Michael (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} kenshin_iv) wrote,@ 2008-07-28 21:04:00 |
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How 'Bout A Magic Trick?
Where we do we begin with The Dark Knight?
For starters, we all knew going in this wasn't going to be a cartoon. What we didn't know was that this wasn't even a comic book, or even really a Batman movie (in more ways than one, but more on that later). This is a crime thriller through and through, and a first rate one at that. Think Seven crossed with The Departed. And don't let the rating fool you, Chris Nolan ingeniously works it so the PG-13 rating doesn't lose any of the intensity of an R-rated picture. Sometimes it's what you don't see. Hitchcock would be proud. In fact, this film really was a drop of blood away from being R-rated.
This is also one of the greatest sequels ever made. Comparisons have been made to The Godfather: Part II and The Empire Strikes Back, and while it's not quite on that level, you could very well claim that this is indeed the "Godfather II of comic book movies." And while both Godfather II and the two Star Wars sequels (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, obviously) are one and two respectively on the all time sequels list, I can pretty safely say that off the top of my head The Dark Knight sits third on that list. Let's for one second think of the best sequels not mentioned so far (and I'm not including any of The Lord of the Rings films as, let's face it, those are pretty much one film broken into three parts): There's Terminator 2, Aliens, Die Hard 2, Spider-Man 2, Superman II, Rocky II, even Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban... That's about all that comes to mind, and The Dark Knight is on a much, much higher level than any of those.
Now to talk about the film in respect to it's predecessor, Batman Begins. Before I said this wasn't really a Batman movie in more ways than one, let me expand upon that a bit. As a Batman fan as well as a fan of movies, I wouldn't necessarily say that The Dark Knight is superior to Batman Begins. I wouldn't say it isn't, either. In fact, the two sit on a pretty much even level for me. Both for different reasons.
Batman Begins is a Batman movie about the character of Batman himself, and yes, it is also a terrific film. But it is also a film for people who are fans of the character more than anyone else. The Dark Knight, on the other hand, is a true ensemble piece. It's focus is not so much on Batman as it is the world he lives in. In fact you could say that the real focal character of the story is the District Attorney of Gotham City, Harvey Dent. And yes, I am aware of the obvious question this raises: Why go see a Batman movie if you're not a fan of Batman? But of course people do, especially for a hyped-up summer blockbuster like this, and The Dark Knight appeals to a much broader audience than Batman Begins.
Now, one of the most consistent complaints about all the previous Batman films before Begins (Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin) is that they focus far more on their villains than they do the character of Batman. If The Dark Knight does the same, how is it any different? Well, there are a number of differences. For one, it's a superior film, but just saying that isn't really fair to the fans. Another reason is each character (from the Joker, to Harvey Dent, all the way to Jim Gordon) are not just accurately portrayed, they're ripped straight from the comics. In fact, the whole story of The Dark Knight feels very much like something you would read in a Batman graphic novel. And I don't want to make it seem like Batman himself is completely overshadowed. Again, this is a true ensemble piece, and Batman's personal story is just as key to the whole thing as anyone else's. And thus, this film can be seen as equal (or even greater) by a Batman fan than Batman Begins just as much as any average movie goer or film fan.
Of course, The Dark Knight isn't without talent. It's packed with A-list talent, and here they are all on their A-game. First up, the returning characters:
Bruce Wayne - Christian Bale:
Christian Bale in Batman Begins brought us Bruce Wayne as he was meant to be. A man filled with rage, deadly serious, who moonlights as a spoiled, rich playboy who buys hotels and dates multiple movie stars... At once. In The Dark Knight he gives us the same character, although this time the origin story is finished, and he allows time for the other characters to shine. Again, this film isn't so much about Batman himself as it is the world he lives in, and Bale continues to play the role pitch perfect.
Of course the one criticism Bale usually gets with the character is the "Batman voice." And while I don't really have a problem with it, I can understand why some fans do. There are instances where it works, and those where it doesn't. I found it to not work more than it did in this film, but considering how good he is in the role, this to me is nothing more than a quibble.
Alfred Pennyworth - Michael Caine:
In Batman Begins Alfred played the father figure, and the voice of reason to Bale's Wayne. Michael Caine, like everyone else, personified the character from the comics perfectly. In The Dark Knight his role is greatly reduced, more so than any other character. Although, his role as father figure and voice of reason is still very much intact.
Jim Gordon - Gary Oldman:
Alfred's role is reduced because of the story. Batman Begins is just that, the beginning of Batman, and Alfred is crucial to that, but The Dark Knight is a crime story, and thus the character of Jim Gordon becomes that much more crucial. Gary Oldman in Begins WAS Gordon from the comic Year One. The casting was arguably the most perfect out of all of them, and in The Dark Knight he is equally as brilliant. Never overacting, never flashy, always quiet and reserved, he is the Commissioner Gordon fans have loved for seventy years.
