This is one of the best comic book movies ever made. I like the 1989 Batman film better and I always will, but I can't really compare the two because this is great in its own way and will go down as its own creation, and defnitely as a great one.
This is a comic book movie for everyone, and marketing to children had little to nothing to do with anything. This is a movie strictly for adults, and even people who don't like comic book movies can find something they like about this movie. It's kept moving forward from Batman Begins with it's dark storyline, complex characters, and action-packed scenes that keep the audience on their toes while still being a smart movie, not just mindless action.
The mostly-male ensemble cast does a fantastic job, as they did as well in Batman Begins. By that, I mean that the cast is almost entirely made up of men, with the exception of Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes and some Russian ballet dancers. Christian Bale is still my second-favourite batman, and the rest of the supporting cast did extremely well, singling out Gary Oldman, who is such a powerhouse actor that he can make a small supporting role so powerful and developed.
Our antagonists, both primary and secondary, both do a spectacular job. In fact, our secondary antagonist doesn't even start out as a bad guy, he's just a villain of circumstance. Our primary villain is of course, the Joker, played brilliantly by Heath Ledger. I, at first was not looking forward to Heath playing the Joker. I thought he was far too much of a pretty boy to play one of the greatest villains of all time. When I saw this in theatres, I was completely blown away.
Just a little side note about the Jokers. It really bugs me when people say that Heath is better than Jack or Jack is better than Heath. They are both great, but you can't compare them, because it would be comparing apples and oranges. Jack is far more creepy and much funnier as the Joker in the 1989 film. Not only is Heath funny as the Joker, but he's also far less creepy and much more disturbing and terrifying.
I do have some problems with this movie, namely being that it overanalyses everything and seems more like a character study than an actual three-act movie. The only other problem I had was that the entire third act just seemed like one big climax. It was pretty much action scene after action scene after action scene. Wouldn't Batman get tired? But I digress, those were the only two problems I had, everything else was fantastic.
Once again, Christopher Nolan hasn't failed to please me and made Batman fans put their faith in him to not let them down. This is one of three Christopher Nolan movies I have seen (the other two being Inception and Batman Begins) and every single one I have loved. I am also greatly anticipating The Dark Knight Rises. .
If you haven't seen this movie, get in your car, drive to Blockbuster, and rent it NOW. It is a definite must see for anyone. It will definitely go down in history and it won't be forgotten. One of those rare sequels that manages to outdo its predecessor in every way, not unlike Spiderman 2. I can hardly wait for the third movie, not only to hear the villain, but to see what Nolan will do to finish this franchise. All in all, a brilliant film that will definitely not be forgotten
It's great too that you managed to say what problems you had with attitudes towards the film and yet kept the five star rating. I still need to get the DVD. I"ve loved this film, it's so dark and makes you think.
I sent you an invite to my comics community.
Looking forward to more of your reviews!