In an attempt to escape the triple digit heat this weekend, my husband and I headed for the theater. The Dark Knight won the time lottery--you know, when you stand outside the building and stare at the digital marquee to see which, of the five summer movies you want to see, is the one you don't have to wait an hour for. This movie was on my personal list to see, but I so hoped Mamma Mia! would win the lottery. Ah Pierce, we'll meet later.
Okay, back to the movie at hand.
This much anticipated sequel to Batman Begins promised to deliver horrific bad guys, and it did. It also delivered a lot of loud vehicle chases and violent action. But my husband loved it. It was a long a movie, two and a half hours, and could have cut back on some of the action, at least 45 minutes worth, in my opinion. Much of it was too fast and hard to follow.
And loud. But some people like that, particularly male viewers who I imagine were the target audience.
The story line was solid, with edge of seat suspense and several "Oh, no!" moments--sprinkled in-between the aforementioned action.
Reasons this movie annoyed me:
- Batman's voice. Thank goodness he was involved in all those car chases instead of talking.
- Confusing scenes with too many characters. I lost the plot occasionally. But, hey, I was in an air conditioned building in the triple digit heat. I put up with confusing scenes.
Reasons to see this movie:
- Alfred, the butler. Brilliant casting of Michael Caine, the plucky servant who tells Bruce Wayne what he needs to hear. I wished there had been more of him in this movie, but I enjoyed the moments he had on stage.
- The ingenious creation on-screen of the villian, Two Face. It was worth waiting through two-thirds of the movie for this transformation.
- Heath Ledger as the Joker. If for no other reason, see this movie to view the actor's final performance. Of all the Joker's I ever knew, (not talking personally here, just four decades of watching the twisted villian played by everyone from Caesar Romero to Jack Nicholson,) Heath's depiction is the most believable portrayal of the arch enemy. From the trailers, I was afraid I'd be weirded out by this greasy psycho--and I was, but in a good way.
I rate this movie 4 out of 5 stars. I knocked it down a notch because of the excessive action, even though the men in my family, (and just now the two anchor men in the evening news,) have made it clear that explosions, loud engines, and general chaos is what makes this movie great. Oh, and don't get them started on the cool motorcycle! Apparently I don't have enough testosterone to appreciate it. But, honestly, what keeps this review high is Heath. If his star had to dim, I'm greatful this was the role people will be talking about for years to come. I'm so ready for a good musical/comedy/romance! Hold on Pierce, perhaps we'll rendezvous next weekend!
