Batman Begins: The best superhero film of all time

[Double_G]

First of all, I'm not including any spoilers, so don't hesitate to read this.

Everything positive you've heard about this movie is right. The new bar is set for superhero movies, and I doubt anything will ever top TDK.

This movie kicks so much ass that I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start with the performances. Heath Ledger's Joker is one of the most amazing villains I've ever seen on screen. Some of his mannerisms are hilarious and terrifying at the same time. It just saddens me that this will be the only time we'll ever be able to see the greatness that is Heath Ledger's Joker. Christian Bale once again did an awesome job as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Maggie Gyllenhaal made for a much more believable DA than Katie Holmes ever did. Aaron Eckhart gave a decent performance as Harvey Dent. I really liked his portrayal because at times it showed a darker side of Harvey even before he became Two-Face. But I think the other standout performance besides Ledger in the movie comes from Gary Oldman. Gordon fuckin' owned in this movie. Thankfully they gave him much more screentime in TDK than "Begins", including a great monologue at the end.

As far as the action goes, the Batpod vs. Joker's truck completely trumps the Tumbler chase from "Begins". But this is really more of a crime drama than an action film, which makes it the ultimate Batman flick. All the great Batman stories have been crime dramas, like "Long Halloween". And also, this movie shows off Batman's detective skills, which, I think, makes it the closest representation to the character on screen.

Overall, I think this is a great contender for "Greatest Superhero Movie Of All Time". Definitely the best Batman movie. It's definitely a movie that requires multiple viewings in order to soak everything in, which is why I'm going again at some point this weekend.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I've heard some dissapointment that Batman isn't the centerpiece of this film. Batman is the foil/sounding board for the dichotomy of the extremes of good and evil that exist in Gotham City now that Batman has changed the natural order. In this case its the representation of good (Crusading D.A. Harvey Dent) and evil (the embodiment of anarchy, Joker). This movie is really their movie with Batman as a supporting role. ( Don't worry, folks, he's still in the movie A LOT, you'll get your Batman fix)

Ledger's Joker isn't so much a character or a villain as he is a force of nature. His portrayal is so complex, and yet so foreign, you can only get glimpses into why he is the way he is. I was so overwhelmed by Ledger's performance, I didn't notice Eckhart's until sometime in the middle of the movie, and the chameleon that is Gary Oldman, I didn't realize until AFTER I watched the movie. I just took for granted his performance, more like they had just gotten the real Jim Gordon to play his role opposite Ledger, Bale, and Eckhart. Brilliant. The same goes for Freeman and Caine as Lucius Fox and Alfred.

I agree with 2G, this movie just raised the bar for super-hero movies. Someone (Kevin Smith?) referred to it as the "Godfather 2 of comic movies". and that's as appropriate as anything you can say about the film. You're going to have to change the name of this topic to "The 2nd Best Super Hero Film of all time"...

[Double_G]

I've heard some dissapointment that Batman isn't the centerpiece of this film. Batman is the foil/sounding board for the dichotomy of the extremes of good and evil that exist in Gotham City now that Batman has changed the natural order. In this case its the representation of good (Crusading D.A. Harvey Dent) and evil (the embodiment of anarchy, Joker). This movie is really their movie with Batman as a supporting role. ( Don't worry, folks, he's still in the movie A LOT, you'll get your Batman fix)

I thought Batman got more screentime than Bruce Wayne for a change (if that makes sense). But you get so attached to the Joker that when he's not onscreen, you can't wait until he shows up again. But all in all, I'd say everyone got a fair share of screentime except for Alfred. He was a bit underused this time around. But again, I was glad Gordon was given much more to do in the movie.

But again, I can't stress enough how great this movie is. Not only does it set the bar for superhero movies, but also for sequels in general.

[Diabolical]

SPOILERS BELOW!

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about The Dark Knight. The people are right when they say it will be the new standard that all future superhero movies will be judged by.

