What do you dislike about The Dark Knight?

[trekkerguy]

Absoloutely nothing. This was the greatest work of cinematic art ever made.

[MIB]

For a comic book movie, I though "The Dark Knight" was an 'A' effort. I had no trouble following the characters or the story. Not once did I think "Lets get on with it!!" or "Whoa, slow down, dammit!" Furthermore, the plot was engaging and remained so even after I saw it three time in the theater. Granted, there were plenty of comic-isms that would be in no way plausible in real life, but that's why it's a comic-book movie.

The one thing that did grate on me however was the raspy voice. I didn't mind it in "Batman Begins". I didn't mind it during the first half of "TDK", but somewhere around the point where Dent finally goes nuts Nolan decides to jack up the raspy voice effect by a factor of ten. Batman's dialog just starts overpowering everything else and it got damned annoying.

[mr.peany]

The only thing that bugs me every time I watch the film is at the end of the bank robbery scene, where the Joker drives the bus out of the bank, surely someone must stop and think "hey, that ain't right!!". Just seemed jarring. Otherwise, I thought the film was brilliant. Well except for the final sonar scene, which confused me in the cinemas, but played out better at home.

[Trekker4747]

mr.peany wrote:

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The only thing that bugs me every time I watch the film is at the end of the bank robbery scene, where the Joker drives the bus out of the bank, surely someone must stop and think "hey, that ain't right!!". Just seemed jarring. Otherwise, I thought the film was brilliant. Well except for the final sonar scene, which confused me in the cinemas, but played out better at home.

And why Fitchner's bank/liquor store manager didn't simply reach up and pull the smoke-gernade out of his mouth with his unbound and perfectly functional arms and hands.

(And wouldn't the smoke gernade have made all the hostages pass out and and thus their explosive gernades would go off?

But, yeah, you'd think SOMEONE would've noticed the bus that was backed into a building pulling into the line of busses. It was terribly convenient, too, that those busses were going by just as the Joker pulled his out.

[roliver]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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It was terribly convenient, too, that those busses were going by just as the Joker pulled his out.

"It's all part of the plan."

But, yes, it was odd that none of the bus drivers apparently took any notice of a bus pulling out of a building and slipping quietly into formation. Or perhaps they did, reported it, but the Joker slipped away in time to avoid capture?

One part of the film I have never understood is why the kidnapped Dent knocked himself over in his chair, which lead to him knocking over some of the gas, which in turn ultimately lead to half of his face being burned over. What was he trying to accomplish?

And why did Joker think that only Dent or Rachael could be saved? Did he calculate the exact moment in time Batman would learn of the two locations, the exact speed of the Batpod, future traffic conditions in Gotham, and adjust his timers accordingly? Not bad for a rabid dog chasing cars.

[JacksonArcher]

Justtoyourleft wrote:

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- Action sequences: Some of the major action sequences IMHO are not very convincing. The transport of Dent across the city strikes me as one particularly weak example. First of all, the cops take the far more dangerous lower route even though only one side of the road is blocked. You can clearly see they simply could have avoided the obstacle put in place by the Joker.

I thought that too, but if you notice, the other side of the road is also blocked off. I've seen the film four times now, and trust me, I noticed the other side of the street being blocked off, so the convoy had no other choice but to take the lower route.

Secondly, the cops come across really, really badly in the ensuing chase scenes. They don't seem to be communicating at all (warning each other e.g.) or working together to hold off harm from Dent's truck.

The cops do notify the SWAT van of the garbage truck, but Joker's semi pummeled it into the river and then proceeded to quickly dispatch the other remaining cop cars. It's not like they had much time to coordinate anything, since the moment they arrive in Lower Wacker, the garbage truck arrives, and then quickly after that so does The Joker.

And why can't Dent's vehicle outrun a big freight truck (maybe these prisoner transport vehicles really are that slow but it just seems wrong IMHO)?

I think you just answered your own question.

All in all, the scene to me just never really managed to engage but just seemed to plod along slowly.

I'll agree with this. I also found the lack of music to assist in making the sequence feel less engaging and more plodding along, as you say. It's not as efficient or engaging a sequence as the car chase in Batman Begins, for example.

- Quieter scenes: One of the biggest strengths for me in BB were the quieter parts where characters had time and space to breathe and develop. Those moments were as effective as they were introspective. And I sorely missed them here. Yes, there were some quieter moments here and there. But they were few and far between and IMHO never achieved the same atmosphere and, intimacy and beauty found in BB.

