The Dark Knight

[ckempo]

Have just got back from seeing this.

Going against the general consensus, I think it's a good movie. Not a great one. IMO Iron Man is better, and Batman Begins is too I think.

A few faults:

• Why on earth does Batman need to be so gravely voiced? I'm not alone in saying a lot of dialogue delivered by Bale was nearly incomprehensible it was so low and scratchy.
  
• The Joker was played really well. Does that mean Heath Ledger did anything special? I'm not convinced. At the end of the day he did what he was employed to do - he acted a specific role a specific way. I'm not getting the whole "give him an Oscar!" talk. Why? Coz he'd dead? Respect and all that, but honestly what made the performance what it was - Ledger alone? Or the fact the script was written so well?
  
• Did they feel that Harvey Dent needed to be introduced and converted to Two-Face in one movie for a particular reason? Much like Venom in Spiderman 3, he could have had an entire movie to himself and I feel his inclusion was rushed.
  
• Gary Oldman is massively under-rated.
  

Generally I thought the script was very good. Things like the hospital going up and the Joker being dressed as a nurse were great. Don't get me wrong, it is a good film. Worth seeing, definitely. I just think that it has been (and is still being) massively over-hyped.

[.Kompressor]

My other half just showed me a magazine she was reading and it including a small article on Ledgers preparation for the role as Joker...some of which I think we found out about after his death.

Clock Work Orange, Johnny Rotten for inspiration and locking himself away for a month in his apartment alone....etc...

you can read it on this crappy scan I made, from August issue of Red magazine I think it's called

[+SOOPRcow MVC]

The Joker was played really well. Does that mean Heath Ledger did anything special? I'm not convinced. At the end of the day he did what he was employed to do - he acted a specific role a specific way. I'm not getting the whole "give him an Oscar!" talk. Why? Coz he'd dead? Respect and all that, but honestly what made the performance what it was - Ledger alone? Or the fact the script was written so well?

You say it right at the start, the joker was played really well. Not every actor can play the roll really well. Yes the script was good but it doesn't go that in depth to the point where it tells the actor exactly how to act. The fact is that Heath did an incredible job with the joker that I honest to god cant see anyone else even coming close to matching. All and all, yes the script was amazing, but Heath brought it alive to an extent which nobody thought possible.

[The Barron]

Just got back from seeing it at a UK preview, definitely one of the best films i have ever seen and i had very high expectations. And for the 3rd film i like the idea of Talia Al Ghul and riddler.

However not the comedic spandex green riddler, but the clever intellectual riddler.

Also did any one pick up on the Wayne Enterprises employee Mr Reese = Mysteries? lol theres one for you to think about

[SuperJediMedia]

Have just got back from seeing this.

Going against the general consensus, I think it's a good movie. Not a great one. IMO Iron Man is better, and Batman Begins is too I think.

A few faults:

• Why on earth does Batman need to be so gravely voiced? I'm not alone in saying a lot of dialogue delivered by Bale was nearly incomprehensible it was so low and scratchy.
  
• The Joker was played really well. Does that mean Heath Ledger did anything special? I'm not convinced. At the end of the day he did what he was employed to do - he acted a specific role a specific way. I'm not getting the whole "give him an Oscar!" talk. Why? Coz he'd dead? Respect and all that, but honestly what made the performance what it was - Ledger alone? Or the fact the script was written so well?
  
• Did they feel that Harvey Dent needed to be introduced and converted to Two-Face in one movie for a particular reason? Much like Venom in Spiderman 3, he could have had an entire movie to himself and I feel his inclusion was rushed.
  
• Gary Oldman is massively under-rated.
  

Generally I thought the script was very good. Things like the hospital going up and the Joker being dressed as a nurse were great. Don't get me wrong, it is a good film. Worth seeing, definitely. I just think that it has been (and is still being) massively over-hyped.

Of course, everybody has their own tastes.

I don't know about you, but for ME, I am a major Superhero fan.

And, I like X-men a lot more than Batman, Comic-wise.

Even so, X-men movies are great, this Batman movie is MUCH better.

So, don't say I am biased, cuz Batman was never my favorite comic-character.

Also I am a grown Adult so I AM NOT interested in any movies that look like Cartoon, or respect the brainless movies anymore.

Depends on what type of movies you usually like, I guess.

I mean, this movie is very smart, funny and has a lot of drama, plus all the Action you would expect from a Comic-book based movie.

Some movies action is blend, some movies they only have action, but not smart. Some movies try to be smart and has a lot of action, but end up not at all that good.

I feel, overall, the Dark knight's combination of these are just BETTER than a lot of these other movies, you know. Every aspect is done well!

As to your question,

1) perhaps so people can't tell he is Bruce Wyane

2) His performance is very good, very funny, very convincing, I just don't/can't see many other actors done what

3) Two villians in one movie is nothing new: Almost all Batman movies has two or more villians, too.

