Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Dark Knight




The Hype is true. It's all true. The movie is so far not only the best Batman film ever made, it is probably the best comic book movie ever made. Hands down. The film is a slow building simmer of action, twists, and death. A lot of people in the movie die. A LOT.

While Christian Bale's portrayal of said Dark Knight is amazing the true performance is Heath Ledger. I know, I know, and it is not just because he's dead. Honestly. I love the Joker, I would go so far as to say he is one of the best fictional villains of all time. Ledger brought him to life. Nicholson played a great Joker, but there was still too much of the Caesar Romero silliness for it to be the Joker I had always had in my mind.

The Joker is a sociopathic, psychotic, mass-murdering lunatic one can't help but love and detest at the same time. Not only does Ledger's shambling stride, slurred speech, and general persona capture this, but the costume design and make-up make it so that you can almost smell him; it does not smell good.



The storyline of the film is great weaving loved and hated characters of Batman mythos throughout, the is drama, action, tragedy and catharsis. Not only a great comic book film, but a great film. It is worth every penny of the $10.25 to see it on the big screen.

So, if you're on the fence about seeing what might possibly be Ledger's finest role (and I fucking love him in Brokeback Mountain) get the fuck off that fence and go see the film.

Another good thing about seeing the Dark Knight in theaters is that you will see the preview for "The Watchmen" widely acclaimed as the greatest graphic novel ever written. (I know, Sandman is fucking awesome, but I gotta go with The Watchmen).





P.S. Otis Redding is playing at the coffee shop and life is good.

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