Armrest Review - The Dark Knight, Part Three

Welcome to another edition of “Armrest Reviews,” a new series in which I, The Cinema King, will partner up with a fellow filmgoer to review films as we watch them.  That’s right, we’ll be writing our unexpurgated observations as we watch the film, meaning you could theoretically read the review while watching the movie and “watch along” with us.

A further welcome back for the final part of our Armrest Review of The Dark Knight, the middle entry in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy."  As before, I’m joined by The Popcorn Prince, who’s been watching movies for almost as long as I have.  He’s a big Batman fan, so I’m pleased to have him by my side for the next installment of this series.

Armrest Review - The Dark Knight, Part Two

Welcome to another edition of “Armrest Reviews,” a new series in which I, The Cinema King, will partner up with a fellow filmgoer to review films as we watch them.  That’s right, we’ll be writing our unexpurgated observations as we watch the film, meaning you could theoretically read the review while watching the movie and “watch along” with us.

A further welcome back for the second part of our Armrest Review of The Dark Knight, the middle entry in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy."  As before, I’m joined by The Popcorn Prince, who’s been watching movies for almost as long as I have.  He’s a big Batman fan, so I’m pleased to have him by my side for the next installment of this series.  

Armrest Review - The Dark Knight, Part One

Welcome to another edition of “Armrest Reviews,” a new series in which I, The Cinema King, will partner up with a fellow filmgoer to review films as we watch them.  That’s right, we’ll be writing our unexpurgated observations as we watch the film, meaning you could theoretically read the review while watching the movie and “watch along” with us.

I’m joined again by The Popcorn Prince, who’s been watching movies for almost as long as I have.  He’s a big Batman fan, so I’m pleased to have him by my side once more.  For today’s Armrest Review, we’ll be watching The Dark Knight, the middle – and perhaps greatest – installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy.

The Dark Knight of the Moon - An Experiment in Synchronicity

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

Now, I'm a guy of simple tastes. I enjoy The Dark Knight (no surprise), but some readers may be surprised that I'm also a big fan of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Naturally I've heard the rumors about the "Dark Side of the Rainbow," an effect experienced when watching The Wizard of Oz in tandem with Pink Floyd's album.

I think you see where this is going. One night, I elected to see if there truly was a Dark Knight of the Moon. Many of my friends have asked whether the experiment was a success - I've never divulged the truth of what went on that night... until now. Was Christopher Nolan influenced by the Pink Floyd album? Is it all a coincidence? Is snychronicity (the unconscious phenomenon of pairing sound with sight) legitimate?

You choose...

This is the set-up I used, since syncing your A/V will be important with getting the same results I did. Essentially, I set up my laptop right next to my DVD player. With Dark Side of the Moon on repeat and The Dark Knight on pause at 0:00:00, I hit play on both at the same time. Unfortunately, I didn't record timestamps, but I took copious notes, which I here replicate. Quotation marks on the left indicate song lyrics.

And here... we... go.

Speak to Me/Breathe (the bank robbery)

• The first cash register sound, distant in the background, comes over the blue foggy Bat.
• Helicopter sounds accompany the first, aerial shot of the film.
• Just as the drum snare hits, one of the clowns fires his gun across the roof.
• The jump out of the window matches the swoon of the guitar.
• In tune with a drum beat, one of the clowns opens the alarm panel.
• "Don't be afraid" - one of the goons is shot.
• "Leave" - as another goon runs downstairs.
• "Run" as a clown is shot by the bank manager.

On the Run (the robbery, cont'd)

• Joker looks over his shoulder as we change tracks.
• The bank robbery, as goons start turning on each other, becomes more macabre when scored to "On the Run."
• "Gone tomorrow" - Joker runs to the front of the bus.

