BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT SPECIAL EDITION DVD REVIEW!! 10/10

HEYY! Welcome back movie fans! Deadsurfkiss here with a review of a film that floored me all 3 times I watched it! Yes, I'm talking about the mega blockbuster BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT! Been waiting patiently for this sucker to arrive on DVD so I could watch it a forth time. All I can say first off, if you haven't seen this yet, or it's predecessor BATMAN BEGINS, do yourself a favour and pick BOTH of these films up, seriously, you will love them. Why you ask? And how am I so sure you will love them? Just for the simple fact that these stories are told as though they really happened. With real characters, and real cities and realistic problems. This 'reimagined' version of Batman doesn't play out like your standard, run-of-the-mill superhero franchise. Instead, if you are a fan of the old Al Capone and Elliott Ness stories, or films like Heat, Narc, The Untouchables or other great crime stories of that nature, then you will love this.

The story is played out as if Batman (Christian Bale) is a real entity, a boogeyman to the criminals and monsters of the streets, an urban legand to the corrupt. The Dark Knight is set in a Gotham City that feels like an overcrowded, darker, crime infested New York. A city so in need of a hero, that the law Enforcement Agencies practically praise what Batman stands for. A rich billion dollar playboy who inherits his family's wealth due to there grim slaying (right infront of him when he was a boy) Bruce Wayne sets out to further establish the iconic symbol he birthed out of the will to save a city from injustice and terror, the Batman. With a city-wide embrace of his acts of heroism in putting down as many criminals as he can handle, the criminal fraternity gives batman a run for his money with the emergence of the Joker (the late Heath Ledger). A mad, diranged psychopath so terrifying and bent on the destruction of Gotham, he manages to 'unite' this criminal fraternity against the entire city police force and all who stand in their way, namely Batman himself. He solidifies this unity however by vowing to kill the Batman. And Batman realises that maybe it's time to ignore his stubborness in working alone, and taking the help where he can get it. The batman copycats out in the streets are just not enough, and causing more problems then defusing. His help comes in the form of Commissioner Gordon ( Gary Oldman) and the newly elected D.A. of Gotham Harvey Dent ( Aaron Eckhart). With Gordon and Dent, a secret trinity is established, a pact is formed to clean the streets of Gotham once and for all! And Bruce wayne sees Harvey Dent as his potential replacement, one who's not afraid to make a change. I won't give away the depth of How Eckhart portrayed Dent, and the tragic and horrifying outcome of Dent's surprising fall from grace. This simply must be seen. An Oscar runner perhaps along side Christian bale.

Director Christopher Nolan leaves off from the last Batman he directed, and establishes that the criminals are following Batmans niche for theatrics, and are stepping up thier plans to crumble an already crime-infested Gotham. Heath Ledger's take on the clown prince is not a parody of Jack Nicholson's Joker, actually far from it. This is purely a fresh take on the comic character like only Ledger could have done (although Johny Depp could have pulled off an amazing Joker). While this Joker is a wise-cracking jester-like anomaly among the crime mobs, he is just as, or even MORE terrifying and brutal than them, make no mistake about that. His performance will make you laugh one moment, and be wide-eyed shocked the next. Wait until you see the disapearing pencil trick and you'll see what I mean. Ledger, already hailed as our generations James Dean, WILL definitely get a posthumous Oscar nod for this performance and it won't surprise me at all if he wins one.

Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne in a life the way every man would dream of living. Girls, fast cars, Luxury yachts, celebrity filled parties and charity galas and just a hint of bad ass and carelessness. But this is just a cover for the man inside, the true purpose of Waynes existance. I think it plays out realistically. What better way to steer any hint that you are a caped crusader jumping from rooftops, and roping in bad guys before the police even know about it. It's the perfect disguise, the perfect cover and maybe a healthy way to "get the bat out of his head" and unwind.

The fantastic Morgan Freeman (returning as Lucius Fox, his weapon and tech wizard) and Micheal Caine (returning as Alfred Pennyworth, his butler and father figure) continue in this film to be the "foster parents" of the once lonely child who had his family torn from him. I think without them, Batman would not be as complete. From them, it's not only the toys and gadgets and convenience he is provided with, but also the kick in the ass to keep growing and changing as a professional hero. This isn't a part time job that he can walk away from at anytime, and I think they help remind him of that. Can you say best supporting actors? I hope they both get Oscar acknowledgements.

