The Dark Knight (opens July 18)

[PirateLover]

Who else is pumped about this movie? When I first saw pics of Heath Ledger as the Joker, I was unsure, but after seeing the IMAX featurette at the beginning of I Am Legend, and seeing the latest trailer released a few days ago I have full confidence that this is gonna be one heckuva Batman movie! I loved Batman Begins and this looks even better. Can't wait for summer!
(Actually, I can't wait for this weekend either! I'm pumped for National Treasure and Sweeney Todd as well)

[Disney-lovin' Dutchman]

I am looking forward to this movie enormously!! :thumbsup:

I, too was at first worried about Heath Ledger but hearing the voice and seeing him in the trailer, he blew me away! The promotional posters are great, the marketing campaign is one of a kind! 2008 will have some very good movies (finally, it's been a long time..) The Dark Knight, Wall-E, Indiana Jones 4, Cloverfield, Be Kind Rewind, Iron Man, Hellboy 2, the new James Bond, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

all very exciting! :mickey:

[NotaGeek]

WOW! Amazing trailer ... I can't wait and there's lots of buzz that this edition will be the best of all of them! I love super hero movies!

[PirateLover]

Heath Ledger really seems to have outdone himself. His voice and laugh, his walk, his facial expressions (from what I can tell) just seem so perfectly demented! Honestly, I think I may be the only one but I was never a fan of Jack Nicholson's Joker. It just never clicked. But Heath is working for me so far... I think so far he's definitely stealing this movie from Christian Bale.

[Disney-lovin' Dutchman]

I did like Nicholson's Joker, but I think because it was so over the top, it was fun but certainly not scary or freaky.

But this time, he looks absolutely perfect! Also I loved Batman Begins, but not the villains..Scarecrow was a little scary when he put on the mask but he wasn't iconic. Same goes for Ra's al Ghul

[Jared]

Did anyone see "I Am Legend" in IMAX and get the full seven-minute prologue? I saw the regular trailer like everybody else and was floored, but I'm wondering about the IMAX version.

Regardless, I really like this new Batman story arc, starting with "Batman Begins." It's obviously a lot different than the series started by Tim Burton in 1989, but it's an excellent reboot.

It's so hard for anybody to compete with Jack Nicholson in the role of the Joker, but Heath Ledger looked great in the trailer. I'm looking forward to this picture and need to rent "Batman Begins" before the summer for a refresher.

:)

[Lightning McQueen]

I haven't been as pumped about a movie since Spiderman 3. Hope this one doesn't disapoint like spidey did!

[NotaGeek]

You can check out the trailer The Official Dark Night Website. (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/) There's not much cool on the site yet, but no doubt they will add as the date approaches. I do think it's interesting that The Joker is getting top billing for the reason to see the movie ... uh, what about Batman? Christian Bale ain't all that bad, ya know?

[PirateLover]

Jared I saw the IMAX version of I Am Legend. What they play is basically the first 7 minutes of the movie, followed by the trailer. I don't want to spoil too much but you don't see batman at all. It's all about Joker and his gang robbing a bank and I thought it was great. It had creepiness, tension and tons of action in one brief scene.

And Michael, I think Joker is being hyped because he is one of the most beloved villains of all time and because they realize they really did hit a home run with casting Ledger in the role. I'd be curious to see the cost of promoting this film because it's just been utterly ridiculous up to this point! I cannot wait.

[Melanie]

Christian Bale ain't all that bad, ya know?

Uh uh, not at all. :faint:

[ChipnDaleGal]

Oh man, I think I may be out now on this movie. My psycho killer clown phobia is kicking into high gear. :eek:

[Davyjones]

I am excited to see this film. The trailer looked great. I like that the Joker is portrayed like a psycho and not like a cartoon character. I expect not to be disappointed.

However, I am more excited about seeing Iron Man with Robert Downey, Jr. It looks better to me than The Dark Knight. Maybe because I have seen too many Batman films and Iron Man is a new thing. I dunno.

[PirateLover]

Oh man, I think I may be out now on this movie. My psycho killer clown phobia is kicking into high gear. :eek:

Hmm yea. If you have a phobia of clowns I would stay away. His little posse wears creepy looking clown masks as well.

