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The Dark Knight review: Gutted

I watched The Dark Knight last night on an imax screen after months and months of patient waiting and gleeful anticipation. Sadly, I have to report that claims of brilliance, legendary magnificence and stupendous fabulousness are (as surely we all knew they would be?) greatly exaggerated.)

I stopped reading your analysis at this point because I havent seen it yet, but my kids have, and they say it's crazy good. For the moment, I'm going to take their word over yours, ok?
 
Am gonna wait till next week to see it for myself (shields eyes from rest of thread)........

My eldest went to see it last eve and said he thought it was awesome !
 
i saw it last night, i don't if i'm the best person to comment really cos i'm not a huge batman movie fan, but i do like a good comic book action film.

well, i thought it was all over the shop! it was too long, and it had about a million plotlines all in one.

i didn't really care for batman, i thought he didn't really do much?! the joker was brilliant, they should've given him more screen time really i think.

maggie gyllenhal was, i hate to say it because i love her normally, bland bland bland.

i just think the script was nafforama, i know it's a big action movie but do they have to crack out the awful cliches..like the 'slap and hug' situation, and also they did that classic thing where batman starts to leave and then someone says 'oh, and batman' so batman turns round and the person pauses and says 'good luck' and batman leaves without saying anything.

CHEESE!

i guess i just didn't really feel like i was on anyone's side, apart from Gotham's. Rachel, Dent and Batman didn't inspire any sympathy from me really.
 
I thought Batman Begins was overindulgent shite so I hope this is slightly better. The Dark Knight was one of my favourite graphic novels. But I'm not reading Wookies review as I never read reviews before seeing a film. I'll read it after like.
 
If you didn't like BB you definitely won't like this. It's also not (as you probably know) based on the graphic novel.
 
Don't understand why people approach comic book adaptation films with such high expectations. Surely the prime audiences for them are kids and nerdy teenagers? What counts is whether they and not adult cinemagoers are entertained by them.

You might as well criticise 'Herbie the Lovebug' for not being a very good road movie.
 
Don't understand why people approach comic book adaptation films with such high expectations. Surely the prime audiences for them are kids and nerdy teenagers? What counts is whether they and not adult cinemagoers are entertained by them.

You might as well criticise 'Herbie the Lovebug' for not being a very good road movie.

Well, because films like Batman Begins and to a lesser extent, Iron Man show that they can be done excellently.

I'd argue that the makers know well that it's not just kids and nerdy teenagers coming to watch these films. It's also nerdy grown-ups who've come to expect a bit more from superhero movie.
 
Well, because films like Batman Begins and to a lesser extent, Iron Man show that they can be done excellently.

I'd argue that the makers know well that it's not just kids and nerdy teenagers coming to watch these films. It's also nerdy grown-ups who've come to expect a bit more from superhero movie.

True, especially as it's the older people who were into comics, kids aren't so much these days what with the internet and consoles and shit. Dark Knight Returns was published 22 years ago.

I'll see this for Ledger's Joker but I'm tired of this constant remaking of Batman, personally. Hollywood man, couldn't even leave The Hulk for a few years before remaking it in a way that is no less shit than the original. I guess when your President is a crook you need all the fake heroes you can get.
 
In both cases no.

The Dark Knight is just the nicnkname Batman has always had. The film(s) were never based on the story in The Dark Knight Returns. (or, thankfully, Strikes Back).

Luckily I didn't read those :)

This series seems most related to Year One and The Killing Joke. At the very least they must have been an influence.
 
I watched it at the IMAX last night, and while I want to watch it a couple more times before offering any in-depth views, I just wanted to say that I was blown away. I thought it was a phenomenal film, a non-stop, tense thriller, where if I'm honest the action set-pieces came a distant second to other things that were going on in the film.

Like I said I want to see it again, as this was the first time I've been to the IMAX and as it's such an intense film it's very possible a second or third viewing without the 'wow'-factor of seeing it all for the first time will allow me to concentrate on other aspects of the film, but I just wanted to provide a counter-balance to the generally negative opinions on this thread.
 
I saw it last night.

My score: 8/10

Definitely one of the best films I've seen this year amidst a heap of rubbish films (Cloverfield excepted). Heath Ledger was superb and played the villain with poetic style, excellent comedy timing and brillianty evil.

Christian Bale could have been a bit better I thought. He was excellent as Batman but less so as Bruce Wayne.