I would have prefered to see Katie Holmes return as Rachel Dawes since I thought she was perfect for Wayne's lawyer love interest. But Maggie Gyllenhaal did a great job of keeping the character sound and realistic and faithful to Holme's enterpretation from Batman Begins.

This film is full of perfect performances and a great story, no scratch that, AWESOME story! lol! Watching this doesn't feel like watching a superhero film, and I think that is a superb feat. You forget your watching a superhero film almost instantly due to the real world nature of this crime tale.

The Sound, the music, the picture quality, are all top notch. This film is gorgeous, And sounds gorgeous. There are about 6 or 7 scenes that were shot entirely in IMAX, and the differance is astounding, especially the scenes of Batman flying in and around skyscrapers...wow. The action is denser than Batman Begins and the fight choreography is more complex and more out in the open. You can actually see how Batman fights. The first film concealed alot of Batmans technique and style with quick cuts and lots of night scenes. So you couldn't really see what he was actually doing. The toys this guy gets to play with is unreal! lol! the Batmobile 'Tumbler' is back and more badass then ever. Batman also showcases the BatPod, a bike-like gun turret with wheels birthed from the front of the Batmobile. If crime fighting batman style isn't fun, than I don't know what would be. He makes it look good that's for damn sure!

Hands down..this film is a perfect 10 out of 10.

Nuff said..now go watch it!

The DVD extras are not too bad, I was hoping for more, but, I was happy to just get the film itself. There is 6 "Gotham Nightly News" segments that flesh out this 'realism' theme I was talking about. The impact and repercussions of such a hero in a city like Gotham are talked about and debated over like real news segmented programs on CNN like CrossFire or Anderson Cooper 360. I love them. There is a handful of trailers, a photo and poster campaign gallery and two small behind the scenes features. One showcasing the Score of the Dark Knight and the other on the creation of the Batsuit and it's practicality and modification from the first film. Instead of the Digital Copy trend DVD's are adding into the mix, they could of had more features, one perhaps of the psychology of the Batman, more behind the scenes footage, but I guess you can't have everything. I just wish the digital copy trend would stop. the film is released as a single DVD pan and scan version, The 2 disc widescreen edition, a WAL-Mart exclusive with a collector "Two-Face" coin, and a BlockBuster 2 disc exclusive with a Batman Journal, plus all the features from the 2 disc edition I reviewed. Your money should go on this one, the rest are gimmicks for these department chains to milk the cash cow, choose carefully.

If you got this far, then I graciously thank you for reading my review of the Dark Knight DVD!!

Deadsurfkiss

HELLBOY II THE GOLDEN ARMY DVD REVIEW!! 10/10

OK..First, welcome to my DVD reviews, I will be reviewing new releases ( old classics too, but mostly new releases) of films I would recommend mandatory viewing for most film fans. Firstly, because film is art that I think everyone can relate to in one way or another. Have you ever met anyone that didn't like film? ..I didn't think so. So hopefully there will be something for everyone. I like all types of film, so there will be lots of variety, and hopefully I make a fan out of the most picky film critic out there of an obscure film they perhaps would generally overlook.
Alright, the first DVD release in my series of reviews is for the 3 disc Hellboy II the Golden Army dvd set. Before I get into ythe movie, I would just like to say, if you are familiar with Guillermo del Toro, you will definitely be at home with this film, for it has elements of some of his past films like Mimic, Pan's Labyrinth, and ofcourse the first Hellboy film. So if you enjoyed those, this will knock your socks off!

Arguably a bigger scope than the first Hellboy, those who are not familiar with the franchise, it's based on a comic book by Mike Mignolia, who also executive produced both films while Guillermo directed and wrote. As a reader of comics and long time fan of Mignolia's I have to say it's pretty true to the source material in that it is very story and character driven, which is always a good thing in film these days, especially among alot of bad films out there. If you are a story person, this is definitely something to check out, since it doesn't tie into the first one. You don't need to see Hellboy 1 to enjoy this!

