Comic book adaptations

Batman (1989) was undeniably a blockbuster and franchise-starter, and is now, by default, a classic. I'm just not that fond of it - it feels dated, with a drab visual style and performances (especially Jack Nicholson's) that are rather hammy.

The Dark Knight is a riveting cinematic achievement. Christian Bale dons the mask of the bat, and even with the multitude of characters and storylines that inhabit this movie, he grounds the story and gives it weight. When the Batman is in control, Gotham seems definitive and forward moving; but when he loses that control, Gotham lacks all sense of hope. It's a brilliant job by Bale as he brings the viewer behind the mask and carries them on his journey through Bruce Wayne's private hell.

In his portrayal of the Joker, the only surprise in Heath Ledger's performance is that it exceeds the hype. This would have been a career-making role for Ledger, one that would have placed him on par with the best actors in Hollywood. Instead, like James Dean in Exit to Eden, his portrayal of the Joker acts as a footnote to a short yet almost remarkable career.

Ledger's Joker is an evil force of nature. He is anarchy personified. The character has no morals, no rules and no reason for anything. He does it because he wants to, and destruction and death appear as a result. The Joker is an infection spreading throughout the heart of Gotham, threatening to choke off the blood supply. When the Joker is on the screen, the audience is riveted to their seats in the fear of what he might do next.

Aaron Eckhart is startlingly good in the role of Harvey Dent, a man focused on ridding Gotham of the influence of crime in the daylight, while Batman strikes at night. There are interesting parallels set up between Dent's work within the system, and Batman's work completely around the system. As the story progresses, it becomes painfully obvious that Batman's success has its share of costs to the city as well. Dent eventually becomes the poster child for this situation, as his work and Batman's are painfully shredded by the Joker's mad impulses.

Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine bring their usual excellence to their respective support roles. Maggie Gyllenhall, replacing the wooden Katie Holmes as Rachel, brings one of the few bright lights to a dark Gotham. Let's don't forget also Gary Oldman, who gives his best again.

The film is incredibly well shot, paced and scored. The script is surprisingly rich in depth, full of political and emotional intrigue. It succeeds in elevating the movie above the expectations of the audience.

For Harvey Dent, the picture tells the complete story of a man rising through society, who eventually falls due to his overwhelming faith in himself.

In simplest terms, The Dark Knight is an exhausting, intense and riveting crime story one minute, and a frightening tale of personal terror the next.

As a personal remark, I would recommend this movie because of the Joker, but the concept itself, of batman, seems a little childish...a comic-book superhero that doesn't seem to be believable, regardless of its science-fiction roots

I totally disagree with the idea of revenge...but I think the audience always likes it

Miller's adaptation certainly looks impressive and the female characters are all drop-dead gorgeous in a Sin City way, but the script and story are all over the place and it never really comes together.

too childish...yet fun to watch

The world of Sin City is so artificially created, so taken to an unworldly extreme (in noted contrast, it should be added, to the pseudo-neorealism of original film noir) that the gender constructions are almost not offensive, for these are people who were never normal, who were born hard-boiled into a hard-boiled, strictly black and white world and it almost seems wrong to apply the judgments of the real world to one twisted to such excess. Taking its values at its own level one can't help but admire the lengths such ugly, downtrodden men will go to to prove something to their women. But frankly in such a world these women would be far from helpless, and the endless series of slick, immaculately styled, violent male-on-male retributions for the sake of Sin City's many, many women of the night is both too much of one thing and not enough of the other. In small amounts this unbalance can be wicked fun, but pushing past the two hour mark it is too easy to get tired of Sin City's various sins.

tommy lee jones is crackin'...

Ok, here's my take on this movie, and this is coming from someone who hasn't read the graphic novels and had no expectations for the movie. If you like these sorts of gritty, edgy movies filled with all sorts of morals about violence, humanity, nuclear war, and vengeance, then you might like Watchmen. Still, at 163 minutes, it's really long, and especially long, given the fact that much of the movie is dark, perilous violence. It's not a simple good vs. evil storyline. In fact, I'd probably have to see it again to figure out the deeper meanings of the story.

never gets old

funny...makes me recall childhood cartoons...

kitschy as a ferrari with crome spinners

I can't stand maguire's day-to-day character...sometimes he's just a wimp