Michael Cane was excellent. Morgan Freeman less so.

Overall, I think the film was superb but they could have cut down the ending which was dragged out just a bit at the end. But it doesn't ruin the film at all. Well worth seeing a few times, because I think there's a lot I missed.
 
I stopped reading your analysis at this point because I havent seen it yet, but my kids have, and they say it's crazy good. For the moment, I'm going to take their word over yours, ok?

I thought it didn't live up to the hype, but I doubt if any movie could live up to the buildup this one got. In all, it was an entertaining way to spend 2.3 hrs. Well worth my $9.
 
Mark Kermode's Review; I think he makes some good points, both positive and negative.

Reading responses from other people, it does seem that one of the biggest points of contention is just how much they tried to pack into the film and the 'chaotic' nature of it. Those who like it seem to have gone along with it, possibly at the expense of asking certain questions, whereas those who didn't like it noticed the holes a lot more.

As I said before, I'm really eager to see it again and see what I think of it a second or third time, now I know what's coming and so won't get so caught up in the rollercoaster ride.
 
Can't believe it's here! I'm standing outside the cinema waiting for the doors to open, can't fucking wait!!
 
I think the spying on everyone's phones bit might have had a hidden message somewhere.

Didn't get why the people went on the boats must have blinked and missed it.
 
Spoiler here. So look away if you haven't seen it.

I think the spying on everyone's phones bit might have had a hidden message somewhere...
And maybe the police turning a blind eye when The Caped 'Crusader' turns on the beating up in the police cells to get important info which could save lives?
 
I watched The Dark Knight last night .............................................
I actually am so disappointed with Dark Knight that I don't feel like crafting a smart-arse review at all, I have better things to do. Like plan what I'm going to wear for Watchmen.;)

Well I was going to spend Rp 10,000 (50+p) on the pirate but I may give it a miss now. :)
 
too right - it was fucking amazing!!!!

SPOLIER


my only problem with the movie was how Two-Face had such a small role.
FFS, he was meant to be a crime boss!!!

Bale couldn't be more of the perfect Bruce Wayne!
but as Batman, his voice irritates.

it's the best Batman yet. :)
 
my only problem with the movie was how Two-Face had such a small role.
FFS, he was meant to be a crime boss!!!

The role was not at all small. I'd go as far to say that he actually played the most pivotal role in the film as his character was reflecting the themes of duality, corruption and psychosis.

I thought Nolan did a good job with it to be honest, although I'm in total agreement with the fact that the film needed trimming and a bit more clarity at times. But overall, you have to say, this is a superhero film with the ability to channel the more darker elements of humanity, which is unlike any other films in it's genre.
 
I have to agree with you Wookey - I kind of enjoyed it, but it was nowhere near as good as I was expecting it to be. Much of the plot was utterly ludicrous, they didn't make nearly enough of two-face, and while the Joker by far and away stole the show (and I loved the nurse scene too), it was still only above average.

And while I'm fine with a caped crusader foiling criminals, the plot holes were just too gaping for me to overlook. Where did the Joker get that knife from in the police cell? Why didn't they strip-search him? How on earth did he get the entire hospital rigged up with explosives/barrels of petrol without any one noticing? How did two-face emerge from the hospital in a full suit and tie? Did they know that Gordon was going to get shot at, or was it just fortuitous? Why must Morgan Freeman be such a Kindly-Eyes Wise Black Man all the damn time?

I give this film 6 out of 10.
 
That was FUCKING AWESOME!

The opening sequence of the bank robbery was brilliant, Ledger was flawless throughout. I have rarely felt such actual tension in a 'superhero' film.

The first third felt like a proper thriller that happened to be a Batman film (a bit like Casino Royale in that respect). There was perhaps a little too much plot squeezed in, but all in all an amazing achievement for what is an inherently absurd premise.

9 utility belts out of 10.
 
the opening scene bank robbery properly sent chills down me. perfect.

the rest was confused and rushed all over the place.

why oh why to they do all those swirlly panning shots??? they do my head and look shite.

the chase scene felt really tacked on.........but when the joker was going ""c'mon . c'mon hit me ,, do it " at the end that was fab.

I liked how the boat-bombs-thought-experiment resolved itself ....warm glow in my heart...

...they used different film for some of the scenes didn't they...???



anyway a film of good preformances instead of a good film as such..
 
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