TWO REVIEWS: THE DARK KNIGHT & THE X FILES

QUICKIE REVIEWS:



THE DARK KNIGHT (REEEALLY LATE REVIEW)
Finally, I get around to posting a review after a couple weeks of procrastinating. Excuse my laziness. So Chris Nolan has done it...he's finally done it. He made a perfect Batman movie. I loved the hell out of this film. Saw it at one of the Thursday night midnight screenings and saw it again the following Monday. It's not only an incredibly awesome comic book movie, but it's a fantastic and gripping crime drama. Chris Nolan fixed Batman where Joel Shumacher destroyed it and even fixed up Burton's franchise. It's more believable and much more epic. All the characters, each of them extremely well-acted out, had equal screen time and I never got bored with any character. This screenplay is a masterpiece, and the film makes it even better with it's incredible cast and gripping action.

But I'm sure everyone's asking: who was the better Joker? Well, I agree it is hard to decide, since Heath Ledger's Joker and Jack Nicholson's Joker are pretty different interpretations of the character. Just like Nicholson's Joker and Ceaser Romero's Joker in the 1966 film and television series. But if I had to pick...I'd say I go with Heath Ledger's. It was less flamboyant, which made this Joker a lot more fascinating to watch. Every scene with him, you know you're supposed to hate him. But it's the Joker, and an extremely fascinating version of him. We see the Joker darker and more sinister than we've ever seen him in the films and the shows, and those Jokers were pretty damn evil. When Ledger's on screen, the audience cannot take their eyes of this electrifying performance that had so many of us skeptical. I mean I was thinking at the announcement of Ledger's casting "that dude from Brokeback Mountain and A Knight's Tale as someone like the Joker?" He is a talented actor but I couldn't see it working. But damn did he take it and run. He was lost in the performance and made it possibly the greatest performance this year so far.

This is a Batman movie people will be talking about for years to come. It will carry on a legacy as one of the best interpretations of the caped crusader ever put to film. Chris Nolan puts the most believable of comic book heroes and finally puts him in a world that is believable with convincing portrayals of the villains. Aaron Eckhart was the best Harvey Dent seen on film. I love the way Two-Face was brought to the screen.He wasn't too over-the-top like Tommy Lee Jones' incarnation in Batman Forever (as much as I found that film enjoyable). He was more threatening and intense but serious. Also, of course, none of that silly purple make-up and over-exaggerated suit. None of these villains were very cartoonish like they were in the Burton/Shumacher series. Scarecrow, The Joker, Two-Face- all three of them are convincing, dark, and damn well-acted. Nolan created such an awesome new spin that reminds us of the darker Batman comics and his films in this series are by far my favorite. I sound like I'm bashing Burton's movies, and let me assure you I am not. They are what made me a Batman fan as a child. After watching those, I read the comics, I got the toys as a kid, I had a Batman costume at age three or four, and I loved the cartoon and still do. Batman Forever, the first I got to see in theaters, was more colorful but was entertaining. Batman and Robin...well we're not going to talk about that. Let's pretend it never happened.

I have such faith that this will become the definitive Batman movie series, and The Dark Knight will be what Empire Strikes Back is to the Star Wars series. I cannot wait to watch this movie again and again and again. When the DVD comes out, you can bet I'll watch this flick even more. The Dark Knight is a flawless blend of action and pathos, and Nolan is doing the franchise right. I'm excited to see what the third will be like, but at the same time it'll be hard to top The Dark Knight. I hope Nolan continues to shy away from what I call the "sci-fi" villains and continues to make the Caped Crusader's adventures dark, brooding, believable and compelling and continues to bring Oscar-callibur acting into the film.

*****/5

NEXT:
THE X FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE



Here's a film I was pretty excited about, but at the same time kind of hesitant. I mean, one: can creator Chris Carter and his cast still have that on-screen magic years after the series ended? Also, after seeing Dark Knight twice, it's a downgrade to see any movie. But being a fan of the show, I had to see it. And I must say, reviews out there are mixed (but not too positive) but I will admit I was impressed. Not to say the film is spectacular. There are some complaints. I wish Scully and Mulder had more time together, as interested as I was in Scully's story arc. Also the film left some loose ends I want to see tied up in a third film.

Now some people may be reacting negatively to the fact that this isn't an alien film, like the last X Files movie in 1998. But I forgive that and I think I know what Chris Carter is thinking. It was revealed that there is interest in a third film. Now if you watch X Files, there were different kinds of stories and this film is what you'd call a "monster of the week" type of deal. This story involves supernatural goings-on at hand involving kidnapping, psychics and medical experiments. I think Chris Carter wants to try different territories explored in the series and I understand. Think about it. A lot of people would probably be pissed if all three films involved aliens. Or if the first two were alien films and the third wasn't there'd also be a fan backlash. So I don' t blame Carter for trying a different story. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny still have a great chemistry on screen and the film is very entertaining. Only a few dull moments but the complaints really are in a few questions left at the end. If you see the film, you might know what I'm talking about. But other than that, I have no complaints. The film was as good as the show, though not as good. It wasn't a spectacular comeback, but it was good enough for me. It's fascinating, gripping at points and you cannot hate Mulder and Scully. Especially Scully. A job well done, but I hope that if they make a third film, it does a little more than this one did.

*** 1/2 /5