I am going to be completely honest here. Since the first time I saw the cape crusader slip into the rubber suit and ride off into night in a jet fueled bullet I was hooked. Bruce Wayne was the man I wanted to be. Handsome, strong, filthy rich and of course sleeping with Vicky Vail. Lets ignore the obvious psychological issues that Wayne subconsciously had running in overdrive; Batman is badass.
For that matter, I was clearly excited for this premiere along with witnessing Heath Ledgers last performance as the homicidal clown himself. This film has been host to so much hype that I became weary of the hoopla, afraid that Mr. Ledger would not be able to fill Nicholson’s very large sneakers. After viewing the film Friday night, it turns out good ol’ Jack is sporting a size 6.5.
The Dark Knight has lived up to all the noise and proven to be the most cinematically alluring comic book film of our time. Bruce Wayne has all the toys and sure knows how to use them. Frame to frame, your eyes are treated to Christopher Nolan’s directorial finesse and fondness for dramatic explosions along some of Chicago’s finest landmarks.
The pacing is fast, very fast, and it can seem a bit rushed at times. This is slightly ironic as the film clocks in at two and a half hours with none to spare. Yet, although the transitions are rough at best, none of it seems to matter as the audience is witness to one amazing sequence after another. It was fantastic to see Ledger imitate Nicholson’s final scenes as he yells “hit me” while challenging the bat to a duel.
As for Ledger, well, he has me sold. His performance is nothing short of amazing and will most definitely be in the running for a shiny gold statuette in February. It is astounding how Heath has taken a hold of the Jokers character and made him eerily believable. Similar to Nicholson’s performance, the joker is transformed from mere comic to sad, sick and lonely sociopath yearning for a means to release his bottled up anger.
The reality is that this film should have been named The Joker. Although Christian Bale does deliver a good Batman, Heath Ledger has left us with a theatrical performance that carries an entire film and very well could have another. The distressed makeup, convincing vocal tone and disturbing body language that he perfected for this role leaves the audience wishing for more. If only we could bring Heath back for another stab at the fighting bat.
Tito Pedraza: I'm a senior in Sociology with zero interest in pursuing any of that poppycock. I watch film, write stories, and will soon some day entertain your children with endless violence, sex, and banter on the big screen.
Comments
Robin (Robin) says:
(Posted August 10th, 2008 at 7:29 pm)
That movie was complete awesomeness, and I want to see it agian!
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Buzz Magazine
Tito Pedraza
I'm a senior in Sociology with zero interest in pursuing any of that poppycock. I watch film, write stories, and will soon some day entertain your children with endless violence, sex, and banter on the big screen.
Jeff Brandt (Jeff Brandt) says:
(Posted July 27th, 2008 at 3:16 pm)
I agree: the movie really showcased the Joker over Batman. I wasn’t exactly spellbound by Bale’s performance, but Ledger’s was the bomb diggity.