The Dark Knight Review

The Dark Knight

We Deserve A Better Class Of Super Hero Flicks. Chris Nolan’s Gonna Give It To Us.

July 18, 2008 – I was terrified of watching this movie. Not because I was actually afraid of the film. Not at all, though parts of this film will keep me up at night staring into the darkness. Rather, I was afraid for the film. I’ve been following the hype machine following this movie for quite a long time now, longer than most movies I follow, and I couldn’t believe any film could live up to it.  How could it? As interesting as the trailers were, they didn’t speak to me. I was interested, certainly. I was even hooked. But I was never reeled in. I knew that everybody was raving over the late Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. I knew that the stunts, effects and camerawork were said to be spectacular. How could anything live up to it all? A sequel at that. Granted, a sequel to one of the most acclaimed Super Hero films ever, but still a sequel. What can I say that hasn’t been said? Probably nothing, however, let me make this clear: This film is a masterpiece.

Before I go any further, there is something I feel has to be made clear. I’ve read many reviews, from people lucky enough to see it ahead of time, that call it a masterpiece, yes, but because to them it’s a crime-drama masterpiece. Yes, the crime drama aspects are important, and excellent. Vital too. But this movie is not a crime drama. It is a super hero film. When someone watches this film, and recognize its greatness, why do they feel that they have to classify it as a more critically dignified genre? Can it only be taken serious if it is a crime-drama? Is there something wrong with admitting it to be a super hero film? Does that somehow take away from its mastery of the cinematic art? I say it is a superhero film. And it is a masterpiece. It doesn’t need to be something else to be what it is. I’ve long known that serious story telling could come from comic books. Stories that could achieve incredible heights in whatever medium they were put in. Stand up and take notice that Super Heroes and Comic Books can be for adults too. But the nature of Superheroes is a subject for a future rant. Or dissertation. Or whatever.

(We now return you to your regularly scheduled review)

The plot starts out simple. Batman’s presence in Gotham has brought out the best and the worst. The best takes the form of the new district attorney, Harvey Dent. Dent is the face of fearless, public justice. He’s a truly inspiring and capable arm of the law. He takes Batman as inspiration to stand up and fight evil fearlessly, but does it where he can do the most good: The Courtroom.             The worst takes the form of the menacing, creepy, sinister, sadistic, [insert several more appropriate descriptive words here] Joker. The Joker’s motives start out seemingly normal. He appears to be out for money. This, however, is far from the Joker’s true motivation, which is far more dangerous. In the struggle between the forces of good, like Batman, Lieutenant Gordon,  and Harvey Dent, and the forces of evil, the Joker and a friend gone bad, Gotham turns into a war zone, fighting for the soul of the city. The plot coherently follows winding twists and turns that always surprise, always deliver, and yet never leaves you lost if your paying attention.

Much ado has been made about Heath Ledger’s Joker. There has even been rumored Oscar talk. After seeing the film, I’m positive that if Ledger doesn’t get a nomination, he will have been robbed, and if it were up to me, there’d be no question, he’d get the little golden man now, and receive the send-off that his burgeoning talent deserved before the world lost him prematurely. His masterwork in this film only amplifies how much of a tragedy it really is.

I could go on from here to talk about the intricacies of psychosis, disappearing pencils, maniacal laughs, phone calls, bombs and body counts. I could talk about how you can’t keep your eyes off of him. I could talk about how the makeup that seems to be rotting off of his face will haunt your dreams. But nothing I say will convey the lasting impression Ledger’s Joker leaves. I was worried from the reviews that Ledger might have overplayed it. I was worried from the trailers that he might have under-played it. And for the first few times I saw the Joker on screen I worried he under-played it. But as I watched, layers were peeled away, and more layers kept coming, and what starts as a very good villain at the beginning turns into the greatest screen villain ever by the end. If you need one reason to watch this movie, watch it for the Joker.

If you can peel your eyes off of Ledger for any length of time you’ll find excellent acting in pretty much every scene of this movie from the entire supporting cast. Christian Bale is the perfect Batman as always, with the right mix of billionaire playboy during the day and agent of justice at night. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are perfect as Luscious Fox and the butler Alfred respectively, each with important, character defining choices to make with moral weight. Aaron Eckhart does a terrific job with DA Harvey Dent, Gotham’s White Knight, not to mention the tragic turn the character takes two thirds of the way through. To save from spoiling too much, I’ll just say that Eckhart played both sides of the coin that is Dent’s character perfectly. Gary Oldman does a brilliant job giving a sense of reality and wholesomeness to Lieutenant Gordon, and Maggie Gyllenhaal plays an improved Rachel Dawes.