[ChipnDaleGal]

Hmm yea. If you have a phobia of clowns I would stay away. His little posse wears creepy looking clown masks as well.

Thank you for that tidbit, Maryanne. I think I best save this one for watching in the safety of my own living room, through my fingers. I just don't handle clowns well.

[PirateLover]

The new trailer was released to everyone today. For the past week you could only see it in front of Iron Man or bootlegged. It's awesome. You can see it at whysoserious.com

And for anyone that likes to geek out...take a good look at Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent riding in the car with a gun towards the end... ;)

[Jared]

I saw the new trailer in front of "Iron Man," only furthering my excitement for this film. I don't think I've ever anticipated a movie more in my life. Christopher Nolan, the director, called Heath Ledger's performance, "iconic." So far, that doesn't appear to be hyperbole.

:tasty:

[DW88]

I also saw the new trailer and I can already tell Heath Ledger makes a perfect Joker. This new Joker will be a little more creepy than the '89 version from what I've seen so far.

[Steve Brown]

Do you think we will see Two Face in this movie? Perhaps near the end to make way for the third installment of Batman?

[barnaby]

I am pretty excited. I am a big fan of Christian Bale in the Batman role, and think Heath Ledger is gona make this one even better than Batman Begins.

[PirateLover]

Do you think we will see Two Face in this movie? Perhaps near the end to make way for the third installment of Batman?
:spoiler:

In my earlier post about the new trailer, I told everyone to take a close look at Harvey Dent towards the end. When he is in the car you can definitely see that the far side of his face is scarred. Whether or not he'll be a full fledged villain I don't know, but he does get scarred.

:spoiler:

[disneycutie165]

I cannot wait for the Dark Knight! It is on the top of my movie list! I am a huge fan of Heath Ledger, and as a fan I must see one of his last movies.:( Does anybody agree with me? Please say yes!

[ibrowse17]

Very much looking forward to this movie. I loved Batman Begins, and have waiting for a sequel. While it is very sad what happened, I would be looking forward to this movie anyway:thumbsup:

[PirateLover]

Early reviews are saying that it lives up to the hype, and that Ledger's portrayal is the the best comic book villain to ever hit the big screen. We just got our tix for the midnight show. Can't wait!

[PirateLover]

Just watched Ebert and Roeper. Roeper was just raving over the film and said he'd be very surprised if Ledger wasn't nominated for best supporting actor, and not just because of his passing. He said it's probably the best comic book movie ever.

So pumped! 5 more days!

[Jared]

The early reviews are actually extraordinary, which is almost hard to believe. How can a film live up to this hype? People are projecting "The Dark Knight" will have the biggest opening weekend ever!

I adored "Batman Begins," and Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors right now. It looks like this film is near masterpiece territory, which is uncharted territory for a comic book movie. The film is 152 minutes, so I may be spending a lot of time in theaters next weekend.

[PirateLover]

The early reviews are actually extraordinary, which is almost hard to believe. How can a film live up to this hype? People are projecting "The Dark Knight" will have the biggest opening weekend ever!

At this point I wouldn't be surprised. At the rate the midnight shows are selling out, many theaters are adding round the clock showings. That means that people are willing to go see this movie at 3am. The theater we got our midnight tickets for doesn't even normally do midnight showings. It's more of an artsy theater that also plays select blockbusters. I do however feel sorry for the employees of the movie theaters that have to work those late hours.

As far as the reviews, Roeper said that basically the movie is an excellent crime drama-he compared it to "Heat" and "The Departed" and that if you put aside the fact that the main character is in a bat suit, you forget it's a comic book movie. Like with "Batman Begins," there is none of the campy quality that has plagued the super hero since the 60s (which is fun and all, but the serious treatment is what fans have been waiting for). And, the only weak link in the first movie, Rachel Dawes, got a serious upgrade with Maggie Gyllenhal replacing Katie Holmes.

Oh I can't wait! I'm sure that John and I will see this quite a few times... we definitely are going to see it in Imax. This may have been mentioned earlier in the thread, but about 20 mins of the film was actually shot with Imax film and it's supposed to be a stunning action sequence.

