[QuickTidal]

I know there is like to be a thread already, but I scrolled back a few pages and didn't see it...sooo...

Okay. In Toronto, they were showing this at the IMAX @ John & Richmond and every screening (except the 8:30 AM screenings Friday morning and Saturday morning) were sold out....since last Tuesday!

So I popped down there at 7AM yesterday and stood in the cue outside the theatre to get a ticket to the only not sold out show....and I did....and after me it promtly sold out. Imagine that...at 8:30 AM on a SATURDAY....they filled the fraking IMAX theatre seats....that's probably around 400 seats.

I digress. For those who haven't seen it.....believe the hype. Just this once believe the hype. I walked out of this flick thinking...."I have not seen anything THAT good in a few years". Not alot of movies are perfect, but TDK comes as close as I have seen in a long time.

Heath Ledger OWNS the role as the Joker. He is absolutely a revelation. From the minute he first shows up, he is a murdering, demented, psychopathic madman. He IS the Joker. What the Joker alwasy should have been. Forget Ceasar Romero, and forget Jack Nicholsons crap fucking Joker portrayal....this is the Joker how he is meant to be.

Aaron Ekhart is great as Harvey Dent, Bale brings even more to Batman this time and at times leaves his blood on the screen from how he nails the role yet again. Oldman is amazing again as Gordon. In fact, everyone is quite brilliantly realized and the roles are acted so subtly that it just improves the atmosphere.

What I felt watching this flick was that I was seeing the equivalent of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, or The Godfather Part II, or something like that. This is the kind of film that you will remember where and when you saw it, and it is likely to become one people reference as far as the best sequels go. I have already added it to my "best films" of all time list. I just can't express how effing impressed I am by it.

They are talking about a possible posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Ledger...and not only do I think he deserves it, but I REALLY feel that the film itself ought to be up for Best Picture and Nolan for Best Director. To call this a superhero film almost sullies it. It concerns a superhero, but it is so much more.

Consider this: I loved Iron Man. Loved it. I came out of it and said it was the best film I had seen all year to that point. Well, The Dark Knight puts Iron Man in a distant second place. That is how good it was.

See it in IMAX (for the sections that Nolan shot with IMAX cameras are just gorgeous!), and see it right away.

[Dr Trouble]

It was good, but it wasn't that good.

Ledger was great, he was really the best thing the film had to offer. I love Bale, but I felt he added nothing new to the movie after Batman Begins. There were also quite a few cringe worthy lines in the film.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was rubbish. And ugly to boot.
It went far to long then what was needed.

There are a few other things that annoyed me, but you get my point. It was far from the second coming that you make it out to be. Not that I didn't love it of course, I just feel that you're going a bit over board in your praise.

[Anomander]

The Dark Knight is already ranked #1 for all time on IMDB with a 9.5 overall rating after 23000+ votes. The closest after that is "The Godfather" with a 9.1 overall rating. I realize that it may just be the hype and it could fall out of first place, but it was an absolutely superb film which I will see again and again. Not necessarily my favourite movie ever, but for the genre and whatnot it's the best I've seen.

If Heath Ledger doesn't get an Oscar for his role I will be disgusted.

[RodeoRanch]

Anomander;355531 said:

Not necessarily my favourite movie ever, but for the genre and whatnot it's the best I've seen.

Yes.

"Iron Man" was a great comic book movie. "The Dark Knight" is a great movie with comic book trappings.

[Dr Trouble]

I bet everyones going to come in and post about how awesome and perfect it is, and then I'll feel like a dick for seeing faults in it.

[Folken]

I bought my tickets 3 weeks in advance and 2 days later I went to purchase more for my friends and they were sold out.

I no longer view this movie as a "Superhero/Comic book" movie...for it is not one. It is a crime drama at its finest that just happens to have characters that dress up in a costume and paint their faces. It deserves a place on the shelf with movies such as The Departed, Heat, Godfather II for this is truly one of the best crime movies of our lifetime.

There are VERY few movies that have left me feeling...confused for lack of a better word. This movie was so good that I had no idea what to do once it was over. I sat there as did most of the theater (IMAX:)) and just looked at the credits roll on not knowing what to do...even clapping in admiration seemed inappropriate as it did not convey what I felt. A few tried clapping but even they couldn't continue beyond a few claps and stopped. It was a good minute before I turned to my friend and went "holy fuck..."

Heath Ledger: Is THE Joker. There is no Joker before him there will be no Joker after him. He absolutely OWNS this role. He makes you hate him but at the same you can't help but laugh at the things he does because they are funny in a sadistic way.

Christian Bale: There is not much that can be said about him. I always liked Val Kilmer as the better Bruce Wayne however after this movie there is no Batman/Bruce Wayne before him and there will be none after him. Bale is fabulous as Batman and gives an even better performance then Batman: TAS...Bruce Wayne has very little to do in this movie much like TAS. He is Batman and Bruce Wayne his alter ego.

Aaron Ekhart is fairly good as Harvey Dent and even better as Two-Face. Although I was left a little unconvinced by the initial mental stages of his transformation.

