The Dark Knight

[Bruiser Chong 0]

No touching the dummy. No touching!

[ZGangsta 0]

I demand Franklin be part of his gang.

[DarKnight 0]

Does anyone else think that the voice of Scarface the dummy from the animated series sounds like Tom Seizmore?

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Saw it saw it a second time today and loved it even more.

 

I thought this was interesting

 

Here is what Grant Morrison had to say about the film:

 

I really don’t think I’m sticking my neck out too far if I hail ‘The Dark Knight’ as not only the best Batman movie so far and one of the best Batman stories ever told, but as the quintessential superhero story itself, laid bare, lasered down to its skeleton and reconstructed to suit the needs of our times with panache, wit and a monstrous sad darkness. It may even be the best popular meditation on a peculiarly postmodern version of Gnostic dualism that we’ve been given for a bracingly long time.

 

So comics scholars will understand me when I compare ‘The Dark Knight’ to WATCHMEN as a measure of its likely impact on the ’genre’ that spawned it. Like WATCHMEN, it forces all previous and future offerings of its kind into a higher-level dialogue and it will be intriguing to see what comes next. This looks set to redefine the limits of what a ‘superhero movie’ is capable of.

 

It shares with WATCHMEN a devious intricacy of structure, a hyper-machine-like sense of super-organized ideas whizzing around in perfect formation like the Red Arrows. As the whole immense engine clicks into place, and suddenly you understand WHY the title, the moment is accompanied by that peculiar sense of completion and accomplishment that, to me, is one hallmark of creative brilliance in the popular arts.

 

Christian Bale, best Batman ever, adds all kinds of new shadings to an already iconic take. His Batman is required to transform from man to myth as we watch and he never lets us down, capturing every nuance of Bruce Wayne’s loss, his determination and his own personal madness.

 

As advance reviews may have led an unsuspecting world to believe Heath Ledger does indeed dynamite the screen, dance through it and have murderous sex with your dad’s Chihuahua, in that way he would if I were a writer for a ’cult media’ magazine, drowning in the sound of my own ghastly hyperbole.

 

In his first appearance as the Joker, the IMAX wall seems to vibrate with Ledger’s presence and intent. He owns the room, as they say, and though you’ll weep bitter tears that he’s gone, you’ll surely stand in awe of this tour de force of sheer ******* act-yer-tits-off-son bravado. It’s the Joker incarnate.

 

Michael Caine does the definitive Alfred. Gary Oldman brings the movie’s beating human soul to a rumpled Jim Gordon. Maggie Gyllenhaal nails her role and adds the frazzled edge to Rachel Dawes that Katie Holmes left out. Morgan Freeman wears gravitas like a hat. It’s almost ridiculous how well every single moving part in this movie acquits itself to scrutiny.

 

Oh, and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent will break your heart.

 

I’m quite hard to please, and a movie has to be really good to get me jumping but this Dark Knight honked my horn from here to hell and back and I feel a need to spread the love like margarine over these, me own internet pages. It’s a work of art to look at, and as Nolan’s clear attempt to craft his own perfect all-time best Batman story EVER, the ultimate Batman story, it never veers off course.

 

I can’t wait to see it again. This time at the Xscape in Braehead with the neds. Like I said, it doesn’t take much predicting power to know this is going to be a big, paradigm-shifting and immensely popular movie.

 

I went mental for this film. I still can’t stop thinking about it and how instantly it avoids the type of formulaic ’comic book movie’ clichés you may have begun to notice in other films, or how brilliantly Nolan and his team have taken Batman off the page, reprocessed everything that makes him work, and rebuilt him as the ultimate American hero for the new post-post-9/11 zeitgeist.

 

I loved IRON MAN: Robert Downey Jr. has been and probably will be my favourite actor for a long time…but IRON MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, SUPERMAN RETURNS and all the others feel a little like Saturday morning cartoons next to the carbon black glory that is ‘The Dark Knight‘.

 

Trust me, this is the future of this sort of thing.

 

I happened to be sitting next to the Family Beckham during the screening and overheard young Brooklyn Beck’s excited yelp when Bruce Wayne drives through Gotham in his new 200 grand Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.

 

‘Dad! Dad! He’s got your car!’

 

You never get that down the Xscape.

 

I got a chance to talk to Christopher Nolan for quite a bit after the showing and when I say talk, I mean gush enthusiastically and incoherently about how impressed I was. There’s something immensely satisfying about being able to convey your excitement and respect directly to someone whose work has impressed and inspired you.

 

------------------------------------------

 

As Great as "The Dark Knight" was I still have to say that "Superman:The Movie" is my favorite superhero movie. Mainly because Superman is my favorite hero and other than the fly to reverse time thing I thought the movie captured Superman perfectly.

