The Dark Knight (Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition)
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 12/09/2008 Run time: 151 minutes Rating: Pg13
The Dark Knight arrives with tremendous hype (best superhero movie ever? posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger?), and incredibly, it lives up to all of it. But calling it the best superhero movie ever seems like faint praise, since part of what makes the movie great--in addition to pitch-perfect casting, outstanding writing, and a compelling vision--is that it bypasses the normal fantasy element of the superhero genre and makes it all terrifyingly real. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's new district attorney, charged with cleaning up the crime rings that have paralyzed the city. He enters an uneasy alliance with the young police lieutenant, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale), the caped vigilante who seems to trust only Gordon--and whom only Gordon seems to trust. They make progress until a psychotic and deadly new player enters the game: the Joker (Heath Ledger), who offers the crime bosses a solution--kill the Batman. Further complicating matters is that Dent is now dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, after Katie Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role), the longtime love of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. In his last completed role before his tragic death, Ledger is fantastic as the Joker, a volcanic, truly frightening force of evil. And he sets the tone of the movie: the world is a dark, dangerous place where there are no easy choices. Eckhart and Oldman also shine, but as good as Bale is, his character turns out rather bland in comparison (not uncommon for heroes facing more colorful villains). Director-cowriter Christopher Nolan (Memento) follows his critically acclaimed Batman Begins with an even better sequel that sets itself apart from notable superhero movies like Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man because of its sheer emotional impact and striking sense of realism--there are no suspension-of-disbelief superpowers here. At 152 minutes, it's a shade too long, and it's much too intense for kids. But for most movie fans--and not just superhero fans--The Dark Knight is a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi
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The Dark Knight (Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition) Reviews
you guessed it, a simple cell phone. Batman's capture of the Asian money launderer is entirely over the top. It's supposed to be some great climax in the film, as it ends immediately after this scene, but for the life of me I can't figure out what I'm supposed to be feeling. The Dark Knight attempts to be both an action film and a thought provoking film and it is it's failure at the later that prevents me from indulging in the former.
The Dark Knight on the other hand has quite an outrageous plot with holes that you could drive the Joker's school bus through. At one point, someone dies, only to have faked their death, a feat which would require more orchestration than The Game Michael Douglas' character plays in that aptly named film. The Joker uses his cell phone to set off his bombs, escape from police, while Batman somehow uses a tracking device in the cellphone of everyone in the entire city and then somehow manages to track everyone and intercept phone conversations. The Joker cannot hit an armored car from 10 feet away with several shots from a rocket launcher, yet he riddles passing cars full of bullet holes with a machine gun as he stomps down the middle of the street in the middle of Gotham City. Perhaps the Nolans should stick to intelligent films like The Prestige (I thought Memento was absolutely awful and pretentious) and not attempt to make intelligent action films.
As a man of intellect who greatly values logic and reason , I enjoy complex films like Mulholland drive that foster long conversations after viewing. Or perhaps it's simply impossible for me to enjoy a film that is inferior in plot to the masterpiece The Prestige, but still manages to invoke that same amazing feeling that I find in all of Nolan's films. Perhaps examples are in order. The acting in this film is great, and the Imax shots are amazing, and the prologue is perfect, but these are the only good things about the film.
Die Hard With A Vengeance is far from an outright comedy, with fairly dark themes concerning a terrorist trying to take over the world, but it follows the typical good guy versus bad guy plot which, as outrageous as it may be, at least makes some logical sense once you buy into the premise and just as importantly does not take itself too seriously. Batman flies from a building, uses a cell phone to shut down an entire buiding's security system, parachutes out of a window and is caught by a passing airplane. But how can I enjoy indulging in films like Die Hard, with their over the top violence and action scenes set up by ridiculous situations, and not enjoy a film like The Dark Knight. Two Face is somehow turned from the most virtuous character in the film into an evil villain after only a five minute conversation with the Joker. Need I mention that this ruse is entirely unnecessary for the plot. The end.
The joker manages to discretely enter, presumably with the help of a neverending supply of mental minions, buildings, including a hospital, and boats, to plant vast amounts of explosive barrels. Batman is forced to go on the run to take the blame for something that the Joker, two face, or perhaps a member of the million man mental patient march, could have easily taken the blame for. I could go on and on about the illogical silly aspects of this film, but you get the idea. It makes John McLain surfing on an airplane seem like mere child's play. Like Kevin Smith (in his latest talk, now out on DVD titled "Sold Out, A threevening with Kevin Smith"), when I too was first faced with John McLain riding on the wing of a Harrier Jet in the lastest Die Hard film I also thought, why not, it's John McLain. But I also enjoy indulging in mindless action films.
This films biggest folly is it's failed attempt to be intelligent and logical, which thereby prevents one from indulging in it's ridiculous action scenes, which in any other film that did not take itself so seriously, perhaps would be far more entertaining. All the while, batman's comical baritone voice utters silly phrases. I expected more great films from Nolan, but The Dark Knight is certainly not one of them. Clearly I'm supposed to be feeling something emotionally powerful about this character at this point, but I'm not sure what. However, I will focus on one last bit of sillyness. Worst of all, the majority of the plot hurdles that the writers arrived at are, rather than gracefully jumped, crudely chopped apart with.
The fighting is silly and overly choreographed, as if the individual actors are going through their motions without even recognizing the presence of their combatants. I'm simply glad that this two hour long bore fest is over and I no longer have to listen to Batman's deep computer processed voice.
Gritty realism make this movie. Its Batman and there's no neon (the Schumacher Batman), or baby stealing parades (Batman Returns).
Soldiers, first responders, and super heroes all have uniforms. How can Warner Brothers make such an interesting movie and such boring Special Features. The second "new and improved" Bond flick relied too much on relentless action and rapid cuts, while the Dark Knight kept storytelling in the forefront. Even athletes have uniforms.
Many people have related the plotline, so I'll mention a few things the movie made me think about. The Shopkeeper. Maybe I'll pick up a cowboy outfit. Is it necessary to don a uniform to be heroic.
Leadville Both Chigurh in NO Country for Old Men and Two Face in The Dark Knight flip a coin to determine if they will kill. I guess this is suppose to absolve them of responsibilityit's not their fault; Chance made them evil. The Batman and James Bond franchises had grown stale and both series revived their appeal by becoming gritty without losing their moral compass. This is a wonderfully fresh, yet faithful, interpretation of the batman saga. The Shut Mouth Society. Special Edition buyers are film enthusiasts that want a peek inside the industry.
A tight script gives Christian Bale and Heath Ledger a nifty platform to strut their stuff. The psycho analysis and CNN spoof probably sounded clever, but I'd have preferred a commentary. I don't think a jury will buy that excuse. (Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition)and Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)) The Dark Knight is a better sequel than Quantum of Solace. Five stars for the movie, three stars for the special features.
The hero is only as good as his villain and this movie delivered. I heard the hype but I still refused to get too excited. Then I saw it. The film is amazing on every level.
Save your money the 2 disc special edition is not special at all. Even if you don't like comic books or superhero movies. All of you. This is not for kids under 16 (13 if you are a liberal).
Heath Ledger took a well known and often played character and made it his own. This is not your dad's Joker.this is the Joker that terrorized us in The Dark Knight Returns and the Killing Joke (2 of the finest Batman graphic novels) and he elevated it. WOW. See it.
I watched it Christmas night with him and I felt the City of Gotham rather depressing but the acting and the movie was well made. He loves this movie. I bought the movie for my son who is 17.
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