Oceania The Dark Knight

Just got back from seeing the movie, and I'm still trying to process everything that I saw and heard. This movie has joined the ranks of Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather II and X2 as better than the original.

First and foremost, all the talk about Heath Ledger and Oscar nominations is not just hot air. Heath completely inhabits the role, and I was glad to finally see the true Joker realised on screen.

Aaron Eckartt was definitely a good choice for Dent, showing us quickly and succinctly the development of him into the third part of what would have been the triumvirate that set about to completely clean up Gotham. He does portray the 'white knight' and public face of the struggle well.

From the start of the movie things move along at a rapid pace with so many twists and shifts that you can't predict where it all goes. None of the situations are the usual contrived set-ups you find in blockbusters (well, one might be but it still works well enough). Nolan paces it all so it doesn't feel like set pieces broken up by filler scenes.

There's truely only one thing that I'm disappointed with, but it's something that does serve the way the story closes, so I can live with it.


Everyone needs to see this. Preferably more than once.

 

make sure to post this on the JCC so that you can boast how Australia get the movie first for a change.

 

I've seen X2, AotC, RotS and a few other films before the US. It's nothing new.

 

This, officially, is all I'm going to say to everyone regarding the above mentioned feature film:

Wow. Just ... wow.

 

Really excited for this. Although, as a poor uni student, I'll be waiting until next Tuesday to see it.


Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam

 

Still not sure what to make of it.

I absolutely loved it, but did feel it was too long any maybe a few too many twists? Not sure, will need a repeat viewing to see.

Pencil trick FTW!

 

It was pretty damn impressive. Remember how Begins was widely commented on as "Batman, but with ninjas?" Well, this felt a lot like "Seven, but with Batman."

I will also give a major set of kudos to the makers of the film. This is meant to be part two of a trilogy, but unlike many second chapters where you can just about predict where the third is going to go, this is one of the few "part twos" in a trilogy where I can't for the life of me predict anything of where the third part will go.

Also: (spoilers) -- I think fate's really gipped the filmmakers by the Joker surviving and Two-Face apparently dying...because now they have to find somebody to follow Heath Ledger's act, which is going to be very hard, and they can't plausibly bring back Two-Face without stepping off the reality train the Nolans have been so determined to stay on thus far. If Harvey is in fact dead, that's also a really unfortunate loss - Eckhart was really quite good in the performance, and I think deserved one more outing. There's always the Ra's al Ghul resurrection tank, but I doubt they'll go there.

What a pity Katie Holmes didn't play Rachel Dawes this time round given the character's fate. Considering the damage Cruise's squeeze did with her insipid performance to Batman Begins, I would have paid twice as much to see that happen onscreen. It still makes me cringe when she delivers (or fails to deliver, IMHHO) the line "I am a Gotham City District Attorney, let me pass," towards the end of the first movie.

As it is, I was pleasantly surprised: Maggie Gyllenhaal pulled off the character twice as convincing with half the lines and half the looks of her predecessor. It's hard to see it behind Heath's film-stealing performance, but check it out again - you have to wonder why in God's name they didn't get her the first time round.

Oddly, IMHHO the weakest performance in the film was actually Christian Bale. I think he overdid the voice of the Bat a lot, and the head cowl just looked kinda weird. On the other hand, up against Ledger's performance, and even Eckhart's to some extent, maybe he's just been overshadowed.

 

I still have not seen this ******* movie.

 

It was a very solid film and I was not bored by it. Ledger did a great job but I think the Oscar worthyness of it often quoted by people is a pure knee jerk reaction to his death. Am looking foward to how they handle a possible 3rd film.