Movie Review: "The Dark Knight" (2008)

Cebu is a great place to be in duing the summer. Tommorrow we are going to hit the beach but for now, its movie time.

Some friends and I went and saw The Dark Knight in its first screening in Ayala Cinemas in Cebu. I was expecting a packed house...even at 12 noon. When I went there, I mean...It was PACKED. We have seen in the internets that it has been breaking box-office pre sales records in the US. The Bat has made more money than some movies make in a two-week run even before it hit the theaters.

Now on to the movie. Everything we came to expect about Batman was here. Moves, gadgets, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and his trademark swagger,and a brand new costume that lets him turn his head around. Alfred (Michael Caine) is his usual old self and so is Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) also had very significant moments in key scenes. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) had very little to do.




The movie owes itself, every bit of it to the late Heath Ledger as the Joker. As if his postumous presence in the movie wasn't creepy enough, he comes accross as a wildcard, a Deus Ex Machina that totally propels the film into more a than just a comic book movie. The movie itself didnt feel like a comic book movie, but more of a police drama in some parts, with dialogue too complex to be put in dialogue baloons. This is what will set it apart as a comic book movie for grown ups.

Rocketboy's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (*****)