Thanks for the review Lee, it definitely sounds as though I'm going to enjoy this one.
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The Dark Knight...
- Thread starter PhightinPhils26
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Thanks for the review Lee, it definitely sounds as though I'm going to enjoy this one.
Thanks for the review Lee, it definitely sounds as though I'm going to enjoy this one.
Oh you will, ya bastard.
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 "f*** 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!
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 "f*** 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!
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.
Come on, you can't be serious. It wasn't hard to follow at all. But hey- to each his own.
Daveman- While pot is fun for watching some movies, you should probably save it for Yellow Submarine or The Wall.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Daveman- While pot is fun for watching some movies, you should probably save it for Yellow Submarine or The Wall.
Agreed
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!
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.....
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.....
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.