The cinematography was spectacular. It made unprecedented, and glorious, use of the Imax Camera. Now, what I wouldn’t have given to see it on an IMAX screen …. Most every angle was great and added to the emotion of the film, though there was an occasional moment when the camera gave just a bit to much room for Batman’s pointy ears in close ups that ultimately make it seem that Batman is sliding down out of the screen. It only happened once or twice, and it was generally a small difference anyhow.

As for the look, Gotham never looked so true to life. Of coursed it helps when Chicago is willing to become the playground for the film. I’ll always be a fan of the overly gothic architecture of the Tim Burton films, but the realistic city lends weight and reality to the proceedings. The special effects and CGI, which you almost never notice with one exception, are all pretty excellent as well.

****Spoiler Alert****

 My only gripe is with Two-Face’s face. Now I’m not saying the whole thing was bad, but I kinda wish the popped eye looked a bit more real. It might have helped if it looked as scarred as the rest of the face, but in such a way that you know it’s an eye. You know, whiten the pupil a bit, maybe make the orb itself less glaringly white. Even still, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Two-Face’s scarred visage when he was on-screen.

****Spoiler Alert****

The Audio was also exceptionally brilliant, with a truly disturbing theme for the Joker that ratchets up the tension perfectly, as well as the subtly swelling trumpets and horns recognizable from the trailers. All of the sound effects were right on target too. The Film editing was brilliant, and the ease with witch it made keeping tabs on all of the action and plot-lines at once was superb. His film also deserves an award for its editing, easily.

Most of the complaints I’ve seen of this film, which are admittedly few and far between, rest on a couple of things: 1.) It’s too dark and sadistic 2.) The length, and at two and a half hours, it is a longer movie than most. 3.) The twisting plot. The last two complaints are often bedfellows, as several critics argue that as much as 30 minutes of the film could be shaved off. This may simply be a matter of taste, but the plot was so intriguing, that those 2 ½ hours were some of the fastest of my life. There was never a moment I was looking at my watch going, “Man, couldn’t we hurry this along a little?” And as for the plot twists and turns, they were many and often, but never too confusing for me. Once again this is simply taste as some people like more straightforward stories. I like mine nice and complicated. But the first on is what gets me a little riled up. True, this picture is gruesome, especially for a PG-13 movie (*Hint* Don’t bring the little kids to this one) but its not meant for kids. Almost every time I saw this complaint it was coupled with the idea that as a super hero movie, it was too dark. They’re fine with the Godfather, or a good number of action flicks out there, but when a superhero picture gets serious: “Oh no! Foul!” That isn’t a serious complaint, that’s a stereotype. That’s putting something in a box. And for those who cry foul for that reason I call foul right back. Yes we need kid-friendly super hero films. That’s what we have Spider-Man and the Fantastic 4 for. But I have every right to my adult super hero goodness.

Closing Comments:

While Iron Man may be the most well rounded Superhero film for audiences of all ages, The Dark Knight is a masterpiece that far surpasses it, and every other contender for the title there is. It can proudly stand next to the greatest films of all time, not because it’s a crime drama, or some other genre, but because it reaches the heights of mastery, period. It is a superhero movie, and still the best movie this year, and one of the best movies of this decade. Go see it. Thank me later.

And did I mention that Heath Ledger does a magnificent job as the Joker?

Rating out of 10     Description

       9.5/10                  Story:  The same excellent use of twisting, surprising

                                                plot, that is found in other works by Christopher

                                                Nolan, such as “Memento” and “The Prestige”. 

       10/10                   Character: Heath Ledger is the Joker. How many times

                                                do I have to push his awesome scariness before

                                                you go see this film?

         9/10                   Look:  Excellent, real, not as dark as last time and

                                               brilliantly executed special effects.

        9.5/10                 Cinematography: IMAX. Seriously, have you ever

                                                 experienced the glory?

          9/10                   Audio: Disturbing and right on.

         10/10                   The Spark: The movie made so many promises, and it

                                                 filled each and every one of them and cashed a

                                                 few extra just for the heck of it. Once again I

                                                 find myself coming back to the Joker. Even if

                                                 the Joker had been a little less good, it would

                                                 still be an excellent movie, but Heath Ledger’s

                                                 performance brings it up those couple extra

                                                 notches it takes to hit masterful territory.