[.Kompressor]

Just saw this also... some info on what his co-stars/friends are saying about the Joker.

Heath Ledger's Family Attends Dark Knight Premiere

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20212519,00.html

"Working with Heath was fantastic," said Christian Bale, 34, who reprises his role as the Caped Crusader. "He steals the movie and I'm quite happy to say that. He's a hell of a talent and created a joker that's very iconic and one that will become a classic portrayal of the ages."

Michael Caine, 75, who plays butler Alfred Pennyworth in the film, which opens July 18, noted the "intensity and ferocity of the performance."

"But when we were sitting down between takes, he was completely ordinary," Caine added. "He wasn't preparing himself or saying 'Please leave me alone, I've gotta do this.' Instead he was talking to me.

"We would sit and chat and have a cup of coffee, then suddenly they'd say, 'We're ready, Heath,' and he'd go straight into The Joker," Caine continued. "His energy was astonishing, especially when it came from this kind of calm. He's certainly the best villain I've ever seen."

Melbourne-based Robert Collins, a Ledger family friend for 30 years and co-executor of the Ledger will, told Who magazine in Australia he saw The Dark Knight preview in Perth last night and described it as "a eerie feeling" watching him.

[kawasabi]

Just another dude in a rubber suit ,cmon...

Way overhyped.

[The Barron]

wanna elaborate on why you think that?

[Xero]

Have just got back from seeing this.

Going against the general consensus, I think it's a good movie. Not a great one. IMO Iron Man is better, and Batman Begins is too I think.

A few faults:

• Why on earth does Batman need to be so gravely voiced? I'm not alone in saying a lot of dialogue delivered by Bale was nearly incomprehensible it was so low and scratchy.
  
• The Joker was played really well. Does that mean Heath Ledger did anything special? I'm not convinced. At the end of the day he did what he was employed to do - he acted a specific role a specific way. I'm not getting the whole "give him an Oscar!" talk. Why? Coz he'd dead? Respect and all that, but honestly what made the performance what it was - Ledger alone? Or the fact the script was written so well?
  
• Did they feel that Harvey Dent needed to be introduced and converted to Two-Face in one movie for a particular reason? Much like Venom in Spiderman 3, he could have had an entire movie to himself and I feel his inclusion was rushed.
  
• Gary Oldman is massively under-rated.
  

Generally I thought the script was very good. Things like the hospital going up and the Joker being dressed as a nurse were great. Don't get me wrong, it is a good film. Worth seeing, definitely. I just think that it has been (and is still being) massively over-hyped.

The voice is to hide who he is, and to scare people so they think he's more than human. What Jedi said. Heath played the role amazing, the script provides the dialog, I can read his lines, but I assure you it would have been far less entertaining. Look at Johnny Depp in POTC. He took a script and made it his own, his body language, his eyes, the way he speaks, everything. Heath did that as the Joker. He deserves an oscar because he was the Joker. Sure any actor can play a role, but the amount of good actors out there is very slim. How about casting Jean-Claude Van Damme as the Joker, would that have been a wise choice? I mean he's paid to act right?

As for Harvey Dent, you clearly didn't pay much attention to the movie's story. While I agree an entire movie could be based off him, and he is a great character in Batman that met his end quicker than he should, but the story of a hero being turned evil for revenge was a great part of the movie, the final scene is one of my favorites. I like Oldman, but I think he was better in Batman Begins personally.

As for it being over hyped? Maybe, but considering it also broke the Monday Record, Tuesday Record and 5 day record, and has already made more in its first week than Batman Begins in its entirety. People seem to like it :)

[The Barron]

on a side note on the whole Harvey situation, the ending was done deliverately to leave it open for a return, this was also confirmed by a Warner PR person at the press screening in the states, see IGN.com for the note, i cant remember the exact link.

You didnt actually see Harvey die, he couldve have survived, been left unconcious after the fall and Gordon couldve moved him secretly to Arkham, leaving room for him to escape, and reveal his new self to Gotham and hereby redeeming Batman in the process adding more to the Gotham redemption story.

[gigapixels Veteran]

Another bit from Michael Caine:

It's Sir Michael Caine's opinion that Heath Ledger beat the odds and topped Jack Nicholson's Joker from Batman (1989): "Jack was like a clown figure, benign but wicked, maybe a killer old uncle. He could be funny and make you laugh. Heath's gone in a completely different direction to Jack, he's like a really scary psychopath. He's a lovely guy and his Joker is going to be a hell of a revelation in this picture." Caine bases this belief on a scene where the Joker pays a visit to Bruce Wayne's penthouse. He'd never met Ledger before, so when Ledger arrived and performed he gave Caine such a fright he forgot his lines.

I thought that was great. There are a lot more little things on IMDB's trivia page if you haven't checked it out already.

