The Dark Night

So Mrs. Underdog and I went to the theater last night to see the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight. I am an unusually hard critic when it comes to movies. Of the hundreds of movies I have seen over the years, I think that maybe ten of them would fit in the "great" category. Maybe less than ten. But Batman Begins is one of those "great" movies, so my expectations for The Dark Knight were very high.

I am still digesting the experience, but a few thoughts on what may turn out to be the highest grossing movie of all time. (It is so pathetic that Titanic, Titanic!, is number one.)

• Heath Ledger as the Joker is brilliant. I kept waiting for him to slip out of character, but it never happened. His portrayal of the Joker is sinister and evil and mesmerizing. It had to be a tremendous strain on the guy to descend into that character for days at a time.


• This is a violent, but bloodless movie. There was a seven or eight year-old kid sitting two seats down from me and I couldn't understand why he was in the theater. The intensity of the film alone should have earned it an R-rating in my opinion. But the violence in the movie is nearly bloodless.


• Long. This movie is long. Don't fill up on pop during the previews or you will never get through the whole thing. Just when you think that things are drawing to a close, another plot twist arrives. Greatness.


• There were three moments that just took my breathe away. Those moments are what separates a great movie from just a good movie.


• I am in the market for a Batcycle if anyone is selling one.

Like Batman Begins, I think that there are a lot of details that will require a second viewing to absorb. Each of the villians (and the heroes for that matter) displays a very distinct worldview that they then live out. This adds a certain depth to the characters that is rare in the blockbuster movie industry.

I would only recommend this movie for people that have a very strong constitution. You will likely be exhausted as the credits role. And if you decide to see it, do so in the theater. Unless you have a home theater like my friend Richard, you will need the big screen to absorb the full effect.