Time (Scarecrow scene - Harvey in court)

• Scarecrow exits his van and throws up his hands just as the clocks begin to chime.
• The shooting Batman advances with the first note of the song.
• A new twang enters as the Tumbler arrives.
• In sync with the beat, the word "loiter" appears and flashes on the panel inside the Tumbler.
• Batman sinks into the van as another note twangs.
• "Digging away" - Batman contemplates jumping over the edge.
• Batman falls onto the van as a lyric ends.
• "Show you the way" - the Batmobile closes as Batman tries to show the pretenders the error of their ways.
• "One day you find" - Gordon sees Batman in the vault.
• Guitar slides down as Alfred enters the new Batcave.
• "Older" - Alfred grimaces at Bruce's mention of a "big dog"
• "Closer to death" - Bruce laughs, as he often does, in the face of death and limitation.
• "Quiet desperation" - Bruce looks longingly at Rachel on the monitor.
• "I like to be here when I can" - Harvey enters the courtroom.
• "iron bell" - Harvey flips his quarter.
• "to their knees" - All rise in the courtroom.

The Great Gig in the Sky (Harvey in court, cont'd - board meeting)

• This track begins exactly as Harvey steps up to question Rossi.
• The guitar twangs as Harvey shows the affadavit to Rossi.
• Harvey punches Rossi in time with another twang.
• "Not afraid of dying" - Harvey holds the gun.
• Wailing begins as Rachel takes Harvey's hand.
• The music mellows as Gordon admits, "...I'd be working alone."
• The piano slows (about 3:30 into the track) over a sleeping Bruce Wayne.

Money (double date - Joker's date with the mob)

• The cash register cha-chings as Rachel leans forward in a restaurant filled with and owned by the wealthy. (I got chills at this moment.)
• "Do-goody bull--" - Harvey says he'll be Gotham's protector "If I'm up to it."
• Saxes come in as the mobsters walk through the metal detector.
• The guitar scales down and stops as Joker enters the kitchen.
• The guitar makes a p-wop sound as Joker executes his magic trick - "It's gone!"
• "Money" - Joker throws up his hands.
• "Root of all evil" - Joker calmly adjusts his hair.

Us and Them (Joker's date, cont'd - grabbing Lau)

• The organ begins as Joker shows his card and exits.
• "Us" - as Bruce and Lucius exit the elevator.
• "After all" - Bruce looks up and Lucius smiles.
• The song has an echo effect, just like the room Bruce and Lucius are in.
• "Not what we would choose" - Bruce says he "wouldn't want to make things too easy"
• "Gen'ral" - Harvey and Rachel see the newspaper clipping at the theater.
• "Black" - we see Bruce's boat, which is partially black.
• "Up" - Gambol looks up to see who's coming into his pool hall.
• The piano comes in over Joker's "Why so serious?" monologue.
• "Sharp shock" - "Let's put a smile on that face!"
• A sax wails mournfully as Gambol falls.
• The music crescendoes as the scene changes to Hong Kong.
• "Down" - Lucius puts his mobile down in the building.
• "It can't be helped" - Lucius says "Of course" when he hands over his mobile.
• "Deny" - Lau stands up and protests his innocence.
• "Out of the way" - Lucius walks past the guard who tries to detain him.

Any Colour You Like (grabbing Lau, cont'd)

• ...not as much with this track.
• The track switches as Lucius hands his cell device to Bruce.
• The guitar moves up and down as the camera swings up and down around buildings.
• The monitors flicker in sync with a guitar twang.

Brain Damage (grabbing Lau, cont'd - the mob in court)

• Batman flies out of the window in sync with the second line of the song.
• "in the hall" - something happens here, but I can't read my notes.
• "And if" - "Enjoy your time in County."
• A laugh on the song comes in as Rachel smiles and says "That's great."
• "Lock the door" - Gordon decides to keep Lau in the MCU.
• "No one seems..." - Maroni frowns.
• "Dark side of the moon" - Maroni throws his napkin onto the table.
• There's a laugh on the CD as Judge Surillo throws the Joker card away.

Eclipse (mayor's office, cont'd)

• "All that you feel" - Mayor kicks out the cops.
• "Everyone you meet" - The fake Batman hits the window
• The album fades to silence over Joker's prisoner video.

There's always some question of whether synchronicity stops with the first run-through of the album, but I decided to keep going with the album on loop to a) see if it worked, and b) finish the movie. Hey, I'm a fan.

