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The Dark Knight Thread
Topic Started: Apr 29 2008, 06:06 PM (1,860 Views)
Salty
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We Are SEX BOB-OMB!

I was just reading an interview with Heath Ledger from last year and it's amazing how dedicated he was to the role. His feelings echoed the way I'm sure many would feel if they got to work with Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine. He was completely reverent and humble.

To see that man transformed into what we've seen of the Joker is completely amazing.
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The Natural
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Salty
Jun 27 2008, 12:08 AM
To see that man transformed into what we've seen of the Joker is completely amazing.
I was in the minority who was pleased Chris Nolan cast Heath Ledger as ever since I saw him as a 14yr old in 10 Things I Hate About You, I have being a massive fan but even I'm amazed at what he done in bringing my favourite comic book villian to life the way he has.

One last Heath Ledger note, I'm glad as expected the film is dedicated to Ledger, but also to the stunt man who was killed during filming as no one life should be ranked as more important than another. We are all equal.
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The Natural
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Batman Begins was easily the very best DC comic based film ever made. Yes, better than the Keaton Batman, yes better than the Reeve Superman. It was gritty, intense and fun all at the same time. The success of the film made it a virtual no brainer that there would be a follow up movie at some point… and the fact that Gordon shows Batman the Joker card made it even more obvious. But could another Batman flick live up to the expectations generated by the first? Would the film actually end up being as good as the fans WANT it to be? Would Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker be as good as everyone is going to say it is regardless if he was great or horrible since there is an unwritten rule that everyone is SUPPOSED to say how great he is in it no matter what?

Well… off I went to see The Dark Knight this evening at the IMAX here in Los Angeles along with my buddy Robert from IESB, and I can tell you the film is not perfect… but it is one impressive movie nonetheless.

THE GENERAL IDEA

The synopsis for The Dark Knight looks like this: “In The Dark Knight, Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.”

THE GOOD

One of the things I was preparing myself for was how over hyped the performance of Heath Ledger was going to be. Since he passed away, I knew he’d be getting rave reviews out the ying yang no matter what and I’d be frowned upon if I said any different. But holy mother suck puss face… HEATH LEDGER DESERVES AN OSCAR NOMINATION FOR HIS PERFORMANCE AS THE JOKER… no… I’m not even kidding in the least. I was totally, 100% blown away like nothing I’ve ever seen in a comic based movie before. He is at all times completely believable, at all time relentlessly disturbing, at all times nightmarishly frightening and at all times THE JOKER. This is a slightly different vision of The Joker than we’ve ever seen before… but it hits the mark so purely that even Batman himself is made to feel like a secondary character. It really was the performance of a lifetime for Ledger in all its poetic tragedy. I can not stress this enough… Ledger really was that good in this flick, and if he gets an Oscar nomination (which he really should), it won’t be out of sympathy or sentimentality… it will be because it was a performance worth of the honor. Absolute best performance in a comic book movie I’ve ever seen. Yes, he was THAT good.

The script was fantastic. The story moved forward at all times, the dialog was crisp, at times profound and always in character relative to the scenario. The way all the key characters are used in vital ways in the plot… all interconnecting in a very naturally feeling way… never forced… was something to see.

The action in The Dark Knight was vastly superior to Batman Begins in every way, shape and form. And we’re not just talking about fight scenes either. There are a couple of scenes that are more like heist movies than comic book ones and they totally work. The camera work is also much better for the fight and action in this movie than they were in the original which was quite a relief since that was one of my few complains about Begins.

Speaking of cinematography… it was INSANELY good. Visually speaking, the camera did as much work in The Dark Knight communicating elements to the audience as the dialog did. It was never over the top or gimmicky either. Each shot felt purposefully selected to aide in communication the underlaying emotion and experiences of the characters on screen… while at the same time giving us a sense of vastness to the scope of the shots. I could just sit and watch this movie on mute again and I’d probably still like it just as much.

