Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The Dark Knight Review

Roger Ebert, my favourite movie critic gave this movie one of his extremely rare four star (out of four) ratings. Who am I to disagree after having watched this film. The Dark Knight was a fabulous film and one of the greatest I have seen in quite some time. This is definitely the film of the year, and what I will suggest that it is the greatest "sequel" to have ever been made.
What I will reccomend to those of you who have not seen the first film of the new Batman series and want to see the second is that you whatch it. Though you can follow the second film without a viewing of the first, whatching it will allow you to make links between the two films and in my opinion, make the viewing experience more enjoyable.
Alright so on to the review... Batman has come across a villain (the Joker) who simply does not care about wealth and power. He's an absolute psychopath who simply enjoys making people's lives miserable. Lots of special effects (amazing) with an even better plot. As good as the special effects are, the performances of the superb cast also outdo them.
That's pretty much it in a nutshell... as per my promise in the last post, I do not want to spoil any part of the movie, for that would ruin the overall experience for you future viewers.
As for the acting, I can tell you all I want:

Christian Bale- in my estimation the greatest, most versatile actor who has ever lived. He is the best Batman ever. I love how his voice changes between his being Bruce Wayne and Batman. You can literally see the torment of a man who is pushed into very difficult moral dillemas from his arch enemy the Joker.

Heath Ledger- I cannot believe how amazing this role was played by Heath. Indeed it was his greatest performance, and one of the greatest acting performances of all time. A very complex character who was likely a great challenge to play. He blew Jack Nicholson's Joker into the sky (this is not an insult to Jack because he's a great actor... this point simply means that this is how GREAT Heath played the role). The Joker is a true villain and the movie makes sure to point out the difference between the "true" villain by comparing him to the other criminals in Gotham City. He cares nothing for money, and simply enjoys other peoples' pain. Oscar for Heath rumour.... they better be true.

Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent/Two-Face)- Right up there with the above two actors. Simply stupendous job in acting out the development of this villain and how he gradually came to be Two-Face. I thought Liam Neeson was a crucial part to making the first film so enjoyable. With Aaron and Heath performing so well, I didn't even miss him.

Gary Oldman (Commisioner Gordon)- an underrated actor who played his role very well. One part I really enjoyed was when the audience finds out how good and caring a guy this is when his family is at risk of death.

Maggie Gyllenhall (Rachel Dawes)- In all honesty, the one rough spot in this movie. People seem to be complaining that she isn't good-looking enough, and I could not disagree more. Not every actor can have my ten-point figure (I kid), and even still, I think she looks good. I think she was much of an improvement (in terms of acting) over Katie Holmes in the first film, but she still didn't quite cut it for me. This could also be a result of her being around such an experienced and talented bunch of actors. When you're around Michael Caine, Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart, it's safe to say that you are in some elite company.

Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox)- Simply the man... this guy is awesome

Michael Caine (Alfred)- Like Freeman, stupendous. Plays the Butler that attends to both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Equally clever and caring... simply no way to dislike this role.

So out of five, "The Dark Knight" gets a five. If you haven't seen this movie, I'll suggest finding out when the next show is and attending.

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