the M's Talk

My Darling Clementine

John Ford's My Darling Clementine is one of the earlier treatments of the Wyatt Earp story and it's still one of the best. Henry Fonda is as rock solid as always as the reluctant law man but it is the supporting cast that adds the necessary spice to the story, particularly Walter Brennan who shows there was far more to him than the grizzled old caricature that became his trademark as the callous and black hearted patriarch of the Clanton clan. Victor Mature's limited thespian talents actually work here as his Doc Holliday is as stone-faced as he is self destructive and Linda Darnell is sex on a stick as the extremely noirish and fiery tart with a heart. There is also some great night time photography adding to its noirish feel and the final showdown is realistically atmospheric. It may lack the grit and spectacle of post-Leone westerns but for those who enjoy a traditional tale of the old west, this is an enduring classic.

Wong gok hak yau (One Night in Mongkok)

When street violence spirals out of control, a police unit attempts to cope with the situation and track down a hired killer who proves rather more resourceful than the double-crossing contractor who sells him out had counted on. One Night In Mongkok centres around the criminal underbelly of a district in one of the most densely populated areas of Hong Kong. It involves a dash of social commentary in its portrayal of how rural Chinese flock to the bright lights of Hong Kong to escape poverty only to become treated as a disposable commodity by the ruthless criminals who rule there. Its approach will be familiar to any who have seen the likes of Infernal Affairs or City Of God, falling somewhere between the two in plot and execution. The direction is just the right combination of gritty realism and style and the cast are all strong. The usual combination of brutal violence and grey morality all round won't win any awards for originality, but to anyone who enjoys this type of film, it's a fine example.

This Is Spinal Tap

This Is Spinal Tap is a mock documentary and affectionate parody of heavy metal and its fans. To be honest, I suspect you have to be a metal fan to truly "get" it, but if you do, it's utterly hilarious! If you didn't know already it could be easily mistaken for the real thing; much of the dialogue was ad-libbed and it just captures the spirit of rock bands and the music biz perfectly. There are so many hilarious scenes I can't begin to count and it's the perfect movie to watch with a beer and a few like minded friends. Even the songs are comedy gold! I've seen this film over a dozen times and it still cracks me up EVERY time!

To Live and Die in L.A.

Some Minor Spoilers Here***********************************************************
There are three things going for this crime thriller: it's a great in the sense of being a believable and well-constructed story; for the time, it has ordinary and not top box-office stars, a cast that produce star quality performances; and, of course, it's directed by William Friedkin, a director well known for constructing cinema designed to shock.

The narrative which I understand only barely resembles the story line of the novel is a piece of nasty work in the form of the moral ambiguity that constantly arises when 'good' guys exceed their authority to do whatever it takes to bag the 'bad' guys. Friedkin had already explored that in The French Connection (1971) but, at that time, he used a big star draw card with Gene Hackman, who, as Popeye Doyle, trod on a lot of toes and faces to do the job and still managed to garner sympathy from this viewer, and many others, despite his excesses.

That is not the case for Richard Chance (William Petersen), the T-man who'll do anything to get Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) for murdering another T-man, Jim Hart (Michael Greene), Chance's partner in crime, so to speak. You see (literally and visually) the trouble with Chance, is that he always wants to take a chance on bridging the gap between doing what's right and proper, and doing what he wants to get the job done; ethically, he's a true pragmatist totally vacuous when it comes to core principles. And that's in direct contrast to Rick Masters, who's loyal to all those around him, until they double-cross him; only then do those real 'bad' guys pay the price for their double trouble.

From the narrative perspective, Chance and Masters are mirror images, of course, and each shares the same first name (although, for Masters, Rick is a nick-name), thus providing a duality of principle and purpose in the totally corrupt society as presented by Freidkin; and all of which is summed up with Bob Grimes' (an urbane and consummate Dean Stockwell) pithy rebuttal to Bianca (Debra Feuer) when she asked him why he was lawyer for Masters: "It's just business". Note the great grimy name for Stockwell's totally debased character...

So, the great irony for this story is that Chance works within the law as a T-man, but operates as much as he can outside of it to further his personal interests; while Masters works outside of the law as an anti-T-man (he counterfeits money), while operating within it as much as he can using corrupt lawyers and the legal system to further his own interests. So, who is the real bad guy? Who deserves more sympathy from society?

