Movie Review: THE DARK KNIGHT

by Joe

It’s been a good summer for movies, especially those of the superhero genre. Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Hellboy II-- all very well done, all very well-received.

But they all fall under the shadow of The Dark Knight.

Words can’t describe what Christopher Nolan and his band of capable filmmakers achieved with this movie. The breadth, the scope, the reach, the execution—I honestly feel like I have to watch it again to fully absorb everything before giving it a fair review.

But I’ll go ahead and try anyway.

In 2005, Nolan rebooted the Batman franchise with Batman Begins, after Joel Schumacher had effectively destroyed it eight years earlier. The former film went on to be labeled one of the best comic book movies ever made, and, up until last night, was my favorite comic book movie of all time. It was no surprise that a sequel was in order. And, just like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight is helped out by having a stellar cast, with the new cast members being even more memorable than many of the returning ones.

The film begins with a bang-- A bank robbery- shot on an IMAX camera- taking its cues from that scene in Michael Mann’s Heat. And, as you might have guessed, the Joker has a little something to do with it. This is the perfect introduction to someone who is one of the most terrifying villains ever seen in a movie. Just from this opening sequence alone, you know exactly what to expect from the Joker-- and that is you have no idea what to expect from the Joker. This plays out through the entire movie with one twist after another as the Joker continually stays one step ahead of Batman in several instances, while still claiming to be “an agent of chaos”. And, at first, it seems like the Joker has a simple goal: Get Batman to reveal who he really is. And if the Caped Crusader doesn’t comply, then people will die. Repeatedly. But, there’s far more to the “Clown Prince of Crime’s” anarchic plans than meet the eye . . .

On the other end of the spectrum, however, a new hero is rising. Gotham City believes in Harvey Dent. Harvey is the White Knight to Batman’s Dark Knight. Whereas Batman uses vigilante tactics, Harvey uses the law as his weapon, and it proves rather effective when he's able to put the entire mob in jail. This catches the attention of many of Gotham’s colorful citizens, including the Joker. So, the Joker decides to take matters into his own hands, starting with one of the greatest and most shocking “magic trick” scenes I’ve ever encountered. What unfolds is a movie of epic proportions, one that every moviegoer should experience.

The storyline of The Dark Knight is as unpredictable as the Joker himself. With one twist after another (and some seriously shocking, "cover-your-mouth-with-your-hand" moments), the plot keeps you thoroughly engaged and guessing until the very end. The Dark Knight not only manages to thrill you and keep you on the edge of your seat, but you barely notice that you've actually spent 152 minutes in a theater being glued to the screen. The film focuses very heavily on its characters, and all the players brought their A-Game to the court.

Is Heath Ledger’s performance as riveting and as brilliant as you’ve been hearing? Believe it. Not only does Ledger outperform Jack Nicholson, but he manages to turn the Joker into . . . something chilling and not quite human. A force of nature that should not be messed with. You're completely convinced that The Joker is absolutely Bat-shit crazy (pun intended), yet underneath that is a brilliant and cunning tactical mind. Ledger performs all too well and never once does he enter the arena of overacting. He is vicious and genuinely scary, while at the same time being full of dark humor. This is the Joker as he was meant to be and Ledger nails it head on. Any time Batman and the Joker confront each other you're actually hoping deep down that Batman will kill him because the Joker is just that evil, and yet you are completely mesmerized by him, so what’s that say about you? Heath Ledger’s captivating display of calculated insanity more than deserves some type of award.

Equally impressive is Aaron Eckhart who plays Harvey Dent. He's got the charisma for the role and he too has an excellent grasp on the tough-as-nails District Attorney. And with Harvey’s rise to power also comes his fall from grace. We all know who Harvey eventually becomes, and that plays perfectly into the themes and character study that The Dark Knight is. As Dent makes his transformation into a fairly terrifying figure himself, Eckhart’s performance convincingly goes from one end of the moral spectrum to the other. My one complaint would be the Dent’s motivations for his actions at the end of the film did not seem that well-developed, but that just may be my view on it. Eckhart and Heath Ledger steal the show, but that does not discount the rest of the cast by any means. Christian Bale shines as my favorite Batman and Bruce Wayne, coming in with a much better grasp of the character than in Batman Begins. Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon evolves into a much more capable police leader, and replacing Katie Holmes’ wet-blanket performance with Maggie Gyllenhaal’s endearing charm and personality as the very well-handled love-interest Rachel Dawes was a good move by the producers. (Though, I did feel that Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox was under-utilized.)