Lucius Fox - Morgan Freeman:
Lucius didn't really have much to do in Begins other than being the man who helped Bruce with acquiring his gadgets. In The Dark Knight his role is greatly increased. He still helps supply the gadgets, but he also plays another kind-of mentor role to Bruce. Not so much as a father figure as much as a reminder to Bruce's morality. He doesn't want to see Bruce cross any lines he'll later regret.
Rachel Dawes - Maggie Gyllenhaal:
Rachel is of course the one original major character in Nolan's Batman franchise. She was previously played by Katie Holmes, who is a lesser actress, but served her purpose. Maggie, who is a better actress, also serves her purpose. This has more to do with the role itself than the actress. It's really not a vital role character-wise as much as it is story-wise, in either film. Rachel has a little bit less to do in this film, but her character advances the story more this time around.
And now for the new characters:
Harvey Dent - Aaron Eckhart:
Both District Attorney Harvey Dent and his later metamorphosis into Two-Face have always been one of the most intriguing characters in Batman. He was previously played as Harvey Dent in Tim Burton's Batman by Billy Dee Williams in an almost non-role. He returned as Two-Face in Batman Forever, played by Tommy Lee Jones, as a purely cartoon, run-of-the-mill villain with a bad make-up job. To make a long story short, one of the best characters in the Batman universe has never been given justice. Now he has. As both characters, and as a vital character to the story of The Dark Knight, Eckhart gives us a more than worthy Dent. The half make-up/ half-CGI Two-Face that Nolan and his crew concocted also looks like it's been ripped right out of the graphic novel, The Long Halloween. It's both terrifying and disgusting to look at, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The Joker - Heath Ledger:
And now we get to the real draw of the movie. The Joker is what everyone was talking about going in, and he's everything everyone is talking about going out. To say the all-time greatest villain in comic book history has been done right here doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. This is one of the all-time best screen villains. This is The Killing Joke Joker and so much more. He's savage, brutal, psychotic, he has no morals, he's an unstoppable force, and he has absolutely nothing with which to be threatened by. He does what he does for the sheer pleasure, not for any kind of material gain. He is still very much the Joker as you'd expect the Joker to be. Always smiling, always laughing, and always terrifying. Of course, all the credit in the world goes to Heath Ledger, who makes Jack Nicholson look like Ceaser Romero. If you have a phobia of clowns, this might not be the best movie for you to go see.
Note: I have seen it now three times in theaters. Once, and most recently, in IMAX. That's the way to go if you have the option. Although, if you don't, it really doesn't lose anything in standard format.
Where we do we begin with The Dark Knight?
For starters, we all knew going in this wasn't going to be a cartoon. What we didn't know was that this wasn't even a comic book, or even really a Batman movie (in more ways than one, but more on that later). This is a crime thriller through and through, and a first rate one at that. Think Seven crossed with The Departed. And don't let the rating fool you, Chris Nolan ingeniously works it so the PG-13 rating doesn't lose any of the intensity of an R-rated picture. Sometimes it's what you don't see. Hitchcock would be proud. In fact, this film really was a drop of blood away from being R-rated.
This is also one of the greatest sequels ever made. Comparisons have been made to The Godfather: Part II and The Empire Strikes Back, and while it's not quite on that level, you could very well claim that this is indeed the "Godfather II of comic book movies." And while both Godfather II and the two Star Wars sequels (The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, obviously) are one and two respectively on the all time sequels list, I can pretty safely say that off the top of my head The Dark Knight sits third on that list. Let's for one second think of the best sequels not mentioned so far (and I'm not including any of The Lord of the Rings films as, let's face it, those are pretty much one film broken into three parts): There's Terminator 2, Aliens, Die Hard 2, Spider-Man 2, Superman II, Rocky II, even Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban... That's about all that comes to mind, and The Dark Knight is on a much, much higher level than any of those.
Now to talk about the film in respect to it's predecessor, Batman Begins. Before I said this wasn't really a Batman movie in more ways than one, let me expand upon that a bit. As a Batman fan as well as a fan of movies, I wouldn't necessarily say that The Dark Knight is superior to Batman Begins. I wouldn't say it isn't, either. In fact, the two sit on a pretty much even level for me. Both for different reasons.
Batman Begins is a Batman movie about the character of Batman himself, and yes, it is also a terrific film. But it is also a film for people who are fans of the character more than anyone else. The Dark Knight, on the other hand, is a true ensemble piece. It's focus is not so much on Batman as it is the world he lives in. In fact you could say that the real focal character of the story is the District Attorney of Gotham City, Harvey Dent. And yes, I am aware of the obvious question this raises: Why go see a Batman movie if you're not a fan of Batman? But of course people do, especially for a hyped-up summer blockbuster like this, and The Dark Knight appeals to a much broader audience than Batman Begins.
