The Next-To-Last Word: The Dark Knight

I think it’s fair to say that this has been a pretty loaded summer movie season when it comes to films based on comics. Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk have certainly put Marvel back on the map, after a series of misfires, while Hellboy returned with a bloody vengeance, easily topping its predecessor, and proving just how imaginative Guillermo Del Toro can be when he’s given total free reign. Even Wanted hit it big, despite deviating heavily from the source material. But could all those films pale in comparison to Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight? Early word is that this movie, even moreso than Begins, will redefine Batman on film. Some even believe it’s the standard by which all future comic book films should be measured. To say nothing of Heath Ledger’s portrayal as the Joker, with more and more talk of a possible Oscar nomination with ever passing day. At this point, I’ve heard too much to believe the film will be anything short of fantastic.

Pretty much picking up where the last film left off, Batman finds himself dealing with the reaction that comes from his presence as Gotham’s vigilante crimefighter. To put it bluntly, the criminals in Gotham are pissed!! If it’s not Batman they have to deal with, it’s this do-gooder punk Harvey Dent, Gotham’s new district attorney, who’s cracking down on crime so hard, even Batman is wondering whether or not he should just hang up the cape and let Dent take care of things. But with the crime bosses’ frustration, comes desperation. Thus introducing the Joker, a man so beyond insanity that he’ll prove how sane he is by driving everyone else in Gotham City crazy!! How far will the police and Batman go to stop this madman?!? Will they trade on their ideals, turn their backs on everything they believe in? Will it be worth it?

I definitely like what this film is trying to do, as all the main characters are pushed to extremes. Despite a common goal, Batman, James Gordon, and Harvey Dent all have very different ways of ridding Gotham City of crime, and I’m looking forward to seeing how these characters will undoubtedly clash. And it would appear that they’ll find themselves tested, and struggling with whether or not to cross the lines they’ve drawn for themselves. Gordon warned Batman about the threat of escalation, and the Joker symbolizes that threat. There’s no understanding him, no way of reasoning with him, he’s just nuts. There’s a lot going on in this film, but I have absolute faith in Nolan, who has always impressed me as a filmmaker. Even when he’s not 100% on point (Insomnia), he’s still better than a lot of filmmakers out there on their best day. Another five years, and Nolan will stand beside Spielberg and Scorsese as names that are synonymous with premiere filmmaking. When people were hyping M. Night Shaymalan as the next big thing as far as directors, Nolan was laying in the cut, thinking to himself, “Oh, I’ve got something for that ass!!” And I believe that this may just be the film to prove it.

Now, I still love Burton’s Batman films. Say what you want, but I still found them to be entertaining and enthralling films that very much captured the essence of Batman, or at least could tie back to a relevant era of the character. The first film was great it terms of just feeling like a pulp comic, and there was an atmosphere to it that really floored me as a kid, and still does today. I loved that you really couldn’t pinpoint what time period they were trying to represent, with the gangsters in 40s style suits, the Cagney-esque warehouse shootouts, etc. I loved all the unconventional choices made, especially with Michael Keaton as Batman, and a soundtrack by Prince, of all people!! All things considered, I don’t think it’s fair to discount Burton’s films as a lot of fans have done, regardless of what Nolan has done. That said, Nolan is really going for broke on this one. Ever since Begins, the approach has been to make everything as realistic as possible, and it certainly is appreciated. Shooting the film in Chicago certainly gives it the sense of scope and grandeur that really adds to the realism Nolan is going for. It’s also a kick to see how someone would plausibly do what Batman does, and know that all of the technology on film has some real-world inspiration. Although you have to wonder how much property damage Batman has been responsible for. He destroyed the monorail in the first film, and his approach to driving the Tumbler seems to be, “Oh shit, I just drove over a dozen cars and blew the freeway to smithereens! Ah, Bruce Wayne can pay for it!”

In terms of the characters and casting of those characters, Batman Begins certainly set a high standard, and The Dark Knight looks to raise the bar even higher. Honestly, I’m so burnt out on the praise being heaped upon Heath Ledger, that I’m starting to turn my attention to Aaron Eckhart, who has his own journey in the film, which will ultimately lead to him becoming Two-Face. Beyond that, we’ve got Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, and while I personally don’t care for the character’s inclusion period, I can at least take comfort in knowing that a more capable actress is in the role. Then of course, there’s Gary Oldman returning as Lieutenant James Gordon, and I can’t wait to see where they take his character, because there was nothing I loved more about Begins than the establishing of his relationship with Batman. Aside from the silly coincidence of him being the patrolman that consoles Bruce as a child after his parents were murdered, I loved that the filmmakers actually showed him some respect and portrayed him as the independent, iron-willed cop that has come to an understanding with Batman, and isn’t just there like he was in the previous films, to the point where he served no other purpose than to be a punchline. So for giving Gordon back his dignity, thank you Gary Oldman and Christopher Nolan! As for Christian Bale, my only complaint about him is that his voice for Batman is still atrocious!!! It’s absolutely terrible, and I can’t stand hearing him talk when he’s Batman! Beyond that nitpick, he’s doing great. And I love him as the Bruce Wayne he chooses for people to see, because he really does straddle the line of “rich man’s douchebaggery” from time to time. It really sells the idea of why no one would ever suspect him of being Batman. Bruce Wayne in the public can always be seen with at least one model-quality female on his arm, and always has a subtle way of letting you know how filthy rich he is.

As it stands, I can’t imagine this film being anything but epic. In fact, I won’t settle for it being anything but epic, because too many freakin’ people have been gushing about how freakin’ epic it is!! And with it clocking in at over two and a half hours, even my bladder demands that it be epic, ‘cause if it’s anything less, it will make me suffer, I just know it!!