[Jared]

The movie is also sporting a rare 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes through the first 15 reviews, and it hasn't accounted for Richard Roeper's recommendation yet.

The poor critic who writes the first negative review will be absolutely lambasted by the commenters.

[caryrae]

Anyone seen it yet? Man this movie is gonna be huge sold out theaters everywhere. I think it will break some records.

[IloveDisney71]

I went to a midnight showing and have to say that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Heath's performance was AMAZING and creepy. He played the best Joker I've ever seen. I wouldn't have known it was him, if I didn't know it ahead of time. He was totally into the character. There was plenty of drama, action, and dry humor. I'm not a huge Batman fan, but I had seen the Batman Begins in '05 and really enjoyed it. I am so glad I went to see it and I might even go see it again. In my opinion, it lived up to all of the rave reviews. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see an AMAZING film.

Oh, and the way it ended will most likely lead to another sequel. :D

[PirateLover]

I saw a midnight show. I don't think I've ever seen as much anticipation for a film before. I've seen midnight showings of Revenge of the Sith, two Harry Potters, Superman Returns.... we got in line an hour and a half ahead of time and there were already 200 people in front of us. I asked the people in front of the line when they got there, and they said about 8:30. Craziness! People were dressed up, everyone was so hyped. As soon as the lights went down everyone cheered. When they showed the preview for the next Terminator movie and Christian Bale's name popped up everyone cheered. It was truely a communal experience that was exciting to be a part of. My heart was palpitating so fast as the minutes counted down... probably a combo of the excitement and the 24 oz. energy drink I had to ensure I was fully awake as I haven't stayed up that late in 2 months ;) I had read reports of people cheering when the Joker first appears on screen... not our crowd. Every one was completely silent...a hushed intensity. There were two big scenes that elicited cheers... I'm going to wait a bit to talk about them because I really don't want to give anything away.

I will say this: The movie is everything it was hyped to be and more. There were scenes that made me laugh, and scenes that made my stomach turn. Ledger is absolutely amazing and I wish he had more screen time (although it was probably the perfect amount, you can't help but want more)! All of the roles are perfectly cast, though I was a little disappointed in Maggie Gyllenhall... it seems like she studied Katie Holmes somewhat wooden portrayal of Rachel Dawes and continued on in that same vein. (But she still was an upgrade). It is everything I expected it to be and more. I give it 4 stars, two thumbs way up, A+ and whatever other rating there is and say what are you waiting for!? Go see it!

Just to warn everyone though, this movie is indeed VERY dark and twisted. Definitely not for little kids, the feint of heart, or those who are scared of clowns.

[GBBT]

OMG! I just got back and it was GREAT! When I heard Heath was The Joker,I said no way.I should have known better.It's a shame he's not here anymore.I'm gonna miss the movies he could have made.I give it 5 stars.:thumbsup:

[Jared]

I saw the movie last night but couldn't express my sentiments in writing until I slept on my thoughts. Ten hours after the credits rolled, my heart has finally slowed down.

"The Dark Knight" is a monumental, epic, groundbreaking picture, but those are all just buzzwords and don't mean anything. This movie creates an entirely new standard for superhero movies and fits nicely in the crime drama genre with films like "The Departed," which obviously earned a Best Picture Oscar.

Where to start with an 150-minute behemoth? I guess where most of the hype has been focused: The Joker.

The late Heath Ledger gives a performance here worth remembering forever, and watching the movie really makes you wonder what other magic he could have put on screen in the future. He was truly a wonderful talent, who brings an eerie and shocking quality to a villain that has always been played humorously in other adaptation, including Jack Nicholson's renowned portrayal. This Joker is absolutely maniacal with no remorse or compassion for anything or anybody. He is the rare and terrifying villain who is evil for evil's sake. As Michael Caine said as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's trusty butler, "Some men just like to watch the world burn." Even Anton Chigurh, the much-discussed and feared baddie from last year's "No Country For Old Men" was motivated to an extent by money. The Joker is a true "agent of chaos," as he eloquently explains toward the end of the film. Money is completely irrelevant as he proves in an especially creepy and poignant scene. I understand some may feel he didn't receive enough screen time, considering the quality of his performance, but I disagree. Director Christopher Nolan knew not to overuse a great thing and left the audience wanting to see more, not complaining the shtick was overplayed.