Hellboy II Review

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Demons with guns? Rogue Elven Prince? Robot Army? Guillermo del Toro? There is a God!

July 14, 2008 – In a perfect world, Guillermo del Toro would get to do these kind of films more often. As the man behind Pan’s Labrynth, Blade 2, and the original Hellboy, he’s building a very nice portfolio of movies with stunning and unique looks. He also knows how to make a movie with heart, which is the key ingredient to most films. If there is any one weakness to his films it is their occasionally poor plotting. This is, unfortunately the problem with Hellboy II.

Now before anyone starts flinging the flames of hate at me, let me state that the plot is entirely serviceable, and worthy for the films purposes. It isn’t always coherent, such as the choice of the elven prince to hold his sister hostage, when he’d die if he killed her. Add a couple odd inconsistencies in the behavior of minor characters and the sudden inexplicable shift in the attitude of the ectoplasmic agent Johann near the end of the film, and you have a plot that doesn’t entirely stand up straight on its own two legs. Thankfully, the plot has excellent backup. Though the nature of the plot isn’t terribly original, the characters, and objects that fill, it are. Even though there are hints of the films that have gone before, Hellboy’s characters, settings, and creatures, all feel new. You don’t come out of Hellboy II thinking “I’ve seen that before”. And in a time where everything under the sun feels already done, it is quite an accomplishment.   

The basic premise of the story is that mankind once lived alongside the fantasy world. However, mankind was greedy and tried to conquer their magical neighbors, such as elves, ogres, goblins etc. In the ensuing war, man was winning, until the titular Golden Army, an army of seemingly indestructible robots, was built. Mankind’s armies were decimated by the magical race’s new weapon. But the heart of the king of the elves was grieved for all the death and destruction, and so called a truce between Man and Magic. Man would stay in the cities and the Magical races would keep to the forests. Fast forward several thousand years and mankind has not kept the bargain, encroaching on the territories of the Magical races. The old king is still willing to keep the truce in the name of peace, but the exiled prince, now returned, has vengeance on his mind. Bloody, golden, robotic vengeance. Into this dicey situation steps Hellboy and his teammates, the last defense of mankind against this new, old, enemy. Anyone still not tired of tried and true fantasy stories lines, myself included, will appreciate the plot more than it is probably worth. It still beats the pants off of movies like Hancock and Eragon, from a couple years back.

The plot, though only ‘good’, is the perfect vehicle for some excellent characters, art direction, exciting action, and laugh out loud moments. Ron Perlman is back as Hellboy, and no more perfect casting could be made. He fits into the role like slipping into some favorite shoes, and he brings the character to life so well that you don’t even really see the makeup, only the character. Selma Blair is also back as Hellboy’s girlfriend Liz, and she seems much more comfortable in the role than her debut appearance, and though she still isn’t given much to do, she makes the most of her screen-time, so that you feel her presence throughout the movie. The character she plays makes some important steps forward, and becomes a deeper character. Her relationship with Hellboy, like the princess’ relationship with Abe, provide the heart and humanity of the story, which truly needed it to connect with the audience. Speaking of Abe, Doug Jones does an admirable job of acting the part, as well as filling in the vocal shoes of David Hyde Pierce from the first movie. If I didn’t know there had been a change of voices, I would never have realized it by watching the films. As long as I’m paying attention though, I do kinda miss the old voice. I don’t mean to take away anything from Jones’ acting, though. The character goes through a lot more development this time around, and he comes across as far more complex, if perhaps a bit gullible. Prince Nuada, played very well by Luke Goss, is ruthless and dangerous as a villain, but he is also relatable and a sympathetic character in some respects, much like Magneto of the X-Men movies (less so, the third iteration). A part of me misses Agent Myers from the first film, just because he made a solid human character to play off of, even if he didn’t do the greatest acting.

Some of the best moments in the film are entirely character driven. The slapstick fight between Johann, voiced by Seth MacFarlane, and Hellboy comes to mind as a very well choreographed and hilarious moment, and the drunken singing of Abe and Hellboy is funny as well as poignant and full of character charm. I also loved the way Liz’s little secret is handled in the film, and it plays out very nicely. Come for the action, stay for the characters.