Speak to Me/Breathe (the fundraiser)

• The first cash register clinks as Harvey and Rachel enter the affluent fundraiser.
• Breath starts as Harvey asks about "psychotic ex-boyfriends."
• The guitar twangs as Bruce and his three girls enter the party.
• It twangs again as Bruce says "I believe in Harvey Dent" and spreads his hands.
• "Breathe in the air" - applause for Harvey.
• "Don't be afraid to care" - Rachel joins Bruce on the balcony.
• "Run" - Harvey comes to the balcony.

On the Run (Joker strikes)

• The track switches as Gordon enters Loeb's office.
• The music swirls as the Joker cards fall to the ground from the explosion.
• "Ha ha!" - Gordon realizes how The Joker plans to kill Loeb and shouts "No!"

Time (Joker crashes the party - Reese's blackmail)

• Clocks chime as Joker asks "Is it the scars?"
• The clanging clocks and eerie rototom match the tone of Joker's next autobiographical speech.
• A twang as Joker pats Rachel's cheek.
• A perfect note matches Joker dropping Rachel from the window.
• "Digging away" - Batman deploys his cape, in vain.
• "Dull day" - the lethargic cabbie sips at his coffee.
• "Waiting ... show you the way" - Gordon and Stephens are waiting for Harvey to show them the way to a successful prosecution.
• "Behind you" - Harvey tosses Lau a flak vest.
• The guitar solo matches up almost perfectly with Alfred's story about Burma.
• "Come up behind you" - a swirl around the rooftop on which Batman's perched.
• "Closer to death" - Patrick Harvey and Richard Dent are found dead.
• "Quiet" - Gordon evicts Ramirez from the crime scene.
• "Home" - Gordon finds the obituary for the mayor.
• The music fades as Reese begins to speak to Lucius

The Great Gig in the Sky (Reese's blackmail - Loeb's funeral)

• "I'm not afraid to die" - Reese unveils his blackmail scheme.
• The wailing begins as Reese returns his evidence and says "J... keep that."
• The wailing fades as Bruce exits the cave on his bike.
• The tempo of the track slows over the funeral scenes...
• ...but the wailing returns when we see the tied-up cops - just as the Joker theme creeps back in, too.

Money (Loeb's funeral, cont'd - interrogating Schiff)

• The cash register clinks as Schiff is shot and falls down.
• The guitar comes in as Stephens feels for a pulse on Gordon.
• "Money" - a close-up of Schiff's "Rachel Dawes" badge.
• "hit the gas" - Harvey revs the ambulance's engine.
• "bullsh-t" - Maroni sasses his girlfriend.
• The sax enters as Batman beats the thugs in the club.
• The guitar tempo changes as Harvey hangs up on Rachel.
• The guitar falls as Batman picks up the now-fallen Maroni.
• "Money" - cut to Batman, who catches Harvey's lucky coin.

Us and Them (interrogating Schiff, cont'd - the Slaughter truck)

• The organ comes in as Bruce mourns the "blood on my hands."
• A mournful sax wails as Bruce and Alfred close the cave.
• "Me and you" - Harvey speaks, and Rachel is watching him.
• "Black" - show the cops...
• "and blue" - Harvey speaking.
• "Who is who?" - much to Bruce's surprise, Harvey reveals he is the Batman.
• "Up" - Rachel looks up to Alfred.
• "Down" - Alfred nods down.
• "Hey" - Harvey kisses Rachel.
• The drum slams, and Joker fires a shotgun.
• "Down" - the convoy is ordered to "divert down."
• "Fighting" - Joker's truck crashes into the SWAT van.
• "Out of the way" - Joker opens the side door on his truck.

Any Colour You Like (convoy attack)

• Again, a difficult track to find results with.
• The guitar twangs as the Tumbler jumps in the air.

Brain Damage (convoy attack, cont'd)

• The track switches as we cut to the kids play-shooting at cars.
• "on the grass" - The helicopter falls
• "on the grass" (again) - the van hits the fallen helicopter
• "on the path" - Batman drives through the subway station.
• "Head explodes" - the truck flips over.
• "Dark foreboding..." - Batman turns his Batpod around.
• A laugh, as the Joker stumbles to his feet.
• "Thunder in your ear" - Batman's cowl zaps Joker's goon.
• "See you" - Harvey sees Gordon for the first time.
• Another laugh as Harvey gets into Wuertz's car.