I was afraid that all the Heath Ledger hype would be just that - hype. And it wasn't. It was even better than the hype. Ledger is totally unrecognizable as Joker. Ledger's death overshadowed nothing. He is so good that once he appears you forget everything about Heath Ledger and his unfortunate death. It's 100% Joker. Not only is Joker a twisted fuck - he's still morbidly funny from the beginning.
Fuck an Oscar - the man deserves a Golden Deuce.

Bale was even better as Bruce/Batman this time. I think the new flexibility in the costume helped him quite a bit. He didn't look so stiff, which also helped the fight scenes a great deal this time.

I'd expected a slightly more expanded role for Morgan Freeman this time, but he was great in his limited role. And I was surprised Michael Caine's role was smaller. Alfred is such a key member in Bruce's life.

The death of Rachel Dawes wasn't a big shock (I knew at least some characters wouldn't make it). No big loss to the series, as her death really moved the story along.

The Harvey Dent storyline showed just how easy it can be to show a good guy's fall from grace in one film. I really didn't expect for Two-face to be in the movie as much as he was, but was pleasantly surprised. Great effects on Two-Face also - gruesome. And I loved the scene between Harvey and Joker in the hospital.

And that was is it for Scarecrow!? Damn, that surprised me quite a bit.

Can't wait to see it again.

[vynsane]

just got back a bit ago - fuck, man, that was a great flick. while 'batman begins' has grown on me since my initial encounter, i found this one to be much better on the initial viewing.

[Double_G]

I hope I'm not too late, but just as a warning, don't go into the TDK thread on the other site if you want to remain spoiler-free. Tycho's review is full of spoilers and has no warning at all.

But on the other hand, if you haven't seen "The Dark Knight" yet, get up off your ass and do so.

[anarky]

I've been spoiled, but it's motherfucking Batman; I don't care. I wanted to not be, but it's not a huge deal to me.

I love superheroes. But there are superheroes, and there is Batman.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

I'll be seeing it on Friday before heading out to midnight madness. I need to rewatch the first one; I got it at Target a few years ago for like $3 on Black Friday. A few of my friends have seen it and said it kicked major ass, which seems to be the general consensus.

[Diabolical]

Fuck an Oscar - the man deserves a Golden Deuce.

[anarky]

Awesome. I don't see why every home doesn't have one!

I'm catching it Wednesday during a matinee, before Comic-Con preview night. Can't wait; you guys have really hyped it up. I watched Batman Begins again this weekend, and watched Gotham Knight (an Animatrix-styled set of vignettes, more or less telling one larger story, set in between the two movies... or, rather, between the final scene of Batman Begins and the rest of the film). Some stories are better than others. A few run way too long, a few way too short, and only two are really top-notch. Surprisingly, the best features the villain who would seem less likely to fit into the Batman Begins world: Killer Croc, who's handled more realistically than ever done before. I'd recommend watching the DVD, but only buying it if you're a hardcore Batman fan.

[Diabolical]

I was pretty disappointed with Gotham Knight.I didn't think any of them were all that good. The Croc one had potential but was it was more of a cameo than anything (same for Scarecrow).

The best part of it all was the 2nd disc with the Batman:TAS episodes and the Bob Kane documentary.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Gotham Knight was underwhelming.

[Double_G]

I was not impressed by Gotham Knight at all. I'm glad I rented it instead of buying it. But Kevin Conroy's voice did not match the animation style of Bruce Wayne in a few of the shorts, like the one with Lucius Fox (Field Training, I think it was called). You have Kevin Conroy's voice that sounds like a much older Batman coming from a Batman/Bruce Wayne who looks like he's 25. It just didn't match at all. And I hated what they did with Scarecrow. They could have at least made him look like he did in the movies.

[Sleazer]

Ledger was great but not in it enough. The movie needed more of him. Therefore, this movie could have been better so it is overhyped (the movie, not Ledger).

[Rollo Tomassi]

FYI Sarah Jayne Dunn played Eric Roberts' floosie, not Harley Quinn. That must've been misdirection on the part of the filmmakers.

I loved it when Eris Roberts broke his ankle(s).