So this is how the build up went for me. I heard about a sequel and was like “ok, the first one was pretty good, not my favorite by any means but I’ll take another one.” Then I heard about Heath ledger being the Joker. I was like “The guy looks nothing like I would ever picture the Joker to look like, but he is an awesome actor so I guess I’ll have to wait and see.” Images of Ledger as the Joker begin to pop up around the Internet. “HOLY CRAP! He looks Brutal!!!” needless to say I was getting hyped. Ledger Dies. “Ah crap I hope they finished the movie. Plus this sucks because he was a rockin’ actor. I feel robbed” They finished the movie. “whew!” Time goes on. “Goodness sakes, I think this movie might be being over hyped. I’m beginning to lose interest.” Amazing reviews start flowing out of the woodwork. “Whelp, maybe it is going to be amazing. I better buy my ticket for the midnight showing a week in advance.” Week goes by. “Due to all of the good reviews and expectation I had better get in line around 10:00pm.” Drive to the theater. “Oh crap! I’m 25th in line! I should have gotten here earlier. Oh well, I should still be able to get some good seats.” Waiting in line. “Alright I’m on the news!” They let us walk in. I sit down. “Awesome I got perfect seats.” Previews. The movie starts. This is my review.

The Rockin’

Starting with the actors.

Christian Bale was just as perfect as he was last time around. He has done the best job at portraying both Batman and Bruce Wayne. I would put him a little above Val Kilmer for best Bruce Wayne and a little below Michael Keaton as the best Batman. Keaton also has the better bat suit in Batman Returns.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was the perfect replacement for Katie Holmes. Was it because she did a great job mimicking what Katie Holmes had done in the first film? No, It was because she made the character Rachel Dawes not suck. I don’t even know how she did it. She just somehow put together a character that was worth watching and worth the love of Bruce Wayne. She grounded and matured a character that was already pretty believable. Maggie made me care about the fate of Rachel Dawes, whereas I could have given a crap in the first movie.

Aaron Eckhart was very convincing as both Harvey Dent and Two-Face. I read Dent as an optimistic idealist politician you could believe in and I read Two-Face as a guy who relied on his coin for answers. Based on the story that’s all I needed out of him, and that’s what they gave me.

Michael Cain and Morgan Freeman did a great job providing Bruce with the rules and morals that should be Batman. The think they surpassed everything they did in the first film.

I feel like the talents of Gary Oldmen were wasted on James Gordon. He was perfect in the movie. He nailed the role. I just feel like he is too good for the role and would make and even better Riddler if they ever choose to go that route in a future movie. If they don’t make another, which I hope they don’t, I’m fine with him as Gordon. He was just a really really really good actor to portray Gordon. If they do make a third with the Riddler… go with Jude Law.

Heath Ledger. Was he even in this movie? I only saw the Joker. Pure genius. People were talking Oscar buzz for his portrayal before the movie even came out. Then early reviews started to say the same thing. I didn’t agree. I thought they were only saying it because he did a good job and that he was dead. After seeing the movie. I TOTALLY agree! He should be nominated, unless 5 other performances come out before the year ends that are better than his. I just can’t see that happening though. Creepy. Maniacal. Murderer. Tormented. Fun. sLAUGHTER. Dark. Intelligent. Evil. Insane. He truly went all out. Its like he was the kid who had fun burning ants with magnifying glasses and lighting fireworks in chipmunks buttholes and then eventually graduated to terrorizing humans. Flawless.

This movie was so much better than I had expected it to be. I’ve never seen a movie surpass this amount of hype. It’s the only movie this summer I will willingly pay to see a second time in the theater. The action sequences were amazing. Christopher Nolan is a genius when it comes to grounding a comic book adaptation in reality in movie form. There are so many epic speeches in this movie. Look to Caine, Freeman, and Oldman for those. When I was researching the movie I had come to hate the bat suit. I didn’t think about it negatively once while watching the movie. The choices Batman makes are bold. Bruce Wayne and Batman have progressed amazingly in this franchise. The writing and characters were so goof that I don’t think it could ever be topped with a third movie.

The Not So Rockin’

This is just me nitpicking

I wish Joker wouldn’t have credited his dad with the lines “Why so serious” and “Lets put a smile on that face.” Yes I realize they were lies making them Jokers lines. I just wish he came right out and said them instead creating a lie that gives his father credit for making them up

I didn’t think of this until I heard John Campea bring it up during TMB’s The Dark Knight Podcast on themovieblog.com. But even though I cheered when Batman bent the barrel of a gun at the beginning of the movie, in reflection I don’t like it. Like Campea says, that’s not Batman’s job, that’s what Superman does.

The cell phone machine was a little hokey

The Overall

The overall is that this movie is absolutely amazing. For me, when it comes to amazing superhero films this movie clogs up the constantly rotating number 1 spot with the likes of Spiderman 2 and Superman Returns. But I still have to wait for the DVD release to see if I can watch it over and over and over and over and over and over again. As for now, I’m with Richard Roeper in saying that this movie needs to seriously be considered for an Oscar Nomination for Best Picture.
Even if you aren’t into Superhero movies you should check it out. If you are into crime dramas check it out. If you are into cop movies check it out. If you are into romantic comedies check it out anyway.
EVERYONE SEE THIS MOVIE!