Eclipse (Joker in jail)

• The track switches as the mayor comes to the MCU.
• "Everyone you meet" - Gordon sees his wife again.
• The track fades to silence as Gordon realizes that Harvey is missing.

Here the album cycled around for a third time, starting over during the Joker interrogation scene. At this point, the synchronized moments came fewer and farther between, proving not as satisfying as the first half of the film.

Speak to Me/Breathe (Joker's interrogation)

• Batman slams Joker's head and hits his fist in sync with the album's beats.
• Joker cackles in sync with a guitar twang.
• "Breathe" - "...freak..."
• "While you fly" - Joker talks about the way Batman "threw yourself" after Rachel.

On the Run (Joker's interrogation, cont'd - 250 52nd Street)

• The track switches as Batman blocks the door to the interrogation room.
• "On the Run" spirals during the chaotic chase scene.
• The guitar slams as the oil drum falls and spills.

Time (250 52nd Street - Harvey Two-Face)

• The clocks chime as Joker rolls his eyes and smacks his lips (downright spooky).
• "The moments that make up a dull day" - Rachel blows up.
• "Digging around" - Harvey rolls on the ground, aflame.
• "English way" - Alfred admits the British "burned the forest down."
• "thought... to say" - Alfred's story ends abruptly with a cut.
• "When I can" - the coin is scarred.

The Great Gig in the Sky (Harvey Two-Face, cont'd - burning money)

• The mournful elegaic tone of the track matches Gordon's mood with the hospitalized Harvey.
• The track wails exactly as Harvey reveals his now-scarred face for the first time.
• The track softly wails over the burning money.

Money (saving Reese - Nurse Joker)

• The cash register cha-chings as the Lamborghini appears, but this wasn't as good as the other cash register moments.
• "Make a stash" - the cop exits the hospital to find a bus for Harvey.
• "Money" - the Lamborghini again.
• The drum sounds in time with Nurse Joker's silenced gunshot.
• "So they say" - Joker points to Harvey.
• "Crusin' for a bruisin'" - The Lamborghini is wrecked.

Us and Them (Nurse Joker, cont'd - Maroni's luck)

• The organ sounds as Nurse Joker toddles out of the hospital.
• The sax wails as the hospital explodes.
• "Not what we would choose to do" - Lucius sees the machine.
• "round and round" - Harvey's coin spins and falls.
• "Down" - Maroni enters his limo.

Any Colour You Like (the ferries)

• Guitar twang as the boxes for the detonators are opened.

Brain Damage (finding Ramirez)

• Track switches as Barbara Gordon picks up the phone.
• "Thunder in your ear" - Gordon's wife shouts that "He has the kids!"

Eclipse (in the Pruitt Building)

• "All that you see" - Batman uses his sonar to see it all.

Fourth and final repeat cycle.

Speak to Me/Breathe (the ferries, cont'd)

• Batman confronts Joker as a heart beats on the album.
• We switch to "Breathe" as the criminal lumbers over to the warden on the bad ferry.
• A guitar twang as we zoom in on a clock.
• "Cry" - Joker dramatically announces, "Here... we... go."

On the Run (Joker's upside down)

• This scene is positively eerie between the frenetic soundtrack and the disoriented Joker.

Time (Harvey and Gordon's family)

• The clocks chime as Harvey menaces "just the person you love most."
• "Show you the way" - Harvey flips the coin for himself so that the coin will show him his way.
• "But it's sinking" - everything starts to fall apart when Gordon realizes what Batman is asking of him.

The Great Gig in the Sky (a dark knight)

• The track switches as Batman runs off.
• The wailing starts just as the credits announce "Directed by Christopher Nolan."

The Dark Knight (2008) - EPIC Review

I suppose that by way of apology I should explain pour quoi this review was so long in coming. I know that after my first viewing - which was (be jealous) truly an IMAX experience - I was so overwhelmed that not only could I not speak for five minutes on the car ride home but I also knew on some level that any initial reaction to this movie would have been no more than one could get from a teenybopper seeing The Jonas Brothers for the first time.

