Movie #229 The Dark Knight *2008*

I can not believe that I have not reviewed The Dark Knight on here.  I have a lot of opinions about this film.  Far too many to capture with 4 other blogs on my plate tonight.  So here goes my cheat.  3 Reasons to see The Dark Knight

Reason #1.  The Joker.  This is not going to be a short reason.  I am passionate about this character and performance.  In order to make a comic book movie work one of the main things you need is a good villain.  I believe that the better the villain the better the movie.  I want to believe that there is a chance that the bad guy could actually win.  If not than there is an inevitable feeling that the good guy will win.  So why become invested in the story when you know the ending for it even starts.  This does go beyond comic book movies.  Westerns, samurai films, crime movies, ect.  If you know going in that Spiderman or John Wayne is going to win, then I bet your entertainment value will be reduced.  In The Dark Knight, The Joker is untouchable and has the upper hand for the majority of the film.  There were plenty of times that I though that he may actually end up beating Batman.  Then there is Heath Ledgers performance.  Mind blowingly great.  He inhabited this character and truly made him a part of him.  Everything about The Joker is terrifying.  The makeup, the changing back-stories, all the way down to his wardrobe.  This is one of the best realized characters I can think of.  I love it that he is really not a bad guy.  He is an agent of chaos.  You can't reason with chaos.  You can't bribe chaos.  Alfred says it best when he says "Some people just want to watch the world burn".

Reason #2.  The IMAX presentation.  If this is ever re-released in IMAX theaters I will be there on opening night.  Many scenes were shot in the IMAX 70mm format and it made the scope of the scenes and in effect the entire film its self seem larger and more grandiose. 

Reason #3.  Practical effects.  Of course many of the effects are CGI, but Nolan is a big fan of practical and physical effects.  This movie was shot largely in Chicago.  There is a scene where a semi truck and trailer were flipped rear over head.  That is not CGI.  They actually flipped a truck upside down in lower Chicago.  The action and effects, even the CGI, look great here.

This movie does have its flaws.  But for my money is the is best example of what a comic book  / summer blockbuster can be in the past 20 years.  I give The Dark Knight ★★★★.

Movie #98 Inception *2010*

Your mind is the scene of the crime.

Last night I watched Inception with the kiddos on DVD.  I took them to see the movie at the IMAX when it was in theaters.  I also saw it a second time in IMAX with my special lady and a good friend. There is a huge difference between watching it the IMAX and at home.  And I have a very large plasma TV and a good sound system.

The film is about a group of handsome men that enter your dreams in an attempt to either steal or plant and idea in your head.  It is a sci-fi corporate espionage thriller.  The movie is filled with with twists and turns that are designed to keep you guessing.  The plot is a twisting maze much like the worlds that have to build within your head in order for the thieves to navigate.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard.  It also has Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy (these 3 being Year of Film favorites!).  There is also a host of other great character actors.  Most of the performances are solid to good.  I do feel sorry for Ellen Page.  She is the surrogate for the viewer.  Her job in the film is she is the architect of the dreams.  But really she is only there to say things like "You mean that..." and "Are you telling me that...".  She is there just to make sure that everyone is on board with the story.  One of the flaws of the film is that it thinks that is it smarter than it really is.

Another flaw, and a way that the film makers (directed by Christopher Nolan of Dar Knight and Mememto fame) tries to explain the movie is that it is filled to the gills with exposition.  The movie largely consists of people telling you what they are going to do and then doing it.  Strange that a movie that was sold so much on its visuals, which are fantastic, should spend so much time telling and not showing.

More on those visuals.  The trailer shows a scene where the street and the building seem to be rolling up on themselves.  That was one of the most impressive shots of all 2010.  People wanted to compare TRON Legacy to Avatar.  I think this film has far more comparison points.  There are so many fantastic scenes of both actual locations and CGI blends in this film that I think it is one of the most satisfying films of the year based solely on images. 

This film is so packed with stuff I could blog about it for hours.  Not everything works, but it is a solid action thriller worth the time investment. 

I give Inception a 4/5 stars. Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.