I know, this is a little late. I've had some things going on though, that I haven't been able to get to the movies to see it. So I've had two weeks of hype, I've heard top ten movies of all time, I've heard Oscars, record setting box office...all of it in my head when I went to see it.
They were correct about the record setting box office.
I tried to keep an open a mind as possible, because I do like to be fair. And for 3/4's of the movie, they were right, it was spectacular. Then TwoFace was introduced, and I wasn't as impressed.
From the beginning though. I want to get it out of the way. Heath Ledger was the best Joker ever. In fact, they will be hard pressed to reintroduce the character, and not have people find that disagree. He was the perfect mix of crazy and sanity, that IS the character.
The best part about him though, was that he wasn't over the top. Jack's Joker was way over the top, because overacting is his specialty. Ledger's Joker was a great study in controlled insanity. You totally felt that he was keeping it all in control, but barely.
But his voice, his nonchalant attitude towards violence, his tics...wow. But I don't think he'll get an Oscar. Why? Because he's in a comic book movie. The academy is a bunch of snooty bastards, and it would kill them to actually have the winner be in something people have heard of. Should he get it...I think that he should be in consideration. He was excellent. Perhaps his unfortunate death will open that door.
But lets get to what else was good. Aaron Eckhart was great as Harvey Dent. He had the look. He had the attitude. He had the swagger.
Maggie Gyllenhaal was great as Rachel Dawes, ex squeeze of Bruce Wayne, curent arm candy of Harvey Dent. I am biased here. I find her beautiful, with an incredible smile. And she's in one of my favorite movies, The Secretary.
Christian Bale is, in my opinion, the best Batman ever. He looks dashing as Bruce Wayne, and is pretty ripped, but not so much that you don't believe him in the role. I think what I like most, is that he tries to sink into scenes, so the attention isn't on him, which is how I imagine Bruce Wayne. And he's banging super models, because he's filthy rich.
I liked the script. I like how the last two movies start it all over, and you see how the equiptment was developed by trial and error. I like that they show Batman having flaws. Because as super heros go, he is one of the most human of them all. I liked the pacing of it all also. A good speed, not to fast, not too slow.
The special effects were out of this world. Lots of explosions, but not so much that they are there to be there. The vehicles were top knotch, very creative, and fitting into the character.
But there were flaws. As good as Aaron Eckhart was as Harvey Dent, he was that bad as TwoFace. He didn't have the lunatic feeling you get with TwoFace in the comics. He was just angry and mean. I also didn't like the makeup job. It was the one thing that they totally overdid.
I also didn't like the ending. I thought that the scene with the Joker was anticlimatic, and that they tried to wrap up too much, too quickly. Maybe that's just me, but if they would have ended the movie, and left out all the final TwoFace stuff, and saved his character for another movie, I think that it would have been a better movie.
But it was very entertaining, and I do reccommend it. This isn't Spiderman, they didn't ruin it by making it kid friendly, so I'd keep the younger kids away, but everyone else, spend the money.
I give it 8.5 out of 10.