So I had to see it again. Within 24 hours. And then again. And again. And guess what? I'm going back. Because it's the movie we need and the movie we deserve. <-- That's a reference to the movie. If you haven't seen it, it might not be a good idea to read this review since I'll both be liberal in referencing dialogue and discussing plot points (although I won't be revealing any on the scale of "Rosebud is the sled" I will be exploring issues with which even casual Batman fans should be familiar), and I'll be featuring a proliferation of images that (again) won't give too much away but might be better left unseen by the uninitiated. Just go and see the movie, then check back with me, since you'll get more out of this review. Back? Where do we begin? Three years ago a little director called Christopher Nolan made a little movie called Batman Begins which, if we're being honest, made only comparatively little splashes at the box office. But then again, it's not about the money. It's about sending a message. And the message was that comic book movies could be serious works of cinematic literacy without compromising the source material.

The Dark Knight is no exception to this rule and unquestionably is the golden standard by which all other comic book movies - and indeed perhaps all other movies, period - will be weighed. (I can feel nothing but pity for future directors of comic book movies who are destined to fall short of this cinematic perfection.) Picking up where the first movie left off, The Dark Knight finds its eponymous hero (Christian Bale, back in the role for which he was born) facing escalation in the form of amped up enemies and do-gooder Bat-doppelgangers -- and a new nemesis, the self-professed "agent of chaos" known only as The Joker (the divine Heath Ledger, who's receiving all the accolades he deserves for this, his final and most magnificent role). All the old cast are back for this one, save Katie Holmes who's replaced by the less irritating Maggie Gyllenhaal. And we have a few new faces, too - of course, Ledger as the "dog chasing cars" man supposedly without a plan, Eric Roberts as mobster Sal Maroni, and Aaron Eckhart as Gotham's white knight Harvey Dent, the straitlaced D.A. with a touch of destiny about him.
Why so serious? For some comic relief, we have (Sir) Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman back as butler Alfred and CEO Lucius, respectively, but a great deal of the laughs - uncomfortable ones though they may be - come from Ledger's Joker, upon whom I cannot heap enough praise without sounding like either a sheep critic who feels obliged to respect the actor in light of his ultra-untimely passing or a giggly fanboy (the latter of which is probably closer to the truth) marveling at this, the truest interpretation of Batman's greatest nemesis. Though his first scene on-screen - a heist brilliantly planned by The Joker - won't get a lot of chuckles, his second appearance most certainly will. The Joker holds the mob financially hostage, unveils his master plan for correcting Gotham, and executes - and I do mean executes - the strangest, most audacious magic trick since Nolan's 2006 magical mystery tour The Prestige. Should we laugh at something like that? It's difficult not to. He does that, makes us question our ethics and morals for laughing at the more gruesome moments of life. It makes one think, that's all.

Making us think is one of Nolan's specialties here. This is so much more than just a seminal entry in the world of comic book adaptations - which, make no mistake, it is. The Bat-gauntlet has been thrown down. But The Dark Knight is, among many things, a mature rumination on the very nature of heroism, of deceit, of good and evil and the mutual necessity one has for the other. The very concept of heroism is up for grabs here, as well-intentioned civilians doll up like the Bat and take on crime themselves. "What gives you the right?" one asks Batman. Hockey pads or not, one has to admit that it does take a certain brand of madness to dress as a Fledermaus and dive from rooftops. And "madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push."

Where the first film devoted a great deal of contemplation to mulling the power and pains of fear, here the main issue at stake is duality - the mirror relationship between good and evil - with a liberal dose of secrecy thrown in for good measure. The clearest example of duality is of course the nature of the battle between Gotham's Dark Knight and its anarchic harbinger of lawlessness, The Joker. "I don't want to kill you!" the Joker cackles at one point. "What would I do without you? You... you complete me." Earlier, in a home video of sorts, Joker grins as he decries Batman's need for secrecy and suggests "This is how craaaaaazy Batman's made Gotham."

