MY REVIEW:
I just got back from an IMAX screening. No, I didn't bust a nut, and it isn't the greatest film EVER made, but it was pretty damn good. As a film, it gets high points on almost every level: The actors were great; the locations were spectacular; as was the cinematography; and Howard and Zimmer do it again with a top-notch score.
I liked BATMAN BEGINS, don't get me wrong; but I always tended to prefer the original Burton film. Its probably safe to say TDK is the finest of Batman movies, and even though the title hints at it, I was surprised by how surprisingly dark and emotional it was.
Yes, yes, Ledger was fantastic, and very natural in the role. It was a damn shame he died, as this movie could have taken his career to a whole new level. Better than Nicholson? It's subjective. Both were excellent Jokers; both were true to the comics in their own way; and both were extremely charismatic, which is a MUST for anybody playing the character. And yes, Ledger was funny, like the Joker SHOULD be. And honestly, despite being creepier looking, and doing a lot of ^^^^ed up ^^^^ in this movie, I think Nicholson's Joker got away with more stuff in the original film.
Anyway, I was even more impressed with Aaron Eckhart. His Harvey was EXTREMELY likeable and noble, and turned out to be the DEFINITIVE Two-Face. I actually liked this character more than the Joker, which was surprising as Mr. J is my favorite Bat-character. The special effects used to create him were incredibly realistic. And yes,
he DIES, but I felt the character was done justice, and there wasn't much more they could do with him in a sequel.
I applaud Nolan's decision. Tommy Lee who?
And of course, Freeman, Oldman and co. give it their all. Maggie Gyllenhall was cute, and seemed more sympathetic than Holmes.
Whatever you do, don't expect BATMAN BEGINS 2. Unlike the three Spider-Man films which are all pretty interchangable, this is a VERY different Batfilm. The tone is MUCH darker, the action is ALOT better, and the entire visual feel is almost completely different. This is an epic; both visually and in length. Unlike BEGINS which had a pretty straight-foward story, there are many subplots and stories going on, which form this massive comic book-like story-arc.
While dark and well-made, it's still a commercial film used to sell shirts and toys. It's like Nolan watched HEAT, GOODFELLAS, and some James Bond flicks, and knew how popular they are, so he decides to make a Batman film like that to attract audiences. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's obvious Warner Bros. knows what's hot. It's louder, and MUCH more high-tech than BEGINS, and fit the tone of the modern comics perfectly.
The new bat-suit was incredibly unnecessary, aside from some minor improvements like the head-turning, and shooting gauntlets. There was no reason to go all Shumacher on it, other than to give Hot Toys our money. Christian Bale gives us more of the same, except his voice REALLY annoyed me the second time around, and sounded even more forced and phony than in BEGINS. If his Battitude annoyed you the first time around, it might really get to you the second time. However, his Bruce Wayne was cool, as always.
Overall, a solid 4/5 and probably the BEST bat-film yet. This could be Nolan's last Batman, and I would be satisfied. There are only so many times you can rehash the same character, and basic plot; however, when he does make a third, I hope he does it differently; as different as TDK was to BB,
and maybe takes it into a
slightly lighter direction, without going into Shumacher territory. Bring on a traditional batmobile, use some completely new villains who haven't been done before, and do something new.
If he makes it the same way he made TDK, it will be hard to top it, so the only way he should do it, is if he can TRULY make it original, and still respectful to the first two.
As good as IRON MAN, but with me, it's apples and oranges. Here is how I rank the series:
1. THE DARK KNIGHT: The modern, hi-tech Batman comics of the 90's and 00's. A modern crime drama.
2. BATMAN: The classic Batman of the 30's and 40's as Kane and Finger created him. Gothic horror meets Warner gangster.
3. BATMAN BEGINS: A pretty faithful adaptation of YEAR ONE, mixed with the O'NEIL stories of the 70's. Origin Story.
4. BATMAN RETURNS: An original Tim Burton film. German Expressionism.
5. BATMAN FOREVER: The campy comics of the 50's and 60's updated for the 90's. Typical Summer blockbuster.
Did I miss any?
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