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
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