Surely this is cause for contemplation; Batman's first villains in this series were mere mortals (not so mere, though, should Nolan choose to play up Ra's al-Ghul's immortality in later installments) with fear toxins and utopian aspirations. Gotham before Batman had never seen a man so without rules as The Joker, a man willing to allow himself to be killed for a punchline.
And no discussion of duality could be complete without Harvey Dent. Just as Scarecrow was the perfect way to explore fear, the district attorney - the white knight - is Nolan's masterstroke in the discussion of doublethink. "I believe in Harvey Dent," the oft-repeated aphorism goes. To believe in Harvey Dent, though, is to believe in a world that doesn't need Batman, a world where crime can be stopped in the courts. The Joker, of course, begs to differ and endeavors to "turn [Dent's] little plan on itself." Failing to corrupt The Dark Knight (even finding him "too much fun"), Joker turns to the white one. Because all it takes is a little push to win the battle for Gotham's soul. Aaron Eckhart's performance as Harvey Dent is sadly lost in the shuffle of praise for the movie - and undeservedly so. As Dent, Eckhart has the unenviable task of playing an optimist in a world without hope, a task made all the more impossible once everything is taken from him - even his Robert Redford good looks. In a way then, Harvey is a mirror of Batman as well; where Batman lost everything and chose good, Harvey seeks revenge and sense in a world gone mad - decency in an indecent time, as Dent cries at the film's second climax.

Oh, yeah. There are two climaxes to the movie. You read that right. The screenplay by the Nolans is a marvelous examination of the Batman mythos, drawing on all of the best Caped Crusader chronicles to create what is the most complete, most honest, most magnificent Batman story ever told. (And this from a reviewer who loves Jeph Loeb's The Long Halloween!) This two climax bit is part of the magic of the movie (and also a nod to the rise of Two-Face?); just as one major threat is defeated, Batman is reminded that the battle for Gotham's soul has yet to be won. This final act of the film is haunting - pure poetry. The chills that ran up my arms couldn't have been from the air conditioning in the theater, because I felt the hair on my arm stand up at all four screenings - in different venues, no less. As The Joker hangs upside down and taunts Batman with his notion that "I think you and I are destined to do this... forever" the camera slowly does a 180 and turns so that The Joker appears to be right-side up... but he isn't. The world, Nolan tells us in a brilliant use of visual language, has been turned topsy turvy, on its head just as the "SLaughter is the best medicine" semi earlier in the film.
For me to delve any further into scholarly analysis would be to give short shrift to my duties as a reviewer (although if I haven't by now convinced you of the film's marvelous nature, you might need a quick reminder - Rotten Tomatoes ranks it 94% fresh, but only because 6% of critics are afraid to join the crowd). Every actor brings an A-game or better to the table, so we might as well go right down the line. Christian Bale actually plays three parts here: gravelly Batman, "fake" playboy Bruce Wayne, and the real Wayne who legitimately wants to do right but understands the necessity of his facades. As butler and confidante Alfred, Michael Caine is pitch-perfect, providing the perfect amount of levity while also bringing gravitas by keeping the secret that could crush his employer's spirit. You'll never believe Gary Oldman is British, since he plays such a spot-on Chicago-style cop as Lt. Gordon. I've already lauded Aaron Eckhart's turn as Harvey Dent; the biggest compliments I can give Maggie Gyllenhaal is that she's not Katie Holmes and that she made me forget that I really don't like her - especially in a scene where she finally gives Harvey "an answer." And of course Morgan Freeman, who's rapidly becoming one of my favorites, is unindictable, saying more with an enigmatic smile than, oh, let's say Keanu Reeves can do with a whole movie. Heck, even Eric Roberts comes close to inciting curiosity that he wasn't in one of the Godfather movies.

Then there's Heath Ledger, who's in a caliber all his own. Where each other actor is physically recognizable (well, except for Eckhart in the second half), Ledger completely immerses himself in the role and disappears behind that David Lynch voice and a face only Baby Jane Hudson could love. If you thought Johnny Depp's turn as Captain Jack Sparrow was a physical transformation, wait until you see this. Ledger blows Jack Nicholson (as much fun as he was) out of the water with a dark and gruesome anarchist who delights in chaos and physical abuse. Moviegoers aren't screaming "Oscar!" for no reason, and it's got nothing to do with the tragic passing of Ledger back in January. It's got everything to do with the highest echelon of acting that I've ever seen.

