The Dark Knight - Grading & Discussion

[Trekker4747]

Truthfully Batman and Superman were never my favorite DC characters. Or Wonder Woman. I liked the other ones better.

WHAT other ones? Green Arrow?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

And a LOT of the mob stuff could have been cut without losing much (except Tom Berenger.) The mob stuff was okay in Begins, but it just didn't do much here.

That wasn't Tom Berenger, rather it was Eric Roberts.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

And a LOT of the mob stuff could have been cut without losing much (except Tom Berenger.) The mob stuff was okay in Begins, but it just didn't do much here.

That wasn't Tom Berenger, rather it was Eric Roberts.

CRAP! I always get those two mixed up. Sorry.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I loved the movie, though some of the dialogue was a bit too pointed.

I think the best thing about the film is that filmmakers are going to realize that the story is what epople see not anything flashy. The action in the film was very authentic, without any standout CGI or anything like that. It was 't a lot of action and it didn't take away from the story, instead it added to the investment people had into the characters. Hopefully this will start a trend away from the overuse of CGI... it should only be a tool, not the reason to see a film

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

And a LOT of the mob stuff could have been cut without losing much (except Tom Berenger.) The mob stuff was okay in Begins, but it just didn't do much here.

That wasn't Tom Berenger, rather it was Eric Roberts.

CRAP! I always get those two mixed up. Sorry.

Yeah. I had a hard time my first time out figuring out who he was too. I'm more familiar with Tom Berenger (thanks to his work in Platoon). It took me quite a while to recognize Boss Moroni as Mr. Bennett's boss on Heroes. The easiest way to tell the difference is that Roberts is a lot smarmier.

For that matter, I went through 2 whole viewings of the film without recognizing the guy who played Holtz on Angel Season 3.

 

[amdmiami]

So I finally saw this film today with some friends and let me say that I was not dissapointed. The movie lived up to its hipe and exceded my expectations. Ledger was creepy and that weird lip smaking noise he mad added a lot more to his character. I also loved the Harvey Dent side plot. To bad he can't be the big villain in the next movie.

 

[nx1701g]

^ Not necessarily. Eckhart had said he's interested in returning. Some people seem to think Batman stashed Dent somewhere.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

You complain about a subplot that adds nothing to the movie, and then turn around and say you want the movie to waste time on Gordon chasing petty crooks, which in turn would ... add nothing of substantive value to the movie.

I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

I wanted more character development out of the characters. It was nearly devoid of any in the movie.

There was plenty of that.



I thought Gordon had plenty of development, at least plenty in terms of what was needed in the film.



It wasn't rapid. He didn't get promoted til at least midway through the film, and even before that he was on the ground doing everything he could to catch the Joker -- which he eventually ended up aiding in doing.

Truthfully Batman and Superman were never my favorite DC characters. Or Wonder Woman. I liked the other ones better.

So despite the objective quality of the film, your subjective opinion has already marred it. Gotcha.

There were a few Batman comics I did enjoy (Long Halloween being one of them). I enjoyed the TAS and Beyond immensely and Justice League but those are another medium.

Relevance?

There wasn't a lot of character development. Dent? Joker even had not enough character development. In fact one of my favorite things about the Joker was his origin story. I really wish they had tied that into Batman.

Gordon didn't have a lot of development. So catching Joker promoted him to commish? Hmm. I wish there was more to that, then here ya go, here's the commish part. That felt rushed and latched on, that they had to do it.

Actually, I was going into the Dark Knight hoping I liked it. I did like the Joker a LOT more than I expected. The trailers didn't do him justice at all. But...Dent? I was hoping more from him. A lot more. The film felt oddly paced and just...not good.

Because you can't simply separate the mediums, which portray the characters. In fact one of my favorite, FAVORITE movies is Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. That was one of my favorite cartoon movies as well. It took the character we knew from the cartoons and did something that we all hoped it did. I also liked the pace and style of the Long Halloween. I liked the Animated Series a lot. I like what they did to guys like Dent and to the Joker in those.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Truthfully Batman and Superman were never my favorite DC characters. Or Wonder Woman. I liked the other ones better.

WHAT other ones? Green Arrow?

Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter...The Lantern Corp and what they are doing now is fascinating. I also like some of the obscure characters. The New Blue Beetle is fun. I am highly anticipating Ambush Bug and seeing what they do with him. I like the JSA a lot as well.

Green Lantern Corp though is one of my favorites.

Aquaman is even worse then those trio...I have started enjoying Batman more lately. The RIP has me intrigued on where they are going. I don't like what they did with his son or what they did to the New Robin.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

I loved the movie, though some of the dialogue was a bit too pointed.

I think the best thing about the film is that filmmakers are going to realize that the story is what epople see not anything flashy. The action in the film was very authentic, without any standout CGI or anything like that. It was 't a lot of action and it didn't take away from the story, instead it added to the investment people had into the characters. Hopefully this will start a trend away from the overuse of CGI... it should only be a tool, not the reason to see a film

This I can agree with. One of the most outstanding things about the Dark Knight is the limited use of CGI.

 

[Skywalker]

There wasn't a lot of character development. Dent? Joker even had not enough character development. In fact one of my favorite things about the Joker was his origin story. I really wish they had tied that into Batman.

I don't. I love The Killing Joke, I really do, but I prefer the idea that nobody knows who the Joker used to be, or where he came from. It doesn't matter how he became the Joker, or why. The Joker simply is.