There are also several impressive visual effects throughout the film and some of the most intense action sequences I've ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat for the length of the movie, even wondering at times how Batman was going to get out of certain situations. When I initially saw the new “Batpod” vehicle in the trailers and posters, my eyes rolled. However, I found myself cheering at the end of the sequence where the ‘Pod is introduced. Also, one of my few issues with Batman Begins was the rigidity of the fight sequences. Not so with this one. Nolan definitely learned a thing or two about the proper framing sequence of a fight, and Bale shines as “ass-kicking” Batman here.

As for the dialogue: it's a vast improvement over "Begins", which had Liam Neeson and Katie Holmes spouting weighty maxims that came off with more fortune-cookie-triteness than philosophical insight.

Despite being over two and half hours long, the film moves along at an excellent pace and keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The movie’s overall dark mood is perfect as well and is played throughout. There's quite a bit of humor thrown in there, though much of it is dark and ironic as perfectly-delivered by the Joker. The Dark Knight easily fits its given title-- This is a comic book film that actually takes the serious themes of its source material quite, well, seriously, and gives it a top-notch treatment in its transition to the screen.

Christopher Nolan is making a statement about humanity and human behavior in this picture-- the lengths to which we might go to save our own lives over others, the often illogical and unfair way in which we come to idolize or demonize those around us-- all very interesting and commendable themes, and fitting for an "adult" Batman film. This is a big movie. This is even more than a comic book movie, more than an action movie, more than a summer thriller. The Dark Knight is some sort of never-before-attempted mix of crime thriller, action flick and message movie, that has a bit of romantic drama thrown in and more than enough horror. Top it all off with some exceptionally gorgeous cinematography, a stirring soundtrack, and top-notch acting, and you have got arguably one of the best films ever made.

If there's one movie you need to see this summer, it needs to be The Dark Knight. And after seeing it, you'll be thinking about this one for awhile. Not since Stephen King's "IT" has a clown been so scary.
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BG Roundtable: Best Batman Villain

by Betsy

Batman is widely considered to have the best Rogue's Gallery of any comic book character. Between the Joker, the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, and more, the Dark Knight has his work cut out for him when it comes to keeping the streets of Gotham City safe. This, of course, begs the question - who is the best Batman villian? I rounded up the rogues of the Bad Genious to find out the answer.

Ever contrary, Tim kicked things off by saying, "I'm something of an exception to the 'Batman has awesome villains' consensus. He's got a lot of memorable ones, sure, but the ones that actually threaten him, as opposed to being a bit of entertaining run-around fodder is - I think - a little scarce."

Your Friendly Neighborhood Editor was about to wing a batarang right at Tim's head when he thought better of this stance and continued. "I do like me some Joker though. And Riddler, for all his uselessness. But number one? Mister Freeze."

"Admittedly, this is thanks to the awesome Batman '90s animated series and it shows that the quality of his character varies greatly with how much the writers play to those strengths. But if they do? Wow. Creepy as hell. Intelligent. Driven. Focused. In a gallery of insane rogues, he stands out as remarkably sane. Evil? Perhaps, but always with a touch of ambiguity. Check out Gotham Central 1; he takes the time after being surprised by a pair of police officers to teach one of them the meaning of loss by killing his partner. He's not driven by sadism or malice, but rather by the desire to share his vision of the world. He's right, you see. We just can't see it. In that way he's very much like the best characterizations of the Joker, but where the big J is insane and irrational, Mister Freeze's twisted world view is made all the more sinister by the fact that he is very much compos mentis. Brrr."