Of course the action is very nice too. The choreography is excellent, and you almost never get the feeling that what you’re watching is artificial. This lends a lot of weight to the world and every encounter the character’s have. The special effects and men-in-suits, all blend together better than I really could have hoped for, and the colorful marketplace scene is reminiscent of both the Star Wars cantina and the magical market of Stardust. The combination is very well done. The only exception to the special effects drawing you further into the world is the fight between the Forest God and Hellboy. Not to say it isn’t about as well done as possible, but after the marketplace scene, the giant flower headed monster comes across as too computer generated. Furthermore, with its funny face it feels like the least inspired creature in the film. That is until it dies, at which point it really becomes something to look at.

The soundtrack by Danny Elfman is superb and fits every scene like a glove. While not overly memorable, it’s not forgettable either, and could even merit a purchase of the soundtrack for the serious fan. The sound effects are generally excellent, especially the clanking and whirring of the Golden Army. It does trip up once or twice however, when the sounds don’t match the on-screen action in a few relatively unimportant scenes, particularly the slapping incident where Hellboy is trying to slap some information out of a creature, and the slapping sounds are one too many and out of sync with the physical slaps.

Closing Comments:

Don’t let anything I said about the plot fool you, this is a very good movie. It’s something of an acquired taste, accept for action/fantasy fans who’ll probably lap it up with relish like I did, but even the non-fantasy indulgent should appreciate the skill behind the make-up, choreography, music, and especially the acting and characters. Hellboy II expands upon the groundwork set by it’s predecessor marvelously, and despite a slightly more unwieldy plot than the first manages to find the sweet-spot for what a summer film should be. Trust me when I say it’s worth it. Now I just have to wait till the DVD comes out to add it to my personal collection.

Rating out of 10     Description

         7/10               Story:  Light, with a few plot holes, it still manages to be one of the better

                                            fantasy yarns out there today, and it serves it’s purpose as a vehicle

                                            for the characters and action sequences.

         9.5/10               Character: Ron Pearlman and crew are excellent actors, particularly in

                                            these parts, which seem to have been built for them. The characters

                                            themselves go through a lot of growth, and become more fully-

                                            fleshed characters by the time the credits roll. This is definitely the

                                            heart of the film. Now if only Seth MacFarlane didn’t have such an

                                            annoying German accent…

         9/10                Look:  Excellent makeup and costumes combined with terrific special

                                            effects. Guillermo del Toro’s style is all over this thing, which only

                                            makes it that much better. The Forest God could have used some

                                            work though.

        8.5/10              Cinematography: Generally great, some scenes may have used a more

                                             dynamic camera, but overall more than competent. Even

                                             if it won’t be held up as a marvel of modern cinema.

          8/10                  Audio: Beautiful score by Danny Elfman. Disappointing slap flub.

        9.5/10                  The Spark: The movie promised to be an action packed popcorn muncher

                                            with big guns, big flying fists, big monsters, and one big red demon.

                                            It not only delivered it, despite a somewhat derivative plot, but it also

                                            delivered some great acting, humorous moments, character growth,

                                            and the joy of Guillermo’s unique style. I can’t wait to see how he

                                            tackles The Hobbit.

Hancock Review

Hancock

When a Great Character Finds Himself Stuck in a Terrible Movie.

July 07, 2008 – There are some movies that I go into with every expectation that I’ll be wowed. Hancock was one of those movies. It had an impeccable actor, a much needed twist on a familiar genre, humor and an underlying seriousness that I appreciate in my blockbuster summer movies. I was supremely disappointed.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like here. The film certainly begins well enough with a likeable superhero/street-bum character, Hancock, played by Will Smith, who stops the bad guys in humorous and delightfully destructive ways. The populous doesn’t appreciate his expensive and disastrous methods, and take it out on Hancock in mass verbal abuse. Will Smith’s portrayal of the character is one of the brightest aspects of the film, and will carry it for many movie-goers. He blends the various characteristics terrifically, portraying someone who wants to do the right thing, but because of a deep hurt and constant mistrust becomes apathetic and uncaring. The mixture is done perfectly, and in the few scenes where Smith is given the chance to show it, he let’s the audience into his burdened and complex psyche. Unfortunately this happens all too little, and the heart that Smith puts into his character is lost beneath the muddy plot and distractions.