Gary Oldman: Finally there is a Gordon worth the role. Again as Bale did with Batman Oldman brings to life the TAS Gordon. No longer a fat fool incapable of being a cop of the Burton/Schumacher movies Gordon is amazing in this movie. There is A LOT more for him to do in this movie and he does it flawlessly.

Morgan Freeman/Sir Michael Caine: Two of the greatest actors of our time bring nothing but awesomeness to the movie.

Maggie G: Meh...Rachel Dawes is a plot character. Someone the movie could do without but there would be no way to progress the plot without her. She is an underwritten character both in Begins and TDK. Was she better then Katie Holmes...I'd say on par.

I am going to go watch this movie again on Monday and a few other times whenever I feel the need for this. Do not go in thinking "oh its a superhero movie" for it is not. It is a crime drama at its finest and I really believe, as Quick pointed out, that there should be at least 3 Oscar nominations for this movie, Best Move, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and it should take home the awards for special effects as there is very little CGI in there...if you see a building being blown up they actually blew up the building. If you see a truck getting flipped over...they actually flipped over the bloody truck. This is THE movie of the year so far and I struggle to see how any other movie will come close to beating it.

[caladanbrood]

@Trouble - DENIED

I think I may have to break the cardinal rule of film, and go and see this on my own

[Anomander]

Trouble;355536 said:

I bet everyones going to come in and post about how awesome and perfect it is, and then I'll feel like a dick for seeing faults in it.

More than likely, yeah.

@Brood, don't worry about it, I saw many people on there own for this one when I went.

[Folken]

Box office records broken
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/...t.ap/index.html

Want to add something...as Batman: The Animated Series put the animation industry to shame...I say this movie has puts many in the film industry to shame.

[Grief]

Damn you all. Its not out where I am yet.

[Slum]

Gah! Why can't there be an IMAX here? I'd LOVE to see this in IMAX....nearest one is an hour's drive...too much gas money.

[QuickTidal]

Folken;355539 said:

Do not go in thinking "oh its a superhero movie" for it is not. It is a crime drama at its finest.

Totally. It REALLY really is a crime drama, with great action. I also pointed out the under use of CGI to my friends and it was REALLY refreshing to see them make a film like they used to make films.

@Trouble: Personally I don't think I am overdoing my praise. I LOVED it, and I will continue to see it that way.....if you don't like it as much, that's okay by me.....but I am entitled to praise it how I see fit.

[Folken]

You can't praise this movie enough...Trouble I'd really like to hear what parts of the movie you didn't really like.

Some parts that I actually had some issues with

Spoiler

1) The penthouse scene where the Joker breaks in. It just magically ends with Batman saving Rachel. What about the Joker, his goons and the penthouse full of people?

2) The initial stages of Harvey's transformation. That part could have been handled a bit better...I was just personally left a little unconvinced by it all. Maybe I'll change my mind on a 2nd run through it.

3) The whole bond type gadget...I was actually upset at that part. Esp. the final fight sequence where he scans the entire city with it

And I really don't think those are actual criticisms just tiny irritants

[Bauchelain the Evil]

I'll have to wait the 23rd before I can see it.Sighs.

[Abyss]

Does Gary Oldman wear the big fuzzy mustache from BATMAN BEGINS? I refuse to see TDK unless Gary wears that mustache again.


- Abyss, because dammit, that mustache stole every scene it was in...

[Skywalker]

Abyss;356078 said:

Does Gary Oldman wear the big fuzzy mustache from BATMAN BEGINS? I refuse to see TDK unless Gary wears that mustache again.


- Abyss, because dammit, that mustache stole every scene it was in...

Yes he does... bushy as ever, that moustache is.

Oh and this movie ROCKS. Although I did think they stretched it a bit in the last 5/ 10 minutes.

Heath Ledger for the oscar!

[Abyss]

Skywalker;356134 said:

Yes he does... bushy as ever, that moustache is.

Am relieved.

- Abyss, bcs EVERYTHING is better with a big fuzzy mustache!!!!

[wolf_2099]

[QUOTE=Folken;355539]
Aaron Ekhart is fairly good as Harvey Dent and even better as Two-Face. Although I was left a little unconvinced by the initial mental stages of his transformation.
QUOTE]


By the acting or the story?

Cause for the story, well...

Spoiler

I mean, the guy had probably one of the toughest jobs as DA for Gotham, everyone wanted him dead, abnd probably were trying. The job alone would make most people snap.

Then you know, his girlfriend gets burned to death.

And well, he has HALF HIS BODY burned off. Rather painfully, and he refuses all pain killers.

Well, I tell ya, if the guy is half freaking insane by now, his little chat with the joker pushed him over the edge.

If you think that isn't enough to drive a good man over the edge, then what more do you want? Just the pain from living with those burns would be enough, even with morphine I imagine. Let alone without.

[Folken]

Notice I did say initial mental stages once the transformation was under way after the scaring it was flawless...I just personally think they should've shown him as being more conflicted from the beginning of the movie

[wolf_2099]

Folken;356317 said:

Notice I did say initial mental stages once the transformation was under way after the scaring it was flawless...I just personally think they should've shown him as being more conflicted from the beginning of the movie

Conflicted over what?