But outside of Ledger, the rest of the cast works as an oiled and gelled ensemble, including Christian Bale in the title role. Batman/Bruce Wayne receives just as much screen time, if not less, than Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent. Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as the super-scientist Lucius Fox melt into their characters, despite their overwhelmingly large real-life fame and recognition. Gary Oldman deserves special consideration for his performance as Jim Gordon. Sometimes, it seems like he isn't acting. I know many people will complain Maggie Gyllenhaal is simply not pretty enough to play Rachel Dawes. She does not deserve the attention of two young, attractive men. Katie Holmes would have been better. I agree, but Gyllenhaal's performance is a considerable upgrade from Holmes' who was embarrassingly bad in 2005's "Batman Begins."

Now, onto the story. Let's be clear: The movie is long. Very long. It is 2 hours, 30 minutes. Prepare yourself. I commend Nolan for his decision to make a long movie. American attention spans are so short any movie longer than two hours are called too long. Well, this picture uses every bloody second well, and I could have stayed for more.

It's a little convoluted and complex but not impossible to follow. I think Nolan could have lingered on a few scenes a little longer. Some of this picture deserves savoring.

That's all for now. I'll see you at the movies.

[PirateLover]

Jared, first of all another great review. I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.
The people who pick on Maggie's looks really bother me. I do think she is fairly good looking. No she doesn't have that cute girl-next-door vibe that Katie once had going on. Maggie has a bit of a longer face and sunken in eyes... but overall she's just a much better actress, and I'd rather watch her in any role. Going back to what I said earlier about her performance, I think it was more of her script she had to work with... I don't remember anything like the line Rachel had in the first one : "It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."

I'm going to see it again on sunday, and this time around I'll be able to pay more attention to details.

[Minnie Imagineer]

I can't wait to see this! I am seeing it this wen. in IMAX!!
Is this movie 'scary'?? ex: do things pop up and make you scream?? Becasue if they do, I am a little scared to see it in imax....
oh, and is it bloody??

[NotaGeek]

I can't wait to see this! I am seeing it this wen. in IMAX!!
Is this movie 'scary'?? ex: do things pop up and make you scream?? Becasue if they do, I am a little scared to see it in imax....
oh, and is it bloody??

This movie isn't scary. No one screamed in the audience.

The movie was absolutely spectacular and Heath Ledger really made the Joker truly maniacal. There is no doubt he will be on the Oscar nominations list.

[PirateLover]

This movie isn't scary.
I would slightly disagree. There is definitely one huge make-you-jump scene that made a number of people in our audience yelp. I myself jumped, but didn't yell. I think I may have muttered an "oh jeez" to myself though, lol!
The rest of the stuff is more implied gore, nothing outright gruesome. I don't really remember any blood. They cut away from the actual bad stuff in most scenes. There were maybe two scenes that made my stomach churn because I didn't know how it was going to end up and what they would show, but it is PG-13, not R... but I would say the PG-13 is a hard 13.

[PirateLover]

And IMDB fanboys have now pushed The Dark Knight to the #1 ranking, bumping The Godfather (temporarily, I'm sure) down to #2. Crazy stuff man, gotta love it!

[Emily]

We saw The Dark Knight tonight and I have to agree, it's a great movie. :thumbsup: Certainly not surprising, but I was most impressed with Heath Ledger. He was, in a word, phenomenal. It's funny, previous posters mentioned the 'leaving you wanting more' thing with re: to the Joker's scenes - if that was the goal it worked for me! Loved his performance. All of the other actors did a fantastic job as well.


It's a little convoluted and complex but not impossible to follow.

I have to agree there, and that would really be my only complaint. I may go see it again just to catch what I missed or was slightly confused by this first time around.

As a side note, I was SO excited to see the trailer for the next Terminator movie! That's going to be awesome! :clappy:

[LauraleeH]

I'm probably the only one here that didn't really like it. Well, I liked it more than I thought I would, and I also disliked it more than I thought I would.