Into this situation steps Ray Embrey, played by Jason Bateman, a PR executive whom Hancock saves from a train early on in the film. Looking back I really wish he hadn’t. That train could have saved this movie a lot of anguish. The plot of Hancock leaves its title character to focus on the struggles of Ray, an annoying and boring character who puts Hancock on the right path. How this idiot manages to reach Hancock I’ll never guess, but he encourages Hancock to go to jail willingly, so that when the people realize they need him, he can emerge as a true superhero.  Despite Ray’s presence, the movie still maintains a sense of action and humor that eclipses all of the negative aspects up to this point.  But then the second act begins.

Through the second half we find out more about Hancock’s past, how he got his powers, and what the heck is up with Ray’s wife Mary, played by Charlize Theron. Unfortunately none of it makes any impact. Every revelation only serves to convolute the plot and characters till even the most dedicated won’t really care what happens. The dropped hints allude to a very interesting back story that is never really elaborated on, which is a missed opportunity in my opinion. The mysterious loss of Hancock’s powers that are the climax of the film’s tension are based on a hugely gimmicky plot device. Kryptonite is a better plot device than this.

Ray gets more obnoxious every time he speaks, and you can feel everyone in the audience secretly wishing one of the bad guys would miss Hancock and nail him between the eyes. I’ll stop complaining about Ray after I say one more thing: Bateman, I don’t know if it was mostly you, or the writers, but please, please, please, stay out of my super hero movies. On a positive note, Kudos to the writer’s to make such a hot interracial couple out of Hancock and Mary, anti-kudos for not capitalizing on the inherent love-

triangle with Ray. He just sits back seemingly accepts it all. I was fully expecting him to turn on Hancock out of jealousy and become the villain. It would have saved Ray’s character and added a much needed sense of menace to the plot. This is ironic, in that it is the plot itself that is the menace.

Speaking of Villainy, the movie sure could have used some. The most dangerous enemy Hancock has is a typical I-Have-Explodable-Hostages bank robber. The man escapes from prison later in the film with a little help of a few new buddies to little fanfare. The escape gets all of 3 seconds of on-screen time and it’s in a news bulletin on a nearby tv. And his great plan for revenge? Find him and shoot him. That worked oh-so-well the last time, why shouldn’t it this time? Lucky for them they come right as Hancock is weakened by the gimmicky plot, but you don’t really care because even though Eddie Marsan does everything he can with the character, he can’t convincingly make his character scary because he has a grand total of about 10 minutes of screen-time. It’s a shame.

Underused is the key term for this movie. There’s not enough Hancock, not enough Mary, not enough Villainy, not enough back story, and not enough bullets in Ray’s head. Sorry, I said I’d not complain about him anymore. Everybody lies sometimes.

Oh, and please don’t ruin my perfectly beautiful moon for that looser, Hancock. He doesn’t deserve your kindness.

Closing Comments:

There was a lot of possibility in this film, and to some degree Hancock delivers. The main character is brilliant and well acted by the impeccable Will Smith. He is the biggest reason to watch this film, and if he weren’t in it, I would not recommend seeing it at all. However, it does enough right, and has enough humor, that you won’t kill yourself for watching it when the curtain closes. Just keep in mind that you won’t be patting yourself on the back either.

Rating out of 10     Description

         4/10               Story:  A great premise, a terrific setup, horrible follow-through.

         8/10               Character: Every bit of this score belongs to Will Smith and Charlize

                                                   Theron. Every bit that they didn’t get was because of 

                                                   Ray, Jason Bateman. They needed more of Hancock than

                                                   they had.

         7/10                Look:  The movie looked pretty great, the special effects for most of

                                            the super-hero antics were nice, but occasionally spotty

                                            graphics keeps this from reaching greatness.

          7/10              Cinematography: There were several lost opportunities for dramatic

                                                               or more affecting camera angles, and cutting to a

                                                               close-up pf the same shot is still a no-no.

          7/10                  Audio: Entirely unmemorable, but serviceable. The only track I

                                               remember occurred when Hancock came to the rescue at the

                                               bank. It was a slightly cheesy number with the typical

                                               trumpet crescendo. Meh.

          6/10                  The Spark: Hancock promised a superhero story about a repentant

                                                      super-powered bum, with plenty of action, heart, humor

                                                      and heroics. They only delivered this for half the film,

                                                      and even then it wasn’t always as good as it could have

                                                      been.

OVERALL:  6.2/10 (Not an Average)

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