Weihnachten rückt mittlerweile immer näher und da ich mich gerne über die Feiertage mal mit Freunden zusammensetze und ein paar Filme schaue, hier meine Top 3 DVD-Tips über die Feiertage:

The Dark Knight

Die Fortsetzung von Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, vereint Regisseur Christopher Nolan und Hauptdarsteller Christian Bale, der erneut die Rolle des Batman/Bruce Wayne in seinem Kampf gegen das Böse verkörpert.
Unterstützt von Lieutenant Jim Gordon und Staatsanwalt Harvey Dent setzt Batman sein Vorhaben fort, das organisierte Verbrechen in Gotham endgültig zu zerschlagen. Das Dreiergespann erweist sich als effektiv. Doch bald sehen Sie sich einem genialen, immer mächtiger werdenden Kriminellen gegenübergestellt, der als Joker bekannt ist: Er stürzt Gotham in ein anarchisches Chaos und zwingt Batman immer näher an die Grenze zwischen Gerechtigkeit und Rache. Heath Ledger ist als Batmans Erzfeind Joker zu sehen und Aaron Eckhart spielt Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal übernimmt die Rolle der Rachel Dawes. Zurückgekehrt aus Batman Begins sind Gary Oldman als Jim Gordon, Michael Caine als Alfred und Morgan Freeman als Lucius Fox.

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Wanted

Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) ist ein langweiliger Durchschnittstyp, der gute Gründe hat, sein Leben zu hassen: Seine Chefin schikaniert ihn pausenlos und seine Freundin schläft mit seinem besten Freund. Doch dann trifft er die aufregende Fox (Angelina Jolie), gerät mitten in eine Schießerei und erfährt, dass sein verschollener Vater gerade erst brutal ermordet wurde. Wes lernt die Bruderschaft kennen, einen mächtigen Geheimbund, der die Geschicke der Menschheit lenkt. Das frühere Weichei entwickelt durch Fox’ knallharte Ausbildung blitzschnelle Reflexe und übermenschliche Geschicklichkeit. Schließlich tritt Wes in die Fußstapfen seines Vaters, um Rache zu nehmen. Doch auch die Bruderschaft hat eine dunkle Seite und Wes muss entscheiden, wer eigentlich über sein Leben bestimmen soll…

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Pirates of the Caribbean – Am Ende der Welt

Pirates 3 stellt ebenso wie die zwei vorhergehenden Pirates-Filme eine übermütige Reise dar, wobei der dritte Teil teilweise ein wenig düsterer daher kommt (und nahezu drei Stunden dauert). Die Handlung dreht sich um ein Bündnis der Piraten gegen die rücksichtslose East India Handelsgesellschaft und enttäuscht nicht – wenn auch die Gewaltszenen für kleine Kinder zu grausam sein dürften. Während des ganzen Spektakels setzt sich die Besetzung (Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush) mit Seeschlachten, Mahlströmen, Betrug, Verrat, einer wütenden karibischen Wettergöttin und der Rückkehr vom Ende der Welt auseinander – ohne dabei ihre Schlagfertigkeit zu verlieren. Wie immer gibt Johnny Depp tolle Sprüche von sich. Er meint strafend: „Nichts ist höllischer als eine vernachlässigte Frau.“ Er beleidigt einen Kontrahenten mit frechen Sprüchen und nennt ihn am Ende einen “käsigen Hosenlatz”. Im vorhergehenden Fluch der Karibik 2 wurde Sparrow getötet und fand sein Seemannsgrab. In der Anfangssequenz ist zu sehen, dass es der Tod mit Sparrow nicht allzu gut gemeint hat – was aber nicht bedeuten soll, dass er keine Gelegenheit ausgelassen hatte, sich zu amüsieren, indem er mit Dutzenden eingebildeter Jack Sparrows an Deck der „Black Pearl“ herumturnte. Aber Sparrow wird in dieser Welt gebraucht, und so bringt ihn eine gewagte Rettungsaktion zurück. Keith Richards’ vielgepriesener Auftritt als Jacks Vater ist wenig mehr als eine Gastrolle, obwohl er wirklich schön wehmütig Gitarre spielen kann. Aber in Sachen Action ist wie immer viel geboten, was durch Depp zusammengehalten wird. Er erweist sich wieder einmal als schlauer als die besser bewaffneten Briten, was ein seiner Perücke beraubter Kapitän kommentiert: “Meinen Sie, er hat das alles geplant, oder improvisiert er einfach drauf los?” – Was die Fans angeht, ist die Antwort auf diese Frage unbedeutend.

