The Dark Knight...

Pumpkinstew · 24-07-2008, 13:22

My initial thoughts on the Dark Knight below. I've put the whole lot in spoiler text as it may contain very minor spoilers (or really huge ones if you have no idea who harvey Dent is)

Spoiler Alert! - Highlight below to read!

I don't think you'll be disappointed by the Dark Knight. It's as dark and involving and complex and morally confused as Memento but has great big action set pieces every 15 minutes. Challenging for a blockbuster but also hugely rewarding. Ledger actually eclipses Nicholson as the Joker, but the Oscar talk is just talk. Daniel Day Lewis shouldn't be worried.
This incarnation of the Joker is obsessed with pushing the limits of individuals and society as a whole to see at what point order tips into chaos and where a 'good' person will trade principal over personal emotion or practicality/survival instinct. The Joker himself is morally bankrupt but shrewd and calculating, with few of his seemingly manic acts done without purpose.
Aaron Eckhart breezes through it until Harvey Dents transformation into Two Face (which is fifty times more convincing than Anakin Skywalker's) at which point with the assistance of some incredible make up effects, plays a convincing and hideous vengeance fuelled monster.
My only gripe is the number of concessions made to earn the 12A certificate. I really hope some bits can be rescued from the cutting room to release a 15 or 18 rated Directors cut DVD. Also the sound mixing was crap but that might just be Odeons crappy speakers. Odeon also has crappy seating which you really notice after 152 minutes of Batman.
So short review : It improves on Batman Begins in almost every way.

End Spoiler Alert!

24-07-2008, 13:22	#11
Pumpkinstew Absinthe Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Mostly Oxford, Sometimes Bristol Posts: 1,156	My initial thoughts on the Dark Knight below. I've put the whole lot in spoiler text as it may contain very minor spoilers (or really huge ones if you have no idea who harvey Dent is) Spoiler Alert! - Highlight below to read! I don't think you'll be disappointed by the Dark Knight. It's as dark and involving and complex and morally confused as Memento but has great big action set pieces every 15 minutes. Challenging for a blockbuster but also hugely rewarding. Ledger actually eclipses Nicholson as the Joker, but the Oscar talk is just talk. Daniel Day Lewis shouldn't be worried. This incarnation of the Joker is obsessed with pushing the limits of individuals and society as a whole to see at what point order tips into chaos and where a 'good' person will trade principal over personal emotion or practicality/survival instinct. The Joker himself is morally bankrupt but shrewd and calculating, with few of his seemingly manic acts done without purpose. Aaron Eckhart breezes through it until Harvey Dents transformation into Two Face (which is fifty times more convincing than Anakin Skywalker's) at which point with the assistance of some incredible make up effects, plays a convincing and hideous vengeance fuelled monster. My only gripe is the number of concessions made to earn the 12A certificate. I really hope some bits can be rescued from the cutting room to release a 15 or 18 rated Directors cut DVD. Also the sound mixing was crap but that might just be Odeons crappy speakers. Odeon also has crappy seating which you really notice after 152 minutes of Batman. So short review : It improves on Batman Begins in almost every way. End Spoiler Alert! __________________ Get old, or die tryin' PSTEWREVIEWS - Chunks of Meaty Reviews, Mixed with Your Five a Day of News, Comment and Opinion, Floating in a Broth of Suspect Grammar and Seasoned Liberally with Mixed Metaphor. Tasty.