The Dark Knight The Non-Spoiler Critic Review Thread

[Caladbolg]

Ansens review isnt negative ._.; he just wished it was a bit more light hearted I'm sure TDK will get a couple negative but if this one falls as one then thats just plain wrong when he praised the movie

Back handedly. Its like he said "damn the films a masterpiece when it shouldnt have been... oh well... thumbs up if I have to. "

 

[The Chris]

I can't tell if Ansen's review is positive or not. He says he wishes it were "more fun".

As Far as I'm concerned, I had my great fun with superheroes already this summer (Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, now Hellboy II). Give me the grim dark knight!

 

[FCEEVIPER]

I can't tell if Ansen's review is positive or not. He says he wishes it were "more fun".

In the coming week or so there's going to be allot of so-so and negative reviews of TDK because of people that wanted a more light hearted not so dark Batman film...

So get ready guys, don't be surprised by it.

 

[FCEEVIPER]

As Far as I'm concerned, I had my great fun with superheroes already this summer (Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, now Hellboy II). Give me the grim dark knight!

Amen!

 

[FCEEVIPER]

From JIM LEE's Myspace Blog:

"So this weekend looks to be very busy for me...this weekend has me traveling to LA for business, then I head to NYC for the Dark Knight premiere on Monday night. Shown in IMAX, it's gonna be AMAZING. I say that with 100% confidence as I already saw it last week and boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen...this is THE DEFINITIVE BATMAN movie. Few movie sequels are better than the first but this one is riveting and gripping from start to finish. Heath's performance is Oscar nod worthy and frankly, the direction is too. It's lean, explosive punchy storytelling with a realism and grit unseen before in the superhero genre. I'll write up a fuller report once I see it again."

I have a feeling Tim Sale will only like certain parts of the DK movie. t:

 

[FlawlessVictory]

In the coming week or so there's going to be allot of so-so and negative reviews of TDK because of people that wanted a more light hearted not so dark Batman film...

So get ready guys, don't be surprised by it.

And by critics who want to go against the grain. Since there will be an overwhelming amount of positive reviews, some critic will want to make a name for himself and say he was one of the few who gave it a negative review. That way he knows he will get people to talk about him.

 

[FCEEVIPER]

And by critics who want to go against the grain. Since there will be an overwhelming amount of positive reviews, some critic will want to make a name for himself and say he was one of the few who gave it a negative review. That way he knows he will get people to talk about him.

I agree, there's always that bunch also.

 

[Caladbolg]

In the coming week or so there's going to be allot of so-so and negative reviews of TDK because of people that wanted a more light hearted not so dark Batman film...

So get ready guys, don't be surprised by it.

Heres the thing though. Were seeing elitist critics completely loving this film and calling it revolutionary for comic adaptations. If this film is so great its undeniable, the reviews wont be too many. Thats why I say this style of fiction has to work 10 times harder for acceptance. It cant just be half good like 03s Hulk or people will just be like "wtf are u doing?"

Theres also the feeling that since the franchise has already debut with its shockingly down to earth feel, less people will be up in arms about its sequel. The more familiar people are, the more accepting they are also.

These two things are in its favor it would seem.

 

[FCEEVIPER]

Has this been posted yet?

I haven't read it, SO SPOLIERS MAY BE A BOUND:

Review: `Dark Knight' nearly lives up to the hype

By CHRISTY LEMIRE – The Associated Press 6 hours ago

Spoiler

It's difficult to separate the movie from its mystique.

Even under ordinary circumstances, "The Dark Knight" would have been one of the most hotly awaited movies of the summer blockbuster season. The loss of Heath Ledger to an accidental prescription-drug overdose in January has amplified the buzz around the film — and his crazed performance as the Joker — to extraordinary levels.

Nothing could possibly satisfy that kind of expectation. "The Dark Knight" comes pretty close.

Christopher Nolan's film is indeed an epic that will leave you staggering from the theater, stunned by its scope and complexity. It's also, thankfully, a vast improvement over his self-serious origin story, 2005's "Batman Begins."

As director and co-writer with his brother, Jonathan (David S. Goyer shares a story credit), Nolan has found a way to mix in some fun with his philosophizing. Ambitious, explosive set pieces share screen time with meaty debates about good vs. evil and the nature of — and need for — a hero.