Maggie Gyllenhaal (who took over for Katie Holmes) actually made Rachel Dawes a GOOD character instead of the eye gougingly annoying one that Holmes managed to make her out to be. The Dawes character is an important one… but the way Holmes portrayed her made us all wish she was never there in the first place… Gyllenhaal made her work, and work well.

What can I say? All the cast were solid. Christain Bale, Caine, Gary Oldman (who was especially good with a much bigger and more important role this time around), Eric Roberts… the list goes on and on. When an entire cast does such a good job, you have to look at the director. Christopher Nolan sir…. we salute you!

Holy crap did Two Face look WICKED!!!

THE BAD

My biggest complaint about The Dark Knight is one that no one will agree with at first… but if you think about it after a while I think you’ll change your mind… at over 2.5 hours the movie was too long. Sorry, it just was. At about the 2 hour mark I was ready to call The Dark Knight the best film of the year so far… and maybe one of the top 5 movies of the last 3 or 4 years. Yeah… THAT GOOD.


*Put the below in a spoiler tag as although it doesn't state the spoiler specifically, I don't want anyone on my case LOL*

Quote:
 
Spoiler: click to toggle


OVERALL

This is a fantastic movie! Yes it’s too long, but aside from that it is a wonderfully told, MAGNIFICENTLY acted and beautifully shot comic book movie that ranks amongst one of the best films (not just comic book films) of the year so far. Not just a great comic movie… it is a great movie period. Overall, I give The Dark Knight an 8.5 out of 10.

Credit: http://www.themovieblog.com

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The Natural
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The buzz over Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight" for the last several months was justified. With his final full film role, Ledger delivers what may be remembered as the finest performance of his career.

A press screening of the "Batman Begins" sequel Thursday night had the audience cackling along with Ledger's Joker, a depraved creature utterly without conscience whom the late actor played with gleeful anarchy.

At times sounding like a cross between tough guy James Cagney in a gangster flick and Philip Seymour Hoffman's fastidious Truman Capote, Ledger elevates Batman's No. 1 nemesis to a place even Jack Nicholson did not take him in 1989's "Batman."

Nicholson's Joker was campy and clever. Ledger's Joker is an all-out terror, definitely funny but with a lunatic moral mission to drag all of Gotham, the city Batman thanklessly protects, down to his own dim assessment of humanity.

Spewing alternate personal histories for how he got the horrible scars on his face, the Joker hides behind distorted clown makeup that looks like a chalk drawing left out in the rain.

The Joker masterminds a series of escalating abductions, assassination attempts, murders and bombings, all aimed at calling out Batman (Christian Bale) and proving to the tormented vigilante hero that they are two sides of the same coin.

"You complete me," the Joker tells Batman, dementedly borrowing Tom Cruise's sappy romantic line from "Jerry Maguire."

Long before Ledger's death in January from an accidental prescription drug overdose, his collaborators on "The Dark Knight" had been describing his performance as a new high in the art of villainy for a comic-book adaptation.

Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with "Batman Begins" star Bale, told The Associated Press earlier this year that Ledger came through with precisely what he had envisioned for this take on the Joker, "a young, anarchic presence, somebody who is genuinely threatening to the establishment."

"It was though they'd taken the Joker and all the colors, everything of it, and just kind of put him through a Turkish prison for a decade or so," Bale told the AP. "It's like he's gone through that personal hell to come out being this, if you can even call him mad, at the end here."

A best-actor Academy Award nominee for "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger has earned fresh Oscar buzz for "The Dark Knight," which could land him in the supporting-actor race.

Running just over two and a half hours, "The Dark Knight" is a true crime epic. Throughout, the Joker's bag of tricks is bottomless, twisted to the point of horror-flick sick.

"Some men aren't looking for anything logical," Michael Caine's butler Alfred tells Bruce, who's trying to decipher the Joker's motives. "Some men just want to watch the world burn."

Come July 18, when "The Dark Knight" lands in theaters, the world will be watching Ledger burn up the screen.

