The Dark Knight – Movie Review

This has been the best summer for superhero movies. Ever.

Falling in the same league of greatness as Iron Man and Hellboy 2, The Dark Knight holds up just as strong. Though truth be told, the movie doesn’t really feel like a superhero movie. Sure, there is a hero running around in a costume (occasionally unintentionally looking humorous), and a villain intent on madness and mayhem, but in a post-9/11 world, the amount of terror that the Joker brings to the city of Gotham feels frighteningly real. With no superpowers, no random freak accidents, no displays of too-futuristic technology (there is some, but like in Iron Man, the technology seems genuine and believable, even if we don’t actually have it yet), this movie seems almost plausible.

But what makes the movie most enjoyable is the almost non-stop suspense. The Joker makes it apparent very early that he does not hesitate to kill and shows no mercy. As such, nearly every character featured is placed in a life-threatening situation, and some do die. Adding to the suspense is the slow and gradual revelation of the many facets of the Joker’s plan. This causes me to ask “Do you think he plans it all out ahead, or makes it up as he goes along?” (And yes, I stole that from Pirates of the Caribbean.) Not only is The Joker an extremely well written character, Heath Ledger is perfect for the part. As much as Robert Downey Jr. was Tony Stark, Heath Ledger is the Joker. It is therefore both satisfying and saddening that this is his final role. This is by-far the best super-villain adaption to grace the silver screen yet.

Yet with all the focus on The Joker, it feels as though he is the main character – and indeed, he may be. Harvey Dent seems to be the other chief player, as we see the major evolution (or is it devolution?) of his character. Both characters maintain a believable persona, and while extreme, they never seem over-the-top. Batman seems to take side stage as he’s put more on a reactionary role to the various crimes of The Joker and other gangsters. Nonetheless, Batman is successfully able to display the symbol of heroism that he is throughout the film.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this film, my main complaint can be summarized in three words: “Why so serious?” The Dark Knight is perhaps the most aptly named movie that I have seen because it is simply that: dark. Between all the scenes of grungy crime, of terror-filled suspense, and occasional grotesqueness, there is very little room for any humor. Given this is supposed to be a depressing film, but its serious overtone seems to weigh it down in several places. Even in the rare moments when we do get a chuckle, it is almost always the result of dark humor. Am I the only one who thinks edge-of-your-seat movies can still make you laugh? Cloverfield sure did. (Grade: A-)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

I am sure most of you now know what the movie is about so let me just cut to the chase and say that The Dark Knight actually manages to live up to the hype. Heath Ledger IS that good as The Joker and his Oscar worthy performance should go down as one for the ages. The grounded storyline IS a crime epic that manages to transcend the comic book trappings in just about every way. The cast IS that good, as everyone brings their “A” game to each and every scene.

To be totally honest, the only complaints I can think of have to do with the nature of Batman in general. As Staples mentions in his review, there are moments where Batman feels just a touch out of place amongst the deadly serious, realistic tone of the film. Also, Bale’s “Batman voice” works well enough, but when given lots of dialogue to speak in that voice, it comes off as forced and a bit silly. These are minor complaints, however, and I only mention them to justify why I did not give the film an A+ instead of…(Grade: A)

-Kyle Posluszny

A Third Opinion

This is easily the best comic book movie ever made. It’s also the best movie of 2008 (so far). When stripped down, the movie’s a crime drama with just a hint of superheroics (and super villainy) thrown in as dressing. Its relevant subject matter – the post 9/11 theme – is disturbing, yet compelling. A lot of people compare this movie to Michael Mann’s Heat, and I agree with that. And while there may be some parallels the two movies share, The Dark Knight easily stands on its own as a superior offering (not to mention more unique).

This version of The Joker is perhaps the scariest incarantion yet. He’s not a man transformed, nor is he a man with an agenda. He’s pure chaos and when he says that all law abiding citizens are just a small push away from becoming just like him, it’s easy to believe. Throughout the movie, The Joker uses this mantra to test the law, the citizens, and all the key players that dwell in Gotham City. And in the end, he’s proven wrong on a broad scale. But the damage he inflicts to Gotham’s infrastructure is undeniable. Everyone who survives his onslaught of terror is changed morally for the worse. No one is left unscathed, clean, or innocent.