Gordon didn't have a lot of development. So catching Joker promoted him to commish? Hmm. I wish there was more to that, then here ya go, here's the commish part. That felt rushed and latched on, that they had to do it.

They didn't have to. Honestly, I was expecting Gordon to be a Captain (or whatever comes after Lieutenant in police ranks) in this one, and become Commissioner either at the end or in the third movie. But his promotion here didn't feel tacked on; with Commissioner Loeb gone, Gordon was the best, cleanest, and most qualified officer the GCPD had left.

 

[The Old Mixer]

My only problem, still, is that I don't like Bale's Batman voice and I don't think it is entirely his fault it sounds like it's being heavly tweaked in post.

It's just too much, too strong, and too intense. It's something that really, really, REALLY needs to be fixed. I will agree, though, that Bale is a very good Batman/Bruce otherwise.

Same here. The voice, and to some degree the whole Batman look when we get too good a look at him, just takes me right out of the movie. Visually and aurally, he's just a little too...unsubtle for the otherwise-realistic world around him.

Look at Indiana Jones

1980s.

Superman

1970s.

James Bond

1960s.

but a great, grand, theme is needed for Batman.

Why?

Much like cinematography, directing, acting and just about everything else associated with filmmaking, scoring has evolved with the times. Operatic scores such as John Williams' Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek: The Motion Picture and even Danny Elfman's own Batman (which is quality music but an absolutely terrible score), are elements of a filmmaking age that has passed by.

Lord of the Rings.

Get outta that!

Whereas those two notes in Zimmer and Howard's theme evoke Batman perched on top of a building, looking down at Gotham City by night, contemplating his next move, or perhaps just brooding about how tortured and emo he is.

And...that's a good thing...?

I loved the movie...but walked out feeling just thoroughly depressed! Was surprised that the theater was only about 20% full for a Friday 11 AM screening...and this is a theater in suburban NY that I've seen PACKED.

I just saw it on a second-weekend Sunday afternoon, and the theater was I'd say 70-80% full...enough to make me sit in the fifth row not to have to stumble over people to find a center seat.

but for a movie over two and half hours long, the pacing was good enough to keep you from looking at your watch.

I have to say, the pacing was excellent. I never looked at my watch (cell phone, actually, I stopped wearing a watch...and yes, the ringer was off), and the movie surprised me more than once when I thought things were due to wind down and out popped the next phase of the Joker's scheme.

Actually, his wife's name is Barbara. Meaning his daughter's name isn't.

Not necessarily. A girl can't have the same name as her daughter?

 

[Goliath]

And...that's a good thing...?

Actually...yes.

When I saw TDK for the second time on Saturday, I was paying more attention to the music, and I was struck by the soundtrack's effective use of this two-note motif. It generally played right when the action was about to ramp up, or when the Batman was about to do something particularly spectacular or dangerous--when he was about to drop onto the Scarecrow's car, for example. I found it quite effective.

I also realized that the Joker's "theme" consisted of just one prolonged, discordant note, which I also found quite effective. It generally played as the Joker began to put one of his evil schemes into motion, as a way of putting you on edge and building suspense.

 

[The Old Mixer]

^I was referring to the whole brooding/emo image, not the music itself.

Also, the fact that the coin landed on the "live" side when he fell down hinted that Two-Face may have survived.

I think that was meant to add a bit of pathos--Dent wouldn't have killed the kid, but Batman couldn't have known that.

I don't get the need for some to think Dent might have survived--that would render the end of this movie meaningless.

Batman was always the darkest, most somber, on the edge character.

"Always"? Haven't read much '50s/'60s Batman, have we...?

 

[Timby]

Because you can't simply separate the mediums, which portray the characters.

Actually, uh, yeah, you can. Blade, for example, is a wholly different take on the material than its comic source, and yet they're both wholly valid interpretations -- just as last year's Transformers wasn't hurt in any way by Optimus Prime being a Peterbilt truck instead a cab-over.

Just because The Dark Knight didn't translate, beat-for-beat, your favorite comic stories and origins, doesn't make it any less of a movie. Try criticizing the movie based on what it was.

 

[nx1701g]

And...that's a good thing...?

Actually...yes.

When I saw TDK for the second time on Saturday, I was paying more attention to the music, and I was struck by the soundtrack's effective use of this two-note motif. It generally played right when the action was about to ramp up, or when the Batman was about to do something particularly spectacular or dangerous--when he was about to drop onto the Scarecrow's car, for example. I found it quite effective.

I also realized that the Joker's "theme" consisted of just one prolonged, discordant note, which I also found quite effective. It generally played as the Joker began to put one of his evil schemes into motion, as a way of putting you on edge and building suspense.

You mean that you could hear the audio and dialogue in all scenes? When I saw it there were times when the music overshadowed the scenes and dialogue.

 

[archeryguy1701]

The music that particularly killed scenes for me (I think it happened twice) was when the music was really high pitched violins that got higher and higher and then it peaked and stayed there forever. I hated when it hit the top and didn't drop back down.

 

[Frontier]

Wow.

TDK made more money in 10 days than Indie made in 9 weeks.

LOL!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wow.

TDK made more money in 10 days than Indie made in 9 weeks.

LOL!

The same can be said about a lot of movies. Don't gang up Indy alone, okay?

Hell, The Dark Knight was a few hundred grand short of Iron Man which has been out longer than Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Wow.

TDK made more money in 10 days than Indie made in 9 weeks.

So what? Many other films have made less money than Indy did.