The ending is fitting, as it should be: out with the old, in with the new. Society continues to function, in all its grime and glory, such as it is; but it is also Friedkin's Disconnection on a grand scale for telling the truth about how it all works. Little wonder: most people can't handle the truth, as somebody said, because there's a little bit of Chance and Masters in all of us. And, we all know what happened to Friedkin's career as a director after this one was released.

There are, however, few thrillers, in the last twenty-five years, better than this one for irony, suspense and action. Add to that the sexually pulsating sound track from Wang Chung and the on-site location shooting around Los Angeles and you have a very believable story in a city where angels always fear to tread.

Is it just co-incidental that many of the actors went on to greater recognition. For William Petersen, this was his second movie; for Willem Dafoe, it was his sixth; for John Pankow, his third; Turturro, his fifth and so on.

See it for sure, if you haven't already; see it again for what you missed first time around. Highly recommended

Roger Dodger

Some Minor Spoilers Here **************************************************************Critics adore independent films. Made usually on shoestring budgets and starring either no-bodies, wannabees or actors trying to make a statement, independent films are usually made by people who love movies for people who love movies. Enter Dylan Kidd's writing and directing debut, the 2002 very funny and memorable film Roger Dodger.

Campbell Scott (The Spanish Prisoner) plays Roger Swanson, a fast talking, chain-smoking, ever drinking 30-something that believes he is truly God's gift to earthly women. We are first introduced to Roger as he engages in conversation with fellow co-workers at a public restaurant and Roger dominates the conversation offering his views on man's ability over women to read maps, the workings and history of the female genatalia and why science and evolution will have men being reduced to servitude in 10 to 15 generations. Roger dominates the dialogue and with rapid fire crass and the occasional sneer at those that joke at his revelations, we are introduced to a man who is on a conceited high that will eventually lead to his emotional crisis.

Enter Roger's nephew, Nick (played by Jesse Eisenberg) who shows up from out of town and looks to Roger for help in the disposing of his virginity. Roger, acting more like someone who wants to show off his masculine powers than act that of a big brother, takes Nick under his wing for a night of adventure. The self-professed `FN lightening rod' for sex sneaks Nick into bars, takes him to a house party and eventually to an underground brothel in an attempt to shed the youngster of his innocence. But with each new venue, we are exposed to Roger's vulnerability and we experience a man who is on a kamikaze mission to destruction.

In a touching scene between Nick and two women picked up at a local bar (played understatedly by Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Berkley), it is Nick's innocence and honestly that has the women swoon over Roger's frank and demeaning manner. The scene is wonderfully lit with just street lights and the camera angles which sometimes don't focus on the talking character, suck you in so that you believe you are on that cold park bench with them.

This is the genius that is usually associated with the independent films. People talk over each other, and sets are usually actual locations that lend to the aura and feel of the film. Dylan Kidd uses what light is available to him and sometimes that means that characters are talking in the dark corners of an alley or are blocked out by the backs of other actors. However, one is never lost or feels betrayed by the filmmakers because the dialogue remains so crisp and real.

Campbell Scott won a best actor award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures for his role in Roger Dodger and in my opinion, he was overlooked for an Academy Award nomination for the same role. He delivers the Tarantino-ish dialogue with precision and makes this disgusting character of a man someone that we can relate to or at least understand.

My final note about independent films is that they don't have the pressure to produce the 'Hollywood' ending. Roger Dodger ends not with Roger realizing the err of his way, but with a poignant adult talk with some school boys who show us the same immaturity as Roger, just at a younger understanding. Kudos to all those involved with this marvelous film that was indeed one of the best of 2002. It goes without saying but this is one to check out

WarGames (War Games)

Wargames is one of my favorite movies out of the 80's I know that Joshua (the computer) is outdated by today's standards and David (Matthew Brodrick) never would have broken into NORAD but it's still one of the best hacker movies ever made and a great cold war thriller. Now I was only 10 when this movie came out so I didn't understand the finer elements of the story.

The acting is solid across the board. Broderick and Sheedy do top notch acting work here. With Dabney Coleman leading a great supporting cast but even though there is a good cast here, the story is what I think makes Wargames the classic that it is. There really is a sense of menace that World War III might actually start and that it might just be all David's fault. This should serve as a reminder to never play Global Thermonuclear War when your computer has tapped into the national defense network.