There are some who say that the editing befuddles, but these must be the same nitwits that cried foul at the "confusing" plot of the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The only confusing thing about this movie is how it can be so irreproachable and still be made by humans. It's as layered as an Alan Moore plot, with little nuggets to reward repeat viewings - like the year imprinted on Harvey's silver dollar or the ballerina grace with which the opening bank robbery is choreographed. The script is endlessly quotable without being showy, by far surpassing 300 for "Most catchphrases in a single bound." A great deal of that is delivery, because when you get down to it there's nothing truly remarkable about the line "Here's my card."

The soundtrack, too, is everything a movie score should be - gentle in spots (courtesy of James Newton Howard) and aggressive in others (characteristically Hans Zimmer's work), all without screaming "Listen to me!" From the chaotically frenzied Joker theme ("Why So Serious?" on the soundtrack) to the majestic Batman action theme ("Like A Dog Chasing Cars" and "I'm Not A Hero" as best highlights), the score swoops like a - "Like a submarine, Mr. Wayne. A submarine." And the special effects - well, they're virtually nonexistent. You see, Nolan is an advocate of hyper-realism in his filmmaking, so almost none of what you see is CGI. Yes, Nolan really blew up the Brachs candy factory (which stands in for a somewhat more targetable facade). Yes, Nolan really flipped a semi on its head. Yes, Nolan really filmed a car chase scene on Wacker in Chicago. I'm pretty sure he didn't really crash a helicopter into a skyscraper, but it looks damn cool anyway.

I'm this close to announcing a new king in the land of cinema. No, I'm not abdicating my throne as The Cinema King. I'm mere centimeters (or one more screening, preferably IMAX) from placing The Departed at #2 on the list of Greatest Movies of All Time. Because here's another perfect movie. It's unquestionably the best movie of 2008, and I see no competition in sight.

Top Ten Fears about THE DARK KNIGHT

10. The movie might not live up to the hype surrounding it. [But let's be honest, ten million critics can't all be wrong... can they?]

9. Maggie Gyllenhaal's "sad turtle" mug might drag the whole thing down.

8. A sudden turn towards the Schumacher.

7. An embarassingly over the top turn by Heath Ledger. [Actually I'm not at all worried about that, as the above clip dissuades any such notions, but it ought to be mentioned.]

6. No Morgan Freeman narration. [Actually, narration would probably kill this movie.]

5. The inevitable turn that there's no way that a threequel will live up to this one. [Unless someone listens to my idea about Brittany Murphy and Rose McGowan as Harley & Ivy... and Toby Jones for The Mad Hatter. Heck, throw in Ben Kingsley as Mr. Freeze.]

4. WAAAY TOO SHORT. Give me about four hours, Mr. Nolan, and I'll be happy.

3. Not enough Joker.

2. Get Smart Syndrome - all the good material being given away in the promotional spots.

1. This movie might be so awesome that as the credits roll I may just die of sheer ecstasy, which would be a shame since I'm sure that I'll want to see it more than once.

Trailer Park: The Dark Knight (2008) [Dominos Trailer]

Apologies for turning this blog into a walking promotional tool for the benefit of Mr. Wayne, but I just haven't seen a lot of trailers that rock me like The Dark Knight's marketing campaign. Finally more new footage, released through Domino's Pizza's TDK website.

I think I have my first negative comment about the movie. Brace yourselves. I don't like Ledger's inflection here when he says, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen; we're tonight's entertainment." It sounds lackadaisical, bordering on bored. I much preferred the earlier trailer's rendition, which sounded a little more like "Gooooooood evening, ladies and gentle man... We're tonight's entertainment!"

Other than that, no complaints. July 18 can't come fast enough.