Credit: http://www.sfgate.com


Quote:
 
"I just returned from a Dark Knight screening" -- the one for junketeers they had last night at the Bridge -- "and I wanted to commit this to a public forum as quickly as possible," KTLA's Sam Rubin wrote last night at 10:27 pm. "Heath Ledger's Joker is a blockbuster performance, and he will absolutely be nominated for an Oscar. And at this point in the year, Ledger is also a hands-down favorite to win it posthumously.

"Ledger offers perfect pitch, perfect tone...hits all the right notes. The Dark Knight is among the better super-hero movies of all time, and Ledger is the best villain in a super-hero movie of all time. Really. It will only add to the conversation [about] all that Ledger could have accomplished had he lived. Amazing work."

Credit: http://blogs.ktla.com/ktlamorningnews/2008...t-from-sam.html


Bale, Oldman, Eckhart are getting praise for their respective roles but are not getting nowhere near the share Ledger is and so far it's universal.
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The Natural
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Best review I have read so far with how it's written with no spoilers:

Quote:
 
Dark Knight, TheA-
Dark, grim, haunting and visionary, "The Dark Knight" is nothing short of brilliant, the best and scariest comic hero adaptation you are likely to see this summer season, and perhaps during the whole year.

At least one notch above "Batman Begins," this follow-up represents Christopher Nolan's most accomplished and mature work, and mind you, he is one of the few Hollywood directors who have never made a bad picture. Celebrating his first decade as a filmmaker, from the short, small-budget and modest noir" Following," through the clever and witty post-modernist noir "Memento," through the well-acted and skillfully shot "Insomnia," through the visual extravaganza of "The Prestige," Nolan has continued to sharpen his skills and now works at the top of his form. He is a unique director for whom bigger scale, larger budget, and more polished state-of-the-art special effects translate into all-around better picture; for most directors, it's usually the other way round.

Three days after the screening, I am still haunted by some visual images; lines of cynical dialogue, particularly by the sinister Joker, splendidly and scarily played by Heath Ledger, who should receive a posthumous Oscar nomination, if not the award itself (See Oscar Alert). In his dark, macabre humor and malevolent nature, Ledger goes way beyond the Joker that Jack Nicholson magnificently played in the first "Batman" (1989). Consider the line, "You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain," which is repeated several times and serves as the film's motto.

Of all the Batman movies, including the first four, singly and jointly made by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, "Dark Knight" is the most technically impressive and the most resonant in tone, a picture that's in tune with the fear and paranoid that prevail in our society in the post 9/11 era.

Richer in text, characterization, and subtext, the follow-up to "Batman Begins" reunites director and co-writer Christopher Nolan with star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, as his loyal team members.

As writers, Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, whose scenario is based on a story by Nolan and David S. Goyer, the brothers have doubled the number of major persona to include Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and the committed new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), both of whom try to help Batman fight and destroy organized crime in Gotham City. In a shrewd piece of casting, the filmmakers have chosen Maggie Gyllenhaal to play the only significant female role, Rachel Dawes, who in the first film was rather pallid in Katie Holmes' interpretation.

The organizing principle of the narrative is that of the triangle, or triad. There are at least three of four significant triads. First, there is Wayne-Batman/Alfred/Lucius Fox, then there is the romantic triangle of Wayne-Batman/Harvey Dent/Rachel Dawes, but arguably, the most intriguing one is that of Wayne-Batman/the Joker/Jim Gordon.

The "good" triumvirate of officers initially proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between good and evil, between being a decent hero and a cruel vigilante.

Thematically, Nolan's two "Batman" movies could not have been more different. With "Batman Begins," he opened a new chapter in the franchise by taking the legendary character back to his origins, re-imagining why and how the billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne became the enigmatic crime fighter known to the world as Batman. In contrast, in the far more interesting "Dark Knight," Nolan returns to the Batman saga with the central character now fully formed. The end of "Batman Begins," which was more psychologistic and verbose, suggested a promising direction in which the franchise could continue, which the new movie does with full gusto.