[ckempo]

Of course, everybody has their own tastes.

Indeed they do. Don't get me wrong, I'm suggesting it's a bad movie, I just think I expected more from it after the hype surrounding it. And I loved Batman Begins, I'm not saying I hate this type of film or anything.

perhaps so people can't tell he is Bruce Wyane

Two villians in one movie is nothing new: Almost all Batman movies has two or more villians, too.

Of course the voice is the identity thing. I was moaning more about the production values than anything else, mentioning that. It sounded awful at the cinema I was in, there were many people saying this on the way out.

I didn't mean having two villains was the issue, I meant the way that Harvey Dent was introduced as a character, converted to Two-Face, has his time and is then killed seemed a waste.

I really like Two-Face, I think an entire film with him in it would have been good. (i.e establish Dent in this film, make him bad in the next one - we all knew the Joker was coming, based upon the end of Batman Begins; I think knowing that Two-Face was "out there" ready for the 3rd film would have been interesting.)

As it is, I don't think Two-Face ever reaches his potential as a sicko bad-guy before he's gone for good. That's what I meant about Venom in Spiderman 3; Venom is sooo cool, having him sort of shoe-horned into that movie spoiled it big time for me, I don't feel he ever got enough screentime because of fitting so much in... I think The Dark Knight makes the same mistake with the treatment of the HD/TF characters.

While I agree an entire movie could be based off him, and he is a great character in Batman that met his end quicker than he should

Haha. You posted this whilst I was replying. We basically make the same point.

How about casting Jean-Claude Van Damme as the Joker, would that have been a wise choice? I mean he's paid to act right?

Good point. I'm not knocking Heath Ledger per se, more the people leaping on this bandwagon of "give him an Oscar!". I already said he played the Joker well I just wonder if the performance he puts in would still be seeing the same reaction were he still here. Hollywood is fickle, that's all I meant. But yes, he does bring the character to life.

You didnt actually see Harvey die, he couldve have survived, been left unconcious after the fall and Gordon couldve moved him secretly to Arkham, leaving room for him to escape, and reveal his new self to Gotham and hereby redeeming Batman in the process adding more to the Gotham redemption story.

Ooh. Interesting.

[Rappy Veteran]

Another bit from Michael Caine:

I thought that was great. There are a lot more little things on IMDB's trivia page if you haven't checked it out already.

Yeah I had a quick look at those the other day very interesting for example Matt Damon considered for Harvey Dent.

[gigapixels Veteran]

Yeah I had a quick look at those the other day very interesting for example Matt Damon considered for Harvey Dent.

As much as I like Matt Damon, I don't think he could have pulled off Harvey Dent like Aaron Eckhart did. I'm very happy with that choice.

[Rappy Veteran]

As much as I like Matt Damon, I don't think he could have pulled off Harvey Dent like Aaron Eckhart did. I'm very happy with that choice.

Yeah I liked Aarons version very much, everytime I think Matt Damon my mind wanders to Team America :laugh:

[gregb0b]

I think it was way too over hyped. Definitely not a 9.78/10. I enjoyed the movie but i still think 2 face isn't dead.

[clx]

Well i went to see this movie last night, I have seen some of the hype before hand, watched the trailers and stuff but thats all. And i have to say this movie was Amazing, so much better and darker than the "wacky" Val Kilmer and George Cloony movies which i think is exacly how batman should be.

Heath was such a good joker it was unbelivable, The Joker should be sick twisted character that laughs at pain and misfortune of others, not that "clown" character he has been made out to be in the past.

Oscar or not, they will never find a better joker imo.

Two Faces makeup/cg was stunning, i was certainly slighly taken aback when i first saw it, i didnt think they would show a face that... revealing in a movie that younger audiences could potential see

So, i have no doubt there will be another movie, but who will the next "bad guys" be ? Two Face? , Cat Woman ? Riddler ? Will Robin make an appearance?

[gregb0b]

I bet commissioner gordons son becomes the next robin!.

Mark my words!

[Gamerhomie]

I bet commissioner gordons son becomes the next robin!.

Mark my words!

Too bad Nolan already stated there will be no Robin, lol.

[.Kompressor]

Robin...

will make it cheesy...I think...maybe because we are scarred from the Burton's and Adam west take...

These are the early years before Robin I would believe......

[piehouserat]

saw it last night with some people from work, there were 20 of us in total that went and we all loved it. without giving anything away, my favourite part i think was when the batmobile gets damaged and what happens right after, that put such a geeky grin on my face :D

[macster]

One of the best movie I have ever watched

[Rappy Veteran]

I bet commissioner gordons son becomes the next robin!.

Mark my words!

Robin can gtfo :D

[Scirwode]

Robin can gtfo :D

:rofl:

Scirwode

[gregb0b]

hahaha rappy