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Alle Inhaltsbeschreibungen wurden von Amazon.de übernommen.

Ahora la segunda película más taquillera de la historia del cine: Batman el caballero oscuro, ha roto un nuevo record, ésta vez superando los 500 milllones de dólares en apenas 6 semanas, cifra que lograra Titanic de James Cameron en 1998 en mas de 3 meses. Con siete semanas en cartelera son muchas los logros de Batman. Aunque parece dificil llegar al primer lugar nos deja un grato recuerdo para la historia.

Aproveitando o grande sucesso do filme Batman – O Cavaleiro das Trevas, resolvi postar algumas figuras do Batman para vocês!!!

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É só imprimir e colorir

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Baby Disney

Lobo das Planícies

!!!PLEASE READ NOW!!!

!!!PLEASE READ IMMEDIATLY!!!

Last weekend, The Dark Knight was in it’s third weekend and I didn’t write this article last week because I honestly believed that The Dark Knight could beat The Mummy 3 in its third weekend and I was right. The Dark Knight was higher in its third week than Mummy was in its first by 1.4 million dollars. Now is where everyone is saying that The Dark Knight is going to fall, they’re saying that it will never beat Titanic or even go another weekend on top. Well I say that we as fans can and will proof these non-believers wrong like we did last weekend let’s show them all what’s possible when it comes to this movie.

This spectacular movie has broken almost every record in the book and I’m aiming for it to beat one more and that’s to beat Titanic out of the top spot for most money made Domestically. Titanic has made $600,788,188 Domestically. So far, The Dark Knight has made $394,887,000. What’s a measly little $200,000,000 when it comes to a movie this good, if there’s one movie that could do it, it’s The Dark Knight whose broken the record for most money made in a span of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and even 10 days. It even broke the record for most made in  the first weekend, which most said was impossible, but we as fans proofed them wrong. Well, let’s proof them wrong again with The Dark Knight’s Last Stand. 

If like me and are a fan of The Dark Knight than read on, if your like me and enjoy The Dark Knight more than Titanic than read on, if your also like me and want to see the movie with Heath Ledger’s final completed performance make more than Titanic Domestically, than read on please. I have seen The Dark Knight several times so far and am going to see it at least twice this weekend. If you have not seen The Dark Knight yet, please go see it, you will not regret it, the movie is astounding and anyone who has seen it will tell you the same unless they’re just trying to be an outcast. If you already have seen the movie, see it again this weekend, multiple times. Let’s as fans show the world that a movie this good is able to be better than it previous weekends, probably not its first or second, but at least substantially higher than its third, no that its third was bad because it did beat a movie that had a bit of a following. If you’re a Dark Knight send this URL to other Dark Knight fans, tell all the Dark Knight fans about what you read here, and force the people you know who haven’t seen it yet into their closest theater. If you are a true Dark Knight fan than post a comment here telling all viewers how many times you’ve seen the movie and how many times you plan to see the movie this weekend. Thank-You.

OK, so you have to dig through some muck to get to this juicy little tidbit, but Julie Newmar, the woman that defined the live-action Catwoman role, talked recently The New York Daily News about who she could see taking over the leather suit and whip should Christopher Nolan and Co. choose to reincarnate the villain-turned-hero-turned-Batman’s main squeeze.

Her hunch? The lovely Mrs. Brad Pitt. That’s right, Angelina Jolie, as if she’s not tired of the fanboy ogling she received after the “Tomb Raider” movies, was pegged by Newmar as someone who would “own the role,” if she actually accepted a spot in Nolan’s eventual third flick in the franchise. This could be kind of an interesting role. Jolie has been no stranger to Action movies, so there’s not doubt in my mind that she could handle it in that aspect, but I just don’t know if her acting is going to be up to par to handle Nolan’s intense and realistic vision. And with everyone inevitably judging the next villain’s performance against the likes of Heath Ledger’s Joker (one of the best on-screen villain ever, in my mind), I really don’t know if her talents are going to stack up as Catwoman.