Batman (Christian Bale) has been that guy. Now, he's not so sure he should be anymore. He's protected Gotham fiercely (and with some fierce toys), but the new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), seems to be putting a dent in organized crime with help from Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman). Perhaps Batman should return to his "normal" life as billionaire Bruce Wayne and leave the clean-up work to the professionals. Maybe he can even rekindle his romance with old flame Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, taking over more than capably for Katie Holmes, although she doesn't get much to do, either).

And so "The Dark Knight" presents an existential crisis — what comic-book hero doesn't suffer these? — but does so in a totally different way from its predecessor. Whereas "Batman Begins" felt too solemn and introspective, this installment might actually be too fast. Like the Caped Crusader himself, speeding through the streets of Gotham City on his tricked-out Bat-Pod motorcycle, Nolan moves breathlessly from one scene to the next.

Trouble is, he's got such great vision and is so adept at creating a compelling mood, it makes you wish he'd held some moments for a beat or two longer, just to savor them — and to let us do the same. A couple of scenes in Bruce's stark, crisply lit Bat-bunker come to mind, as does Batman's nighttime flight over a glittering Hong Kong. (Wally Pfister, a longtime Nolan collaborator who also shot "Batman Begins" and "Memento," returns as cinematographer. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard once again teamed up to compose the huge, sweeping score.)

Nolan was wise enough, however, to give Ledger plenty of room to shine — albeit in the actor's indelibly perverse, twisted way. There's nothing cartoony about his Joker. Ledger wrested the role from previous performers Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson and reinvented it completely.

Yes, he's funny, wringing laughs from both clever one-liners and maniacally grand schemes. He can be playful, finding unexpected avenues into the character: "You complete me," he purrs to Batman, mockingly borrowing Tom Cruise's classic line from "Jerry Maguire" and dashing all possibilities for the Caped One's imminent retirement.

But because there's no logic behind his mayhem, he's also truly terrifying. The terror he inflicts on Gotham is meticulously planned (the opening bank heist, shot with IMAX cameras, is a marvel of timing) and yet his sole inspiration is to create chaos, then watch the city squirm and burn.

That his attacks grow larger each time, regardless of the collateral damage, makes him so genuinely disturbing. Ledger seems to have understood that, and brings an appropriate — and riveting — unpredictability to the role. It's also a neat touch that his makeup, which looked like a slapdash effort from the start, steadily deteriorates, streaking, cracking and peeling away as the film progresses; it's an outward manifestation of his psychological spiral.

Back to Batman, though — because theoretically, it is his movie, right?

Bale seems more assured than ever, now that he has more facets of Batman/Bruce's personality to reveal than he did in the last film. He's consistently proven he's capable of going to dark, scary places for his characters (see: "American Psycho," "Rescue Dawn") and this is no exception.

Also returning are Michael Caine as Bruce's butler, Alfred, and Morgan Freeman as gadget guru Lucius Fox. Both veterans help anchor the movie with a wisdom and calmness that's crucial when everything (and everyone) is in a state of turmoil. As for Oldman, he disappears into the role of Lt. Gordon and makes it look so effortless, he makes you forget he's acting.

Eckhart, the snarky star of "Thank You for Smoking," may seem an unusual choice to play a law-and-order kind of guy. Here, he's subtle enough to keep us guessing until nearly the end as to where his morals and allegiances truly lie (though eventually he will become the villainous Two-Face, as we know).

But the key showdown, of course, is between Batman and the Joker. Theirs is a relationship that's strangely symbiotic — you could even call it codependent. Or as the Joker puts it, "You and I could do this forever."

If only.

"The Dark Knight," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace. Running time: 152 minutes.

Three stars out of four.

 

[Voyeur]

I don't know if this was posted:

When leaving the theater, I commented to my guest "Well, the summer's over!". It's not entirely true, and there are other movies coming out in the next few weeks that I am looking forward to. But it's hard to see how any of them could be on the same level as The Dark Knight. It's a movie that just succeeds on every possible level - it is the movie of the summer (if not the year), and I can't recommend it enough.

http://soundtrack.net/movies/databas...12&page=review

 

[FlawlessVictory]

Has this been posted yet?

I haven't read it, SO SPOLIERS MAY BE A BOUND:

I love this line from Christy Lemire of the AP:

An epic that will leave you staggering from the theater, stunned by its scope and complexity.

