What is the deal with The Dark Knight?

[FinalHeart95]

The story was good, the characters were good, the scenery was good... everything was good in that movie. Except maybe Batman's voice. Still, though not knowing the origin of Two Face made that movie a lot better I think, because I really didn't see that coming.

NOTE: I actually saw it when I was 13, and I think I got most of it. I still have the DVD anyway and could watch it again to see if I missed anything anyway, although I'm 15 so I clearly wouldn't get it anyway. (I hate when people bring age into anything, it's like my opinion doesn't matter. =/)

 

[Space Spoons]

It was less a traditional superhero flick and more a crime drama. That genre is something of an acquired taste, especially if you go into it expecting something entirely different.

 

[Therumancer]

Why do people think that movie is so good? I don't understand. I thought it was long, boring, anti-climatic, and I couldn't understand anyone. Maybe I'm just a 90 year old trapped in a 16 year old's body (I was fifteen when I saw it) but I don't see what all the rage is about in that movie.

ALSO I know I'm like 2 years late or whatever, but this was brought up by a thread about batman 3 and how DiCaprio would play the riddler and this one guy was saying how it could be like Heath Ledger as the Joker or something.

Why do people think that movie is so good? I don't understand. I thought it was long, boring, anti-climatic, and I couldn't understand anyone. Maybe I'm just a 90 year old trapped in a 16 year old's body (I was fifteen when I saw it) but I don't see what all the rage is about in that movie.

ALSO I know I'm like 2 years late or whatever, but this was brought up by a thread about batman 3 and how DiCaprio would play the riddler and this one guy was saying how it could be like Heath Ledger as the Joker or something.

It's a good movie, but I think it was catapulted into the "OMG" catagory not so much on it's own merits but the contreversy. Basically it was "Heath Legers" last role and he was riding high on his "PC" fame from playing a gay cowboy, he was also known to be a character actor who while working tried to be in character all the time. When he died there was a lot of speculation it came from him being unable to get out of character since he was REALLY into it allegedly even when not working. Hence all the comments about "The Joker being the first comic villain to kill someone in real life".

So basically we had "Batman" and "The Joker" two incredibly popular characters, a successful movie in the series before it, and a heavily promoted and extremely lurid death of an actor who was already in the public eye, causing a lot of people wanting to see the movie to witness "the role that could kill a character actor".

The movie was also paced admittedly for a more adult audience, and tried to at times convey a sense of "this could happen" realism, which was a take that worked since a lot of people don't see "Batman" in the same campy light that they used to. The previous film franchise did okay, but if you look at some of the really goofy frills even going back to the beginning I think those wound up detracting from the movies for a lot of people. Oh sure "cynernetic doom penguins" fit into the whole Batman thing, especially old school, but that isn't what a lot of people today instinctively see when they think of Batman.

 

[Your once and future Fanboy]

I know this is unrelated but I can wait 'til Nolan makes a batman movie that follows the events of Knightfall.
If you dont know about knightfall, then you shouldn't be posting on a forum about batman!

Btw i loved both Begins and the Dark knight, Both are great movies, but Dark knight blew me away. A good way to watch these movies are to avoid any hype like the plague, then watch them,.

 

[meticadpa]

Well I'm 15 now, so I'm guessing - by what everyone's said thus far - that I'd have been 13 when it was released, and indeed when I watched it.

Someone else touched on something I agree with in this thread though; Batman is about the villains rather than Batman himself, and Heath Ledger played the part of the Joker very, very well.

It was very well filmed and directed, in my opinion, too.

Batman's voice was a little too much though, I agree. When you can't make out a single word he's saying, you know he should probably do something about that, and I don't feel like it added to the movie's feel much, if at all.

But for me, as an avid music lover, the best part was the soundtrack. Hans Zimmer is an absolutely amazing composer, and I love all of his work.

So what's the deal with Batman?

The deal is that some people have different opinions on things. No one is right, no one is wrong.

 

[Rebellious_Gate]

I'd go for Killer Croc, personally. Maybe Bane, but I think a lot of his impact would be lessened because no way is the film actually going to show him crippling Batman. It would take him years to get over, and studios don't want their properties out of action for that long.

I would love to see Bane as the next villain. His plan in Knightfall uses a lot of the other villains which would be exciting to see on the big screen and as for the crippling I think it could happen. Nolan has already said he wants to make this his last Batman film and is looking to write it with an actual conclusion.

 

[TehCookie]

The Dark Knight wasn't a bad movie, but since I don't like batman I didn't like the movie either. How can you not laugh at a man who dresses up in a spandex bat-suit and fights crime? Not to mention he sounds like he's dieing of throat cancer. I think he's he one that needs help, in the form of a psychiatrist.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

Am I the only one who wants Black Mask as the next villain? I mean, c'mon, it'd be PERFECT. He would fit right in into the whole gritty, realistic bazooiie that Nolan's selling now.

OT: To each their own, OP. I personally loved The Dark Knight, as I'm a fan of the comic books, and tbh, it's probably on my top 10 best movies evur list.
Also, I didn't have a problem with Bale's sore throat voice, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority for that.

 

[Breaker deGodot]

Great action, (mostly) good acting, and a well-told story. My only big problems with it were Christian Bale's acting, and that some parts (Hong-Kong, and the ending) go on for far to long. It's not masterpiece, and it's certainly not as good as Inception or Memento, but I do think it's the best Batman film.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

I personally liked the movie. I loved the theme, the atmosphere, the new way of showing Batman, and the political and ethical questions the movie brings. (I saw it when I was around 14 or 15.)