The NORAD sets are pretty damn cool and they manage to look quite authentic. The soundtrack also must be given special attention just because it has that special 80's flavor and they even made it electronic sounding for the movie. In the beginning you can find a young Michael Madsen in one of his first roles. Maybe even the first I'm not sure.

To sum up here. Wargames is a quality film that will take older moviegoers back to their childhood or young adulthood and will make younger viewers think "they had computers back then?!" A true classic and one that makes a great addition to any DVD collection.

Dead Man's Shoes

This bleak tale of revenge set in a small English town sees Paddy Considine leaving the army and returning home to extract brutal revenge on a group of small time drug dealers who abused his retarded younger brother while he was away. This is an unusual revenge thriller as it often looks more like a slasher flick; Considine is obviously an unstable murderer who has been trained to kill and he systematically executes each of his victims in a very horror film style way. Except in this case his victims are a bunch of unsympathetic scum bags who you can't help feeling probably deserve their fate. In this way the film throws up many mixed emotions as you're never quite sure who you are supposed to be rooting for! But the real kick in the gut is provided by Shane Meadows; he directs very much like a documentary photographer cataloging the grim reality of working class small town life. The actors involved are ugly. They have bad hair and cheap clothes. In other words they look like REAL people, not Hollywood's glamorized, sanitized version of them. As such you feel you are right there in the thick of it, actually witnessing these gruesome events rather than just watching a piece of entertainment. It won't be to everyone's tastes as it's quite a tough movie to sit through because of its extremely grim subject matter, but ultimately it's a very powerful piece of work.

Grosse Pointe Blank

Professional contract killer Martin Blank decides to stop off at his high school reunion while out on a job and rekindles an old flame in the shape of Minnie Driver. Part romantic comedy, part post-Tarantino noir, this is the kind of cinematic hybrid that can sometimes go disastrously wrong (Gigli anyone? Thought not....) but this brilliantly written example is not one of them. The dialogue is witty, snappy and insightful, it has likeable characters played by a great cast headed by John Cusack at his most charming and who shares a real chemistry with his co-star. There are also some great supporting performances by Dan Aykroyd as a rival hitman, Alan Arkin as Blank's unwilling psychiatrist and Joan Cusak as his kind of post-modern old school noir style secretary. Add brisk no nonsense pacing and well handled set pieces and you have a smart and funny black comedy that works on every level.

Izgnanie (The Banishment)

The Dark Knight

Being a bit of a latecomer when it comes to The Dark Knight, this film was always going to be about the hype. It's a tall order to live up to the expectation generated by the most anticipated film of the year directed by one of my favourite directors containing a performance lauded over by all and sundry.
Basically, it had a HELL of a lot to live up to. And no, it did not disappoint. Much. I loved Batman Begins, particularly its examination of the psychology of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Unfortunately this is pretty much absent from The Dark Knight; it's The Joker's show all the way, and Ledger tiptoes the line between playfulness and psychosis perfectly. His character is obviously designed to strike a cord with western audiences as a villain with no agenda, fear of death or capture, no objective other than chaos is clearly the ultimate "terrorist". I just wish there had been more dialogue between he and Bale, rather than The Joker making observations while Batman wordlessly pounded on him. But absolutely every other aspect of the film is pretty much flawless; the action, the effects, the performances, all spot on. The script is brilliantly written and I was glad to see it didn't follow the usual pattern of "we're all super-baddies so let's all join up to fight the hero", instead Two Face being a far more believable by-product of The Joker's manipulations. I still prefer the stylistic approach of Sin City, but it's still easily one of the best superhero films ever made.
On second viewing, I watched it right after Batman Begins and they fit together seamlessly to the point they could easily be seen as one complete story. This rectifies all the problems I had with it on the characterisation front. My one gripe is with the flag waving speech Gary Oldman makes right at the end that left me a little cold, but otherwise it's pretty much perfect.

