "Goodbye…" before it self-destructed.

I am sure going against general opinion does me no favours, but each to its own.
(And I wish they had made Two Face's damaged face a bit more shall we say… "drippy and oozy…" It was all just too neat.)

[Piarco]

Over the weekend managed to see Dark Knight at the BFI imax.

I must admit that it has been a very long time since a film has "moved" me… alas. Dark Knight didn't either.

IMO it was over-long… and maybe seeing it on "The UK's Biggest Screen" didn't help as both me and my partner felt a tad exhausted when we left. :o

I have to say I agree on that front. For some reason the IMAX format didn't do it for me either, and I was tired at the end of it, really feeling the 2.5 hours of the film.
Then seeing it on a normal cinema screen in Wimbledon made a huge difference. It felt faster and zipped along at a good pace. Maybe IMAX isn't for us all!

[Thomas Veil]

If memory serves, the "hospital" was actually an old multi-storey car park that was due for demolition. Add some window and fake walkways, and there you go a hospital. Ah. Well then. It may not've been impressive CGI, but it was still a hell of an impressive scene.

[~Shard~]

Ah. Well then. It may not've been impressive CGI, but it was still a hell of an impressive scene.

Yep - one of those memorable scenes that will stand out from the rest in my opinion.

[Shadow]

I saw it yesterday and Ledger's performance was absolutely incredible. It wasn't so much as 'Ledger playing the Joker' but he *was* the Joker. Awesome film, can't wait to go see it again.

[~Shard~]

I saw it yesterday and Ledger's performance was absolutely incredible. It wasn't so much as 'Ledger playing the Joker' but he *was* the Joker. Awesome film, can't wait to go see it again.

Yeah, I never once though of him as Heath Ledger during the film, that's for sure.

[Prof.]

While i was watching it, it was like Heath was alive but every 20 mins or so, I had to keep reminding myself that he is no longer with us. It was/is really sad. :(

[Gray-Wolf]

His playing the character so well, may have contributed to his problems.

[redgaz26]

just watched it tonight, thought it was superb. Maybe a bit long and the boat scenes didn't really matter but apart from that a great film. much better than the original films with micheal keaton

[Prof.]

His playing the character so well, may have contributed to his problems.
Jack Nicholson warned Heath about that. :(

[~Shard~]

much better than the original films with micheal keaton

I still like the 1989 Batman a lot. Batman Returns wasn't as good, but far better than the horrible sequels that Shumacher destroyed the franchise with. And remember that Keaton was only in the first 2, not the last 2 which were easily the worst of the quadrilogy.

[iJohnHenry]

Thank you.

(A fan of the original.)

This "What have you done for me lately" type of thinking is very limiting. IMO.

[~Shard~]

Thank you.

(A fan of the original.)

This "What have you done for me lately" type of thinking is very limiting. IMO.

My pleasure. ;) In my opinion Batman (1989) easily still stands the test of time and is a classic. Tim Burton is a genius. :cool:

[MacGeek7]

I saw 'The Dark Knight' on IMAX last night and I found it rather annoying when they switched the aspect ratios between 4:3 and 16:9 - I would have rather the whole thing been in 4:3 then the switching.

[~Shard~]

I saw 'The Dark Knight' on IMAX last night and I found it rather annoying when they switched the aspect ratios between 4:3 and 16:9 - I would have rather the whole thing been in 4:3 then the switching.

They did that?! I haven't seen it on IMAX yet but will watch to see if they do that at the theater here as well... that seems odd... :confused:

[benmrii]

I saw 'The Dark Knight' on IMAX last night and I found it rather annoying when they switched the aspect ratios between 4:3 and 16:9 - I would have rather the whole thing been in 4:3 then the switching.

Oh absolutely. I hated it when the quality and size of the image was better and bigger than normal. I would have much preferred they only used 30% of the extra large screen I paid twice as much to sit in front of. :rolleyes:

[~Shard~]

Oh absolutely. I hated it when the quality and size of the image was better and bigger than normal. I would have much preferred they only used 30% of the extra large screen I paid twice as much to sit in front of. :rolleyes:

Sarcasm duly noted and appreciated by the MacRumors Bastard™ of course, and also I now understand what he was getting at. To me that wouldn't be an issue at all - as you alluded to, it's a frickin' IMAX screen! :D :cool:

[MacGeek7]

They did that?! I haven't seen it on IMAX yet but will watch to see if they do that at the theater here as well... that seems odd... :confused:

They used 4:3 for all of the city shots

Oh absolutely. I hated it when the quality and size of the image was better and bigger than normal. I would have much preferred they only used 30% of the extra large screen I paid twice as much to sit in front of. :rolleyes:

Sarcasm duly noted and appreciated by the MacRumors Bastard™ of course, and also I now understand what he was getting at. To me that wouldn't be an issue at all - as you alluded to, it's a frickin' IMAX screen! :D :cool:

The IMAX screen wasn't the issue - I just found it distracting more than anything - other than that it was really good

[benmrii]

The IMAX screen wasn't the issue - I just found it distracting more than anything - other than that it was really good

No worries, just giving you crap. All out of love. <3

Personally I don't want to see it again except on IMAX. The use of 4:3 when flying through the city or panning around Batman on a ledge was exciting. I rarely noticed the change as a sudden or distracting one, but often found myself excited to find the entire screen being utilized, particularly in the major scenes.

To each their own. :) In any case, we agree on the important part: good movie.

[Roy Hobbs]

I considered that but find it unlikely (though not impossible) that they would construct a complex of buildings taking up a good part of a city block, and then blow it up. Fantastically expensive, even for a high-budget movie...plus you only get one shot at getting it right.

I believe it was an abandoned hospital in the Chicago area that was already set for demolition. It wasn't a set.