The new tale focuses on how Batman's very existence has changed Gotham, initially not necessarily for the better. The 2005 film hinted at the threat of escalation, that in going after the city's crime cartels and attacking their interests, Batman could provoke an even greater response from the criminal community. In other words, there are negative consequences of his crusade brewing in Gotham City, which he brings to the surface both advertently and inadvertently, thus blurring the line between absolute good and absolute evil. As a result, the new tale is more complex, the morality more ambiguous, with many shades of gray that define both "heroes" and villains."

Exploration of identity formation and evolution is a recurring theme in all of Nolan's work, and here it gets a particularly intriguing treatment. While Batman has begun to rid Gotham of the crime and corruption that has plagued the city, ironically, the vacuum he created now attracts even more powerful criminal elements, which perceive it as their chance to take over the city's no man's land.

The Nolans have shrewdly reversed the relation and symmetry between the two facets of their hero. If the first film concentrated on the origins of the character, how Batman evolved out of Bruce Wayne's early traumas, fears, anger, and resolve to fight crime and corruption, in "Dark Knight," Batman has become a celeb, well-known to the city's police and citizens. While some consider him a hero, others wonder whether he's doing more harm than good. The arrival of a new kind of criminal raises the stakes on that debate--there are new enemies to protect the city from.

The billionaire playboy Wayne--with his fabulous cars, beautiful women, and nonchalant attitude--is no longer who this man really is. While Wayne wears a mask to hide his identity as Batman, it's actually Batman who defines Bruce's true identity, and Wayne's public persona is the "mask" he wears to co-exist. Initially, you may recall, Wayne thought he would serve as inspiration to Gotham and would eventually be able to leave his savior character behind. But in this version, he's beginning to absorb the new, harsher reality that this is not something he can easily walk away from—-now or possibly ever.

The story's most dangerous enemy is Batman's infamous nemesis, the Joker, the maniacal, remorseless fiend. In this tale, the Joker is the ultimate arch-villain, as much an icon as the Dark Knight is, presenting the filmmakers the challenge to exploring an utterly perverse character with a distorted point of view (actually more of a philosophy of life). Perhaps following the tradition of villains in German expressionist cinema, this Joker represents the most extreme form of anarchist, a force of chaos, a purposeless criminal who is not motivated by money and greed; in one the film's most disturbing scenes, he burs down a mountain of cash. A massively destructive force, he is truly unsettling, appearing out of nowhere, when he is least expected and taking great delight in his murderous nature.

As interpreted by the inventive actor Heath Ledger (in his last screen role), the Joker is colorful, outrageous, and dangerous, devoted the spectacle and excess for their own sake.
Ledger throws himself completely, in looks, body, and soul to the exploration of the multiple effects he can have as a solitary figure on the entire population, the scary ways in which he upsets the social order, the specific means he uses to take the citizens' rules, values, ethics, and humanity and turn them on themselves.

Bent on destruction for destruction's sake, including at a later point self-destruction, the Joker is a man devoid of any norms or principles, a formidable foe defined by total lack of morality. This element posits the Joker in direct opposition to Batman, a man who has a very strict moral code for what he will and will not do, which the Joker uses to his own selfish advantage. Under the Joker's escalating influence, though, Batman needs to reassess his philosophy, make sure that in chasing an ultra monster, he doesn't succumb to the temptation of becoming a monster himself. The movie asks, where do you draw the limits in fighting evil and corruption, what's the line dividing the possession of power and using it and the aspiration to power, which defines some of the other characters.

In terms of visuals, sounds, and tunes, "Dark Knight" is supremely mounted roller coaster ride, defined by some of the most spectacular set pieces to be seen in American actioners in years. Not surprisingly, half a dozen of them are encounters between the Joker and Batman, or the Joker and the other criminals.

The execution benefits from Nolan's collaboration with a top-notch behind-the-scenes creative team, including two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Wally Pfister ("The Prestige," "Batman Begins"), Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley ("The Prestige"), Oscar-nominated editor Lee Smith ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World") and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming ("Topsy-Turvy").