I didn't like how they "glorified" the Joker and made him sort of a Captain Jack Sparrow type of guy that people love. There are so many sick people out there that will look up to him and idolize him. People were dressed like him in the theaters, walking up to other people and giving them that crazy laugh. I wouldn't normally feel bad about that, but something just seemed wrong about the whole thing. Maybe that's the point. This world is messed up and everyone knows it. Maybe the point is to not take everything so seriously. But I did. The whole time I kept thinking, "So when Heath was filming this, he was having nightmares. He was taking sleeping pills. He's doing an amazing job on this film, but to die for it?"

But there were some parts that I really laughed at. I did find some of it funny. Crazy, but funny. And there were some really good points to the story. I also had a very bad headache, so I want to see this again, whenever my brother goes. I will respond in this thread and let you know if my feelings have changed. Maybe I was reading into too much. But...we'll see.

By the way, this is just my opinion, I'm not stating a fact saying this is a horrible, sick movie and whoever enjoys it is sick. Not true. Most of my friends loved it and I could eventually learn to enjoy it. Last night, I didn't...but that's just my opinion.

[PirateLover]

I didn't like how they "glorified" the Joker and made him sort of a Captain Jack Sparrow type of guy that people love. There are so many sick people out there that will look up to him and idolize him. People were dressed like him in the theaters, walking up to other people and giving them that crazy laugh..

It was not this movie that glorified The Joker. In fact quite the opposite... I think people are in awe of Ledger's performance, but I think the movie made it clear that Joker is a sick individual. Yes he has some funny scenes, but he is nowhere near the campy loveable Joker of the past.

The Joker himself is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, well before this movie was even conceived. This is the first time he has been portrayed as a such a twisted individual on screen. Yea, we all heard the rumblings of how dark the movie would be, but there was no way for these people who dressed up before they even saw the movie to idolize him. My boyfriend was going to dress as the Joker last year for Halloween before we even knew anything about what he would be like in this movie, more based on his love of Joker in general. I was going to be Harley Quinn, the Joker's girlfriend from the animated series. (he threw his back out and we couldn't really go out but we're going to do it this year). We did wear t-shirts with Joker on them to the premiere, and were quoting some of his lines from the previews....however we are two of the most mild-mannered people you'll ever meet. We just love comic books. And, at our screening, there were just as many people dressed as Batman as there were Joker.

I do agree that there are twisted people out there and I found myself wondering after the movie if anyone could ever get away with that kind of thing in real life. But at the end of the day it's a movie, and people dressing as the Joker is really no different than people dressing as Darth Vader or Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter series. It's all about the psychology of fear... like Halloween... we embrace the things we fear sometimes, to make them a little less scary.

[Aggie97]

We saw this tonight and loved it. Just a fantastic, entertaining, very intense movie with outstanding performances all around. Heath Ledger was amazing; his Joker was unbelievably twisted and more than a little frightening! Both the film and Ledger's performance deserve all the accolades they've received from critics and audiences.

Wow -- I'm sure we'll be seeing it again next weekend. :thumbsup:

[RAIDER]

The films due out in the UK this week and i cant wait to see it its got rave reviews here :thumbsup:

[DAKustodial]

Went to see this on Saturday afternoon and I'm going again with some family to see it tonight. I have been a Batman fan since I was a little kid and I absolutely loved Jack Nicholson's performance in the 1989 Batman, but Heath Ledger took the Joker to another level. His performance was frightening, sometimes comical, and even a little heartbreaking all at the same time. I was never very impressed with his characters before and even in "Brokeback Mountain" I thought his performance was over-hyped, but it was not here. He was absolutely incredible and "The Dark Knight" will be the reason I will be buying a Blu-Ray player when the DVD is finally released.

Like some other folks have mentioned, I did find the plot to be a little bit confusing at times and I definitely require a second viewing tonight to clear up some of the smaller details that I may have missed, but my movie-going experience was nothing short of phenomenal. The audience in attendance was quiet from the opening seconds of the film, and I don't remember seeing anyone get out of their seat for a bathroom break or a trip to the concession stand.

Christian Bale was great, Aaron Eckhart's perfomance was the second best of the film, and the rest of the supporting cast did an amazing job. Guys, if you haven't gone to see it, go!

