Review: The Dark Knight

I thought this film could've ben a masterpiece if it weren't for a few flaws. I really liked Ledger's performance, though I think Oldman and Eckhart both did a better job. Bale was my least favourite thing about this movie, proving he's not very good at Bruce Wayne, nor Batman (bring back Michael Keaton). I wasn't really getting into the film until "UP" and then it started for me.
Overall, I think that this is a great film, can't wait to see it again on DVD, but I still prefer Batman Returns. 8/10

...that was far longer a ramble than I anticipated.

Right. Okay.

Saw this on the release date without really knowing what to expect. I somehow dodged all the apparently infamous viral marketing and so on and so forth.
Furthermore, I'm not a Batman "fan" - by that I don't mean that I dislike it, I simply mean that I never followed it, or read comics, or anything like that. Only other Batman film I've sat down and watched with intent is Batman Begins (as opposed to drunkenly watching Arnie as Mr.Freeze simply because it was on).

ANYWAY.

This film was brilliant, and I'm a little bit surprised you didn't hail Heath more than you did. For me, he made this film. Obviously Nolan's work was perfect and it goes without saying that that's integral, and Bale was expectedly solid, effectively demonstrating that sort of inner-struggle performance, a highlight of the entire "does Gotham need Batman?" idea that's raised right from the start.

But indeed, Heath is spectacular, brilliant, completely unhooked. Strangely, I don't have the temptation to follow what many have said about him being "terrifying" or any other synonym of scary, because I don't think he is. For me, in contrast to, say, Scarecrow of the previous film, his sort of fanciful chemicals and so on being his "superpower"...Heath's Joker has no such power.

The entire character revolves around Heath's ability to portray him as simply...a psychopath. A man whom we can believe was just a normal man gone unhinged, a man, as Caine says, wants to see the world burn.

Cause of how small this little box is I'm kinda losing track of what I'm saying so I figure I'm rambling now.

But I'll say it again, m_m got it spot on - without Heath's worryingly perfect portrayal of an anarchic chaos demanding psychopath that at the same time is immensely...down to earth, this film would probably just be another Summer film. A great one, but not as brilliant as it is.

So, finally saw it today. Not sure what to say really, apart from it was Ledger's film. Without his performance it would have been just "another" Summer superhero film. There was a slight change in tone due to the use of more realistic locations, but apart from that and Joker it was nothing we didn't see in Nolan's first one.

I haven't enjoyed watching anyone on screen like that since...well, ever I think. Batman has always been someone I can either take or leave - it's always been the villains that make the films watchable.

Saw it tonight, very good. Havent really had time to mull it over but i felt Eckhart could have stolen the limelight from Ledger if he'd been given a bit more screen time after his scarring.
As for Ledger, i was quite impressed. It is a total transformation and you do sit there waiting for him to return. Having said that, i didnt find him scary, certainly not in the same way as Lecter.
And yeah, the fake Batman against the window got a "Fuck me!" from a few in the cinema.

I need to see this again, pronto. Will probably make $400m in the US tomorrow, will be the 7th biggest grossing film ever then, I think. And it's only been out three weeks!

50 best bits in.. the film?

I've got one that I realised long after watching it though that made me go "ooh" and think I was clever etc - Joker says to Batman that to defeat him, he's gonna have to break his one rule. End of the film, "Can't let the Joker win" and has to in a way, break it. Golly!

Right, watched it in the end. My hatred of Ledger is well-known amongst a few of us but yeah, he was good. Doesn't change the fact he's shit in every other film he's made, including being a bummer cowboy. Bale is my favourite actor but he's average, Eckhart just made me long to see him in something as witty as Thank You For Smoking and Bummer Cowboy #2's Sister isn't as hot as Katie Holmes, no matter how many times Cruise has stuck it in her. Apart from that, a fun film with no real plot but good times had. Not the bestest film evah but a solid 7/10

That's all.

Saw it at the Imax, and was completely blown away.
Ledger's Joker was perfect, and terrifying, and hilarious. The Killing Joke is one of my favourites and he's brought that particular Joker to life he's it's scarier than I could've hoped for! The pencil trick, and his clapping for The Comish made me laugh.

I'm so happy it's so good, but if anyone else watched 30 Rock, you'll hopefully know what I mean when I say Bale's Batman voice makes me wonder if his in a "talking like this" contest.

I was about to mention that bit!

Eurgh! Someone's left a *really* sticky bogie here ...

I'd go for the bit in the Joker's video where he screams 'Look at me!' for the second time. Sent shivers all the way to my anus that did.

Pencil trick, exploding phone-belly, timer-blind opening trick and the bit when the Joker acts startled when the second set of explosions go off outside the hospital after checking the remote.

Fuck me, that bit almost made me shit myself. Right in the middle of conversation, too. I need to make an excuse to see this again. Damn you IMAX and your sold-out seats!

I'm putting together a '50 best bits' feature - anyone got any faves they want included?

Saw it last night and thought it was absolutely fucking superb. A few minor niggles, like the mobile phone/sonar bollocks, but apart from that I loved it.

The Joker was fantastic and if Anthony Hopkins got an Oscar for being Dr. Lecter than Heath Ledger deserves one, too -- I was genuinely anxious whenever he on-screen.

I laughed out loud a few times, too, especially at: "I've gotta shoot the bus driver." "What bus driver?" *crash* ... and the pencil trick, which I'm still smiling at.

And I nearly fell out of my chair when the fake Batman hit the window with the noose around his neck!

Yer, I thought it was a somewhat 'dark' 12A - those cuts show where it woulda tipped the balance. There were 6 year olds or something stupid watching it when I was there.

In other news: loved it, oh yay.

Yeah, the bits that didn't work for me were the sonar bits ripped off of Daredevil and the scenes where it was obvious that they cut for violence - the knife in mouth scene, the guy on pile of money scene etc. And the bit where Bats jumps off the building with Rachel and just leaves the Joker up in his flat. Requires a little work on behalf of the viewer.

But that's literally it. I could probably list a hundred things I did like about it. Which I inevitably will.

This really was awesome. The sonar mapping stuff at the end was a bit stupid bit I'll forgive that. Definitely film of the year so far for me.

Surprised you didn't detract a star for the lack of ABBA songs in you MASSIVE BUMMER!!!!!
Biggest Box Office Ever - I call this the "Brandon Lee" effect.
Watching later, should be good fun

I'm declaring this comment page a SPOILER ZONE! So if anything you read in this comments thread ruins the movie for you, it's your own goddamn fault, retards.

Can't wait to hear what everyone thinks.