Matt was quick to agree. "I don't follow the Batman books all that much but I do have a soft spot for Mr. Freeze. He has more of a hero-like origin, he tried to save his wife with cryogenics. An explosion involving his cryogenic formula, transformed him into Mr. Freeze. But instead of using his gifts heroically he decided to live a life of crime. I also like that he has to wear a cool-looking special armor suit to keep his body at a cold temperature in order to survive. He had a fantastic episode in the first Batman: The Animated Series which made me a fan of the character."

I've got to put in my own vote here for another chilly Batman villain: The Penguin. The Penguin is different from other Bat villains in that he is not crazy. I mean, granted, he dresses like a penguin and has a thing for umbrellas, but he's not a homicidal maniac; he is the gentleman of crime. But if I'm really being honest, part of the reason that the Penguin is my favorite Bat baddie is much the same as the reason that the Penguins are my favorite hockey team. I just think penguins are adorable. That's why I absolutely hated Danny DeVito's interpretation of The Penguin, but also found myself saying, "Aw!" when his penguin army invaded Gotham City. Is that a girly answer, or what?

Chris has trouble making up his mind on this one. "Favorite Bat villain, huh?" he muses. "My first instinct is to say Joker, because he seems like the one who's been fleshed out the most and is the most interesting. But that seems like such a standard answer. Then there's Ra's al Ghul, who is a very complex character, but I haven't had that much experience with him. Now that the Riddler has "switched sides," he makes for an interesting foil to Batman. Is Catwoman considered a villain still? The complicated relationship she has with Batman makes for some very unusual stories."

At this point, Your Friendly Neighborhood Editor picks up her batarang again, telling Chris to make up his mind.

"Overall, I guess I'd have to go with Joker: psychotic, frightening, and he knows how to push Bruce's buttons."

Doug immediately (albeit reluctantly) agreed. "As much as I keep trying to come up with a not-so-obvious answer, my favorite Bat villain is the Joker. I mean, come on, he’s definitely Batman’s #1 enemy. However, I think he’s been ridiculously over-exposed in the past 15 years or so, and I’d really prefer it if DC didn’t loan the Joker out as a nemesis to the likes of Robin and Azrael. And while we’re at it, Ra’s al Ghul could have used a much longer vacation than the one he got after his supposed death."

Doug then picked up his cane and told me all about the problems with "these kids today."

Liana loves the Joker too, but she prefers a different interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime. "When I was a little girl, one of my favorite things was hiding from my annoying little brother and watching the old '60s Batman show on the little tv down in our Queens basement. That show, to me at the time, was about the coolest thing going. My favorite episodes were those staring Cesar Romero as The Joker. Considering how tamed down the characters were from the comic series (something I did not know at the time) and how corny it all was, this silly version of the Joker managed to maintain his essence (minus the homicidal maniac bit) and, for many people, actually provides the definitive version of the character (minus the homicidal maniac bit). Cesar Romero's cackle and creepy painted-over mustache kept the Joker menacing and unrepentant, and it's his particular portrayal that is my favorite Bat villain."

Indeed, it seems that while everybody loves a clown (so why don't you?), everybody loves a slightly different version of The Joker. Take Dan, for example.

"I like Joker. Especially in Batman: The Animated Series Joker. He's funny. And has the same voice as Luke Skywalker. The end." When asked to expand upon that a bit, Dan added, "My favorite Bat villain, by far, is the Joker. The wacky-crazy Joker of Batman The Animated Series, more so than the scary-crazy Joker of the comics. There's just something a little bit freeing with the madcap cartoon version. He's loony but funny. Crazy but not completely homicidal. Luke Skywalker sounding but less whiny. Maybe Dark Knight will change my mind on scary-crazy Joker being the weaker version. I can't wait to find out this weekend."

So, it's settled, then: The Joker is the greatest Bat bad-guy of all time.

Ah, not so fast! First, we need to hear from our resident Bat expert, a man who is about to get a Batman tattoo, Kach.

Kach begins with a history lesson. "In 1989, Tim Burton unleashed the "Bat-Phenomenon" upon our collective brainmeats. During that summer, Batman became fully ingrained into popular culture. You could not walk 2 blocks without seeing someone donning the Bat-Symbol upon their chest. Even the campy television series from the '60s made its return to syndication and was heavily watched by people all over again. The Batman animated series which followed broke so much ground that it is now considered a milestone in animation."

