the dark knight
i went in expecting the usual feast of action, stirring plot and sinisterly glorious acting from both the highly anticipated joker (the late heath ledger) and batman himself (christian bale). sadly, the film goes to the "underdog", harvey dent, who's gotham city's new district attorney. i won't mention any spoilers as much as i can avoid them, as i know plenty of you have not yet caught this summer flick.
in terms of story flow, there's succinct dialogue and sufficient sub-plots to tie together the entire movie as a whole. but what is lacking is awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping effects and action sequences. maybe i'm spoilt by the run-of-the-mill action movies from hollywood, but (c'mon) it's batman! maggie gyllenhall spoilt screen-time with her awkward acting and noticeably rehearsed lines. it was quite painful to watch her, personally. however, lucky for me, i love a good dose of evil, and the joker did not disappoint me. ledger was beyond recognisable with his excellent portrayal that lives up to nicholson's performance and it was, at times, creepy just watching him BE the character, and not merely PLAY it out on-screen.
even with his untimely death, ledger still would've deserved the oscar that many are buzzing about. his family should be honoured and proud to have a son who's left, maybe not a legacy, but an extraordinary tale of both success and turmoil. overall, 'the dark knight' will definitely be my pick for movie of the year (in spite of the year not ending that soon), and is not just for 'batman' fans, but for any fan of an actor that has truly left behind an "applaudable" performance.
4 out of 5.
p.s. rumour has it that JOHNNY DEPP is sought after to play the next joker. although he'll be a hefty sum of money to hire, i can already foretell that will be an awesome follow-up to watch out for! :)
p.p.s. i can't wait for my pre-ordered joker poster to arrive! (it better be worth the approximate $200 i spent on a whim!) :D
bloody gorgeous.