[CBright7831 0]

I'm trying to figure out how the hell you can go with a third film

 

*SPOILER TAGS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN IT*

- Joker is still alive (but Heath is dead)

- Two Face is dead

- Mr. Reese (Myster-y - Riddler?) knows Bruce = Batman

- Batman is looked at as a murderer and there is a manhunt for him

 

How do we go forth now?

[cd213 0]

I think if anyone is going to be in the next movie, then it might be Catwman since they did tease her.

 

Writing off Joker isn't that hard. Have a doctor, or someone, walking through the psych ward and they look into a room. We see from the back or side that it is Joker and hear Heath's laugh as Joker. We see he is still there, but not part of the rest of the story. I think besides Catwoman, maybe have Harley Quinn taking revenge for Joker. Maybe even bring out Riddler.

[King Kamala 0]

I was leaving the theater for Wall-E at around 9:15 tonight and there was already a line out the door for the 9:40 showing of The Dark Knight. Granted, it was $5 night but nobody ever comes to the movies thirty minutes earlier around here except dopes like me who like to sit in the theater and complain aboud how unfun "The Fun Facts" before the trailers are.

[Anakin Flair 0]

I think if anyone is going to be in the next movie, then it might be Catwman since they did tease her.

 

Writing off Joker isn't that hard. Have a doctor, or someone, walking through the psych ward and they look into a room. We see from the back or side that it is Joker and hear Heath's laugh as Joker. We see he is still there, but not part of the rest of the story. I think besides Catwoman, maybe have Harley Quinn taking revenge for Joker. Maybe even bring out Riddler.

 

How did they tease Catwoman? I must have missed that...

[cd213 0]

I think if anyone is going to be in the next movie, then it might be Catwman since they did tease her.

 

Writing off Joker isn't that hard. Have a doctor, or someone, walking through the psych ward and they look into a room. We see from the back or side that it is Joker and hear Heath's laugh as Joker. We see he is still there, but not part of the rest of the story. I think besides Catwoman, maybe have Harley Quinn taking revenge for Joker. Maybe even bring out Riddler.

 

How did they tease Catwoman? I must have missed that...

 

At the beginning, when he is asking for the new suit and asks if it will stop a dog biting through it, the response was something like "a little dog, maybe, but it will stop a cat." Nothing huge, but just a little drop.

[dubq 0]

Fox makes a remark about

the new suit doing well against cats..

[Nighthawk 0]

Was talking to an old lady on the bus about this, she said it legitimately disturbed her, even though she thought it was good.

 

Me too, sort of. Kinda like Daniel Plainview, the Joker here kind of freaks me out by relating to it too much. I still love both those movies.

 

As such, I'm sort of warming to the idea of the Riddler. You know, I want it... good. But maybe not quite so dark, cause I don't think that's possible.

 

Still, though, do Bruce Wayne: Murderer?, they set it up well.

[godthedog 0]

I'm trying to figure out how the hell you can go with a third film

 

*SPOILER TAGS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN IT*

- Joker is still alive (but Heath is dead)

- Two Face is dead

- Mr. Reese (Myster-y - Riddler?) knows Bruce = Batman

- Batman is looked at as a murderer and there is a manhunt for him

 

How do we go forth now?

 

we all appreciate the announcement that there were about to be spoiler tags, as well as the helpful way you made clear the function they're intended to perform. it would've been very confusing otherwise.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I watched the movie again tonight (and thank God I made my friend buy tickets online, every showing was sold out well in advance) and though I could be and probably am wrong (since this is not mentioned in any credits online), I SWEAR Pat Hingle was on screen for a split second or so during the police procession scene.

[NoCalMike 0]

I could see them re-casting the Joker role in a 4th installment, or if there is like a 3+ year layoff until the next Batman, you could go with the idea above of Joker being in a mental institution or a jail cell or whatever, hell you could even have him in the movie, just in a much smaller part, almost like the TV series Oz where an inmate would get moved and you think he is completely off the show and then five episodes later they make it a point to give him a few lines out of nowhere just to remind us he is still there, so maybe they could have Joker in jail and everyone thinks he is neutralized, and then at the end of the third flick, some type of crime happens to close the movie and a single joker playing card is left at the scene of the crime, and that is where you get your fade to black.....!?!

[CBright7831 0]

I'm trying to figure out how the hell you can go with a third film

 

*SPOILER TAGS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN IT*

- Joker is still alive (but Heath is dead)

- Two Face is dead

- Mr. Reese (Myster-y - Riddler?) knows Bruce = Batman

- Batman is looked at as a murderer and there is a manhunt for him

 

How do we go forth now?

 

we all appreciate the announcement that there were about to be spoiler tags, as well as the helpful way you made clear the function they're intended to perform. it would've been very confusing otherwise.

And we appreciate your theory on how they will move the story along after these events.

[DarKnight 0]

Catwoman should be a lock to be in the next movie since

Rachel dies, and Fox makes the joke about the suit protecting him from cats.

It would be the most logical choice.

[Ravenbomb 0]

So who plays her?