Now, one of the most consistent complaints about all the previous Batman films before Begins (Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin) is that they focus far more on their villains than they do the character of Batman. If The Dark Knight does the same, how is it any different? Well, there are a number of differences. For one, it's a superior film, but just saying that isn't really fair to the fans. Another reason is each character (from the Joker, to Harvey Dent, all the way to Jim Gordon) are not just accurately portrayed, they're ripped straight from the comics. In fact, the whole story of The Dark Knight feels very much like something you would read in a Batman graphic novel. And I don't want to make it seem like Batman himself is completely overshadowed. Again, this is a true ensemble piece, and Batman's personal story is just as key to the whole thing as anyone else's. And thus, this film can be seen as equal (or even greater) by a Batman fan than Batman Begins just as much as any average movie goer or film fan.
Of course, The Dark Knight isn't without talent. It's packed with A-list talent, and here they are all on their A-game. First up, the returning characters:
Bruce Wayne - Christian Bale:
Christian Bale in Batman Begins brought us Bruce Wayne as he was meant to be. A man filled with rage, deadly serious, who moonlights as a spoiled, rich playboy who buys hotels and dates multiple movie stars... At once. In The Dark Knight he gives us the same character, although this time the origin story is finished, and he allows time for the other characters to shine. Again, this film isn't so much about Batman himself as it is the world he lives in, and Bale continues to play the role pitch perfect.
Of course the one criticism Bale usually gets with the character is the "Batman voice." And while I don't really have a problem with it, I can understand why some fans do. There are instances where it works, and those where it doesn't. I found it to not work more than it did in this film, but considering how good he is in the role, this to me is nothing more than a quibble.
Alfred Pennyworth - Michael Caine:
In Batman Begins Alfred played the father figure, and the voice of reason to Bale's Wayne. Michael Caine, like everyone else, personified the character from the comics perfectly. In The Dark Knight his role is greatly reduced, more so than any other character. Although, his role as father figure and voice of reason is still very much intact.
Jim Gordon - Gary Oldman:
Alfred's role is reduced because of the story. Batman Begins is just that, the beginning of Batman, and Alfred is crucial to that, but The Dark Knight is a crime story, and thus the character of Jim Gordon becomes that much more crucial. Gary Oldman in Begins WAS Gordon from the comic Year One. The casting was arguably the most perfect out of all of them, and in The Dark Knight he is equally as brilliant. Never overacting, never flashy, always quiet and reserved, he is the Commissioner Gordon fans have loved for seventy years.
Lucius Fox - Morgan Freeman:
Lucius didn't really have much to do in Begins other than being the man who helped Bruce with acquiring his gadgets. In The Dark Knight his role is greatly increased. He still helps supply the gadgets, but he also plays another kind-of mentor role to Bruce. Not so much as a father figure as much as a reminder to Bruce's morality. He doesn't want to see Bruce cross any lines he'll later regret.
Rachel Dawes - Maggie Gyllenhaal:
Rachel is of course the one original major character in Nolan's Batman franchise. She was previously played by Katie Holmes, who is a lesser actress, but served her purpose. Maggie, who is a better actress, also serves her purpose. This has more to do with the role itself than the actress. It's really not a vital role character-wise as much as it is story-wise, in either film. Rachel has a little bit less to do in this film, but her character advances the story more this time around.
And now for the new characters:
Harvey Dent - Aaron Eckhart:
Both District Attorney Harvey Dent and his later metamorphosis into Two-Face have always been one of the most intriguing characters in Batman. He was previously played as Harvey Dent in Tim Burton's Batman by Billy Dee Williams in an almost non-role. He returned as Two-Face in Batman Forever, played by Tommy Lee Jones, as a purely cartoon, run-of-the-mill villain with a bad make-up job. To make a long story short, one of the best characters in the Batman universe has never been given justice. Now he has. As both characters, and as a vital character to the story of The Dark Knight, Eckhart gives us a more than worthy Dent. The half make-up/ half-CGI Two-Face that Nolan and his crew concocted also looks like it's been ripped right out of the graphic novel, The Long Halloween. It's both terrifying and disgusting to look at, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The Joker - Heath Ledger:
And now we get to the real draw of the movie. The Joker is what everyone was talking about going in, and he's everything everyone is talking about going out. To say the all-time greatest villain in comic book history has been done right here doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. This is one of the all-time best screen villains. This is The Killing Joke Joker and so much more. He's savage, brutal, psychotic, he has no morals, he's an unstoppable force, and he has absolutely nothing with which to be threatened by. He does what he does for the sheer pleasure, not for any kind of material gain. He is still very much the Joker as you'd expect the Joker to be. Always smiling, always laughing, and always terrifying. Of course, all the credit in the world goes to Heath Ledger, who makes Jack Nicholson look like Ceaser Romero. If you have a phobia of clowns, this might not be the best movie for you to go see.
Note: I have seen it now three times in theaters. Once, and most recently, in IMAX. That's the way to go if you have the option. Although, if you don't, it really doesn't lose anything in standard format.