But regardless of what I think, Newmar went on to say something that made her inkling sound like i might be insider information/semi-reliable:

“My industry friends tell me [Jolie] has made inquiries about the role,” added the 74-year-old actress, who played Catwoman in the original “Batman” TV series starring Adam West.

So, if Jolie is making “inquiries about the role” I think we can infer that there are at least a few other people involved with the development of the third installment of the Nolan trilogy that are also talking about the potential for Catwoman to enter the spotlight. I’m sure all of you that are obsessing over “The Dark Knight” like I am remember that David Goyer pretty much dismissed Catwoman (and The Penguin, for that matter) as potential upcoming villains, wanting to instead think outside the box for characters that have yet to be highlighted on the silver screen.

But this news suggests that there is at least a dialogue somewhere about featuring Catwoman in the next movie. I don’t know how they would make her feel real and gritty enough to fit into the intricate universe that Nolan has created, and I definitely think there are better directions in which they can take the third one. I’m not a fan of having Catwoman in “The Dark Knight” sequel, but at least it’s better than showcasing Robin.

Neste fim de semana, fui assistir o tão comentado novo filme Batman – O Cavaleiro das Trevas, e tenho que admitir que não me arrependi em nenhum momento. O filme tem duas horas e meia de pura adrenalina. E claro que não posso deixar de comentar a perturbadora atuação de Heath Ledger, né? Fala sério… ele ta sensacional no filme. Postei outro dia aqui a critica de um site, falando o quanto a atuação de Christian Bale, que por mais que tenha feito seu papel, não conseguiu chegar em momento algum aos pés do perturbado coringa.

A loucura é tanta que você realmente acredita no personagem, que ele realmente seja assim. Com certeza, Ledger conseguiu tirar a imagem de ator de comédias românticas (como em Dez Coisas Que Eu Odeio Em Você) e mostrou o que ele era capaz de fazer. Seu ultimo trabalho foi extraordinário, digno de Oscar (por mais que digam que isso seja muito improvável que aconteça, continuo acreditando nessa possibilidade!)

Não podemos deixar de lado todos os outros atores, que foram maravilhosos. Enquanto o coringa cria o caos em Gotham City, do outro lado surge o Cavaleiro Branco, Harvey Dent, interpretado por Aaron Eckhart. Ele luta durante o filme todo para se tornar um herói sem mascara. Maggie Gyllenhaal substitui e melhora o papel da Rachel Dawes, antes interpretado pela Katie Holmes, que temos que concordar nessa parte, muito justa a substituição. Nada contra a atriz, muito pelo contrário, mas ela não chegava aos pés do que uma Rachel Dawes deveria ser no filme. Não podemos nos esquecer de Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman e Michael Caine.

Com certeza esse filme, juntamente com Batman Begins está muito acima do que era em Batman Returns ou Batman Forever!!

Um filme que valeu muito a pena ter visto… Quem ainda não viu, aproveite!

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Apenas um ator na história recebeu um prêmio da Academia póstumo.

Quando o novo filme de Batman, “O cavaleiro das trevas”, começou a ser visto em pré-estréias, no mês passado, alguns espectadores viram Heath Ledger como candidato instantâneo ao Oscar pelo papel do vilão ensandecido Coringa.

Mas observadores do Oscar e críticos veteranos alertam que o barulho em torno de Ledger, gerado principalmente na internet, pode decepcionar os fãs, já que a entrega de um Oscar ao ator australiano, morto por overdose acidental de drogas em janeiro, seria um fato raro.

Até hoje, apenas um ator recebeu um Oscar póstumo: Peter Finch, por “Rede de intrigas”, de 1976.