In the Mouth of Madness

Some Minor Spoilers Here***********************************************************

I think In the Mouth of Madness falls into that column of John Carpenter films that fans of his will either love or hate and I could understand the points made for the latter. It is a little hard to get into, at first, as being a very strong film based on the sharply timed shocks and paranoia of Carpenter's horror as a director as well as the ideas presented by the writer, and it does veer into going into the same wild level of deliriousness that soon enough becomes the lead character. But it's a work as well where Carpenter is testing himself, and succeeding in a carefree but controlled way, where he goes for having his cake and eating it too. He gets to throw up on the screen some grisly (and, as a possible tip of the hat to the groundbreaking effects from the Thing, a sometimes funny knock-off) special creature effects and with some masterful displays in editing through the images of abstractions into the character's subconscious, while questioning what he's doing all the time, or at least the genre he and others (notably Stephen King) make their bread and butter.

It's a sort of slightly smarter pulp sci-fi/horror piece, not quite at the insane brilliance of They Live though perhaps in its more deliberate fashion a little creepier, as investigator John Trent (Sam Neill) is investigating the disappearance of a severely popular horror novelist, who's books sometimes make people go a little nuts. Trent sees this first-hand from novelist Sutter Cane's agent, who comes at him wielding an axe (it's one of those pure points in the film that mixed the macabre and satire) He thinks it's a hoax, and soon discovers that he may be in a (fictional?) town called Hobbs End in New Hampshire. What he finds, in typical Carpenter fashion, is describable as being a psychological flip-flopper, where Trent goes from thinking it's all a gag with it being very elaborate, to it suddenly not being, at all. Creatures (supplied wonderfully by KNB) start popping out, disgusting ones that aren't much human, and it even gets to Trett's female companion/literary liaison on the trip. Soon Cane is found in some dank cellar (Jurgen Purchnow, one of Carpenter's most chilling villains in how subtle he is), and he has a new book ready for Trett to bring to the world...

This isn't quite where the film gets weird, though it's probably a little before or a little after this point, and the kind of weirdness I had been hoping to build up. Although it does get close for writer De Luca to being shaky with balancing really dark humor- however in small doses, and depending on how seriously one takes the more overt horror elements- and at the plight of Trent's mind-set in the midst of total Armageddon, Carpenter levels the playing field without missing too many beats. I kept having my mouth hang open either in a 'what the hell' mode or just in sort of plain shock. But it's an entertaining mix and match all the way for a genre fan, and Sam Neill is definitely up for the challenge of playing as well level-headed and rational Trett for the first half, then slowly but surely descending into his own subconscious state of peril- or, perhaps, Trent losing sight on what is perceived as reality or not. Only Neill could go between serious dramatic roles to films like this and Jurassic Park, where his characters' confidence as the practical pragmatist starts to waver as a descent into disaster goes further and further.

What Carpenter ends on in the last section of his "apocalypse" trilogy isn't necessarily a closed-and-shut ending either; I sense that he wants things to be a little closer to the ending of The Thing where it's all doom and gloom but there's a wink to the protagonist's state of mind. Trett's last minutes wandering the streets and going into the movie theater watching himself doesn't really spell anything conclusive, I think, which adds all the more to the fun and intrigue. He could just be still in his hospital room, still in the world that dismisses Cane as pulp-sensationalist trash, albeit successful pulp-sensationalist trash (a little relevant today, eg Dan Brown), and not among the total bat-s*** mess that the world has become while locked in his padded room. It's a question left to the viewer, and a smart one to put up in a film that has by this point thrived mostly on its own sensationalism as well, tongue-in-cheek in the guise of crazy small-town break-out scenario. As a Carpenter fan, I say, bring it on.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford is a bit of a mouthful, but it's titled perfectly. The script is extremely literary and the title is deeply ironic and highlights the fact that real life bears little resemblance to the simplistic interpretation of events that "legends" present. In fact it was Ford's disillusionment in his dealings with the man compared to his childhood hero worship that probably contributed greatly to the resulting killing; that and his own wish to be revered as a "hero" himself. The cinematography is simply beautiful, the film resembling a period photograph come to life. The train robbery scene is one of the most visually stunning pieces of cinema I've ever seen. The performances are also top notch, particularly Brad Pitt whose intense and intimidating interpretation of James once again proves that given quality material he can more than deliver the goods. True, it's rather slow moving and talky, but as such it's a completely different take on one of the most oft filmed stories in cinema, and also one of the best.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Limp. Weak in story, humour & chemistry. Tatted Maria Bello too trailer trash-lookin to play Rachel Weisz' high nose Brit role though she tries - list goes on. Bury this franchise in a tomb somewhere (along with Jet-Li's previous resolution of wantin to stop actin in movies like these)