The haunting music, that would make Bernard Herrmann proud, is composed by Oscar winner and multiple Oscar nominee Hans Zimmer ("The Lion King," "Gladiator") and seven-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard ("Michael Clayton," "The Fugitive"), who previously collaborated on the score for "Batman Begins."

Technically speaking, six sequences of "The Dark Knight" were filmed with IMAX cameras, including the opening six minutes, which represent bravura filmmaking. This marks the first time ever that a major feature film has been even partially shot using IMAX cameras, in what is an intriguing integration of the two formats.

http://emanuellevy.com


Here's another titbit of information. I'm going to have to ring my local Cineworld and book the sum bitches:

Quote:
 
Batman fans anxious to get a glimpse of the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker are snatching up tickets online more than three weeks before The Dark Knight's July 17 premiere.

Dozens of midnight screenings of director Christopher Nolan's second installment in the bat-franchise have sold out, causing theaters across the country to tack on 3 a.m. showings to meet fan demand, according to online ticket retailer Fandango.

"We are currently seeing a surge in advance ticket sales," said Ted Hong, vice president of marketing for Fandango, which first began selling tickets for Dark Knight last Friday. "It makes sense that there's a rush for tickets -- it looks action-packed and film fans are anxious to see Heath Ledger."

When Fandango polled members back in March to determine which summer blockbusters its customers were most interested in, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull took first place, with Dark Knight coming in second. However, the scramble for advance Dark Knight tickets is currently outpacing Indy 4's presale numbers.

Exhibitor Relations box office analyst Jeff Bock said he thinks the presale surge was to be expected.

"This movie comes in riding a wave of hype [Batman Begins] didn't," said Bock. He also attributes the rush to fans anxious to see Ledger portray Batman's warped nemesis in what could be the actor's last on-screen performance. Ledger died in January of an overdose of prescription drugs at age 28.


Joel Cohen, executive vice president at ticketing hub MovieTickets.com, said Dark Knight is doing remarkably well, even though advance sales for Nolan's previous bat-flick, Batman Begins, were practically nonexistent in 2005.

"It's tracking much stronger than Spider-Man 3 at the same time in the sales cycle," he said. Director Sam Raimi's second Spidey sequel went on last year to set the record for best opening weekend ever.

A massive viral-marketing campaign for Dark Knight, along with a glowing advance review by Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers, is adding fuel to bat-fire.

Exhibitor Relations' Bock predicts the Warner Bros. film could push well beyond $100 million in its opening weekend. In May, Marvel's superhero flick Iron Man garnered $102.1 million during its opening weekend, while Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pulled in $100.1 million.

The question on the tip of every fanboy and girl's tongue is, will this film be able to outpace Spider-Man 3's record-shattering opening weekend of $151 million?

"That record would be really tough to break," said Bock. "But we're expecting really big things."

Credit: http://blog.wired.com/
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The Natural
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Here's an extended trailer with brilliant dialogue. I think it's second only to the very first December trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e5h8zo2N_U

I really loved that final shot before the movies title pops up and the one showing The Joker's face in a darkened room. Each new trailer gives me some new favourite dialogue. "Hit me" still remains my favourite but this comes close:

Spoiler: click to toggle
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Acadius
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Click me

Sorry Americans... this one is for Brits only. Lots of cinemas across the country are letting you watch The Dark Knight two days early. They are even throwing in a free poster thing... take a look see if your local cinema is listed!!!
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Salty
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We Are SEX BOB-OMB!

I'm seeing it on the 18th. Stroke of midnight...in IMAX.

And Im already sweating in anticipation.
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The Natural
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A very good mate let me know about early screenings and I now see my first feature length film in IMAX on the 23rd, two days before it goes on nationwide release. Can anyone tell me what to expect from an IMAX screening and where to sit? Speaking from where I'm seeing it, tickets are selling like hotcakes, especially the first and only one screening on the 23rd.
Edited by The Natural, Jul 3 2008, 02:23 PM.
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Acadius
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It won't matter where you sit mate... just prepare to be blown away!!!!
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