I can’t say enough about how tight the script to this movie is. Never did I ever feel a single line of dialogue felt out of place or cheesey. The runtime definitely feels like two and a half hours by the end of the movie, but it’s by no means a slow movie. It’s just emotionally exhausting, and you’ll understand when you see what these characters go through. I won’t go into performances since you’ve probably read through all the initial buzz, but I will say the entire cast is spot on perfect. Because of Heath Ledger’s untimely demise, most of the attention is being directed towards his performance which is brilliant. However, I must stress that Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart do beyond exceptional work as well.

I can’t see Christopher Nolan making a better Batman movie than this. Part of me just wants him to hang it up and move on to something else. But another part of me never wants his unfettering vision of Gotham City to ever die. Because a super hero movie has never felt so grounded. So real. No other villain will ever be able to challenge Batman at this level. The only person I can see Batman taking on next and having some semblance of urgency is Superman (Dark Knight Returns style). (Grade: E for Epic)

– J. Montes

Hellboy II: The Golden Army – Movie Review

Hellboy 2 was definitely better than its predecessor (which is still quite good). While the first one may have more of a root in “real” history with the whole look at the Nazi research into the occult, this sequel has its roots in much older “history.” As the movie opens, we see Hellboy as a young child in the 50s being told a bedtime story by Professor Broom. In the story, men warred with elves and other magical creatures for the dominion of the earth. With mankind poised to win, the elf king had the goblin-smiths create the Golden Army, an unstoppable mechanical horde. The Golden Army was so absolute in its destruction, that the king regretted his decision and decided to make a treaty with man: the elves and magical creatures would live in the forests if mankind would stay in the cities. Mankind agreed, and the Crown of Bethmora, which allowed the rightful owner to control the Golden Army, was split into three parts. Two for elfkind, and one for man, and the Golden Army was stored deep in the earth. The elven prince, who did not agree with his father’s decision, left his father and twin sister to go into exile, swearing to return one day and reclaim the land.

As you can probably guess, in modern times the prince resurfaces and steals mankind’s portion of the Crown, seeking to get the other two pieces from his father and sister. Of course, the only people to stand in his way are the B.P.R.D. While the main storyline concerning the Golden Army is certainly enjoyable, what truly makes the movie memorable is the characters. As all of the B.P.R.D., including new member Ectoplasmic Man, interact with one another we get a lot of great dynamics. Perhaps most amusing is the scene shared by Hellboy and Abe Sapien as they discuss (and sing) their romance problems over a couple of beers. But the theme that runs throughout the movie is that you don’t really have to be a human to be human. Touched upon in the first movie, these guys may all be “freaks” of nature, but they still have the most important of human qualities and that’s why they’re so likable. True, this type of story has been used in countless other movies (in fact they make a reference to one when Frankenstein is seen playing on TV in one of the scenes), but the way it is presented here is both entertaining and poignant.

Of course, those who don’t go to theaters to be taught a “moral” will still get plenty of enjoyment from this action-packed movie. Whether it’s the downright creepy fight against “tooth fairies” in the beginning, the mass-advertised brawl with the troll (you know, the one where they punch each others’ hands), or Hellboy’s climactic duel to the death, there is more than enough of the obligatory violence of a comic book movie to satiate the average fan.

Not everyone will like this because of its weird or bizarre flavor, but if you enjoy (or at least don’t mind) these kinds of movies, and if you like comic book movies, you will very likely be entertained by Hellboy 2. And for those who are already looking forward to seeing this, know that the ending leaves the doors wide open for a Hellboy 3. (Grade: A-)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

Ron Perlman remains the standout of the franchise. He’s an actor I always hoped would “make it big.” Sadly, being one of the best actors ever under make up doesn’t appear to be enough to get up to A-list status. Still, his performance as Hellboy is one of his best. Perlman brings a sort of beer-drinking, man’s man sort of charm to the character that is uninhibited by all the makeup. The action sequences are better than the original, though some of them (notably the climax) feel short. Another step up over the original is how much better the CG is. In the original the CG was pretty glaring and at times distracting, what a difference a few bucks makes.