Heath Ledger encarna o vilão Coringa em “O cavaleiro das trevas”

Atuação elogiada

“Batman — O cavaleiro das trevas”, que tem estréia comercial nesta sexta-feira (18), é uma aventura de ação baseada em HQ — um tipo de filme que não costuma ser escolhido pelos eleitores do Oscar, dizem os especialistas, e ainda faltam muitos filmes para serem vistos este ano.

Mesmo assim, a performance elogiada de Ledger pode lhe valer uma indicação ao prêmio mais importante do cinema norte-americano, a ser entregue em 22 de fevereiro de 2009.

“Toda essa conversa sobre o Oscar é um fenômeno da era da internet, algo que chamo de ‘boato de realização de desejos”‘, disse o crítico de cinema Leonard Maltin, do programa de TV “Entertainment Tonight”. “As pessoas acham que, se repetirem suficientes vezes, a coisa acabará por acontecer.”

“Mas isso não significa que não possa acontecer”, ele ressalvou, citando a “grande performance” de Ledger. “Mas garanto que as pessoas que estão espalhando esse rumor não são eleitores do Oscar, nem pessoas que têm voz ativa em Hollywood.”

Atores mortos

Hollywood tem um longo histórico de grandes astros — entre eles James Dean, Marilyn Monroe e Bruce Lee — que aparecem em filmes de destaque lançados após suas mortes precoces.

Tom O’Neil, do site “TheEnvelope.com”, que acompanha as premiações de cinema, disse que, quando Peter Finch morreu, Hollywood estava no meio da temporada do Oscar e estava em choque. Antes disso, era Robert De Niro quem estava sendo visto como favorito para o prêmio, por “Taxi Driver”.

Veterano observador do Oscar, O’Neil vê paralelos entre as carreiras truncadas de Heath Ledger e James Dean.

“Como Heath, James Dean era um galã que também era visto como ator sério e que teve morte trágica quando ainda era jovem. Ele recebeu duas indicações póstumas, por ‘Vidas amargas’ e ‘Assim caminha a humanidade’, mas não levou o prêmio.”

Mesmo o lendário Spencer Tracy foi ignorado pela Academia de Artes e Ciências Cinematográficas após sua morte em 1967, justamente quando “Adivinhe quem vem para o jantar?” estava chegando aos cinemas. E, segundo O’Neil, ele era o ator mais cotado. Mas Katharine Hepburn, que contracenou com ele no filme, levou o Oscar de melhor atriz pelo trabalho.

“Os eleitores do Oscar relutam em abraçar os mortos”, disse O’Neil. “Os prêmios têm a ver com abraços, e há algo de sinistro na idéia de abraçar os mortos.”

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Criança 44

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In spite of the universall and unanimous positive and rave critics and user reviews for Batman 2, it was unable to beat the opening weekend record set by Spiderman 3. Let me clarify this further: in terms of gross revenue Batman 2 has set the record for opening weekend, but in terms of ticket sales the winner is Spiderman 3. Let me explain…

Batman 2 has grossed $155.34 million for the opening weekend in the U.S. as opposed to Spiderman 3’s $151.1 million. However, according to Media by Numbers, a firm that tracks box-office revenues, the average price of ticket in 2007 for Spiderman 3 was $6.88 compared to the average ticket price in 2008 at $7.08. If we look at ticket sales, which is the best test, Spiderman 3 sold 21.96 million tickets compared to Batman 2’s 21.94 million. Yes, marginal difference, but still there is a difference.

However, the positive reviews and super-hit public talk for Batman 2 is raging like a wild fire even on Monday (even in Hyderabad, India) and is all set to break Spiderman’s or any other man’s total run gross and that is for sure. But, the most talked about record in Hollywood is the opening weekend. Had Heath Ledger been alive (in real life) and came back as Joker in Batman 3, it will for sure break Spidy’s record.

Records apart, if you haven’t seen Batman 2: The Dark Knight, you are missing a gem of a film. Just watch it.

STOP the Hype.

I have seen the new box office champ and I offer honesty:

The Dark Knight is a very good movie.

It is not “Godfather 2 good”.

It will not cure cancer or make you more popular with the opposite sex. (Enjoying it too much may actually have the opposite effect with the latter.)

