The Dark Knight (Blu-ray)

[akirby]

I can see where you would be let down if you were comparing this to the 60's TV show and first 3 batman movies. DK is not like that at all - it's not even a superhero movie. It's a crime drama and as a crime drama I thought it was magnificent.

I've also heard that Christian Bale's Batman is far closer to the original comic books than any previous movie or TV show. I bought DK on Blu-Ray and can't wait to watch it again. Heath Ledger's performance actually sent chills up and down my spine, and that doesn't happen very often.

[film11]

"The Joker had a sadistic father yet what drove him to embrace sadism and anarchy rather than be repulsed by who his father was and his own childhood? We

[Richard]

My comparison Kirby is restricted to only the first two movies from Tim Burton.

Film11, thanks for the insightful back story on the Joker - that explains much for DK. I too am a fan of the original animated series which also went off the deep end years later into silliness...

[film11]

Y'know, I'm starting to realize that, despite my hatred of the Schumacher films,I have to grudgingly admit that they are valid, insofar as BATMAN has had various incarnations/interpretations over the years. One can view the first BATMAN as a homage to the character's early days (late 1930s-early 1940s). In fact, in the beginning The Batman even carried a gun! So any concerns over Batman killing anyone in the Burton films can easily be explained due to that aspect. BATMAN FOREVERcan be taken as an adaption of the character as often shown in the 1950s (death-traps, etc.) And the repugnant BATMAN AND ROBIN obviously a throw-back to the TV-show "camp" era. And the Nolan films carry the tone of BATMAN as depicted in the comics from the 1980s to the present (but with a dash of the 1940s as well).

The GOTHAM KNIGHTS dvd is yet another example of how versatile this character is, with multiple interpretations from Anime animators!

One thing you can be sure of...when Nolan is finished and other filmmakers (or maybe that should be movie-makers, since many don't shoot onf film anymore) take up the character, it will again be a different take. For example, if the rumored JUSTICE LEAGUE movie ever happens...well, the world that Nolan has postulated does not seem like one that would contain aliens or a King of Atlantis. So we may see a different Batman than what Christian Bale has provided. And as long as they refrain from ever bringing Robin in (a sure sign that they're out of ideas), I'll keep lining up!

[akirby]

Explanation for the lack of backstory for the Joker.....(from wikipedia)

[quote]After much research, Nolan's brother and co-writer, Jonathan, suggested the Joker's first two appearances, published in the first issue of Batman (1940), as the crucial influences.[18] Jerry Robinson, one of the Joker's co-creators, was consulted on the character's portrayal.[55] Nolan decided to avoid divulging an in-depth origin story for the Joker, and instead portray his rise to power so as to not diminish the threat he poses, explaining to MTV News, "the Joker we meet in The Dark Knight is fully formed...To me, the Joker is an absolute. There are no shades of gray to him

[hidefbob]

Earlier this week I saw The Dark Knight where it was intended to be watched ... at an IMAX theater!

The scenes filmed in IMAX were breathtaking and the sound was awesome.

IMHO I still believe this is one of, it not the best, super hero movie ever made. It blows away previous versions of Batman. I have now seen it 3 times (regular theater, Blu-ray and now IMAX) and enjoyed it just as much each time.