“The Dark Knight” – early reviews
June 28, 2008 by Grace
The Dark Knight (sequel to Batman Begins) – movie
In theaters and IMAX: July 18, 2008
Genre: action/drama/superhero(PG-13)
“An absolute stunner!” – The Rollingstone
Batman fever is on! Showing in just a few weeks, Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight… (and shall I say Heath Ledger’s Joker) is getting very good early reviews! The Rollingstone has nothing but praise for all the major actors in the movie.
The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan’s absolute stunner of a follow-up to 2005’s Batman Begins, is a potent provocation decked out as a comic-book movie.
Now beware of spoilers before you make the jump!
To sum up the Rollingstone review, Director Nolan and his brother Jonathan deftly wrote the script to bring the struggle with good versus evil into epic proportions. Classic to all superheroes and those entrusted with “great responsibility”, Bruce Wayne has had it with living the vigilante life. “Christian Bale is electrifying as a fallibly human crusader at war with his own conscience”.
But clearly, it is Heath Ledger’s last dance as the Joker that gets everyone into fan-frenzy mode.
I can only speak superlatives of Ledger, who is mad-crazy-blazing brilliant as the Joker. Ledger’s Joker has no gray areas — he’s all rampaging id. It’s typical of Ledger’s total commitment to films as diverse as Brokeback Mountain and I’m Not There that he does nothing out of vanity or the need to be liked. If there’s a movement to get him the first posthumous Oscar since Peter Finch won for 1976’s Network, sign me up.
The supporting cast are hardly out of limelight, praises Rollingstone. “Every actor brings his A game to show the lure of the dark side”. There are also some spoilers coming out of the review –
- a secret kept by Alfred the butler could crush his boss’ spirit.
- a major character dies that pushes a do-gooder into the dark side.
- one more of Batman’s enemy emerges from the chaos
With reviews like this and the trailers to whet our appetite, this summer is gearing to welcome another blockbuster!
Photos and illustration courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. TM & © DC Comics
I’d watched all batman movies, but I would not waste my money on this one, it was supposed to be something new, not the same JOCKER movie again, buuu. What because they aren’t the same actors make it different DON”T THINK SOO!!
If you think the michael keeten batman movie and this christian bale batman movie are the same then maybe movies aren’t your thing. There soo far differant. The batman’s from the 90’s were all cheesy and cartoony. These take a more serious and dark tone to them. Thats why it’s more entertaining. Besides I very much doubt you’ve even seen this new movie but your dumping on it already. I think your children are ugly but thats ok to say since I’ve never seen them before.
I cannot wait to see this movie. I guess my opinion is the only one that counts.
Word!
The new Batman Movie was way better than the old one. my opinion. this new movie i think is gonna be very interesting and gonna be a hot movie for sure.
I like daves comment lol haha
You have got to be insane to say Dark Knight is going to be a bad movie. Obviously I have yet to see it but come on, anyone who knows movies and quality acting is going to like this movie. You must have a small IQ to say that this joker movie is anything like the one with Keaton and Jack. Learn your films Carlos, it’s probably better you don’t waste your money from reading your ridiculous opinion.
All I’m saying is “I expected they would do better that repenting an old movie
Dark night gonna rock!!!! thats my opinion! I just want a 6pack lay back n enjoy movie!!!
of course it’s going to suck. Didn’t you see the last one? Come on, they blurred the final fight between Batman and Ra’s Al Ghul. Meaning, the big fight, they really didn’t know how to complete. I’ll bet they cheap out more than a few times like that again in this one.
hum- Well the old Batman movies were really good and i enjoyed them but time has changed and movies have changed along with it and what could not be done before is being done now-so this movie will be better compared to the old ones-visually-but acting wise i guess its up to the person watching the movie- i personally enjoy Bales and Ledgers past movies-also Batman Begins (i didnt really like Holmes part she was too how can i say… boring) but hopefully this new girl (cant spell her name) is alot better which i bet-like i said before time has changed and things have advanced and movies arent left behind-CARLOS the same way ppl make cars they just try to make them better each time so how can u say its a repeat when they are making it better with more effects and new actors new scenery? hum? lol u just dont know much about movies its probably not ur strnong point-adios
Really gigi, ppl try to make things better? Things change with in time? My car today gets the same mpg a car could get in the mid 80’s. That sucks. Also we’re dealing with a sequel/series, and we all now how bad those tend to become. Hello spiderman 3, xmen 3, more then a few superman, and batmans, lol harry potters! Maybe history is not your strong point – ciao
I have seen the 90’s version of Batman with Michael Keaton, it was good at the time but I also seen Batman begins after comparing the two I say that this new Batman movie will probably be more entertaining far from comic book style. The new Batman movies are more darker as some of you had said, it has a more realistic tone. I like to read Batman comics when I was a kid and I think Bale has more Bruce Wayne persona than Keaton, and Kilmer. Clooney got close as Wayne but his acting was very bad or maybe its the just script in Batman and Robin. Anyways I think if all goes well the Joker and Bruce Wayne’s role will probably give the Dark Knight an oscar.
I’d have to say that the Batman film franchise has basically undergone the same unfortunate series of events that the comics have undergone. When it started in the late 30s/early 40s, it (the comic) was intended to be on the darker side (by the standards of those days, anyway), but over the course of the 1950s and 60s, it became progressively campier and cartoonish. It reached it’s height of this campy-ness in the 60s with the Adam West television show. But, over the course of the 70s and 80s, it was taken back to its dark roots, especially by Dennis O’Neil in the 70s and Frank Miller in the 80s.
