I admit it…I should have written this a week ago, but I had to watch the movie at least a few times before I felt comfortable. I have watched it three times already and I have this to say. First viewing was on the premiere day at midnight along with a few hundred people in the local IMAX theater and it just blew my mind. I couldn’t stop myself from going WOW!, AWWW! OMG! every few minutes. The experience of watching the movie in the IMAX format made up for the five hours I spent patiently waiting to get into the theater.
It was not a bad experience. I got to see a lot of fans, Jokers and Jokerettes, though disappointingly no Harleys went to the midnight premiere. Many of the fans there were already getting ready by reading copies of the Killing Joke, Then Man Who laughs among other copilations. Most of the attendants were wearing the Heath Ledger Joker shirt as a memorial to the actor. I personally was wearing my WHY SO SERIOUS shirt, because i felt I had to give homage to the actor who gave life to my favorite villain.
But enough of the premiere. I was just too stunned about what I saw to comment. The movie was simply marvelous, so I had to see it a second time at a local theater nearby my home. Then I understood the beauty of the IMAX format. This little theater presented the movie in the old THX format and it was a world of a difference, so if you are going to see the Dark Knight only once…please see it in IMAX.
Anyways, I watched my movie with another group of fans and my Joker with Batman card shirt. We all looked like escaped from the same asylum….and I loved the feeling. And here is what I thought about the movie.
Harvey has a very dramatic, and believable fall from hero to villain. He really lives up to his words “Either you become the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” And Joker helps him in the transformation, making him suffer blow after blow until he reduced the hero to nothing but a mass of hatred and resentment whose only way to get even with the world is becoming the villain and take justice in his own hands. I believed in Harvey Dent, and I really believed in his transformation. How much can a man take before turning his back on the world? Aaron Earckard did a very good job in his portrayal of Harvey Dent and Two Face.
Loved to see more involvement of Lucius Fox in the movie. I think the character deserved it, not only as an integral part of Batman’s resources against Gothams mob, but also as Bruce Wayne’s conscience. When Batman develops the surveillance system from Lucius’ idea of the sonar, Fox is quick in reminding Bruce…”how far is too far, Mr. Wayne”. It makes us think that yes, we want a safer world but do we need to give up our privacy? A little thinking there.
Then there is Batman/Alfred and i talk of them together because that how they interact in the movie. They are a lot closer, and the father/son atmosphere is much more present than in the first movie. Lot’s of humor but also lots of loving and caring for the boy he help grow up. Great chemistry and awesome to get tiny bits of Alfred’s past in the English military service. Only thing that bothered me of Batman though was his raspy voice. Man, more than once I wanted to offer the Detective a Halls…because it really was getting on my nerves. But after the third view…everything was better.
Rachel Dawes was a neat surprise. The selection of the new actress to take over the role from the first movie I think was a great asset because she brings a certain freshness to the character that lacked in the previous instalment. This character’s “refurbishment” was done impeccably
Gordon’s character development like I said was wonderful, and I really loved his more direct involvement with the actual investigation. I still remember in the Batman begins when he got to drive the Tumbler to help Batman against Ras al Guhl. In here he gets to be the hero once more, taking on the Joker and making the ultimate sacrifice to make sure that Harvey’s accomplishments before his turn to villiany were not lost. One last word here and it goes to those that have said that Gordon’s family was not part of continuity. I’m not a nerd, but I did my research and Jim Gordon was indeed married to a woman called Barbara (first wife) and had two children with her. One was Anthony “Tony” Gordon and the other was Barbara Gordon (that will later become Batgirl) So yes, Gordon had TWO children…aparently Nolan made his homework too, go figures….
Anyways, this brings me to the most important part of the review. Heath Ledger’s Joker and only one thing I can say. AMAZING. Ledger was able to do what only a handful of actors in Hollywood can and that is to completely immerse themselves in the characters they portray to make then believable and realistic as possible and let us forget about the actor portraying them. Literally, there is no Heath Ledger in this movie, only Joker. Oh, and the Joker he creates is memorable…From his punk look, his smeared makeup and ghastly smile, his James Cagney style gangster speech, and even the way he walks. This Joker is special.
From the first introduction of the character with his catchy phrase “I believe that what doesn’t kill you makes you….STRANGER!” We know that we are in for a treat and that this is not your regular Clown Prince of Crime. Then we see him again at the mob meeting and the well known twisted Joker humor is there with the disappearing pencil trick. Yes, Joker is funny, but he is only funny to Joker. For everybody else he is just shocking, unpredictable, and chaotic (though many of us laughed at his magic trick). But this Joker rejoices in chaos. Anything that serves to spread some anarchy in the world and challenge the established rules of society is fair game for the Jester.
His insanity is obvious throught the movie, from the interrogation of the false Batman that he televised to the media, the total disregard for human life, the perception that everything is a game, a joke and worth laughing at, even pain (and please don’t tell me the scene of Joker’s interrogation at MCU was not painful even though Joker was enjoying every minute of it), to the little twisted mind games he played with the Detective. And let’s not forget that little speech at Gotham Central with Harvey Dent. “I’m an agent of chaos” and “Do I look like I have a plan?…I don’t have plans…I just do things…go to the flow”. Then he states that his plan is to turn people’s plans onto themselves. And let’s not forget the moment he puts the gun on his head and let’s Harvey decide hi fate. I think that you have to be pretty crazy for that…and that is the essence of Joker.
Mr. Ledger’s portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime will go down in history as probably one of the best if not THE BEST one in the genre, but I would still like not to compare him to Jack Nicholson’s 1989 Joker. These are totally different characters. While I have to admit that Nicholson portrayed a great Joker, it was a COMIC BOOK JOKER. He was the skin-bleached, demented, clowny psychopathic killer that we remember from the comic books and Hamill’s animated Joker. Ledger’s Joker is darker, more sinister, more realistic, portrayal as if trying to show what Joker would look like in the real world. I don’t think that comparing DC Universe to Nolanverse Jokers does any justice because both are such different takes on the same theme (but if someone put a gun in my head and asked me…I like Ledger’s best because I love my Joker very dark and evil. That’s just me.)
Then the last encounter between the Batman and the Joker ensure on the building and we see the extent to evil that this insane criminal is capable of playing. Yes, the people in the ferries prove him wrong and show us that there is hope for our souls, but Joker is the “unstoppable force that meets an unmovable object” He is literally a response to Batman; the Ying to Batman’s Yang and we believe that “they could do this forever…” And let’s us not forget that though Joker is in Arkham; couldnt blow the ferries and Gordon gave Harvey a ‘clean death” without Two Face’s ghost, the Jester still won his battle against the city by destroying whatever was good in Dent and leaving deep scars on Bruce Wayne’s heart and soul.
That is the line that got me. Because i admired what Mr. Ledger did for my favorite villain in the screen, it is really a masterpiece, and it is oneof those things where you hate a villain so much (figuratively because i love Joker with a passion beyond reason), but you want to see more of him on the movie. And that will not happen. Unfortunately we lost a great actor on January 22, 2008. and unless Mr. Nolan sees fit replacing the actor, there is not going to be any more Joker. I will treasure Ledger’s performance, it promised to be incredible in a sequel, but need to enjoy this little gem Heath left as a legacy of his talent instead. And I will
Well, I think this is all for now. Definitely this is a great movie, done with brains and heart. Very enjoyable action and plot. If you can…see it on IMAX, and if I were a professional reviewer I would have to give this movie 4.5/5 BATARANGS