Perhaps. I liked the quieter scenes in The Dark Knight just fine, though, whether or not it was Alfred consoling or offering advice to Bruce, or Rachel talking to Alfred about the nature of heroism or when she's alone with both Bruce and Dent...I thought they were plenty of quieter moments that easily outshined the moments in Batman Begins. I think my favorite "quiet scene" is after Rachel is killed and Bruce is in his penthouse, and Alfred consoles him. It's a clear homage to the scene where Alfred consoles a much younger Bruce after the death of his parents, and the music even mirrors that scene, almost cue to cue.

- I really like Gyllenhaal as an actress but I just don't like her in this particular part. Personally, I far prefer Katie Holmes in BB, and even though she was probably one of the weakest links in that movie I keep missing her here.

I think the character in itself is just weak and not as interesting or well-developed as the others, but that's my personal opinion. I don't think Gyllenhaal did any better, but I think she did pull off the assertive, spunky, capable woman more than Holmes did. I also fret the way Holmes would have handled the warehouse sequence.

- Music: I adore the music in BB. And the best parts in TDK are the themes already established in the predecessor. I wasn't able to discover a single new piece of music that really stood out to me positively. There is a rather effective sound effect that illustrates the Joker's madness in several scenes (such as in Wayne's penthouse) but I wouldn't count that as music, personally.

Some of the music is lost in the film, but listen to the soundtrack, and especially the expanded soundtrack. Batman is given a full-fledged theme and a "sound" (a la The Joker) and some of the action beats are much more realized and enjoyable. While I will agree that the only interesting themes are the ones carried from Batman Begins, I think Harvey Dent's tragic theme is pretty good.

[Trekker4747]

It looked to me like Dent was trying to wiggle loose of the binds he was in or probably even trying to break the chair and he just simply fell over and knocked over the fuel can in the process.

[JacksonArcher]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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It looked to me like Dent was trying to wiggle loose of the binds he was or probably even try to break the chair and he just simply fell over and knocked over the fuel can in the process.

That's what I got from it too. That it was accidental. That and the liquid fuel that toppled over and managed to only wet half of his face was merely coincidence and perhaps...fate.

[Kryton]

I would have liked to see a courthouse acid-toss on Dent by Boss Moxon (or really, whomever). Either way the event still turns the DA's sensibilities on edge, but as long as they were already IN a big trial, using the original Two-Face creation would have been easily accomplished.

Of course, they called him "Harvey Kent" in his first few appearances before deciding to change that to avoid confusion with a certain "Clark" with the same last name.

[Trekker4747]

I thought the devlopment of Two-Face in this movie is very, very well done. If anything that's a "dislike" about TDK on two fronts. On the first front there's no "development" of The Joker's evil. He just is, and granted Heath Ledger does a great job of it, but we watch Harvey's change over from a brillant and stable DA, to his near break-down with the pyscho caputred at the parade/memorial for the old Comissioner and finally to his collapse after getting half his face burned off.

It's a shame that at this point it doesn't look likely we'll see Dent return as his evil was really well built up in this movie.

[Snaploud]

Batman was a cop-killer by the end of the first movie. He must have killed at least a few of them by the end of the Batman Begins car chase.

[T'Baio]

I'm a big fan of the Batmobile's "Intimidate" mode, in which he blows a public parking garage half to hell (wonder how many civilians were trapped in the eventual collapse, HAH!) and destroys several citizens cars.

Intimidate who, exactly?

[Kryton]

Those Nissan Versa lovers over at Heroes?

[broberfett]

His stupid voice change when he is Batman.

[Kaijufan]

The major problem I had was that the lawyer who found the plans for the Tumbler seemed to know that Bruce Wayne was Batman, which is essentially confirmed by Lucius Fox. All he knows is that Wayne Enterprise provides Batman with his technology.

Actually I think it would be far more likely that Batman is a average/non rich and famous citizen, but is just funded by someone rich, like Wayne.

As I've stated before I dislike the Tumbler and the motorcycle. I'm really hoping he gets a new Batmobile in the next film and it's not another Tumbler.

I was also hoping that Harley Quinn would be in the movie, I was pretty disappointed the Joker didn't have her helping him.

broberfett wrote:

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His stupid voice change when he is Batman.

I like his Batman voice, it really adds to his Batman persona. The only problem I had with it were that a couple of lines that are sort of hard to understand. One example is early in the movie when a fake Batman asks him what is the difference between them and he says "I don't wear a hockey mask" (which was a bad line in the first place, it should of been something like "I don't use guns" or "I don't kill people"). However I had no problems understanding 99% of his lines.