Heath Ledger did a great job and I am sorry we won’t see his Joker again.   Truly.  Every moment he was on the screen I moved to the edge of my seat. Mostly because I was waiting for him to be amazing based on all the things I’d heard beforehand.

2 Face was very well done but -I kept reading about all the surprises I was in for and to be honest . . . NOT ONE THING shocked me. Well okay ONE thing did. I am a bit shocked that Christopher Nolan didn’t ask Christian Bale to stop gargling with nails when he did his “Bat Voice”.

Less is more tough guy . . .

Even the amazing “pencil scene” I keep reading about was a non event.

I AM NOT saying I did not LIKE it. I’m just saying it wasn’t a religious experience and I was glad I resisted the urge to go without sleep and see it at midnight.  Do NOT misunderstand me – it is a GREAT  movie.  I just don’t get the chorus of angels singing it’s praises like it’s the second coming of Brando . . .

In my humble, yet well educated (regarding superhero cinema) opinion – Spiderman 2 is still the best comic book movie ever made. It’s just as long, but paced better and more emotionally connected to it’s audience.

So in short – Dark Knight is a Great Movie but sliced bread can breathe easy.

I must admit, I am not a Batman movie fan. In fact, I even used to avoid them because it was always too dark and you couldn’t see anything properly and hence not understand it. However, I used to regularly watch the Batman-Robin TV show as a kid and get excited with the various villains of Gotham City— the joker, penguin man etc. I am not sure how many of the previous five Batman films I’ve seen, but I wanted to watch this one. Nope, neither did i see any trailers. A few days back I read TIME’s review of the film and then a few days later on CNN and both said that the film is “stunning”. I don’t care much for what these critics say because I don’t understand most of their reviews—they try to be too complicated and hi-fi. But when i saw that the Grade on Yahoo! User Rating on Y! Movies was ‘A’, I knew I shouldn’t miss this film. Ladies and Gentlemen, Batman 2: The Dark Knight is a Blockbuster all the way…from the first second until the last second!

The film begins with Gotham City and Batman reflecting on what the future course should be to fight crime? How long will Batman do it? As Batman would like it, will the people of Gotham City raise to the occasion, take inspiration from Batman and fight for their city? Unfortunately, what results in the brief absence of Batman is fake-Batmen who are trying to be like Batman. In the meantime, the city gets a new District Attorney (DA), Harvey Dent, whose name is a terror for the underworld. The new DA is able to lock up more than half of the city’s goons by flexing the arms of the law. Batman (alias Bruce Wayne, the Billionaire), begins to realize that it is people like Harvey Dent who should be Gotham City’s Hero, not a caped crusader who brakes the law to bring about justice. Even as Harvey Dent and Batman are putting the underworld behind bars, there comes the new face of terror to wreck untold havoc–the Joker. The Joker brings all the goons together and declares that Batman needs to be killed. Joker is hell bent on making Batman show his face and just wants to play a game with him.

As the film progresses, we can see a triangular struggle for supremacy and ideology between the Joker, DA, and Batman. During this process, the Joker not only sets the City on fire, but also takes the DA, the cops, and Batman to the brink of destruction and ultimately at the end even though he loses, he wins. There are several sub-plots and twists in the film, which are beyond the scope of this review. How does the joker succeed in wrecking havoc throughout the system in spite of Batman’s presence? How does he check the gaining importance of the DA? How does he finally manage to make Batman look like the bad guy? How does Batman and his cop friend, Gordan, resolve the crisis? These questions from the rest of the story.

I have never seen a movie where the villain is so bad and disgusting, but you can’t help but hold him on a pedestal for his intelligence. The action sequences are fabulous—(i) the one where Batman goes under the truck on his bike and ties it up making it skip in the air (ii) the scene where the BatMobile is wrecked and Batman ejects himself in a BatBike. The screenplay is simply fantastic and gripping. You will notice that at many times the screenplay shows three different sequences simultaneously and it builds the tension. The background music is haunting and particularly when the Joker is around is terrifying and adds to the villainy. The twists, sub-plots, the relationships between the main characters— The DA, Batman, Police Commissioner, Rachel–are super. Following two dialogues are highlight: (i) DA to Bruce Wayne about Batman: Either you die being a hero or you live long enough to become a villain (ii) Joker to other goon: you only think about money…this City deserves a better class of criminals and I will give it to them.

