SMAC - SHOWS, MOVIES & CHICKS

Before I start talking about Dark Knight, I have to tell you about my history concerning the Batman movies. I think that might help understand my view of the film.
Adam West is god. Seriously I liked the old ones. Yes, they were cheesy and had an underlying theme of guy-on-guy action thanks to Robin, but they had their own style and charm. Especially the Batmobil. But the old show doesn't really play into this review since it is just its own thing.

That said it is time to look at the modern movies which started with Tim Burton's Batman. Ultimately this is the one that people will mostly compare Dark Knight to, because it also has The Joker (played by Jack "crazy-smile Jack" Nicholson) in it. I like Burton's version of Batman. I thought the two films were dark, captured a comic feel and had great villains (Michelle Pfeiffer in a latex catsuit... Meeeeoooow!). I also like Michael Keaton as Batman. Many people say his performance in the Batsuit was too "constricted" but people have to understand, that the suit back then was made of materials that didn't really let the actor move freely. And I liked, that in order to look around, he had to turn his whole upper body. Made him look more badass. Over the years, of course, better and more flexible versions of the Batsuit were made as the creators of the movies found out which materials worked better.
Joel Schumacher's films I don't really like. Batman Forever started the downward spiral and Batman & Robin sealed the deal. Both films feel too "plasticy" and "neon". Like it was a cheesy musical. Seriously, Arnie ice skating around was just horrible. And that whole Robin thing sucked monkeyballs. So it was clear, for Batman to live on, he had to have a complete makeover.
The guy to do just that, was Chris Nolan with Batman Begins. As the name suggests his version focuses on how Bruce Wayne becomes the Batman and also explains his being. It was a more realistic approach. One that tried to make the character more believable and darker. And while I do like it, I also have problems with it. First off, I hated how Bruce Wayne changed his voice whenever he wore the Batsuit. Many will argue that of course, he needed to do that so he would not be recognized. But to me, it felt like a joke. I didn;t know whether I should take that serious or laugh. Second, I didn't like the whole Ninja-temple thing. Third, it was too obvious that Liam Neeson's character wasn't dead. Fourth, the new Batmobil just doesn't do it for me. And fifth, why was the movie so "yellowish", almost sepia-like? So while I think it is a good movie and definitely way better than Schumacher's Batman, I also believe it is overrated and doesn't quite reach Burton's vision. So now that you know how I feel about Batman up to this point, let's get it on! Dont' worry, there are no spoilers in my review.

Batman is back to clean up the streets of Gotham City. But he is not accepted by everybody. People still frown upon his ways of being above the law. Still he gets the job done because nobody else does. Until someone new shows up in town: The Joker. And he is not only creating fear amongst the citizens of the city but also has the crime bosses somewhat scared.
Thank god Batman is not alone though, Detective Gordon ist still on his side and the new District Attorney Harvey Dent also looks very promising as a new ally. Rachel Dawes is back as well but this time played by the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhaal. In my opinion, she is a better choice anyhow. Never cared for Katie Holmes too much. But let's cut to the chase, how good is the movie?

Dark Knight is the best Batman movie ever made. And not only that, I think it is the best superhero movie ever made. By far. And this is coming from someone who is not the biggest fan of Batman Begins. After watching this flick you realize just how far behind other superhero movies are. It puts a movie like Hellboy 2 to shame. It also puts Jack Nicholson to shame. What Heath Ledger delivered makes Nicholson's Joker look like a Kindergarten teacher. Unfortunately with Ledgers untimely death, the joke is definitely on us. It angers me to know that such talented man left life so early.

So why is this movie so good? Because it tells a good, compelling story and has incredible characters. The most noteworthy of course Heath Ledger. His Joker is so intense and incredibly sinister. Like nothing I have ever seen in a movie like that before. It is exactly what I wanted to see from the Joker. A creator of chaos and maestro of destruction filled to the brim with crazyness. Critics all around have been saying his act is worth an oscar. And I completely agree.

And don't be fooled by the PG-13 rating. This movie is the darkest and grittiest superhero film you can come across. It is dirty, has great action and fights in it, yet it still manages to make you like and feel for the characters. Also the film remains believable. Batman comes across even better in this film and so do supporting roles such as the great Michael Caine as Alfred.

Visually there also were some changes. The creators did away with the "yellow"-look the city had at nighttime in Batman Begins. Very thankful for that. Also this is one of the movie tries to stay away from CGI as much as possible. Well except one half thing, but I can't really go into that without giving away too much.

The movie does have some flaws though. The second half is almost a bit too long and doesn't quite keep up the exhilarating pace of the first. Also there some tiny plotholes. Still, the flaws in this movie are minor. I can even live with Batman's voice.

Dark Knight is action and drama packed in an 152 minute long rollercoaster that will leave you breathless. And thanks to Heath Ledger's Joker we have seen the best evil performance to date. This is the movie that every other comic adaptation will try to beat, if that is even possible. And they have lot of hard work ahead of them.