Trailer Park: The Dark Knight (2008) [Comcast Trailer]

Not a lot of new material in this trailer, at which Comcast subscribers got a first look, but we do get a little more of "funny Joker." "I'll settle for his loved one" is still menacing, but the sing-song inflection is more like the comic book Joker, who isn't afraid to crack wise every once in a while. And we get a sense of The Joker's purpose - he's after Harvey Dent for some reason. Could it be Joker's alliance with the mob that leads him to target Dent? Does this mean the rumors are true that Joker is the one who scars Dent?

I cannot wait for this movie.

Trailer Park: The Dark Knight (2008) ["Happy Trails" Trailer]

[Video deleted by Youtube: Visit http://whysoserious.com/happytrails/trailer.htm]

After the first full trailer landed, the Internet was abuzz. It seemed you couldn't go anywhere on the Net without hearing one of two things - "Heath Ledger is amazing!" and "Why didn't we see any Aaron Eckhart yet?"

This new trailer responded to those notions in spades. After the truly tragic passing of Heath Ledger in January of 2008, The Dark Knight was receiving even more buzz, if fathomable. In spite of ridiculous accusations that the role of The Joker had killed Ledger, the marketing campaign went on, albeit with a new focus on Harvey Dent, the lawyer who (spoilers) becomes villain Two-Face.

So "Happy Trails" (again named for a viral marketing site) amps up the Harvey Dent content, as well as giving us more Joker. But this Joker is more menacing than any previous incarnation, and this Harvey Dent is by comparison entirely more innocent than any other version we've seen thus far. He seems genuinely concerned with doing the right thing, being Gotham's white knight.

So his descent into darkness is going to be all the more tragic because of that. The standout feature in my mind (that is, excepting the all-too-awesome "Kill... the Batman.") is the lighting. Quite an esoteric pick, but watch Harvey Dent throughout the trailer. Notice the lighting on his face - the left half (the half that will be scarred by acid in the comics and Lord-knows-what in this movie) is almost always lit darker than the right half. That is a brilliant touch.

And is that Maggie Gyllenhaal being thrown off a building by The Joker? This movie just gets better and better.

PS: Hi-def version at http://whysoserious.com/happytrails/trailer.htm

Trailer Park: The Dark Knight (2008) ["A Taste for the Theatrical" Trailer]

[Video deleted by Youtube: See http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm]

Though I've been waiting for The Dark Knight since the end of Batman Begins (in which Batman examines an evidence bag with a joker card inside), I think this trailer really solidified in my mind the notion that this movie was going to rock. After a lackluster teaser, I was ready for something more substantial.

"A Taste for the Theatrical" (so named for the viral website on which the trailer was found) is one of the best trailers I've ever seen. I think the reason this one works so well is that it preys on the audience's common thought - "Is Heath Ledger going to be any good as The Joker?" Notice how The Joker doesn't really clearly appear on-screen for almost a minute, when we get that eerie shot of "Evening, commissioner!" With that shot, I forget entirely the whole Brokeback Mountain thing and instantly know that this interpretation is going to make me say "Jack who? Who Romero?"

Oh, yeah. And there's some good shots of Batman, accompanied by a goosebump-inducing score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. My only lament is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who seems even more numb than Katie Holmes.

But hey, I was wrong about Heath Ledger. One question, though - where's Harvey Dent?

PS: I know that the YouTube video isn't the best quality, so visit http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm for the high-definition video (available for download!)

Trailer Park: The Dark Knight (2008) [Teaser]

Now it should come as no surprise to anyone that The Dark Knight is my most anticipated movie of the summer, and perhaps of my life. So it's only natural that my first few excursions into the Trailer Park should be the brilliant marketing campaign surrounding Christopher Nolan's second Batman movie.

The first teaser trailer landed in late 2007 (I want to say around October, but it might have been summer). I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed in this one, but props to the marketing team for originality here. Most teasers are quick flashes of action scenes and too-cool character shots, but this one is unique in being totally blank except for The Bat logo and a few lines of dialogue.

If I had only this teaser to go on, I wouldn't be optimistic about Heath Ledger's Joker. The voice doesn't sound distinctive enough, and the laugh falls flat when compared with Mark Hamill's.

Thank God Nolan has "A Taste for the Theatrical."