[LittleSpirit02]

Just to warn everyone though, this movie is indeed VERY dark and twisted. Definitely not for little kids, the feint of heart, or those who are scared of clowns.

As I left yesterday I saw a family who had brought their 9ish year old son. He was asleep when they were leaving - I hope he slept through the whole thing. No one under 13 should see it IMO. It is INTENSE.

SPOILERS BELOW!!!

Wow. Just saw it last night and I have to say, you leave thinking it's good and then the more you think about it - the better it gets.

It's definitely intense and very psychological I guess. Heath was amazing as the Joker. I'm not one to be scared of movies - but he is SCARY not to mention creepy. The lip licking he does - yikes! Everytime he said, "why so serious?" my stomach turned.

As others have said, there were scenes that made me laugh (Joker walking out the hospital, Morgan Freeman's reaction to the guy trying to blackmail him) and definitely scenes that made my stomach turn (the first time you see two-faces other side)...

I think it's so popular because it is well cast, well shot, etc etc but also makes you think. The whole boat scene just made you think, "how would I act/react to all this?"

Just curious - why did Katie Holmes not continue?

[LittleSpirit02]

I can't wait to see this! I am seeing it this wen. in IMAX!!
Is this movie 'scary'?? ex: do things pop up and make you scream?? Becasue if they do, I am a little scared to see it in imax....
oh, and is it bloody??

I would say yes, it is scary and intense. It's not gorey/bloody but your stomach may turn in certain scenes. I know there were a few parts that made me jump, as well.

[Jared]

Just curious - why did Katie Holmes not continue?
The official answer is Holmes decided to pass on the role to appease her husband, Tom Cruise, who did not want her to reprise her performance as Rachel Dawes.

Whether or not that's true is completely irrelevant, though. She was an absolute disaster in "Batman Begins," even scoring a nomination of Worst Supporting Actress at the 26th Golden Raspberry Awards (Holmes lost to Paris Hilton for her performance as Paige Edwards in "House of Wax).

Maggie Gyllenhaal is vast improvement. She brings a level of toughness and confidence to the character, who is supposed to be a hard-nosed district attorney.

I'm seeing the movie again tonight. I can't wait.

:)

[henry.james.s]

I saw the IMAX release this morning...WOW.
Outstanding. If Ledger doesn't get a Oscar nomination for his performance there should be an investigation.
I'll see it again soon for sure.

[jillluvsdisney]

I just went and saw it this afternoon. I went because of all the hype surrounding it and have to say it lived up to it and delivered. Heath Ledger was very good. I live near Chicago, where it was filmed, and I enjoyed recognizing the city in many scenes.

[WDWRox]

This is THE best superhero film ever made. Period. Bar-none. End of story.

Ledger's Joker is the stuff of legends. It is an instantly classic performance, one of the best film villains ever. All of the praise being given to him for his job in this film is well-deserved. You watch him and are riveted by him, and then you almost miss him when he's not in a scene or two.

Bale was great. Eckhart was great. Caine was great. The only negligible difference was Maggie Gylanhall coming in and replacing Katie Holmes. Neither of them are much to look at, and neither of them gave all that great a performance. No improvement, no detriment. Maggie kind of kept the same blah character going that Katie started.

This is an astounding film, thoroughly engrossing from start to finish. Full of fantastic action sequences, great effects, and it's got a great story.

This is the kind of comic book superhero film that all others coming after it should take a lesson from.

[PirateLover]

The official answer is Holmes decided to pass on the role to appease her husband, Tom Cruise, who did not want her to reprise her performance as Rachel Dawes.

Actually, as a gossip fiend :blush: I believe the "official" answer actually that the filming conflicted with "Mad Money" and the rumor was that Tom didn't want her to take it, and the filmakers didn't really push the issue.

I did see the movie a second time and I liked Maggie a lot better. I do agree that she is so much stonger than Katie. And I'm still hearing people rip on her looks. The whole point of Rachel Dawes is that she doesn't have to be the beautiful model... it's her mind and personality that attract these powerful men to her.

