Thanks Phil!
Unfortunately, Thinklings is acting weird right now and won't open on my computer. Whoever manages that site has got a lot of kinks to work out ;).
But yeah, I think Joker was probably the closest thing to Satan that I've seen in film. I'll comment on your post when I can actually get to Thinklings. I was wondering when somebody would get on it over there.
For the record, I wouldn't take a kid to see this movie. But when I was a kid, the only movie I ever saw that gave me so much as a nightmare was ET. I just get a little irked when people use the "it's not for kids!" argument for PG-13 movies. It was a minor issue for me in the blog post.
I'm glad you liked it, because it should help in getting in my dad to see it with me in IMAX.
Very well said - I agree with it all. As much as the movie was a little intense for me, I actually really liked it. I always love good vs. evil conflicts, and Batman definitely gets knocked up several levels for me because of his noble decision at the end. And I must say, if one of the ferries would have been blown up, I would have probably just given up on the movie right then and there. That scene was critical!
But yeah, great acting and great story. Overall an awesome movie!
About the boats...here's what I thought was going to happen. (Bill, if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't read on. STOP NOW!
I mean it, Bill. Don't keep Reading.
Bill, you'd better be gone....
OK, now that he's gone...
I thought that one of the boats would push the button AND that would turn out to be the detonator for THEIR OWN BOAT!! I figured in the Joker's twisted mind that would be funny. So I thought that in order to keep the audience from being too freaked out, that it would be the criminals boat that pushed the button first, and blew themselves up...
I kept wondering during all the ensuing discussion on the two boats, "WHY DO YOU PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE JOKER IS TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES?"
Ok, I just got home from the movie. Thankfully, Molly saw it with me and she gave away plenty of clues as to when to hide my eyes.
I like your take on everything. I concur.
I'm still processing what I saw. It was so loud!! Ledger was great, I like Bruce Wayne, Batman's voice was odd, cool cars, why did Rachel have to die??? That, I wasn't prepared for. I had my own Molly moment-kind of, "wait, what?". I almost couldn't get over it. The action was good.
So, I liked it. Two Face was disgusting. Had to watch the last half of the movie through my weak eye! Ha ha!
Funny when you texted me, "Why so serious?", that scene just happened. I was completely freaked out at that point, just trying to enjoy my chicken nachos.
Did I mention that Bruce Wayne is cute??
I saw it on IMAX and didn't think of this until I saw "It was so loud," but the sound quality in that theater was AMAZING. I LOVE that my seat rumbled with the score and explosions. So Good.
I like your perspective on everything you've written.
One of the reasons I don't like small kids in the theater for these types of movies is because they have a high freak-out factor which ends up distracting me. When a maniacal clown impales and shoots people, children may be apt to wig out. Leave them home so I'm not bothered by screaming, crying or the back of your head as you get up to take them out of the theater and console them.
ANDREW!!!!
You rock! While you were over here writing and ruminating on "The Dark Knight" I was over at Thinklings doing the same thing. And for a half a second I thought I was the blogger you were referring to. I can see now, I'm not thankfully.
I loved the movie. I can't wait to see it again. And I think you and I are on the same page on this one. I'd love to discuss it further with you or anyone.
You caught some things I think I missed, which is a great thing about this movie. It has layers. I happen to think that it is a lot like the brothers Nolan, Bale and Caine's other creation: The Prestige.
But "The Dark Knight" is more redemptive. I liked your point about the Joker appealing to the worst in man, and the Batman appealing to the best in him. Great insight.
What did you think about my thought that the Joker is like Satan in the book of Job?
BTW, in defense of the violence of this movie, I once wrote a paper for my Old Testament as Literature class at Baylor comparing Batman to the character of Yahweh in the book of Judges. I got an A plus.
I think the only place you and I may disagree is on the "taking the kids" issue, but I respect your opinion. (I think you and I would agree that parents today are sometimes strict about this and forget that they watched some pretty bad stuff when they were little.) I am thankful that no small children were at my showing, it would have diminished the experience for me. Maybe it's the parent in me... :)
But overall, I'm glad you wrote this post. Good stuff.