The film franchise has effectively experienced the same thing over the last fifteen years or so. The first two Batman films made by Tim Burton (Batman and Batman Returns) were trying to be true to the darker nature of the character and the universe he’s in. Over the course of the 90s, however, Schumacher brought in much more color and cartoonish elements, which made taking it seriously very difficult. Nolan’s first film can very much be held akin to Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns”: it returned to the darker, more sombre, and almost macabre elements that made Batman story and universe. Since they pretty much have most of the same people, I think we can expect more of what we loved. And, I am interested to see what sort of Joker Heath Ledger gave us, seeing as it is a fairly complex role to play.
What should anyone listen to Carlos anyway. He can’t even spell Joker.
I cannot review the movie since I have not seen it but I have to say anyone who gives a movie negative or positive reviews without seeing it first are doing so through personal feelings and past experiences making them complete morons.
Even if the movie turns out to be decent, morons with pre-existing negative views will still have some stupid, moronic excuse why the movie failed.
well in the respect Dan your grammer is not so good either. “what should anyone listen” Why should anyone listen. Other than that who cares just watch movies escape for two hours enjoy them then get back to reality.
It looks like grammar (yes, it’s spelled with an “ar”) is not Ryan’s strong point either. That aside, I’m excited to see the love scene between Ledger and Bale. Hmmm, maybe I’m thinking of a different movie altogether.
George Clonney – BEST BATMAN EVER.
i believe that the best batman was batman begins…it captured Gotham city more like a real city, not so much as those crazy out of control cartoony ones…batman and robin sucked, and besides micheal keaton, bale is the best batman/bruce wayne ever…this movie the dark knight is gonna be awesome for real…i mean the only bad thing i could possibly say is now we got another movie with the joker (by the way no dening that heath leger is gonna be a great joker, especially since jack nicholson always no matter what from his make had that evil kool aid smile..but heath leger has is from a buck fifty slice on his face, thats sick) but now we already know two-face is gonna be the next villian cuz of harvey dent and i seen a trailer where half his face is gettin burnt…hopefully we wont constently have reused villians…ah man i talked to much i aint no freaking movie critic…this movie is gonna be awesome man im a marvel fan but still this is gonna be better than any spiderman movie
What’s the possibility that Carlos and Dave could learn how to spell?
Eye Thinck itz posibal
Seriously people- just wait for the damn movie, THEN spew your verbal feces all over the ‘net. Get a life.
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NAZIS!!!
Yay Godwin’s Law!
All I’m saying is that I expected the new movie with new villains, why the same, yes time has change, yes they have new movie effects, yes they can make it better than the old one, and yes it may be more entertaining than the old one, I give you as many yes as you want BUT WHY NOT A NEW BATMAN WITH NEW VILLAINS?? WHY THE JOKER AGAIN??. Come-on people!!, I’m sure many of you would’ like to watch something new.
Savages!
me tinks mansbat is gonna B way cooler than HANCOCK! JOKER look scary for realzies! me sez boycott HANCOCK!
The Joker is Batmans biggers foe….Ever! That’s why the Joker. as for different villans, who, Riddler? Penguin? Poison Ivy? Mr. Freeze? 2 Face? They’ve all been done also, maybe Jack Black as King Tut, Billy Ray Cyrus as Doctor Phosphorus, Micky Rourke as Killer Croc, I mean where do we draw the line Carlos. Everybody of importance has been done, (for better or worse Uma and Arnold)
I completely agree with Carlos. He is so smart and insightful. I mean, look at Lord of the Rings. First one was pretty cool, evil Sauron and Ring Wraiths and orcs. Second one, MORE evil Sauron and Ring Wraiths and orcs. Third one? EVEN MORE evil Sauron and Ring Wraiths and orcs! Sure, throwing in the Lich King was a bit of a twist, but he’s just another Ring Wraith anyways. I didn’t pay to see the SAME MOVIE three times! Suck suck suck!
And one more thing, did anyone else waste their money on King Arthur? I was expecting some new story but its THE EXACT SAME CHARACTERS as Camelot, the Sword in the Stone, Excalibur, First Knight, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail!
I mean, why are they wasting money just copying the same old junk?
Who cares? It’s just a movie. All a movie is, is a story. You don’t have to like the story. The fact that you are already talking about it means the writer won. Hollywood has your money and opinions are like what……….?assholes…….and you know what that means. Get over it already.
Carlos,
You are one stupid idiot…grow some brain cells!!!
seriously….the movie hasn’t even come out yet! ppl need to relax! i’m personally looking forward to this different take on Batman. I though the others with Clooney and Keaton were a bit..cheesey and kiddy. I mean, nipple suits? WTF?! I’m looking forward to seeing the Batman I read and loved come to life, they way it was meant to, dark. And whew! Holmes is gone! Hah!
I think you guys and gals should leave carlos alone
And by the way I will watch the movie
I can’t belive I read all this B.S.
I think I better go to sleep bye.
First of all if you are a fan or not of Batman, you will have to agree on one thing, this version of the batman is very realistic at its core. In most cases a comic book movie has som many flaws trying to stay true to the comic that it is virtually impossible to make it realistic. But in this case It is not only very realistic, but also very inspirational. I hope that the dark knight lives up to the standard set by batman begins, albeit that it is a very high mountain to climb indeed.
But if it doesn’t…why do we fall…so we can pick ourselves up again.
Daywalker.
Actually I don’t think u guys are seeing the same Batman plot from 90’s when you see this new Batman movie. The 90’s plot is different from the comic books. The character development in this new movie is more geared in the comic book plots which I think will be quite interesting.