Guillermo Del Toro is an excellent director, and his passion for the character is unmatched by anyone short of series creator, Mike Mignola. That said, a lot of the negatives I feel are pointed at him. With the budget of the film, and success of the original, Del Toro was seemingly given a blank check for adding weird stuff to the movie. His imagination is both his biggest strength and weakness, and we get to see examples of it being both in the film. All of the creatures look great, but there’s too many of them to really appreciate. The elements of comedy are really funny, but at the same time there’s too much comedy. If you look at the original as a darker version of Men In Black, Hellboy 2 is, well, like regular MIB. Del Toro’s premise is definitly strong, but something about the film feels really disconnected. I’m interested in seeing a director’s cut, since the movie feels like its missing some pieces. The beginning is very dark and ominous, in line with the original, but once the BPRD team hits the troll market, the comedy and goofiness step up to center stage.

I wanted to like Hellboy 2 a lot more than I did. That’s not to say it’s not a good movie, it is, I just think there was a lot more potential than what was shown. At times, it felt like a big budget test run for Del Toro who is moving on to other projects. It’s full of good stuff though, and definitely is worth seeing in the theaters if you liked the original. (Grade B-)

– Ben Berger

A Third Opinion

Hellboy II is a great, fun, action movie. It also made me realize how stupid the MPAA rating system is. The movie has lots of decapitations, monsters eating humans, deaths by swords, and as long as it doesn’t show blood, it’s only PG-13 (what the frak?!). But for me this is an R-rated movie. There is a lot of tension and always a fear of death for the main characters (though you know that it won’t happen – but it’s there).

I’m not familiar with the comics, but liked the first movie. This sequel goes far and beyond. More humor, big battles and lots of monsters. I loved the design work here – in particular the Johann Kraus character. One thing that tickled me in the first movie was Liz’s blue fire. It got fixed this time around and I couldn’t be happier.

Oh and here’s a piece of useless trivia: The opening sequence was made into a comic book and given away at WonderCon 08. Pretty cool, eh? (Grade: A-)

-Daniel Yanez

A Fourth Opinion

I’m not a fan of the first Hellboy movie. I own it on Blu-Ray, but its ending really annoys me. I was expecting this grandios Cthulu-inspired fight to happen between Hellboy and that god but instead, I got a fight that was over in a matter of seconds – all because of some simple grenades. Talk about anti-climactic. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen in this sequel.

Hellboy 2 is by far, a superior film. It feels complete, not rushed, and epic in scale.The opening of the movie is imaginative and brilliantly executed. It’s a fable come to life and very reminiscent of how Francis Ford Coppola opened Bram Stoker’s Dracula (just not as creepy). Guillermo Del Toro deserves a lot of credit for being able to mix a fantasy-based movie into an almost reality-based setting. Creature and set designs are top notch, and the action is visceral – though I do think Del Toro tosses Hellboy around a bit too much. The final fight at the end is exactly what I wanted to see, and frankly, I can’t think of a better way it could have been handled.

As gushing as I am about this movie, it’s not perfect; I agree with the reviewers above on many of their criticisms. There’s a bit too much comedy for my tastes. The little musical number in the middle of the film is definitely funny – and a crowd pleaser – but, my god, does it feel out of place. Selma Blair also looks tired throughout the film and at times (near the end of the movie), seems to be struggling with her dialogue delivery. Then there’s Ape Sapien in that ridiculous black body suit that screams, “Hey guys, there’s a human running around with a fish mask on his head!” And don’t get me going about how awkward Ron Perlman looks in the beginning of the movie when he’s slouching in his apartment with his shirt off. Where did his neck go? Oh yeah, it’s somewhere under that muscular body suit he’s wearing. This stuff is, sadly, very distracting, and it’s stuff you’ll murmur about to your friends after seeing the movie.

But in the end what matters is if this movie is good. Yes, it is. In fact, it’s great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s highly very predictable, but its delivery as a story and the journey our folks at the BPRD go through is  entertaining and the movie does its job of transporting the audience into its world. That’s all we really ask for in the end, a good dose of escapism, right?

Hellboy 2 has actually done something for me that rarely happens: It’s has me interested in reading the series (and its 2 billion spin-offs). I think if any movie can pull new readers into comic stores, this is probably it. And if that happens, we’re all better off in the end. (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes