The Dark Knight Movie Review

"Why So Serious?" was the tagline of this blockbuster movie of the Summer of 2008. And indeed, serious it was. Too serious.

Before I go into the movie review proper, here's the standings for the Box Office.

Dark Knight Sets New Opening Day Record!

Source: Box Office Mojo

July 19, 2008

Box Office Mojo is reporting that Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight has set a new opening day record with $66.4 million in a record 4,366 theaters (including 94 IMAX theaters) nationwide.

The Dark Knight's Final Tally? $158.4 Million!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety

July 21, 2008

On Sunday, Warner Bros. Pictures estimated that The Dark Knight had earned $155.3 million its opening weekend. Turns out, that was low! The final figures show that Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins follow-up took in a record-breaking $158.4 million over the Friday-to-Sunday frame, easily beating the $151.1 million opening of Spider-Man 3 in May 2007.

Special Thanks and Source: www.superherohype.com

"Batman Begins" created a clear-cut origin for the comic book character based within the real world, and "The Dark Knight" takes that one step further, venturing further into the world of true crime dramas. The most fascinating new ingredient to "The Dark Knight" is the reintroduction of The Joker, a disarmingly different take by the late Heath Ledger. This Joker doesn't boogie to a Prince soundtrack and crack jokes about toys; this is an evil and horrifying villain, clearly insane and unpredictable as he wantonly maims and kills anyone who crosses his path. Unlike the 1989 counterpart, Jack Nicholson, who actually brings a smile to the audience and is actually funny. The new Joker is more scary than funny in more ways than one.

Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is another unforgettable offering from the visionary that defies all expectations by creating a serious "superhero" movie for grown-ups, one so grounded in a brutal reality you're left in a cold sweat by its stalwart refusal to cater to escapist fantasies. While one might hesitate to throw around overused words like "masterpiece," it's refreshing that "The Dark Knight" is not a movie that can be viewed and easily discarded like so much other summer fare.

Finally, there's one scene where the Joker makes the citizens of Gotham make a dramatic choice in order to save their lives. I don't want to spoil it here, but there were some good aspects of the scene and some very cheesy aspects of the scene. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.

Rating: 8.5/10 - A Cut Above The Rest. Why So Serious?