At any rate the movie was just as good the second time around. The only this is, I did feel the ferry scene started to drag... but this is only because I knew the outcome and therefore there was no tension for me. Unlike the midnight crowd, the sunday night crowd had much more tempered enthusiasm (even though we still had to wait in line and it was a full theater). However the scene with the Joker leaving the hospital had everyone cracking up. Also the second time around, it really became crystal clear that
:spoiler:!!!!!!!!!

Nolan was definitely going to bring back Joker.

[Jared]

Maryanne, I was in a full house tonight, too, and shockingly, there was more enthusiasm than on Friday night. Everyone was cheering, hollering and laughing. The best reaction was to Joker walking away from the hospital, as you mentioned. I was definitely surprised. Perhaps Westchester audiences are just better than their Long Island counterparts.

I liked the picture even more this time. I was actually able to follow all the plot details. Everything was clear and powerful. You are totally right about Joker. Perhaps Christopher Nolan can somehow acknowledge and honor Heath Ledger's legacy without recasting the role. I have confidence in Nolan not to bring anyone back from the dead. He is a classy and talented director, and I expect the third, and hopefully final, installment of the series to wrap a film trilogy for antiquity.

Also, thanks for clearing the mystery surrounding Katie Holmes. I knew I probably wasn't exactly correct, and I shouldn't have spoken so confidently. I'm not particularly into celebrity gossip.

[MNNHFLTX]

The films due out in the UK this week and i cant wait to see it its got rave reviews here :thumbsup:I heard they had a fantastic premiere for the movie in Leicester Square. What a wild sight it must have been for people to see the Batmobile rolling down the street!

[chrisb26]

I saw the movie last night and thought it was Awesome!

I was a bit nervous at first that the movie wouldn't live up to the hype but it totally did!

Heath Ledger as the Joker was amazing he did such a great job. I found parts of the movie very funny he did a great job I do hope he gets a Oscar Nomination.

This was probably my favorite Batman Movie of them all, also probably my favorite superhero movie I've seen.

I also live near Chicago and it was cool to see some of the places ive been too in Chicago where the film was shot!

[murphy1]

I haven't seen it yet, I just loved Nicholson's performance of Joker so much. I love Burton's first Batman out of them all, maybe I'm old school. I loved Heath Ledger as an actor and have no doubt he did a superb job (finally saw Brokeback Mtn., what a great job he did), so I'll have to see it. I think I just loved how campy Nicholson was and know that the real world has enough scary stuff to deal without seeing it put all out there, but I have heard nothing but good things, so that's a plus. I also think Kim Basinger has been the best Batbabe, none of the ladies can get past her (I did some photojournalism in my past so I'm biased there).

[Jared]

I think I just loved how campy Nicholson was and know that the real world has enough scary stuff to deal without seeing it put all out there
That's a valid point, though one I disagree with. If you enter the theater with that attitude, it will be difficult to fully enjoy "The Dark Knight." As the title suggests, this is an unrelentingly dark and frightening picture, in which the humor is certainly no relief for the tension. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker is completely unlike Jack Nicholson's.

Personally, I have never been a fan of Tim Burton's interpretation of Batman, and I never really liked "Batman" or Nicholson's performance. Ledger is a monster with clown makeup, not a clown.

I urge you to give the movie a shot, but try not to compare Ledger to Nicholson because this is an entirely different take on the character.

[murphy1]

Jared, you are right, it's a little too much like Cape Fear or Silence of the Lambs. I'll see it some time.

[Jared]

"Cape Fear" and "The Silence of the Lambs" are horror pictures. "The Dark Knight" is a crime drama, like "Heat" or "The Departed," based on a comic book with a truly exceptional villain. Anton Chigurgh, the critically acclaimed baddie from last year's "No Country For Old Men," was absolutely more terrifying the Joker.

I didn't mean to dissuade you from the seeing the movie. It is excellent, and I would be surprised if it doesn't finish the year in my top three of 2008. Just try not to compare Heath Ledger to Jack Nicholson because you may wind up disappointed. I am not a Batman fan, nor have I read any of the comics, but I have researched the Joker a bit in anticipation of the movie, and it appears most writers play him scary, but he has been portrayed as silly and maniacal, like Nicholson's performance.