The performances are first-rate and the make up for Harvey Dent towards the end when he becomes Two Face is simply out-of-this-word. Make-up or special effects, it is super. One of the reasons why this film has been received with such fanatic fever in the US is because of the stellar performance of the late Heath Ledger who played The Joker. You have to see it to believe his performance. Heath Ledger played Ennis Del Mar in the Academy Award winning controversial film about two gay men, Brokeback Mountain. Heath Ledger died on January 22nd, 2008 due a prescription drug overdose. There is talk that he might get an Oscar Nomination for this film. In fact, he totally dominates Batman. The DA too gives a superb performances.

Full marks to Christopher Nolan (the director, and credited along with others for Story, Screenplay, and Producer) for making such a marvelous film. It is easily the best super-hero super-villain film of 2008 and in the recent past. The entire two and a half hours is action-power packed and you will forget all about global warming, inflation, the vote of confidence on July 22nd, and dipping stock prices as you get engrossed in this epic battle Batman, the DA, and The Joker. The film does contain intense action episodes and some sequences that some might find disturbing, particular kids. However, for those who, in general, do not like Hollywood Super-hero films might not want to watch this. The film has no romance, innocence, or comedy like other super-hero films; it is dark and intense.

Make sure you watch this film in a theater that is equipped with the best Dolby or DTS to enjoy it to the fullest. The Dolby-Digital sound in PVR-Hyderabad was excellent.

The Dark Knight is 24 Carrot Blockbuster Material film and is simply superb! The film has already began to break all existing Hollywood Box-Office Records. It has now officially, the Highest First-Day opening ($66.4 million in US) beating Spider-Man 3 ($59.8 million) and is expected to beat the opening weekend record as well. I am sure, Christopher Nolan, must have said, “the ticket-paying public at the box-office deserves a better class of blockbusters…and they will get it”

Mr. Inkenti’s Movienomics Verdict: Two Thumbs Way Up!

So I figured I’d watch the Dark Knight the first showing Saturday Morning as opposed to seeing it on Friday night packed in like a bunch of canned sardines. Also I live near the ghetto and most people in this area don’t seem to venture out before noon so I figured the 9am showing would be the quietest. At any rate, I saw the Dark Knight.

Man. What an intense flick!  Very gritty and heavy. I’d say, it was a really good crime drama film that the protagonist happened to be the Caped Crusader himself, Batman. I enjoyed it and it really gave off the vibe of a Batman Graphic Novel from the 1980’s. Very serious, not fun and grim.

NOTE TO OBNOXIOUS PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT FORCING YOUR ADD CHILDREN ON EVERYONE ELSE AT THE MOVIES IS AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOOD BABYSITTER: The Dark Knight is no Iron Man. It’s a very long (almost 3 hours) movie. There is nothing Summer Blockbuster a la Transformers for your child’s 30 second attention span to grab hold to. Your kids will become bored because this isn’t an action movie, it’s a crime drama. Lots of talking heads. Do you think taking your kid to see The Godfather or Copland would be fun for your child? If your kids don’t get bored, there are some pretty ugly things that happen that may disturb them, so think twice about bringing them. In other words, we know all you don’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else in the theater, but you may want to consider your children because I don’t think they’ll enjoy being in a movie theater for that long for something boring and or potentially scary.

Enough of my rant! The movie is good. Very good. There are no Indiana Jones action sequences that will get you OOHING or AHHHING that you might expect from a super hero movie. So I’d divorce yourself from any notions about watching another Spider-Man  or X-Men film. There are some really cool gadgets Batman employs and we even get to see Batman with the no iris white eyes like the comic book for a bit which to a geek like me was cool.

