BethanyUPDATE 2: Summer Movies- The Dark Knight (LINK)
August 1st 2008 03:29
I'm going to preface my review with this: I loved Batman Begins. I thought it was a fresh take on an old and dying franchise, I think Christian Bale is the best Batman to date (and yes, I think he's better than Keaton), I thought the origin story was wonderful and I thought that the first movie generally kicked major butt.
So, I want to go see the Dark Knight, and I have to say: it is amazing. It is one of the few sequels (perhaps the only) that was superior to the first. I don't need to tell you much about the plot: the Joker (played by Heath Ledger if you've been living under a rock) is running amok, Harvey Dent is crusading for justice before a terrible accident claims both his good looks and his sanity, Rachel Dawes is mixed up in the middle, and of course there are the Bat Gadgets. I am having a hard time being coherent about this movie, I don't know what to tell you- it succeeds in being a summer action movie that doesn't suck.
I thought Maggie Gyllenhaal was a good replacement for Katie Holmes as far as looks go- I think she's probably a slightly better actress, to be honest. Christian Bale is, of course, excellent. And I'll go ahead and explain why I think he's the superior Batman: he *looks* highly trained and has the acting chops to pull the roll off. Michael Keaton was a good actor, but kind of looked like a pudgy and middle-aged dude. Sir Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman do well in their supporting roles, Aaron Eckhart is believable both as Harvey Dent and Two-Face. Just as a warning, though- the Two-Face portrayed is kind of disturbing looking and quite graphic. Heath Ledger does extremely well in his role as the dangerously psychotic Joker, with all the little tics and twitches that make him seem genuinely mad. The action was great, the props were even better- they managed to work in new gadgets without it seeming too weird (Bat-shark repellent, anyone?) and the Bat Bike had, for me, an unexpected origin.
If you liked Batman Begins, you should see this movie. Even if you didn't, do us all a favor and buy a ticket. If Hollywood gets the message that spending time and money on sequels means MORE money than just throwing one together, maybe we'll see a change in how movies are made.
Hey, I can dream, right?
So, I want to go see the Dark Knight, and I have to say: it is amazing. It is one of the few sequels (perhaps the only) that was superior to the first. I don't need to tell you much about the plot: the Joker (played by Heath Ledger if you've been living under a rock) is running amok, Harvey Dent is crusading for justice before a terrible accident claims both his good looks and his sanity, Rachel Dawes is mixed up in the middle, and of course there are the Bat Gadgets. I am having a hard time being coherent about this movie, I don't know what to tell you- it succeeds in being a summer action movie that doesn't suck.
I thought Maggie Gyllenhaal was a good replacement for Katie Holmes as far as looks go- I think she's probably a slightly better actress, to be honest. Christian Bale is, of course, excellent. And I'll go ahead and explain why I think he's the superior Batman: he *looks* highly trained and has the acting chops to pull the roll off. Michael Keaton was a good actor, but kind of looked like a pudgy and middle-aged dude. Sir Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman do well in their supporting roles, Aaron Eckhart is believable both as Harvey Dent and Two-Face. Just as a warning, though- the Two-Face portrayed is kind of disturbing looking and quite graphic. Heath Ledger does extremely well in his role as the dangerously psychotic Joker, with all the little tics and twitches that make him seem genuinely mad. The action was great, the props were even better- they managed to work in new gadgets without it seeming too weird (Bat-shark repellent, anyone?) and the Bat Bike had, for me, an unexpected origin.
If you liked Batman Begins, you should see this movie. Even if you didn't, do us all a favor and buy a ticket. If Hollywood gets the message that spending time and money on sequels means MORE money than just throwing one together, maybe we'll see a change in how movies are made.
Hey, I can dream, right?
| 41 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