[diz_girl]

I saw the movie on Friday night and it was a great film. But I did look at my watch around two hours into the film, which I take to mean that it was a little lacking. I think it was because they repeated the imperiled/rescued plot device at least one too many times for me to check my watch. I loved the boat scene, and its note of hope, which really stayed with me after I left the theater. I don't know if it was the best superhero (or comic book) film ever, but it was close. IMHO the Blade films really brought comic book movies out of the realm of camp and showed that they could be just like regular movies.

Heath Ledger's performance was incredible. Because he died, I first looked at him in the film as the actor, but that lasted about a minute, as he really lost himself in the character. His Joker was in a whole other league from Jack Nicholson's, who you still saw Nicholson underneath the character. Gary Oldman was great too. It's nice to see him as a good guy, and I'd love to see him in a good comedy. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart were also very good. Maggie Gyllenhaal was definitely an improvement on Katie Holmes. What is it with people commenting on her looks? She's pretty and talented, so people should get over the fast that she's not a classic beauty.

And some couple left the theater with their three-year-old. It was midnight, so, like another post, I hope that he was sleeping during the film.

As for the trailers, I don't recall seeing one for the new Terminator film. We did see one for Tropic Thunder, which looks like it's a hoot. Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. look like a good combination.

[Imagineer1981]

Can't Wait!!!!

[WDWRox]

Actually Maggie Gyllanhall wasn't much of an improvement at all. Both she and Katie aren't very good actresses to begin with, and both look like they're 15 year olds pretending to be 25+ year old women. And pretending to be an ADA in a big city? Please. It was just one of the very very few weak aspects of the movie, mostly because the Rachel Dawes character is very weakly written anyway.

[Disneyexpert15]

I saw the movie yesterday afternoon. It it such an awesome movie! Heath was great in this movie! Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale, and Maggie Gyllenhall were great in the Dark Knight.

[RAIDER]

I at last saw it last night and the film was truely breathtaking .For me Heath Ledgers portrail of Joker was jaw dropping . And how sad he wont be around for a sequel for anyone who wants to take over that role it will be a poisoned chalice.
How do they top that !!!!
As the makers of this film have brought the DC films onto another level

I cant wait for it to come on dvd .:thumbsup:

[Jared]

And how sad he wont be around for a sequel for anyone who wants to take over that role it will be a poisoned chalice.
Christopher Nolan is too talented a director to ever re-cast the Joker in a potential future sequel. He knows Heath Ledger performed his career-defining role before he died, and nobody should attempt to overshadow that. I expect Two Face to return, accompanied by another villain. Perhaps Reese becomes the Riddler? He knows who Batman is, and he can create puzzles and mysteries for the police to figure out.

[RAIDER]

Christopher Nolan is too talented a director to ever re-cast the Joker in a potential future sequel. He knows Heath Ledger performed his career-defining role before he died, and nobody should attempt to overshadow that. I expect Two Face to return, accompanied by another villain. Perhaps Reese becomes the Riddler? He knows who Batman is, and he can create puzzles and mysteries for the police to figure out.

I was thinking that as well about the Riddler as he is the only plausible one out there .I JUST PRAY they dont make the same mistake as the other films and bring in Robin !!!:ack:

[barnaby]

Finally got to see The Dark Knight at the drive-in last night, along with the new Star Wars.

Dark Knight was great. Ledger was awesome as the Joker. And I think Bale is the best Batman.

[Melanie]

We finally saw it last night as well, and it was amazing. My 10 year old loved it, and in fact was much more bothered by Two-Face than by the Joker. He kept his hat in front of his face for some of his first scenes, but then got used to it.

I couldn't get over the folks who had young kids in the audience. One couple near us even brought their kids in their pajamas, and thank goodness I saw them practically sleep walking when leaving.

Anyone have the script of what Comm. Gordon was saying at the very end? We couldn't understand him very well.

[PirateLover]

Anyone have the script of what Comm. Gordon was saying at the very end? We couldn't understand him very well.

I don't know if this is it exactly (I have seen it 3 times now though) but it was a response to his son asking why they were chasing Batman, because he didn't do anything wrong. Gordon says "Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now, and so we'll hunt him because he can take it. Because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector-a dark knight."