Two words: WOW!

Now, if you have been reading my movie reviews on a regular basis you know I’ve been dropping hints at my eager anticipation for this film. Let me say this, it did not disappoint. The Dark Knight opened everywhere July 18th, so this is a late review. Sorry, my press pass never showed up. Damn Joker.

Like a modern rollercoaster The Dark Knight does not need time to go up a hill before it starts to move fast. The film makers shoot you off right from the start. When the ride does slows down you check your pockets to make sure your keys and loose change have not fallen out just as the well-orchestrated ride suddenly pulls you back in the air and you forget about anything in your pocket just to hold on. There was a point at which I thought the movie was ending, thankfully it kept going. The film did not feel nearly as long as its almost 3 hour run time.

This movie joins the likes of The Godfather: Part II, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, or Toy Story 2 as sequels that have raised the bar that was already set so high from the first film. Even if you’re not a fan of superhero comic book movies, this is one of the finest crime action thrillers you will ever come across. On par with Michael Mann’s Heat or Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. This film will please these fans along with those who follow the Batman lore.

The Dark Knight works so well because the script is so solid. The film was not rushed into the theater just because the producers knew they would make a fortune like the disappointing Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. This is because the visionary director, Christopher Nolan, is a story teller. Unlike M. Night Shyamalan who is a good story teller, but terrible director. In the case of Michael Bay, he is a terrible story teller and well a terrible director too, but you get the idea.

The late Heath Ledger was outstanding in making the Joker fresh and more terrifying then every before. Nicholson’s Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman is cartoonish and timid compared to Ledger’s performance as a creepy and psychopathic clown. From the Joker’s first magic trick to his…we’ll just leave it at that.

Now if you just skipped down here for the bottom line and did not want to read the whole review. Here it is: Go see this film. I don’t use the term Masterpiece very often, but this is definitely that. We now have our second film of the year to be in the Best Picture category. And this looks like the odds on favorite.

As you know, My rating scale is a little different. Listed from appalling to the crème de la crème:
- I’m glad I had nothing to do with this movie.
- Stagehand – my name may come up in the credits, but well after everyone left.
- Actor – I’m just told what to do, If I had a say, I would have changed some things.
- Producer – great movie, oversaw production and had my hand in the mix.
- Director – excellent in every way, would not change a thing.

This movie gets a ‘Director’ score. I wish I was as smart and brilliant as Christopher Nolan. For those Ned Flanders out there, this film got an A-III from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This means the film is not considered morally offensive.

This past weekend I finally went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I am a huge fan of all of the Harry Potter books, but have yet to be inspired by any of the previous four Harry Potter movies. I had heard very good reviews about the 5th movie and went in with a very positive attitude. As in the previous 4 movies, I walked away very disappointed.In the previous four movies my biggest complaint was the lack of character development in the movies that came with trying to capture as much of the plot from the book as possible. The movies stuck with the storyline and never came close to capturing the magic of each book. With the most recent 5th movie, they tried something new, straying from the storyline and trying to invigorate some new magic for the audience. Unfortunately they completely missed it. The only character they really developed in this movie was the newest character, Dolores Umbridge.

I loved what they did with her character and really felt they brought her to life. I detested her in the book and actually hated reading about her character, but in the movie found myself fascinated by her. She seemed so much more complex, and strangely alluring. I wondered if those unfamiliar with the books would immediately recognize how evil she really is. What I can not figure out, is why they only developed this one character. She is not a main character in the context of the entire 7-part story and barely shows up even in the 7th book.

Why not develop the other characters that we will follow for two more films? I can only imagine that it had something to do with the main characters limited acting abilities. While they have developed significantly over the years, they still fail to draw you in to their characters and fail to make you empathize with there situation.

For all of these limitations, what upset me the most was the ending. It seemed as if the story could have ended here in the 5th movie. Where the book shows how young Harry still is at only 15, and how he is struggling to deal with very adult life situations way too early, the movie gives him the wisdom of a grown man and makes him conquer Voldemort through “his knowledge of love” and deal with the aftermath with patience and understanding. Where is the aggression, where is his rage? It just didn’t fit. Harry won’t grow into the man portrayed in the 5th movie until the end of book 7. The 5th book left me in tears, feeling horrible for Harry and wild with anticipation for the next book. This movie left me feeling flat and truly disappointed.

One note that I feel is necessary. I watched the movie with three friends. Two had just finished book 5 and have not read 6 and 7. The other has read all seven books. I have read all 7 and have read books 1-6 more than two times each. The two friends who just finished book 5 for the first time really liked the movie. My other friend hated the movie as much as I did. Maybe knowing the rest of the story detracts from the movie, I don’t know. The genius of Rowling is her ability to weave a story through 7 books tying in little pieces from the previous books. The movie fails to incorporate the important details. Some of my “oh my gosh” moments when reading have to do with my amazement to what Rowling brings back from earlier books. If details are missing from the movies (i.e. R.A.B. and Sirius’s mirror), you can’t experience these amazing moments of true genius.

As is expected, Natalie Portman and Elrond (Hugo Weaving) both put in excellent performances. Check it out if you have the chance.