I've had about 5 or 6 people that I told the about this blog that have asked me what I thought of the latest installment of Batman and I hadn't seen it yet. Well, it finally happened last night.
I'm going to do my best to avoid spoilers, but there will be some info revealed in vague form. So there's your warning.
I went in with high expectations and have done my best to avoid all teasers and trailers for the last year. So I hadn't seen any footage of the film, aside from the trailer that was on before Indiana Jones 4. That said....
...WOW! The movie started off with a bang. No origin story on the Joker. Your introduction is that you join him on a twisty-turny heist. It was all that was needed and I was glad they didn't feel the need to bloat it with a bio or to give a description of how he became who he is so people could identify with him; it let the viewer get to know him in the same way that Batman did. And the way the Joker asserts himself within the first few seconds of meeting the organized mafia families in Gotham...just jaw dropping. It took me and everyone in the theater by surprise...there were gasps that transitioned into laughter, almost as if on cue. It felt so good to laugh - it seemed a natural reaction to relieve the tension. Ledger had a brilliant portrayal of the Joker, and it left me wanting to see more of it - a lot of that feeling is probably due to the fact I know it won't happen.
My favorite villain of the Batman world has always been Two Face/Harvey Dent. And Aaron Eckhart created a very strong character. One of you mentioned that you thought his lines were the cheesiest of the bunch, but I didn't pick-up on that. His delivery wasn't every fake or forced, so while the dialogue may have read that way on paper, he pulled it off well. I'd have to see it again now that I could pay closer attention to it. But anyway, the way Dent fit into the story was a little different than the cartoon show I grew up loving, but I'm glad for the change. I was surprised with the change of how he became Two Face, but again, I welcomed the change.
Not surprisingly, Bale was a great Batman once more. He is the best Batman...and probably the best Bruce Wayne as well. One of the few flaws in this movie is the gravely voice he speaks with when he is Batman. It is over the top, but I know WHY Bruce Wayne would do it - so no one could pick out his voice as matching up with Batman, so I can't fault him for it. It's something a real person would do when trying to hide their double identity. So it can't even be a true fault.
Gary Oldman was a great Commissioner Gordon. He's charming in Harry Potter, and while I don't know much of his work outside of Batman/Harry Potter, I know that from the 2 characters of Sirius Black and Gordon, it's hard not to love the guy. Either he plays some very identifiable and wonderful roles...or else he just brings that warmth to these characters. I really prefer the style of interaction that Gordon and Batman have in these movies than I have in any of the other movies/shows.
Lesser characters - I also prefer Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes to Katie Holmes. Holmes version was a bit too self-righteous for my taste. And Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman stole the scene whenever they shared with Bale.
Beautifully shot - every Gotham city scape shot was gorgeous. The way the Joker was shot added an immense amount of creep factor...Nolan always framed his scars up perfectly.
The writing was smart and had depth thanks to so many great exchanges, superb action sequences, twists, and brought about a devious and psychotic Joker compared to the slap-happy old portrayals (sorry Jack...Ledger wins for this reason alone).
As stated prior, the movie started out very quickly and forcefully - and while the score was very ambient for the most part, it did build up a lot of tension and helped to keep the story moving. With the quick start, it must have been hard to keep building everything happening with the pace of the build of the score, but they pulled it off brilliantly.
There's a bit of a political statement made that draws similarities to the wiretapping scandal that I could have done without. But it didn't suck me out of the story as it was minor. That is the only complaint I can muster.
In short, (to borrow from the Totally Rad Show) this movie is the reason I'm a geek. Sequels can rarely come close to the original, and this has surpassed it's predecessor. I was tense and holding my breath through so much of the movie. I actually forced myself to exhale a few times when I realized I hadn't been breathing. The whole movie moved so fast, it's 2.5 hours long, and while it sounds like a long time, I cannot think of more than maybe 5 minutes that I could have done without. I didn't view that movie, it took me on a trip and held me by the throat the entire time. Go see it now.
For those of you that have seen it, let me know what you thought in the comments. I'd love to hear it and get some interaction going - so please be as long winded as you like!
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