Planet Terror (Grindhouse Presents: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror)

A deadly plague that turns the populace into flesh eating mutants is released into the atmosphere and a band of misfits join together to fight their way to safety. Robert Rodriguez' pastiche of seventies and eighties style schlock horror seemed like a real breath of fresh air to me. The fact that two of its greatest exponents, Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson have been heading further and further down the overlong, sterile, technology orientated road of mainstream cinema makes it all the more ironic. Tarantino and Rodriguez seem to be headed completely in the opposite direction, concentrating on entertainment rather than ego, and in this film they deliver just the right blend of tongue in cheek humour, knowing homage and outrageous gore, the likes of which I haven't seen since Evil Dead 2. It's half John Carpenter and half George Romero, but manages to ape the films of their hey days to such an extent it surpasses anything either of them has done for a couple of decades. The cast overact their cinematic stereotypes to just the right degree, and the gore is amusingly ridiculous in a similar way to Return Of The Living Dead, itself a tongue in cheek semi-sequel to Romero's original zombie film. It'll never change your world, but that's hardly the point. 100% proof pure entertainment.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (AVP 2)

AVP 2 continues directly from the ending of the first film, with an alien/predator hybrid causing the ship to crash land back on Earth. A second ship is dispatched containing a kind of space-age alien cross between a CSI and Batman to clear up the resulting mess. The first film was dumb but fun, but I have to say I did not have high hopes for this one. At first it seemed that my fears were going to be justified because the first act of the film resembled a teen slasher flick more than anything else, complete with semi-clad nubile teens, people being picked off one by one in dark corridors and the inevitable pre-scares and false alarms. However, once the aliens hit the surface things got a LOT better. It "borrows" ideas heavily from other sources, notably Dawn Of The Dead and especially Aliens; a couple of scenes are lifted directly from it and the kick-ass mom protecting her young daughter is an obvious copy of Ripley. But it does it WELL. Despite the fact that the film can look a little too dark making it difficult to tell what's going on in places, it does look great and the fight sequences are very well done. The small town stereotypes are a little underwritten, but the action makes up for it and it never shies away from the gory side of things giving it a distinctly horror style spin. The alien hybrid is also done far better than the one in Alien Resurrection. For once it seems that a sequel has learned form the mistakes of its predecessor, and the result is a very pleasant surprise.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (The X Files 2)

To begin with I don't want to give away much in the way of plot details here but the new X files movie is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the early episodes of the series

To make this review as short and sweet as possible I have to give kudos to the writers for keeping true to the original series in two respects. The movie did not give in to a pitfall that had doomed many summer films in my eyes. There were no overly complicated special effects or plot lines. The film makers managed to keep the simplicity of the storytelling from the series while also giving depth to the story and characters.
They were also able to brilliantly include some of the classic X-Files humor that fans and newbies alike will be able to appreciate. From subtle references to inside jokes fans have known about for years, to new classic 'awkward' moments, this movie definitely stays true to the original series.

The few pitfalls I found were not big, and maybe they only bugged me but maybe its because I'm such a X Files nerd, but I found a couple to be just strange enough to warrant mention.

some minor spoilers ahead*************************

First, there are a few references to the original series that are not completely solid; the most important of which is the reference to Mulder and Scully's son, William. The way he is referenced in the movie, newbies to the X-Files could be led to believe that William died. He is actually still alive, living with his adoptive parents after Scully was forced to give him up to protect him
Also, I would have enjoyed a more mythology based plot. I guess the argument for this would be that it has been too long since the show ended. The movie is aimed at people new to the X-Files, so I guess they wanted to go with a safe bet to gain new fans. Perhaps we will see more mythology if and when we see an XF3.

Despite a few minor problems I really enjoyed this movie and fans and even nonfans of the show should enjoy it.

