The Dark Knight

Why So Tedious?


A Batman movie, let alone a new Batman movie: always had and always will have a whole lot, even a whullut to live up to. Things are strangely diverse and constrained at the same time when you are about to witness a fresh motion picture output with The Dark Knight, and here is why: one should anticipate but mild surprises as the core elements the mixture will likely be built around. After all, would you dare to put your purse on that you will see The Dark Knight punishing vigilante butt for 90 or so - hick! - minutes? Your BAT is safe this time, and you even hit the JOKER numbers correctly. I realize I may sound like - or, granted, even be - an accomplished idiot, seemingly blaming an integral Batman movie for delivering the most aggressive black rubber suit of popular fiction. This is not the case, I swear. I have some other kind of problem with the contemporary Batman direction, and, of that, I will inform you later on.
To wrap this introduction up, let us cheerfully state that the new appearance of Batman gives us a pretty solid, well developed crime story, one though which runs way way, even waaahay too longer than I personally think it should have had. But, above most of all: Why?? So?? Serious??

The city of Gotham hardly tolerated any tints of colors beside the shades of gray and good old utter blackness. White revealed only briefly, and only in case you are a criminal and Batman connects your chin with his masterful jab of irony impact. Christopher Nolan's movie shows evident, rigorous dedication, devotion and a tremendous respect for this unique quasi-goth mood, one which is much more different and weighty than the masturbative, but at least deliberate- and somewhat hilarious cartoonpaint overkill of some previous Batman efforts.

The steep dedication towards the Batman which resonates in the darker mood, which, many claim, is the original language of the Batman myth: serves The Dark Knight well. And, ironically, it damages it pretty efficiently, too. The name of the game here is the mere length of the movie, which runs for a staggering 143, let us repeat with horrified faces: 143 minutes, never failing, not for one second of delivering integral Batman experience on the particular darker mood we already touched upon before. Let me tell you something though that I hardly do, because I generally dislike the impression "too much of a good thing", as there is NO such thing. Not in case you reject to be a pessimist. Being a pessimist is so pessimistic, after all.



- I WON'T ever wear you AGAIN!
And this is NOT the man, but the SUIT who is speaking.

The Dark Knight begs to differ nevertheless, and claims legitimacy for the expression we just accounted on. 143 minutes of nothing else but a darker tone of Batman is too much of a good thing this time around, mainly because the movie reveals all its subtle mechanics and ways of storytelling by the middle point. There is not much else to show around by THAT particular point, that is. I would have been totally satisfied with an integral 20 minutes final showdown after the 90th minute, thank you very much, my Batman craving is thoroughly administered, can't ponder but offer the Five Onions with tremendous grace and honest appreciation.

Not with The Dark Knight though, no way neither in Hell, neither in Gotham. This output exhibits considerable ambition to deliver more than it already had, more precisely: it chooses to deliver MORE of what it already had. Though the movie has tremendous charm and solid style, it still failing crucially to recognize its appeals and statements as being thoroughly stated and thoroughly revealed already. Like it could have been never sure: it constantly repeats itself to the point where you - or at least I - are not just ashamed to admit that you just hid a yawn in the 136th minute, it even has niiiiice, steeeeady, coooozy time to reveal scenes of utter redundancy and inherent anti-relevancy. Cute scene with Gordon and his child while Batman and Joker have their showdown? WHAT?? Who exactly cares about what Gordon has to say to his little child, since every soul on this Earth - including the little boy - knows that. Yeah, you guessed it. "Everything's gonna be all right, son!" OK dad, please ST** and inform me when they WON'T, and now let me check back on the Batman VS Joker showdown, okeydoo?



Hmmm. Brunette. Hmmm. 19. Hmmm. Male.

The Dark Knight never gives you a moment of relief that would fall out of place compared to the general, superstrict, nevertheless muscular and cunning direction it aims for and ruthlessly maintains. The Dark Knight is a movie of clever, solid dialogs with absolutely intact performances from almost each and every actor, though I wasn't blown away by the female sidekick, - she is transparent when compared to Kim Basinger, and why not compare them when they are present in a Batman movie? - and, to be perfectly honest, I found the Batman-voice acting rendered by solid Batman personifier Christian Bale to be totally, utterly shallow. Bale pretends to sport excessively damaged vocal cords, thus, the register THIS Batman speaks in reminds you more of a WW2 Allied Veteran bidding farewell with 27 shrapnels in his sitorgan, but it definitely comes short of the badass charm you absolutely should, even MUST exhibit when Batman opens his mythic mouth to state a Verdict of Justice - Well Served.

Bale definitely seems to lack some stuff in this regard, anyway: while he has intact canvas presence and solid charisma, you will often hear him speaking in other register than his very own, trying to sell the badass register to you - which he does not possess by God Given Ability. Check the voice of Michale Kaine as Albert or Heath Ledger as the Joker: those are some cinematic voices, I am telling you that. Bale's voice is a man's voice. Bale's Batman voice: is a joke, and a bad one at that it is.



Speaking of Heath Ledger, this actor of tragic Earthy existence delivers a solid rendition of the trademark Batman villain, I particularly appreciate the dangerously instable mental features he coats his personification in. Thanks for a descent crime story presented throughout well developed characters, sharp dialog work and acceptable, though not particularly memorable brawls and action sequences, The Dark Knight reaches and represent popular fiction elegance via subtle narrative mechanics and style. The only aspect one could blame this robust effort by is its mere robustness, indeed: sporting its considerable, yet cornered charms and well placed, though similarly cornered appeals for a marathon length, The Dark Knight remains an absolutely integral output in case you are free to appreciate it in two sittings.



Live In Peace At That Other Place, Heath

If you enjoyed this here article, check out my comic: Planetseed
If you are to circulate magnificently pleasant vibrations: Buy me Beer