"It took one man less than 10 years to destroy all of that, along with Batman's good name: Joel Schumacher. Schumacher, along with screenwriting sidekick Akiva Goldsman, turned Batman from the dark, Gothic, tough-as-nails vigilante who we'd last seen in Batman Returns into a whiny, love-sick, media darling who had his own Bat-credit card."

Suddenly, nipples & codpieces were added to the costumes, allowing Schumacher to continue his fetish obsessions on film, He also brought the acting talents of Chris O'Donnell & Alicia Silverstone into the mix, and this did not just signify the death knell for their prospective careers, but also killed the Batman film franchise. For years afterwards, a Batman movie, or even any other superhero movie, became a pipe-dream."

Don't hold back, Kach! Tell us how you really feel.



"I cannot think of any villain in Batman's rogue gallery who has done that much damage to the character in that short an amount of time. I mean, Batman bounced back from having his back broken by Bane in far less time than it took his film career to rebound in 2005."

"So, Batman's worst villain in my book: Joel Schumacher."

There you have it! Some of the worst villains can't be found in Arkham.


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ME and My Batmans

by Joe

I like Batman.

I like action figures.

Ergo, I like Batman action figures.

Let's take a look at some of the best, shall we?

It is Bat-Week after all.

I will be going in chronological order, more-or-less, and will be focusing on the figures released in my lifetime - That means no MEGO, old timers! And, as the title suggests, we're going to be looking at Batman action figures, of the eight inches or shorter variety (there's a joke in there somewhere) with moving parts-- no Barbie dolls or large, Inaction figures (e.g., statues, busts, etc.) and fully-licensed (sorry, Super Amigos fans).

Let's get this out of the way: Yes, I play with toys. Screw you.

And I currently have no pants on. Ha!

Let's (Batman) Begin our journey . . .

1. Super Powers Collection - Kenner - Batman:
For a toy released in 1984, this version holds up remarkably well. As with all of the Super Powers line, it was comic-accurate and elegant in its simplicity. It even came with a tiny comic book that could not be read anywhere else. Except for now if you download it from the Internets, but I digress. And, just like Batman screams at you on the backing card, the figure came with a "Power Action Bat Punch" that proved itself an invaluable tool in the torturing of one's younger siblings.



2. The Dark Knight Collection - Kenner - Thunder Whip Batman:
This was the first time that a Batman figure actually looked like Michael Keaton. After the success of Batman Returns, Kenner released a set of action figures based on Keaton's likeness in the early 90s. The "Thunder Whip" variation wore the movie costume and featured an arm that rotated 360 degrees at the wrist. I can see that coming in handy. And yes, that is really Michael Keaton's face on the backing card. And yes, he is watching you, it's not just a mind trick.



3. Legends of the Dark Knight - Kenner - Dark Knight (Detective) Batman:
After the success of McFarlane Toys and their highly-detailed Spawn line, Kenner decided to release this line of similarly-detailed figures aimed at a slightly-older audience in 1997-98. There were two variations of this Dark Knight figure, one with the comic book colors, the other with the movie colors. This was the first Batman action figure that was truly worthy of being put on display and labeled as "bad-ass". I remember at the time, this figure was almost impossible to find. Now, a decent picture of it is impossible to find.



4. The New Batman Adventures - Hasbro - Detective Batman:
Batman took the cartoon world by storm with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. In 1996, the series added Nightwing and the younger Tim Drake Robin to the cast and changed its name to The New Batman Adventures. Detective Batman featured a "Dark Knight Returns"-like costume and looked as if he stepped right off the animation frame and into your lap, except far less painful than you'd expect Batman stepping onto your lap would be.




5. Total Justice - Hasbro - Batman:
Hasbro released this Justice League-themed line in the late 90s to give DC Comics the excuse it needed to publish the awful mini-series of the same name. The figures, though, were remarkably well done considering their smaller size. Though you'd have to ignore the armor accessory that, if worn, would effectively immobilize Batman.