[King Kamala 0]

Someone suggested Angelina Jolie earlier and I wholeheartedly agree. She was born to play the part.

[NoCalMike 0]

Asia Argento....!?!

[BlackFlagg 0]

Asia Argento....!?!

Did not even think of her, I can see it...very nice pick

[Lazarus 0]

This is in response to the question about where they go:

 

1) Joker is alive. Recast the role. Roles have been recast before and while Ledger did a far better job of anyone else in the role, he was also given the best script to work with. Give another good actor a great script and we'll get another fine Joker. It won't stop people from going to the movie because they'll want to compare him to Ledger and because the series has so much goodwill already. Sure the new guy will never win in the comparison, but he can't compare with Ledger because being a corpse gives him untouchable status.

 

2) Two-Face was never confirmed to be dead. We don't even see a coffin when they're talking about him in the next scene. They purposefully left it vague. He could be in a coma that people doubt he'll awaken from (explains the last scene nicely) or maybe they secretly locked him away in an institution. Furthermore, if he is dead, then Batman killed someone which is a pretty big no-no for the character and not a can of worms I envision them wanting to open. Bottom line is that they didn't do anything that precludes his coming back and if they want him back he'll be there.

 

3) People shouldn't just assume that the stupid cat joke guarantees catwoman in it. You could say seeing harvey dent in Batman meant he was going to be in the sequel, but he didn't show up for 2 movies and by that time he was recast. By the same logic about the cat comment we should've seen the Lizard by now, since Connors is mentioned in the first Spider-Man movie and even seen in the second. We can't assume their motivations for such a line as it could be just a little wink and nod to the fans. That being said I would be fine with her being in the movie, although they'd need a strong main villain as she doesn't have what it takes to carry a movie alone.

[Brett Favre 0]

Recasting The Joker will take away from the movie. It just will. People will look at Joker differently. It's not the same. And it's not like he was going to have a big part anyway. You can just have him being mentioned escaping Arkham at the end so you'll know he'll always be around.

[cabbageboy 0]

How about Sean Young? Ha.

 

One thing that may well have been mentioned on previous pages but I'll ponder here is this:

 

The Joker wires explosives to both of the boats, one with the convicts and the other with civilians. He gave each boat the choice as to who would blow the other's boat up. Neither boat ever blew up because Tiny Lister tossed the detonator out the window for the cons, while the one businessman dude refused eventually for the civilians. Does anyone think that The Joker was playing a ruse on both of them, and if one had actually pushed the button that it would NOT blow the other boat up, but instead their own boat as a sick punishment of sorts? Obviously this never happened, but it made me wonder.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

That's what I was thinking while watching it too.

[Exslade ZX 0]

That's what I was thinking while watching it too.

I figured the same. And I thought it would be the boat with the civilians as it would point out Joker was right, and the people of Gotham aren't worth saving and aren't that good after all or whatever. When the lawyer guy stood up I thought for sure they were gone. It's just something sick and twisted the Joker would do.

 

But of course, they had to go with Rachel's quote regarding having hope in the people.

[NoCalMike 0]

Well one thing to keep in mind is that Heath Ledger also had the advantage of being able to re-create the Joker character within the confines of Nolan's darker take on Batman. Whether you like Jack's performance from 1989 or not, the one thing you can't deny is that, THAT joker fit well within the confines of that movie. No one was going into the Dark Knight looking for Ledger to play a silly, goof-off character. If Nolan directs the next flick and/or the next flick keeps with this same darker tone, then yes it will be nearly impossible to re-cast the Joker role(assuming Joker plays a large role) because everyone will be expecting the same Joker, but lets say the Batman series dissapears for awhile altogether, and when the next one is made it is a different cast and different director and different tone to the movie....then it can be done.

[Brett Favre 0]

I think I'd like to see Black Mask take over the mob, and Bane hired as an assassin (maybe, an idea someone mentioned on another board as a member of the League of Shadows) with Talia running the LOS, as the love interest for Bruce Wayne? Just throwing stuff out there.

[RedJed 0]

Finally got to see it today, AMAZING film. Captivating from start to finish, although I thought the first half hour was kind of slow, but not really bad per-se. My only real negative to it was that I couldn't feel the same character of Rachel that was established from Katie Holmes with Maggie G. Had a hard time just accepting that was the same character when they seemed very different in how they approached the role. Otherwise, just totally blown away by it and I can't wait to see it the second time in the IMAX in a few weeks.

 

Ledger was good as the Joker, don't get me wrong, but I question if it was Oscar worthy, depends what other performances really stand out this year, I guess.

[bob_barron 0]

You cannot recast the Joker. It will just be a big distraction, and no one is going to top what Ledger did so why even bother? You're just asking for people to shit all over the movie.

[Nighthawk 0]

I say that's bullshit. There's no definitive Joker, he's written tons of different ways. Just get a really good actor who isn't afraid of it.

 

I see where the "you can't recast" crowd is coming from though.