Movie and Television Reviews

1. I regret not having made a greater effort to attend Dark Knight last night with my sometime partner in nerdom (I just had to see Mama Mia first and felt emotionally exhausted after. Any other week and I would have been all over Dark Knight.). According to reviewers this morning as well as some of my more diligent friends who did make it out to the movie, it's a spectacular film. Some even claim that it's better than that enduring masterpiece, Batman and Robin starring George Clooney and two other thriving performers, Chris O'Donnell and Alicia Silverstone.

We've come a long way.

Batman & Robin (Two-Disc Special Edition)

2. The Cardinal sin of comic-book directors is not taking the admittedly frivolous material seriously. We can see this most clearly in the first of the modern comic-book movies, the Batmans and Supermans (III and IV mostly). Despite being a better fit for the target demographic in the late 80s, Burton's obvious disdain for the source material, evident in his campiness and inattention to plot coherence, made me fall asleep during the first two Batmans; even as a teenager, I disliked the later Supermans.

Superman IV - The Quest for Peace (Deluxe Edition)

3. Not so with most of the newer superhero movies. Batman Begins is serious and well-made. Apparently, Dark Knight is even darker and more thoughtful. Thoughtful? Well, yes. Children's, comic-book, and fantasy movies are often more contemplative than "Redacted" and other movies closer to "reality" because their detachment from the real world allows them to present moral problems ideally. In fact, the closer these movies come to the headlines, the less effective they are, as evidenced by Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and seasons three and four of Battlestar Galactica.

Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition)

Battlestar Galactica - Season Three

4. The tone affects performances as well. Most people would consider Jack Nicholson one of the best actors working today, but people are saying that Heath Ledger smokes Nicholson's Joker.

5. I like the fact that it's about a "Knight" since I'm cruising through a history of the Middle Ages at the moment.

6. Batman, along with Spiderman, Iron Man, and, perhaps, Wolverine, is a compelling superhero. Batman's origin is somewhat believable. Batman also has real weaknesses, and he mostly relies on his wits; unlike the more boring Superman and completely uninteresting Hulk.

Anyways, I can't wait.