6. Hush - DC Direct - Batman:
This is my favorite Batman action figure. Ever. As far as I am concerned, Jim Lee's version of Batman is as definitive as it gets (though many would argue that). This figure, released in 2004 after the success of Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Batman: Hush storyline, launched DC Direct's artist-centric lines of figures which has been their mainstay ever since. The Hush line's Batman is a milestone in action figure achievement. It is damn near perfect, and Lee's art lends itself perfectly to the action figure form.



7. Justice - DC Direct - Batman:
Painter-extraordinaire Alex Ross designed this figure, giving Batman a more majestic and elegant look, as only Ross could. This is, like, my third favorite Batman figure. Ever. In fact, if the Hushfigure above was never made, I'd be saying all those things about this one, except that Ross's art doesn't cross-over quite as nicely as Lee's.



8. The Dark Knight Returns - DC Direct - Batman:

I won't insult you by explaining why this figure made the list. Freakin' amazing.







9. Batman (1989) - Kubrick - Batman:
OK, the fact that this is a slightly-larger-in-size Lego man, and still looks exactly like Michael Keaton warrants it a mention in this article (and it comes from Japan, to boot!). And not only does that fact warrant it a mentioning, it's also quite scary. Those eyes . . .



10. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies - DC Direct - Batman:
DC Direct does it again with another line focusing on the artist. This time, Ed McGuiness gets the spotlight circa 2005. The opening arc of the Superman/Batman comic series drawn by McGuiness and written by Jeph Loeb was a huge seller for DC, so a line of figures based on it was a no-brainer. Just like Jim Lee, McG's art lends itself perfectly to a three-dimensional rendition, with a certain amount of "fun" thrown in. Never has a Batman figure looked so good yet been so anatomically wrong.



11. DC Universe Batman – Mattel – Armor Attack Batman:
The majority of the figures listed thus far have only been available in specialty stores or online. This was the first Batman figure that you could walk into Wal-Mart or Target to buy that was on par with DC Direct as far as articulation, detailing, and “displayability” went. Released in 2005, this figure from Mattel took the best of both Toy Biz’s Marvel Legends line and DC Direct and rolled them up into one nice looking figure. And, if you look real close, Batman can tell that something stinks . . .



12. Crisis on Infinite Earths – DC Direct – Batman:
Did you really expect to get through a DC Comics-themed post and not read about a “Crisis” of some kind? Not these days! Twenty-two years after DC’s highly-successful, continuity-destroying maxi-series ended, its toy line began. As far as the “classic” Batman look goes, this figure cannot be beat. Designed by George Perez (while channeling Neal Adams), this figure seemed like an odd choice for the CoIE line. But, who cares? It’s awesome, while still being “your Daddy’s Batman”.


Did anyone get that?


13. The Dark Knight – Mattel – Movie Master Batman:
Holy crap! It’s Christian Bale in your hand! I’m not kidding. This is a spitting image of the actor, and my second favorite Batman action figure. Ever. It takes the idea that Thunder Whip Batman started and knocks it out of the park. As it should, considering Bale’s likeness was scanned in using a laser beam-- LASER !!!-- to mold this figure. And it manages to maintain its detail while still being highly poseable, something that most action figures these days struggle with. Kudos to Mattel, and designers The Four Horsemen, for this figure. I LOVE this figure. I carry it with me all over the place. In fact, it stares at me as I type this.



14. All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder – DC Direct – All-Star Batman:
"I'm the Goddamn Batman Action Figure!” HA! I’m clever. Ahem. We’re looking into the future slightly with this figure, as it’s not scheduled to be released till September 2008. (Though, if it ships at the same schedule as its comic book counterpart, that means we’ll be seeing it in Summer 2009). Jim Lee comes back to lend his designs to another set of action figures from DC Direct, this time bringing us the deranged and unhinged All-Star Batman as written by Frank Miller. Say what you will about the comic series (and I’m sure you have a lot to say), but this “younger Dark Knight Returns Batman” totally works for me visually.


And that concludes our journey down Batman-figure lane. I hope you found it enjoyable. If not, well, hey, you’re reading this which means you got through the whole article, so my job is done. But before I go, I leave you with this quote from the late Hunter S. Thompson:

“We can’t stop here! This is Bat Country!”

Be careful out there. Read more!