The Dark Knight - Grading & Discussion

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Agent Richard07, Jul 8, 2008.

?

Grade the movie...

  1. Excellent

    79.4%
  2. Above Average

    13.5%
  3. Average

    5.0%
  4. Below Average

    0.6%
  5. Poor

    1.5%
  1. Neroon

    Neroon Mod of Balance Moderator

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    In case anybody is interested, here is a nice collection of just about all of the Batman movie posters: Link.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2008
  2. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Nice find. Thanks.
     
  3. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Wow, that's awesome. I'll definitely be saving some of those to the hard drive. I hadn't realized the last one was real.

    Thanks for sharing that, Neroon.
     
  4. Neroon

    Neroon Mod of Balance Moderator

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    StumbleUpon.

    It's a beautiful thing. :D
     
  5. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    Just saw Dark Knight yesterday afternoon an di have to say it's not the best superhero film I've ever seen, so much as the best crime thriller I've ever seen. It did such a good job of convincing me that anything could happen that for a minute, I thought they just might actually have killed Gordon. Then after they took advantage of that fake out to really kill Rachel, for a minute I thought they might actually kill Gordon's son on screen. For one, it'd be a hell of a motivation for little Barbara ten years down the line. ;)

    Also, call me crazy, but at times I could swear Heath was riffing on Hamill's vocal stylings.
     
  6. davejames

    davejames Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Wow, I'd LOVE to have the second to last one with Ledger. That is freakin sweet. And I've never seen that Batman Returns one before, with all the characters. That would be a cool one to own too.
     
  7. Tomato

    Tomato Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Finally got around to watching it. It was freaking amazing. I watched it in IMAX, with two little kids beside me, you would thinking a Friday at noon would be good enough... but nope theatre is still rammed packed.

    Overall, an amazing movie.
     
  8. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    Ugh.

    I can't believe parents are bringing their kids into this movie. :rolleyes:
     
  9. DigificWriter

    DigificWriter Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I saw this yesterday night, and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nolan and Co. are definitely Batman fans, since they gave us a film that is every bit as epic as the best episodes of the DCAU's Batman series, with characters that were spot-on in every way. Everybody has been right in talking so much about Heath Ledger's Joker, but props also have to be given to Aaron Eckhart for the job he did as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. I can't ever recall Two-Face being used in such a small role before, or such a personal one, but Nolan and Co. wrote the character in such a way that having him be a bit-player in the midst of the action not only works, it enhances the personal in a way that the Joker - for all of his prattling and setting himself up as Batman's other half - never could.

    I also have to talk about the character of Rachel Dawes. Even having ended up spoiled regarding her death, I was seriously hoping they'd keep her around because she fills a central role in the Batman mythos that none of the other heroines we've seen come into Batman's life do: she represents the normal life that Bruce gave up when he became who he is. Although I would've preferred to have Katie Holmes reprise the role for continuity's sake, Maggie did a superb job, especially during her two biggest scenes: confronting The Joker at Bruce's fundraiser for Harvey and her 'death scene'.

    In closing, I've got to give Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman props for their roles. Both are extremely prolific actors, and both totally disappear into their respective roles in this movie, even moreso than in the previous one. Caine's Alfred is guardian, mentor, and voice of reason (even moreso than any other version of Alfred that we've seen to date), and also provides Bruce with a bridge between his life as Batman and the life he pretends to lead as Bruce Wayne. Having Bruce abscond with the entire Russian ballet was one of the most brilliant - and hillarious - things I've ever seen, and was perfectly complimented by the darker, more serious turn that Alfred's advice takes once the Joker escalates things. In the case of Freeman, he plays Lucius Fox with both a knowledge and naivette (sp?) that is captivating; at the start, we as an audience are left wondering whether or not Lucius is now aware of Bruce's double life, but the question doesn't stay unanswered for long, since by the film's end, we're shown that Fox is not only very much aware of what his boss really does, he's chosen to willfully aide and abet his activities, up to a certain point. Fox also gets to deliver what I consider to be the funniest line in the film NOT related to the Joker ("Let me get this straight. You think that your employer, one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world, is really a masked vigilante who spends his nights running around the city beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands? And your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck.")