As for the other characters, of course everyone is talking about the late Heath Ledger’s take on The Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. Certainly, Ledger was amusing for sure, but I think the character with the most depth in the entire film would be that of Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of District Attorney Harvey Dent. Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine do well with their roles as well. Christian Bale, by far is the best actor to suit up for The Batman. I’d say the only person I  didn’t like was Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. It might just be a personal preference thing, because I have never understood what all the hullabaloo about Maggie Gyllenhaal was about. I don’t find her acting terrible, but it doesn’t stand out to me. Also I don’t find her very attractive either. Sorry, but that’s just the way I feel about her. Actually I’m not sorry. I stand by my opinion. P.S. I didn’t think Katie Holmes was well cast for the original role in the first film either.

Ultimately, I think the film is good as a drama film. I think there may be two camps that form about whether they like this movie or not; Those that enjoy the film because it asks us to reexamine what we define as a super hero film and the people that want a Six Flags amusement park ride when they watch a super hero flick or any film for that matter. And to the latter I say, maybe you should have stayed home with your kids.

MY OPINION: GO SEE THIS FILM IMMEDIATELY  (In IMAX if at all possible!)

*The Dark Knight was filmed in IMAX so in doing so you will be watching it as it was intended to be seen larger than life with incredible resolution.

By Clay W. Ginn Since the events of Batman Begins, Gotham City has experienced a resurgence. Crime has become less rampant, the mob is losing power, and citizens are treating Batman as a hero, even to the point of attempting to emulate his methods. On the horizon lies a new threat to the city, one that will touch every citizen of Gotham, from those in the highest halls of power to the powerless children. The Dark Knight tells the story of a group of men fighting to either keep the city together or to cause it to fly apart. Gazillionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), who moonlights as the hooded vigilante Batman, is hoping to set up newly elected district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as the heir to Batman’s “hero of the people” throne. Those plans are put in jeopardy by a maniacal villain, the Joker (Heath Ledger), who terrorizes all of Gotham, even the mobsters and jailed criminals. Dent is aided by his paramour and assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a former flame of Wayne’s. Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) all lend a hand to Batman.

This movie is dark. The lighting is dark. The tone is dark. The humor is dark. The Knight is Dark. Directed by Christopher Nolan, who also directed Batman Begins, The Dark Knight continues down the path so many recent comic book and science fiction movies have taken over the last few years. It is a gritty, no-hold-barred attack on your senses, your ears, and sometimes your stomach. Where Iron Man was sometimes comical and light-hearted, The Dark Knight is equally heavy and serious. Each of the actors eat up the screen, giving almost no downtime to the viewer. There are surprising twists and turns, including the death of a major character. The dichotomy of good versus evil and the gray areas that must sometimes be breached to defeat evil are well portrayed in this film.

Heath Ledger proves that someone can do a better Joker than Jack Nicholson (Batman, 1989). As the Clown Prince of Crime, Ledger descends into the lowest circle of hell to bring out one of the most evil, sadistic, and brilliant characters put into a superhero movie. The Joker has no rules, no sense of self-preservation, no fear of the Batman. He is anarchy in it’s purest human form, and he hands out passes to view that anarchy to everyone he comes in contact with. Ledger plays the Joker as one who enjoys making everyone (including the audience) squirm. For me, one of the most uncomfortable things about Ledger’s performance is his constant need to lick his lower lip and the sometimes watery quality of his voice. Those touches bring out more of the manic psychotic in the Joker. Ledger is far and away the star of this film, his penultimate role due to his death in January 2008. Heath Ledger has been receiving some Oscar buzz for his role, and deservedly so.

In playing the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman, Christian Bale offers a well-rounded performance. He is engagingly witty and smooth while playing the millionaire playboy, but gruff and course when dressed as Batman, including a low, gravelly voice. Micheal Caine and Morgan Freeman bring playfulness and presence to their roles as butler and CEO, respectively. Aaron Eckhart portrays Harvey Dent as the upright, noble D.A., willing to take on the worst of criminals to clean up the city, something that backfires on him dramatically. Gary Oldman, given much more screen time as compared to the near cameo role he had in Batman Begins, brings a mix of strength and insecurity to the police lieutenant. In the part of Rachel Dawes, Maggie Gyllenhaal has more presence and poise than Katie Holmes, who portrayed Dawes in the previous Batman film. She effectively demonstrates the tug from both her current love and her former, and her character remains relevant throughout the story. She’s not just the damsel in distress, she is one of the turning points of the film.

