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    The Dark Knight

    Movie » The Dark Knight released on July 18, 2008.

    A year after the events of Batman Begins, a new era begins for Batman, as he settles in as Gotham's Caped Crusader, a new threat reveals itself, The Joker, a Clown Prince of Crime raiding banks in Gotham. The Batman must join forces with Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Dent to bring the Joker down before anyone suffers from the his plans. But they are not ready for what the Joker has in store for The People of Gotham. The movie serves as the second part of The Dark Knight Trilogy.

    Dark Knighted: Being Fooled Into Proclaiming Greatness

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    gibson

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    Edited By gibson

    Dark Knight:

    Noun – A motion picture by Chris Nolan. Sequel to Batman Begins. Recognized by general nerdom as the top tier Holy Grail of comic book movies

    Dark Knighted:

    Verb – To be convinced by popular belief a comic movie is better than it is

                    *************************************

    Dark Knighted is a term I use within my circle of friends. And it has become part of our vocabulary. Let me explain (and many comic nerds will vilify me for this) but: I really do not think The Dark Knight was that great a film. Oh, it was good and I enjoyed it a lot. But, the more I think about the movie the more I have to be honest and call it for what it was: good, not great. In fact, Batman Begins was probably better, but I digress….

    What everybody loved about The Dark Knight was what I loved: Heath Ledger’s Joker performance. Aaaaaaaaand that’s about it. People will say the same generic things about Nolan movies: cinematography, realism, dark gritty nature etc. But again, that is just lip service which translates to “When Joker killed that guy with a pencil it was friggin awesome! He flipped a Semi truck!!” So, let’s look at a few things from the flick:

    •          The bat voice was ridiculous. Everyone knows it. Many web sites have parodied the extreme humor of Bale’s “Grrr Where is Rachel Daaaaaawes?!!”
    •          Batman goes into communist China (illegally), kidnaps a Chinese citizen (who left America on a legal visa/passport), and drops him off at Gotham central. Really. So China was cool with that?  So Gotham cops said “Hmmm…well shucks, since he is here and all, might as well question him, State department won’t mind.” Oh, and do you think Batman perch on the C-130 seats, stare at everyone and his bat voice say “I’m Batman. More peanuts please. What’s the in-flight movie?” for the 13hr flight back? Love that Nolan realism.
    •          Eric Roberts and Michael Jai White’s ‘academy performances’ as mob bosses….sigh
    •          Lucius Fox has the gall complain about cell phone sonar after supplying Wayne with tech and gear to perform vigilante justice for years AND assisting in the illegal kidnapping of a Chinese national.
    •         Harvey Dent and his oh so quick heel turn to Two face. A point of contention. Some folks really like this. I thought it was kinda contrived. And the burned face was less than ‘real’. Kinda cartoony.
    •        Batman/Wayne being emo over a girl. Why does Batman always do this in Bat flicks? Rachel Dawes, Vicki Vale, Selina Kyle, Chase Meridian.
    •        Flipping the truck…ok that was awesome!
    •        Christian Bale…I know I know. I like him as an actor as well. But he isn’t a good Batman. Arguably best so far, but still not Batman. Which is odd because he was a great American Psycho. But again, does Batman sit around and pine about his lack of love?
    •        So the prisoner boat, decided NOT to kill the civilians to live huh?….Hmmm…..

    So, what really have is a movie that is a collection of OK to good parts. It was shot well, and Michael Cain, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman were excellent in their supporting roles. And of course Heath Ledger and a Joker performance that blew Jack Nicholson’s out of the water. So, why are we convincing ourselves that this flick was the comic movie Jesus and it walked on water?

    I know we comic fans crave good interpretations of our beloved icons. And we have been burned before (Superman Returns, Iron Man 2, Spider Man 3, Elektra, Ang Lee’s Hulk, X-Men 3,). But please be honest, The Dark Knight was a very well shot and well produced collection of OK stuff with a kick ass villain.

    So, when people yell at me for this opinion and call me crazy I have to ask: If you were to skip all the Joker scenes from the movie, just fast forward right on through them, would you still like it so much? Does Bales throaty Batman, Aaron Eckhart’s 9 min of villain time and 1 Semi truck flip still do it for you? Probably not.

    Comic friends, this movie was good. But don’t deify it yet. Make the studios work harder to make an even better product. Batman Begins and Dark Knight are both good movies. But are they Batman movie you would make? Or are they just the best Batman we have been given so far.

    But hey, I am just a dude with a different opinion. And I never made over a billion dollars, so what the hell do I know ;-)

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    TheRedRobin

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    #1  Edited By TheRedRobin

    This except for the prisoner boat i would have been able to understand if it was just the one guy and the other guys freaked out him. But they were all like oh we'll die that's cool. It wouldn't have been wierd if one seemed better but instead Nolan made it look like the prisoners were innocent people.
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    Donovan Montgomery

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    I can agree on liking Batman Begins better that The Dark Knight.  Much better story.

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    the_stegman

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    #3  Edited By the_stegman  Moderator

    oh yay, another Dark Knight hate thread

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    joshmightbe

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    #4  Edited By joshmightbe

    I agree that it could have been better, that being said it is still the best Batman and DC movie made so far.