 

[JokerLedger]

From JIM LEE's Myspace Blog:

"So this weekend looks to be very busy for me...this weekend has me traveling to LA for business, then I head to NYC for the Dark Knight premiere on Monday night. Shown in IMAX, it's gonna be AMAZING. I say that with 100% confidence as I already saw it last week and boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen...this is THE DEFINITIVE BATMAN movie. Few movie sequels are better than the first but this one is riveting and gripping from start to finish. Heath's performance is Oscar nod worthy and frankly, the direction is too. It's lean, explosive punchy storytelling with a realism and grit unseen before in the superhero genre. I'll write up a fuller report once I see it again."

I hope TDK inspires Jim Lee to draw a better Joker. He's my favorite comic book artist of all time but each time I see his Joker, I just cringe at his long beak nose. I hope TDK inspires him to the point where he takes cues from Ledger's Joker and incorporates it into his style. Now that would be some kickass artwork.

 

[Superman4ever]

^^ He does have a crappy Joker. From memory his ASBAR Joker is better tho.

 

[TheDarkVictory]

And by critics who want to go against the grain. Since there will be an overwhelming amount of positive reviews, some critic will want to make a name for himself and say he was one of the few who gave it a negative review. That way he knows he will get people to talk about him.

yeah, keep an eye on eric snider at cinematical, he keeps posting all this stuff about "will the dark knight live up to the the hype?" and in the body pretty much said there's no way...and his latest one was about how ridiculous the marketing campaign has been...i feel like he's trying real hard to be contrary. i'll be surprised if his review is glowing.

 

[P.F. Geraci]

I just watched the Ebert & Roeper review on YouTube (I put my hand over the video when they were showing whole sequences) and while I hate them (especially Roeper), Roeper seemed to genuinely think this movie is great. He even went so far as to say it deserves a nomination for Best Picture and is along the lines of The Departed and Heat! This was the first time I heard a critic suggest this be nominated for Best Picture (it's all been talk about Heath getting nominated, which he should, and Roeper suggests that as well). God, I can't wait any longer!

 

[The Chris]

I just watched the Ebert & Roeper review on YouTube (I put my hand over the video when they were showing whole sequences) and while I hate them (especially Roeper), Roeper seemed to genuinely think this movie is great. He even went so far as to say it deserves a nomination for Best Picture and is along the lines of The Departed and Heat! This was the first time I heard a critic suggest this be nominated for Best Picture (it's all been talk about Heath getting nominated, which he should, and Roeper suggests that as well). God, I can't wait any longer!

I just watched it. Sweet mother of the LORD!

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

I love this line from Christy Lemire of the AP:

She's kinda cute, as well.

 

[Keyser Soze]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UELDTKPC-lo

Here's the Ebert/Roeper review here, if people are interested. Low quality, I'm afraid, but the praise they give it gets me even more pumped!

 

[P.F. Geraci]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UELDTKPC-lo

Here's the Ebert/Roeper review here, if people are interested. Low quality, I'm afraid, but the praise they give it gets me even more pumped!

Just watched it a lil bit ago. Incredible review. For Roeper to give that much praise, it really means something cause that guy's one of the most cynical bastards on Earth when it comes to reviewing movies.

 

[batman11]

To hear Roeper say it deserves to be considered for Best Picture just made my heart stop. WOW!

 

[Superman4ever]

To hear Roeper say it deserves to be considered for Best Picture just made my heart stop. WOW!

Didn't watch it, but if he said that:

 

[The Chris]

Didn't watch it, but if he said that:

Oh yeah, he went there.

 

[P.F. Geraci]

Yeah, being a Chicagoan and having him write in the local paper and pretty much being convinced all these years that the man has no soul, this was a big surprise and was very pleasing. Probably the only time I will ever value that guy's opinion.

 

[batman11]

Didn't watch it, but if he said that:

I watched it, but covered the screen when any clips came on, although I was able to hear them...but nothing too spoilerific from the noises.

Anyhow, that was one of the first thing's Roper mentioned; it should be considered for a best picture nomination. He also said that not only should you go see it, but you should go see it twice.

YES!

 

[Mike53421]

Batman Begins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z7W0Xr_C7o&feature=related
Iron Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G4gkdc2ujk&feature=related
Spiderman 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiKsz3Zg6AY&feature=related

Going through them all right now, the review for this one is great. Few scenes are shown so I turned it off but heard the good parts.