Although, as opposed to popular opinion, I preferred Batman Begins over The Dark Knight, and almost everyone I've met in the real world has the same reaction: "You're so wrong, TDK is better in every way, you just don't know anything about good movies!" And to them, I kindly raise my finger. Can you guess which one of them?

 

[Greyslash]

I found it to be quite lame, It was hyped to hell and was just a big let down. Plus, Christan Bale and Heath Ledger aren't the best actors in the world. I think my favorite superhero moves are the Spiderman movies. All three were excellent.

 

[Kagim]

I thought it was a good movie. Great script, the actors nailed there roles. The camera work was marvelous. There was no 'dead spots' in the entire film. Lots of action. Well paced. It was a damn good movie.

As well of course people are going to hail it as the greatest movie ever. It was a good all around film, so its going to have a higher amount of fanatics then your average movie.

It just doesn't do it for some people. Everyone i know loved it. You didn't. That's life.

 

[mattttherman3]

When Mattttherman saw it, he had to see it again the next week, why you don't like it, I don't know, but Mattttherman loved Batman for a very long time so Mattttherman was really into the story

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

*sigh* Goddamnit. Ok, here we go.

Spoiler: *Ahem*

[HEADING=1]PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS. NO ONE IS RIGHT OR WRONG-[/HEADING]Oh, fuck it. I am really tired of explaining this to people. My heart's just not in it this time. But you get the idea.

So true, but as they say, some people actually think their s--- doesn't stink just because it's guano or not.

Overall I did not really like the Dark Knight, not because I didn't "get" it or found it confusing, or what have you. I just did not find the film all that great in its entirety, end of story. I see no reason to pick its flaws apart because why bother to change anyone else's or my own opinion?

I'm not a real Batman fan, let alone superheroes in general, so that could play a good part of it. However, I generally try to keep an open mind with superhero movies because I've found some enjoyable, while others are simply absurd and should burn in flames. Regardless of my feeling towards the Dark Knight, I still think that other superhero/comic films should look at what it does right.

My all-time favorite aspect of the movie was the Joker, bar none. I really can't say any of the other characters were appealing to me, particularly Christian Bale, but the Joker was the highlight performance. What I think helped the Dark Knight was that it treated the source material not as a comic book or cartoon that was unrealistic and to be transitioned as is to the live action version, but a base to build a plausible scenario that we can all form a relation with. The grittiness and realism create a foundation for the movie that makes it more plausible, letting us forget that it's "just another superhero/comic movie." The particularly dark nature of Batman made this approach all the more appropriate.

**I saw the movie at 20, long long after having liked superheroes when I was a kid, but I still am mixed with some good and some bad on the Dark Knight**

 

[Samurai Goomba]

The first time I saw it, I thought it was good. Second time, thought it was good. Saw it again recently, and now I kind of... Hate it. It's just, the movie thinks it's being so profound, but every theme is SO overstated, and Bale's acting is sooo melodramatic (and his voice sucks). Ledger, Freeman and Caine are excellent, as is Two-Face, but I really can't say I enjoyed the first half of the movie at all. It gets decent in the second half, but I dunno.

I just don't really like this movie at all anymore, it feels like a polar opposite to Batman Begins' balanced emotional tone, understated (or at least not hammy) themes, proper filming style (the look of Dark Knight gets really old after a while), and more human, likable Batman.

If you disagree, fine. But I thought Dark Knight was a good movie until recently. I think maybe it loses something every time you watch it, because all the things that made it unique and interesting the first time lose their novelty, exposing obnoxious melodrama and the pathetically simple narrative made needlessly obtuse and complex.

"Some men just want to watch the world burn."

"9/11, don't give in to terrorism."

"If nobody knows your identity, you can protect others without making any kind of sacrifice yourself, but still pretend you are being all noble."

There, I just succinctly said in three sentences what The Dark Knight took almost three hours to say. It just... Keeps hammering its points over and over. I prefer a subversive or understated message with my movies, thank you.

I imagine I'm going to draw a lot of flak for this opinion. But hey, it's just my opinion, obviously. I'm still very excited for the third Batman movie and hope it has a lot more of Begins in it than Dark Knight. I mean, there are movies that are dark because they're dealing with big idea, dark, apocalyptic ideas. I felt like there were more than a few times when The Dark Knight had to really reach to find something to angst over (like Wayne choosing to save a DA he barely knew over the supposed love of his life-I can't think of any human being that would do that unless he/she enjoys pain). Still, Heath Ledger did an excellent job.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

I know this is unrelated but I can wait 'til Nolan makes a batman movie that follows the events of Knightfall.
If you dont know about knightfall, then you shouldn't be posting on a forum about batman!

Btw i loved both Begins and the Dark knight, Both are great movies, but Dark knight blew me away. A good way to watch these movies are to avoid any hype like the plague, then watch them,.

Unfortunately, like Avatar, the hype was pretty much unavoidable for Dark Knight.

I completely agree that the Knightfall narrative could make an awesome movie. I really, really like it when Batman comes up against obviously superior foes, like Bane and Shiva, because they force him to reveal his humanity. When Batman is punching out yet ANOTHER faceless grunt and strutting invincibly about, the tension is kind of gone.

That's a big part of why at least half of Gotham Knight is complete rubbish.

 

[superbatranger]

Maybe you just like the older movies better. That is, if you do like them. It did go from a kinda sorta campy feel to something more serious. Not exactly a drastic change, but a change nonetheless.

 

[Oh That Dude]

12 lol

Eeeeeh, crap.

There's a 13 year old age limit on this site, you know.

I'm glad you quoted him, he edited to say 14 and I was confused about the year long ban.

OT: I loved it, it's cliche by this point but I loved Heath Ledger's Joker. Insane but made insanity seem like a reasonable way to go about things.