Though the environment is understandably dark, there are times when it is too dark. Action scenes are shot so close to the actors and with such sparse lighting, that it is sometimes difficult to make out what is going on. Granted, all you are really missing is somebody getting another butt-whooping, but it would be nice to see the moves Batman uses to administer said butt-whooping. The music is quite over the top, occasionally venturing into a long, drawn out screech that slowly crescendos upwards during scenes of intense drama. It’s a long film, and does leave some things unresolved, most likely setting up the next film in the Batman series.

The Dark Knight is rated a heavy PG-13 for a great deal of violence and threatening situations. This is not a kids movie, and may not even be a tweens movie. There are times when it seems close to stepping into R territory, but it was probably given a pass due to the nearly complete lack of swearing and sexual situations. It is also showing in IMAX theaters nationwide, which could be an interesting show with the plethora of tall buildings and swooping flight scenes. Overall though, it is an excellent film and well worth seeing.

Clay W Ginn My real job is as a software developer for a small company in North Texas. I’ve been married for nearly 12 years and am the father of three. I’m an avid reader, weather nut, and love playing my guitar and singing. My wife and I are huge fans of Walt Disney World, trying to get there once every couple of years. I grew up on a farm in rural Kansas, and attended seven different colleges before completing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology and a Master’s degree in Information Systems. In the past I’ve been a youth leader, worship leader, police dispatcher, accounting clerk, customer service representative, and a gumball machine builder. I love writing anything, from movie and music reviews to political screeds to comparisons of culture and faith. I’m even working on a novel as well.

- BATMAN – O CAVALEIRO DAS TREVAS

Título original: The Dark Knight

Gênero: Aventura, Ação, Drama

Ano: 2008

País: EUA

Duração: 152 minutos

Língua: Inglês

Classificação: 12 anos

Diretor: Christopher Nolan

Elenco: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman.

Sinopse: Dois anos depois, com a presença de Batman (Christian Bale) para defender os moradores de Gotham City, os criminosos têm muito o que temer. O Homem-Morcego, com a ajuda do tenente Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) e do promotor público Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), lutará contra o crime organizado, comandado por seu arquiinimigo, o Coringa (Heath Ledger).

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- AS AVENTURAS DE MOLIÈRE

Título original: Molière

Gênero: Comédia

Ano: 2007

País: França

Duração: 127 minutos

Língua: Francês

Classificação: 12 anos

Diretor: Laurent Tirard

Elenco: Romain Duris, Frabrice Luchini, Laura Morante, Edouard Baer, Ludivine Sagnier

Sinopse: Considerado o mestre do humor satírico francês, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, o Molière, costumava ridicularizar os costumes franceses em suas peças de teatro. Neste longa-metragem, é mostrado como o ator conseguiu, em pleno século 17, se tornar um respeitado e odiado artista na Europa.

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- A ILHA DA IMAGINAÇÃO

Título original: Nim’s Island

Gênero: Aventura, Infantil

Ano: 2008

País: EUA

Duração: 96 minutos

Língua: Inglês

Classificação: Livre

Diretor: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin

Elenco: Gerard Butler, Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin, Morgan Griffin, Christopher Baker, Sean Keenan.

Sinopse: Uma garota (Abigail Breslin) viaja com seu pai cientista (Gerard Butler) para uma ilha isolada no Pacífico Sul. Ao se perderem no mar, ela passa a se comunicar eletronicamente com uma pessoa que ela acredita ser personagem de um livro, mas que, na realidade, é uma escritora reclusa (Jodie Foster).

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- UMA GAROTA DIVIDIDA EM DOIS

Título original: Die Zweigeteilte Frau – Le Fille Coupée em deux

Gênero: Drama

Ano: 2007

País: Alemanha, França

Duração: 115 minutos

Língua: Alemão, Francês

Classificação: 16 anos

Diretor: Claude Chabrol

Elenco: Ludivine Sagnier, Benoît Magimel, François Berléand

Sinopse: Jovem começa um caso com intelectual 30 anos mais velho e se angustia com os flertes de outro bem mais jovem e milionário.

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Veja mais:

Criança 44

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