The Dark Knight
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Image by Craig Grobler via Flickr
2008, on IMAX
You should know
After quite a bit of hassle, Brian and I got tickets to a Friday night showing at the Franklin Institute (aside: I don't care how hip they're trying to be, I will not call it "The Franklin").
We had some time before the show, so we ducked into the gift shop. Brian got an Astronaut Ice Cream for nostalgia's sake. I tried a taste of it, since I had never had it before. It took me a moment to figure out why I recognized it -- it tastes like the "marshmallows" in kids' cereal. Not relevant; just interesting.
Also, let me just say that there are certain things in life that I just don't need to see four stories tall. So I'm going to have to wait 'til the movie comes out on video before I can witness the "pencil trick" we've all heard so much about (and, let's face it, you've probably seen already...). I've said in previous weeks that blood doesn't really bother me, and it doesn't. But when I'm watching ER or Grey's Anatomy, I can watch all the surgeries, with their squishy battered organs, and be fine. But I can't watch injections or incisions. They squick me out.
Also, let me just say that there are certain things in life that I just don't need to see four stories tall. So I'm going to have to wait 'til the movie comes out on video before I can witness the "pencil trick" we've all heard so much about (and, let's face it, you've probably seen already...). I've said in previous weeks that blood doesn't really bother me, and it doesn't. But when I'm watching ER or Grey's Anatomy, I can watch all the surgeries, with their squishy battered organs, and be fine. But I can't watch injections or incisions. They squick me out.
A bit of advice
You know how when a long line is expected, there tends to be winding barricades? Velvet ropes, or metal rails, or those elastic band things? And you know how when the line is kind of short, people tend to just duck under them and head right for the line?
Yeah. I don't do that. Why? Because I don't want to cut in front of the poor sap who's actually following the rules. And I really resent it when someone who's too lazy to walk around in a circle for five seconds gets to cut in front of me when I'm following the rules.
So please. Just follow the line. And if that means someone cuts in front of you... well, I can't in good conscious advise you to tell them off, but I'll sure smile if you do...
But seriously. Two wrongs don't make a right, if you'll forgive a cliche, but if enough people do the right thing, the rest will either follow or get ostracized. Either way.
But you're just here for Batman, so....
So?
Gotham is starting to get used to the idea of Batman. Street gangs imitate him and attack petty thieves. Organized crime struggles to stay out of his sight. The city is inspired to elect a "white knight" of a District Attorney in Harvey Dent. And a new villain, calling himself the Joker, relishes the elevation that Batman has brought to the battle between order and chaos. Joker loves chaos.
Dealing with these three larger-than-life characters are Jim Gordon, one of the last noble cops left in Gotham; Rachel Dawes, Bruce Wayne's childhood best friend and recent ex-girlfriend, who left Bruce when he chose Batman over her and has since started dating Dent; and Lucius Fox, one of the geniuses of Wayne Industries and the man responsible for the Batmobile. Oh, yeah, and Alfred the Butler.
Have I got this right when I say that Joker is Chaotic Evil, Batman is Lawful Good (at least, according to his own moral code), and Dent is Lawful Neutral? My Geek-fu is not strong.
But I may up it through this: Two-Face was appropriately grotesque, but I couldn't help thinking he looked like Jonah Hex.
Rating
See it...Assuming, of course, that you haven't already, and that you can handle some very intense, violent, and occasionally heartbreaking scenes. It does its job very well, but it has a completely different job than anything involving Adam West ever did.
The rest of the Internet
Beware of spoilers...
Andy at Selections From the Scrolls of the PlatinumWarlock deems Iron Man the superior superhero movie, but The Dark Knight the better movie.
Michael Clayton and moviejohn at BlogCritics wax enthusiastic, while Craig Lyndall warns against overhype.
The IMDb and Wikipedia pages.