The Dark Knight

To start off here. I've been a Batman fan since I was child. I do remember reading all of the comics I could get my hands on. As with most kids I had alot of comics I would read but Batman was always the top pick for me. He was the one that was real to me. No superpowers, just a ordinary man who has built up his mind and body to perfection in a attempt to rid Gotham City of the kind of criminal element that took his parents away from him as a child. I do remember thinking of Batman as I was reading the comics back then ( and I still do) that maybe in his mind he figures that if he puts away enough villians that in the end he will get to see his parents alive one last time. A kids way of thinking I guess but thats one thought I had from my childhood about him that always stuck with me. Then in my teens the film series started. The previous film series started out promising with Batman 1989, not a great film but a good start. Each film that followed got worse until we hit the lowest of the low with" Batman And Robin" a film so bad that I haven't been able to sit through the entire thing to this day. I have to admit things looked bleak for the Batman live action films . To me I could at least say I had the animated series to fall back on and the great animated film " Batman Mask Of The Phantasm" which anyone who hasn't seen this film should check it out as soon as possible. Then Christopher Nolan entered the picture and helped bring life back to the Batman live action films. I will begin my Dark Knight review with this, hype can be the undoing of an undeserving movie. And I've never seen a movie in my lifetime with more hype than The Dark Knight ( maybe except for Batman 1989). Between the return of The Joker and Two-Face to the big screen, the tragic death of Heath Ledger and the fact that it was following one of the most realistic and best comic based movies ever, the pressure was on Chris Nolan and his cast to deliver. And not only did they, but they hit it out of the park. The plot was finely crafted to make every scene, every character, important to the film. To make a long story short and simple, Harvey Dent is trying to clean up Gotham through the "proper" channels, basically acting as Batman's lawful counterpart. The Joker, however, would rather watch the city burn (figuratively). Heath Ledger dissolved into the sick, twisted role in a way I've seen very few actors do and deserves to be commended, regardless of his untimely passing. Its been a while since I could say that something made my skin crawl until The Joker tells the story (or at least A story) of how he got his facial scars. That along with the pencil trick which made me jump in my seat.

Gotham's need for a hero is glorified in this film. And so is it's hate for that same hero. A masked hero is not a hero at all. He is more like a vigilante who is to be arrested on sight. For it is he who has brought darkness upon them. Hence, they await a 'White Knight'. One who does not need to hide his face from the people. One whose identity is known by all and sundry. One who fears nothing. We find ourselves witnessing sacrifice. Then again, it isn't merely the sacrifice of a person, or even many, for the sake of something good in the end. It is the sacrifice of oneself.

The genius of Christopher Nolan brings to us the sequel of Batman Begins, a revamp to the entire saga of Batman on the big screen. A film that helped change the way the entire world looked at comic book superheroes. The Dark Knight succeeds in taking it not just one, but a couple of steps further. Christian Bale is still the same under that black mask. Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is not just terrifying or shocking, it is beyond belief. That voice, that walk, that laugh! It is nothing short of haunting. Then there is Aaron Eckart, playing Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent, who is just as good. Everyone in this film is spot on. Everything about it is a revelation.

It's two and a half hours long. The dialogue is gripping. It is absolutely magnificent seeing something like this on the big screen. The entire concept of Batman wanting to go back to becoming Bruce Wayne and be done with his superhero days, and how he tries to achieve that by glorifying Harvey Dent, the DA of Gotham City, goes deep into the character of Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is, after all, only human. The character of The Joker, his want to give Gotham a 'better class of criminal', to prove that 'when the chips are down, civilized people will eat each other' shows us an entire different side of the common people.

Going back to The Joker, he is perhaps the most complex villain created in comic book history and giving him a simple 'bad guy' tag would not be doing justice to him. The wonders they have done with him is unbelievable. He robs millions of dollars only to burn it. He is indeed a man one 'does not understand'. He is one who 'just want to watch the world burn'. The film is a work of art, often obscure. The sequences have been made with the utmost attention to detail, the last 45minutes being absolutely outstanding.
While Heath deserves the most attention for the Joker, the rest of the cast deserves some extra praise. Christian Bale is excellent as both playboy Bruce Wayne and the dark knight. Aaron Eckhart plays the ying to Batman's yang until the accident that scars him, turning into a madman with a purpose. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman both show their old charm and Maggie Gyllenhaal steps in and does a very good job replacing Katie Holmes. To sum up here since I feel I might be rambling, this is an epic comic book masterpiece that I feel fans and even non fans of Batman will enjoy. Simply one of the best