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    cattlebattle

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    #5  Edited By cattlebattle

    I agree with this post, Dark Knight is over rated as all hell, 
     
    My favorite gripe is people bashing the X-Men and other comic films movie for not being accurate, but Nolan is not really accurate either...and people love it and defend it like they would a religion
     
    people are easily brainwashed

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    sesquipedalophobe

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    #6  Edited By sesquipedalophobe

    It's the fans who lionized Nolan. I could think of a few other characters Nolan could portray rather than a man who dresses up in tights and uses bat-themed gadgetry. As for accuracy, nothing will have quite the Batman feel as this.

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    Mekboy

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    #7  Edited By Mekboy

    While I do agree that TDK is vastly overrated, I still thought it was a really great film.

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    Do I have to give a name?

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    I've always said that when it comes to TDK The Joker was a 9 or a 10, but the overall movie is no better than a 6. I found Batman begins to be at least twice as good. 

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    gibson

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    #9  Edited By gibson

    Wanted to adress THE STEGMAN's comment, and that this is NOT a hate thread. With the new movie being filmed, there is blow back from the images (Ann Hathaway doesnt look like Selena Kyle Catwaoman, Bane is too small etc). Some comic folk are clinging again to their 2008 fond memories of TDK. And as i said then as i am now, IMO it isn't as great as you think it was/remember.  
     
    Good? yes. Great? No. No one has nailed the Batman yet. Other than the animated movies i doubt anyone will.  
     
    Batman has the incredible misfortune of being in movies called "Batman". Why? Because no one cares about the Bat. The villains take the cake. Indiana Jones was great. You subtract the villains and he was still great. They were good foils, but did not make the movies. Darth Vader was a great villain, but he was in 'Star Wars' and not The Adventures of Jedi Luke.  
     
    Point is, Batman is rarely the focus in a Batman movie, and that sucks. And what they do focus on in the batman films, is not the Batman we know from comics.  
     
    Just my tuppence.
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    Jonny_Anonymous

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    #10  Edited By Jonny_Anonymous
    @gibson: And the Batpod scene, that was awesome. I love TDK but I dont think its DC's best film that IMO goes to Watchmen 
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    .Mistress Redhead.

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    @gibson: I love everything you said, but have to do this..

    ;)

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    The_Ghostshell

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    #12  Edited By The_Ghostshell

    I liked both films but never really thought either was great. Best thing about Begins was everything before Bale actually became Batman. Are there holes in DKR? Course, but kids and people with a nonchalant suspension of disbelief can/will/and did overlook the majority of the complaints listed above. Personally I'd watch the movie over and over again just to see Will Fichtner (the mob backed Bank Prez with the shotty) go out like Dog Day Afternoon.

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    entropy_aegis

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    #13  Edited By entropy_aegis

    The Dark Knight rises will RISE lol.

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    entropy_aegis

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    #15  Edited By entropy_aegis
    @Edamame:  
    It's kinda funny you know,those prisoners will be breaking out of Blackgate and joining Bane.
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    Jnr6Lil

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    #16  Edited By Jnr6Lil

    lol

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    JediXMan

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    #17  Edited By JediXMan  Moderator

    It's a common trend to hate on things that are popular.
     
    I liked it. It's my favorite comic movie. Sue me.

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    gibson

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    #18  Edited By gibson
    @JediXMan: Glad you liked it, and it is your favorite. I liked it. I own it. I just didn't think it was as great as people make it out to be for the reason i listed.
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    shatterstar

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    #19  Edited By shatterstar  Moderator
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    dernman

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    #20  Edited By dernman

    I'm going to have to disagree with you on the Dark Knight. 
    I never give a shit about what critics or other people say about a movie.  Most of the time I'm on the opposite end of the majority or popular opinion.
    I like what I like and that's it. Your opinion it isn't as great as people make it out to be but my opinion that it is that great.
    In the end all it is is an opinion and the Dark Knight is undeserving of the label your trying to make it into.

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    gibson

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    #21  Edited By gibson

    heh heh. Still don't feel like a hater. But if you have a difference of opinion i reckon you get called that.

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    JediXMan

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    #22  Edited By JediXMan  Moderator
    @gibson said:
    @JediXMan: Glad you liked it, and it is your favorite. I liked it. I own it. I just didn't think it was as great as people make it out to be for the reason i listed.
    I understand. Certainly, they are valid points. Though I'm one of the few who did not have a problem with Bale's voice. But I get it. When asked what voices I hear in my head when thinking of specific characters, my answer is: "Bruce Wayne = Christian Bale. Batman = Kevin Conroy." As for Joker, generally, I picture either Heath Ledger or Mark Hamill.
     
    I do not doubt that without Heath Ledger, the movie would not have gotten the praise that it got. But Heath Ledger truly was fantastic and he stole the show.
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    gibson

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    #23  Edited By gibson
    @Dernman: I get what you are saying, and it all comes down opinion. In mine, the movie is deserving of the label  i gave it. I am not going to change your mind and you are not going too change mine. It is cool.
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    IrishX

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    #24  Edited By IrishX

    @JediXMan
    It's also a common trend to like things that are popular..... that's usually how they get that way. 
     
    I personally prefer the Keaton films.

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