    I gave this film an Excellent rating in the poll, and I think it totally deserves it. Two of my sisters both want to see the film, and I plan on going with them again if they do.
     
  10. Samurai8472

    Samurai8472 Admiral Admiral

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    awesome. Only batman movie not in June is the dark knight.
     
  11. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Not only is she someone who represents the normal life Bruce gave up (and seeks to regain), but we also see and understand why he cares so deeply about her. All previous love interests in the movies have been two-bit floozies who Bruce suddenly falls for and we're suppose to care about (although I did care about Selina Kyle, but that's because she's a great character and not having that much to do with how Batman Returns presented her). Rachel is Bruce's childhood sweetheart and understand who he is and the choices he has made (like Alfred but from a different angle). Initially I had issue with her finding out that Bruce was Batman in Batman Begins, but The Dark Knight took this knowledge and worked with it to my satisfaction.
     
  12. Samurai8472

    Samurai8472 Admiral Admiral

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    Maybe the third movie will finally break a superhero movie cliche

    "The girlfriend always finds out in the end who the hero is"

    For Mary Jane and Lois it was part 2 :p

    The mistletoe scene in "Returns" was good
     
  13. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    I think it would be interesting to have Selina Kyle and Catwoman in the next film but have neither Bruce or Selina figure out the truth. It's a bit of stretch, perhaps, but I think if it can be pulled of, it would be interesting thematically. And I can see Christopher Nolan pulling it off.
     
  14. Tomato

    Tomato Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Tell me about it. Some parts were down right nightmarish for a 8 year old girl to be watching it. I know I would not bring a kid to watch this movie, just that one min. clip of the Joker was practically terrifying.

    But yeah I think I may have to re watch this movie again. There were so much going on. I love the character arcs and love where Nolan is taking Batman. His purposely shutting everybody off around Bruce. I know he doesn't in Robin, but this would be a perfect situation to bring in Robin, to have Bruce re discover his humanity again.
     
  15. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    Notice how... dumb and groan-inducing the Schumacher posters are (bat... er ROBIN-nipples, Carrey's Riddler.) Ugh. Gives me the shudders just looking at them.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2008
  16. DigificWriter

    DigificWriter Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I don't think you quite understand exactly what I'm talking about with regards to Rachel's importance as a character. Although she was a character created solely for the films, Rachel is the only person who has seen who Bruce truly is, and recognizes that the man he's become - both publicly and privately - is not the 'real' Bruce Wayne. There's not another character anywhere in the Batman mythos who epitomizes the fact that the death of Bruce Wayne's parents turned him into a wholly new person both privately and publicly.

    With regards to her discovery of Bruce's double life as Batman, it's one of those things that is essential to her role in the overall Batman mythos. Because of the role she fills, the story of both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight could not have been told had she not discovered his dual life. Just like Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Tim Burton, Nolan and Co. have added a whole new dimension to the Batman mythos with the introduction of Rachel's character.
     
  17. Samurai8472

    Samurai8472 Admiral Admiral

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    Its so colorful :rolleyes: Can't give all the blame to him though.It was the marketing people reacting to "Returns" gothic approach.

    Tommy lee jones as two face embracing himself ugh

    Seeing these reminds me of the Mcdonalds glass cups lol
     
  18. JacksonArcher

    JacksonArcher Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I still have those.
     
  19. S. Gomez

    S. Gomez Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I have one too! I hadn't thought about it in ages, then a couple years back when we moved it got dug up from some back cupboard. Funny, I always remembered it as glass, but I'm pretty sure it's some sort of plastic.
     
  20. Worf2DS9

    Worf2DS9 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Just got back from the movie a few hours ago, and I loved it, for all of the reasons gushed about on the previous 42 pages already! It did start to feel a tad long towards the end, and it did seem overly loud at times, but those are minor gripes. The movie itself though, was visionary and epic. And Heath was brilliant. Lived up to and surpassed the hype.

    And the theater I went to only had about 6 people other than me, so there were no disruptions at all. I'm not sure if I'll see it again in the theater, but it'll definitely be in the DVD collection when the time comes.