The Dark Knight

Last night I went a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight" with a few friends. We waited on a line that extended about halfway around the theater. Some people had their faces painted up like The Joker's. There were several Batman shirts. One guy even had the cape and cowl on. Well, a black cowl and brown cape. At least he tried, right?

The movie was supposed to start at 12:01, but there were so many people lined up that our showing didn't begin until around 12:30.

I felt it was worth the wait. Heath Ledger's version of "The Joker" was flawless. Chilling, seriously warped and twisted. I would put his performance above Jack Nicholson's, and I'd feel the same way even if Ledger were still alive. I honestly cannot think of one scene I thought he could have done better, one line he delivered poorly, or any dialogue that stuck out as strange. Even his mannerisms were perfect. I feel sorry for the next guy to put on that purple and green suit.

Strangely enough, Christian Bale's "Batman" is the one part of the film that seems to go against the grain. His voice is forced, taking you out of whatever he's saying. In Batman Begins, he really didn't do much talking while wearing the mask, so I guess that's why not too many people complained. This time around he's practically giving speeches. You can't help but notice that the voice is just too much. In fact the one positive I can pull from this choice is that there's NO WAY you'd suspect The Batman of being Bruce Wayne. Someone needs to tell Christian Bale to stop, or Christopher Nolan to stop asking for that voice. It hurt the film. Not much, though.

Everyone else does their job pretty well. Aaron Eckhart is a great Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Leaps and bounds above the laughing maniac played by Tommy Lee Jones in the forgettable "Batman Forever". In TDK, Harvey Dent is a well developed character before he is horribly disfigured. Gary Oldman continues his fine work from the first film as Commissioner Gordon. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a solid replacement for Katie Holmes. Various bit players(and a few cameos) all add to the atmosphere.

I'd definitely reccommend seeing this movie. The 94% rating at RottenTomatoes.com is justified.