hopscotchee: michael caine score: 62.5 rating: pg-13 time: 152 minutes
if you have had the experience and talked about batman with any comic guru or, better yet, any hormonally-minded-testosterone-fueled-nerd-esque-boy (there's usually a few of them in your class throughout high school, therefore there are plenty out there in the world to have this convo with), you have most definitely heard them say how the dark knight is the best superhero movie ever, ever, ever, ever. they will also most definitely tell you how the film's dark violent take makes the story more brutally realistic (heck, critics say that too. but don't count on the boys saying it all scholarly). we haven't really been able to fully understand the fascination and frenzy that men have over this one, but, trust us, we've been here, if you try to argue with them, you are just arguing against yucky-teenage-boy-vexation = not worth the mind power. comparatively, your rotten tomatoes gives it 94%, IMDb gives it 9/10, and the rolling stones even gives it 3.5/4. and although, 62.5 (the twinsaf score) is still high, we believe there is more to a film and more to take into account than just stereotypical 'tough guy' humor and lots of boom boom pows (hashtag black eyed peas).
as much as christopher nolan's camera work, specifically the IMAX cams, results in the picture to be so blockbuster to the eye, perfect for a powerful sequel, what is the point when you can barely hear the story going on?? unfortunately, this was a situation where they sacrificed the comprehension and audible quality of the film for its looks. on the other hand, some may not mind the quite audio in exchanged for the bursting loud fight scenes; it may have made their whole 2008 cinema experience....hyped....or something?? but, in actuality, your movie doesn't just live in the theaters. we're seeing this more with the pandemic, too. people have the ability to stream, rent, purchase, and watch flicks at home, and for this reason, films need to be fit for not just one condition and setting - and this is coming from two folks that love their theatre outings!! therefore, the dark knight consequently leaves all the homies on the struggs bus (struggle bus), trying to listen to this film and catch what's going on, which makes the audience pull away from their immersion in the story. this is especially problematic with a super fast moving plot like this one. a lot is going on, and it doesn't help when bruce is practically whispering the point of the story. just saying (hashtag 5sos).
in like matter, another issue that may have been hidden behind the captivating cinematography (credit to wally pfister for lighting, coloring, and shaping all of 'em abundant iconic shots) was the script. what? yeah.......regrettably speaking here, we were displeased when it came to scoring this category. previously holding major props in our minds, we were taken aback when tuning into what was going on here (and you know we were extra listening in too because of the issue in the paragraph above). although the story was complex, intricate, complicated, and intriguing, there is a big diff (difference) between a script's story and a script's dialogue. yep. this film was pumped to the max with cheesy and rough dialogue. like what the heck was the double up at the beginning with the (spoiler) "not in my diagnosis" and "i'm not wearing hockey pads"????????????? respectably, it's a tough medium to pay homage to the original comic books + their stylizing AND keep the movie from going into the land of disdain and, even worst, stepping foot into the realm of tacky town. EEEEWWWW!!!!!!! apart from the crap-up in the speaking department, the script also lacked in its story set up. for an epic return to the box office, batman fans have presumably been waiting for this moment, so after coming off of the first film with its long exposition, the jump into these fast currents is notably jarring - again, becoming problematic when you can already hardly hear what is going on!! (a lot of these problems go hand to hand). for example, the start of this film is obviously, obviously jammed with a bunch of info-packets to get the viewers caught up with what has been happenin' since batman begins, but the jumps that they made within this time to the character traits, personalities, and BRUCE - just in general - it's a huge um. let's just say, there is a big distinction between natural evolution in a character/environment or what evolution is convenient for the story....
however, most upsetting to us spawns from what happened in result to this feature. within the same year of the film's release, the beloved heath ledger passed away. may he rest in peace. now, you may consider us all hippy dippy to say so (hashtag doja cat), but there is no doubt that the mental state that heath went into for his role as the joker came into play with his drug use/drug overdose. isolation, sleep deprivation (which after this film led to chronic insomnia), and a horrifying "joker diary" (which had the words 'bye bye' in his own handwriting at the end) are just a few of the mental and physical forces that paired themselves to him during this time. ultimately, though we are not actors/actresses to speak to the purpose of being 'method', no film and no character should kill them. none. period.
equally unpleasant, this movie would eventually make way for the future trilogy ender's 2012 aurora, colorado shooting. but how is the dark knight responsible for the tragic shooting during the midnight showing of dark knight rises?? speaking straightforward: the dark knight was start to finish a film with extensive, unnecessary gun violence, and, after the profiting-positivity that it received, it only made way for dark knight rises to up the ante. it may seem unfair, but the hard truth of the matter is that films and filmmakers need to be accountable for the messages and subject matter that they are highlighting and glorifying. in our humble opinion, it is stupid to believe that movies that portray things (like gun violence) don't, in response, cause these things to happen (like shootings).
harsh. maybe?? but it needs to happen. why would we just put out another praising review over this movie when this can only inspire the making of similar movies, concluding to the same tragedies??
(and for those who don't believe that these issues don't have anything to do with the dark knight's overall 'greatness', and therefore should not effect the score: please know that films are not just about what they gleam and flash. it matters how a film makes you feel. it matters how a film hits you. because, films have the power to change you. and if you comic gurus or hormonally-minded-testosterone-fueled-nerd-esque-boys still have your undies in a bunch about our take, please note that, although we deeply believe the societal and mental consequences with this movie need to be taken into accountability across the board, we only took this into consideration when scoring the 'overall' category.)
thanks, michael xox