Quick rundown for the uninformed of WHO Hellboy is:
Hellboy is a demon-like man who, in the first film popped through a portal from the "other side" , a world were God 'keeps all the bad things and creatures that go bump inthe night' ..essentially, Hell..So as an infant, he is raised by a kind, and gentle human scientist during WWII. The Nazi's, as ordered by Hitler himself, opened the Portal to hell, and Hellboy accidently came through. But being a demon, he was meant for greater, more diabolical things, as his arm is an oversized rock/fist contraption that is a 'key to unlock hell on earth'. So, like a son, the Scientist raised Hellboy to do good, and shape him into the hero he is today. He is joined by the most unlikely of characters to help him fight evil and hunt monsters. Ape Sapian, A blue fish-like amphibious creature with telepathic abilities. And Hellboy's live-in girlfriend Liz Sherman, who..well...has a heated temper haha! Together, they are the frontline for the N.P.R.D. ( the national department for paranormal research and defence).
In this film, the fate of mankind is in the balance ( when is it not? haha) when a ruthless but good intentioned elf prince awakens an unstoppable army of clockwork and battered gold. Monstrosities built to wage war with the human world. So it's up to Hellboy and his team of outcasts to stop this destructive force!

This film has EVERYTHING! There is creepy stuff to down right gruesome stuff, and has the right blend of funny to balance out the dark nature of this action packed film. Believe me, when you see the drunken, singing Ape Sapien, you will cry it's so funny. Or the fight between Hellboy and Dr Johan Klauss ( the new gasious member of the NPRD) He's voiced by "Family Guy" genius Seth McFarlane! And that scene is absolutly hilarious!! OK, no more actual specifics! See it for yourselves, this film is an absolute 10 out of 10!

The acting is supurb! Ron Pearlman IS Hellboy, there's nobody else I think who could pull this off like him. The prince is devastating, and malicious, excellent acting playing the part of this evil warrior elf. Everyone has PERSONALITY and veriety, which is so beautiful in a film like this, everyone stands out. The costumes are jaw-dropping, the use of colors and textures span past a normal color spectrum, giving this film a real, living quality to it. And coupled with the special effects, this film looks real..the world it creates as the story progresses looks alive! It's outstanding. The action is on par with some of the best kung-fu and action films out there..like the use of weapons and swords are reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The fights are so well done and fluid, they look flawless! As you can tell, a movie you rate 10 out of 10, there really isn't too many things bad you can say about something so beautifully done. This is an excellent follow up to the first film.

OK..the DVD is crammed..CRAMMED with behind the scenes documenteries and production vignettes, and tours of the art department..there is so much to look at. the film is studied from birth to final product in such an indepth way, it's almost easy saying you've been to film school after watching all of it, because there is so much to take in. And I think anyone interested in the production of film will look at this as gold. It truely is a treat to see the process of such an amazing film!

Alright haha! as you can tell, I LOVE this film, I hope you give yourself a chance to see this. And even if you don't by DVD's, atleast give it a rent only to see a well written story come to life with great care and imagination.

Right! On to the specs, and one element I would say is the only down point for me with this package. There is a pan and scan version, which is made for people who do not like widescreen, or own a non widescreen tv. There is a 2 disc BLU ray set with the docu's I mention but also have more online content than the 3 disc set ( which also includes a mini comic story to tie into the film), like down loadable screen savers and production art. The third disc in the set that I have is just a digital copy of the movie in which you can upload onto your computer or laptop to watch. This is the one thing I didn't like, and thought was kind of a waste since you can watch the actual movie disc on your pc or laptop with no problem. There is simple programs that let you burn the movie, and cut through the copyright barriers, most burners you can get do that ( but we won't get into that here :S ..yikes! lol). But, that is the only negative of the entire 3 disc package for me..the rest is golden! And I hope it is for you.

Thank you for reading my Hellboy II review, I hope it was useful and helped you to decide weather you want it for yourself or for someone special this Christmas. I think it would make an excellent gift for a friend or loved one. It is PG-13 so the youngin's may not like to watch this alone..be cautious. Anyways..it's late, I have to work in the morning ( god, I shouldn't have had that coffee..uhgg! :P) Good night, or morning, and I will have a new flick next week for you to check out!!Ciao!
Deadsurfkiss