Okay, so most people who know me know how much of a movie buff I am, and I've seen enough to have attained a pretty critical eye for what I like and what I don't, and when any film really grabs my attention and resonates with me on a level deeper than most others, I can't help but feel compelled to share my thoughts.

*** WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! ***

Yes, I'm talking about The Dark Knight - the one that everyone's talking about right now...which everyone really should be because it is simply that good. I think the last film I remember going to see in the theater a few times in the course of a couple of days was Stigmata, waaay back in '99. I went Friday night to see The Dark Knight, thinking that I'd probably see it maybe a couple of times in the next few months. I had a gut feeling that it would be at the very least a good film, but I decided beforehand to try to ignore most of the hype and decide for myself just how good it really was. I think I was also able to go into the theater with a critically fresh approach to it because Heath Ledger isn't one of my favorite actors and as tragic as his death really was (and it was very sad, I know), I honestly can't say I feel the loss that I would feel if it had been an actor like Gary Oldman or Tim Roth or something. Nothing against Ledger, I'm certainly not saying he was a bad actor (quite the opposite, actually), just not one of my favorites. And I suppose for the most part, even after seeing this film a few times now and enjoying it so much, I still can't say he's one of my favorite actors, but I can say with an extraordinary amount of confidence that this is by far one of my favorite individual performances by an actor, and his death seems even more unfortunate because now I see what he was capable of. He achieved something really spectacular with this role, and he exceeded all of my expectations and all that I wanted it to be, and trust me, that's hard to do because I can be picky as hell. I mean, it literally sent these overwhelming chills through me, and I often caught my heart completely racing and my eyes getting watery because it was so possessive, and THAT'S certainly not easy to do either. And I REALLY didn't think I'd be saying this, but I can't lie to myself and say that it didn't surpass Nicholson's Joker, because it did. I still love Nicholson just because it's kind of wild and over-the-top glamorous, and Burton did make a great film, but it was also very understood how much it was fantasy and surreal. It didn't have the dirtier qualities that appear all too often in real life; it was a movie with characters that could only exist in a movie. Ledger's Joker and The Dark Knight in its entirety was so effective in its story and message because while it still had all of the elements of a super-hero action movie, you were left with this incredible feeling that yes, this could actually happen, and yes, a person like the Joker could really exist. What was so terrifying and bone-chilling for me was the fact that despite his bizarre appearance and very obvious insanity, Ledger somehow managed to give the Joker this extraordinary amount of humanness. His completely twisted logic and his brutal approach on humanity, what makes a person who they really are, and what we all really deserve, make perfect sense in the strangest way imaginable. In some respect, he's kind of right about everything. He's got everyone figured out and really uses that to his advantage. And even though he essentially is the reason why everyone has to suffer in one way or another, he at the same time proves to us all that we're also very capable of monstrous behavior, cruelty, and selfishness. He certainly demonstrates this awesome power he has over Batman, because he makes Batman really question how much he's really helping the situation. That was also really effective because of Christian Bale's performance. I could really see the turmoil and torment that he expressed constantly through the entire film. Eckhart was excellent as well, I really liked how convincing he was at playing the just man brought down to a much more primal level from the Joker's corruption. Oldman was freakin' amazing, but he ALWAYS is...and yes, I did melt a little every time I saw him. :) And of course Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine filled their supporting roles to perfection. Maggie Gyllenhaal is worlds better than Katie Holmes, and she's very good despite the obvious limitations of her role. The ONLY thing I can possibly think of that could have had a chance of taking away from the film was the fact that the Joker's character was too strong. It's really supposed to be the story of Batman and his conflict with the Joker, but at times I sort of felt it was the other way around. Even when he wasn't on screen, my attention seemed to always be primarily focused on the Joker, what he had done and what he was going to do next, but honestly, that performance was so damn incredible that I really didn't mind. I loved so many things about his character: how terrifying he was, how real he appeared, his unsettling charm, his dark, perverse, and chaotic beauty, and his sickly charismatic persona, how in the most disturbing way I couldn't help but find him super sexy, and of course his VERY dark but fantastic sense of humour. I mean, seriously. Some of the stuff he says and does is freakin' hilarious.

So yeah, if you can't already deduce, I really liked this film and plan to see it many more times than I already have. Most of my favorite films don't happen to be super-hero/action ones, but this one is without a doubt one of the very best films to come out in at least the last ten years. In a lot of ways it reminds me of the original Star Wars trilogy in that it really transcends its genre. It's not your garden-variety, run-of-the-mill super-hero flick. Sure, it has all the flashy elements of those films (a sweet car chase, kick-ass fight scenes, and the pyrotechnics and explosions to satisfy all of your wildest cravings for violence on screen), but it has a hell of a lot more than that. It's intelligent commentary on the nature of humanity at its most basic yet most complex and fascinating levels, the different ways we all react in the face of adversity and evil in the world, what we're told is right and wrong and how that compares to what we really believe, how far we're willing to push ourselves in all aspects of our lives, and who we essentially are as individuals and as a collective.

I also find it funny reading a few critics' reviews that said it wasn't nearly as good as everyone else is saying it is. I've read maybe three reviews like that, and it's just funny to me that these people are willing to say it wasn't great just so they don't come across like they're just jumping on the Batman bandwagon, as if their standards are so high and almighty that nothing can please them. Come on, if it's good, it's good. Don't be afraid to say it just because everyone else is. I can be pretty picky and I do love a lot of films made outside of Hollywood, but I'm not going to say that something's not amazing just because it's a blockbuster. That's why I don't like critics in general. They say they don't like action movies because they're not dramatic and artistic enough for them, but when an action film DOES happen to be more than just action, they don't like it because according to them, these films shouldn't take themselves so seriously. Just lighten up and try watching a movie just for fun for a change.

God damn, it's a freakin' brilliant film. Go see it right now.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SSQv_Ynomoo <- YEEEAH.