I really don't know how to review this movie without giving away at least one of the many amazingly great things that happened in it. So, I'll keep things pretty basic and vague. Maybe I'll use a point-form list! Yes, I will. Here we go:
- the intro was great
- Heath Ledger was a great Joker. He established himself as super-crazy and evil right from the
start. Very random, creepy, and scary-as-hell at moments
- Harvey Dent was quite likable, which I found surprising
- Batman was kick-ass as always, but he had to answer questions and deal with things he hasn't had to in any other
movie, which made for some excellent scenes
- that being said, Batman took a back-seat (or at least shared the front seat equally) with Joker,
Dent and Gordon
- THAT being said, Gordon made this movie go from 'good' to 'great' in any scene he was
in
- I was actually so pissed off by one scene (about an hour in, maybe a little more) that I almost
walked out of the theatre
- the end is one of the best endings a movie could ever have
I want to focus on the end of this movie, though not actually say what will happen in it. I'll keep the vague things going. I have been talking lately about the fact that this will be a trilogy (and apparently no more, which is sad since these are great, great movies) but, since the Joker is in this second one, and Ledger won't be able to come back to play him in the third, what can they use to top him in the third? The Joker - Batman relationship is the be-all end-all of the Batman world. Even if they do find a better villain than the Joker to put in the third one (maybe Bane?) how would they make it a different movie than the ones we've already seen (and yes, this movie is a lot different than 'Batman Begins' in mostly mood and character depth and also, ironically, in lightness - this movie seemed to have a lot more daytime scenes, which made a lot of the things happen way creepier). The ending they gave this movie was, for me, pretty unexpected but really the best way to go with a Batman storyline. It might actually have become my favorite Batman storyline I've seen/read so far. The speech and last lines of the movie almost make it gut-wrenching.
My one complaint was the make-up for one of the characters (you'll realize who when you see it). It was great looking, but almost too perfect, and I guess I was just expecting something a little more "realistic" for the look of this one figure. Oh well.
So, what did I think of the movie overall? Well, throughout it, I was impressed... but maybe not as impressed as I was with 'Batman Begins.' It was on par with it, but not as amazing as a lot of people had said. The last scenes make it pretty damn amazing, putting it above its predecessor.
5 / 5 - I was blown away. Once it was over, I didn't really know what to say and the place burst into applause. Batman.
Also, I got a Batman cup with Batman jutting out of the top of it. Nice.
PS - Great preview beforehand, so make sure you get there early enough to catch it. I won't say exactly what it is, but, as a comic book movie, it has the potential to overcome all the Batman movies together. Maybe. The Smashing Pumpkins help.