The Dark Knight

falconplayer11 · 07-19-2008, 06:07 PM

Does anyone else feel like the Joker could have been in the movie a little bit more? I just saw it, and no doubt, it was one of the best movies I have ever seen, but I was expecting to see more of the Joker. I felt like there could have been a little more character development there.

Don't get me wrong, the Joker was awesome, and Heath Ledger did an incredible job, but I almost feel like he wouldn't qualify as being one of the greatest villains in movie history because he really wasn't allowed enough time to develop. There was no story on his side of the story, if that makes any sense. Like a few scenes of just him would have been really cool. For example...the scene when he was in jail was awesome, but there were no other scenes like that...where he was allowed that many lines or that much time.

Maybe I'm just crazy...

MJ_Avalanche · 07-19-2008, 06:23 PM

Nolan has said many times that The Dark Knight is actually not about the Joker, but about Dent. The Joker is meant to be like that. A crazy lunatic that comes in and makes chaos.

Almost Enough · 07-19-2008, 06:37 PM

So, I don't know if this counts as spoilers, so if so, I'll edit my post and make it greyed out like everybody else.

Did anybody else kind of get a guilty feeling about laughing at some of Joker's "humor"? There were a few incidents the hospital exploding for instance that I laughed a lot, but realized the insanity of the thing I was laughing at.

MJ_Avalanche · 07-19-2008, 06:38 PM

I have a feeling that was intentional... To make you laugh and then realize "holy crap, what was I just laughing at?"

Almost Enough · 07-19-2008, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falconplayer11

Does anyone else feel like the Joker could have been in the movie a little bit more? I just saw it, and no doubt, it was one of the best movies I have ever seen, but I was expecting to see more of the Joker. I felt like there could have been a little more character development there.

Don't get me wrong, the Joker was awesome, and Heath Ledger did an incredible job, but I almost feel like he wouldn't qualify as being one of the greatest villains in movie history because he really wasn't allowed enough time to develop. There was no story on his side of the story, if that makes any sense. Like a few scenes of just him would have been really cool. For example...the scene when he was in jail was awesome, but there were no other scenes like that...where he was allowed that many lines or that much time.

Maybe I'm just crazy...

I think that's part of Joker's persona and character. Didn't you notice that everytime he told his story about his "smile" changed everytime he told it? I think that adds to the alure of Joker...the fact that he doesn't just play a part of chaos, he is chaos.

Almost Enough · 07-19-2008, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ_Avalanche

I have a feeling that was intentional... To make you laugh and then realize "holy crap, what was I just laughing at?"

o i c

The sad part is I actually do laugh at explosions. A lot. Now I fee like a sick freak.

conceived in fire · 07-19-2008, 07:31 PM

Quite easily the best movie this year so far. It's sad that there's no way for X-Files to even match this.
I was literally on the edge of my seat for half the movie, and almost forgot I had to go to the bathroom near the end.

**Sean** · 07-19-2008, 07:47 PM

MOD COMMENT:

Label spoilers for the rest of the weekend. After the weekend I'll put a spoiler warning in the title, and we can have a open and free discussion.

***Art*** · 07-19-2008, 08:47 PM

Sean, I think I need to overrule you here. I don't think it is fair to let this thread become exclusive to the people who have seen the movie on opening weekend. I rarely see a movie on opening weekend, and I grossly dislike threads that I can't participate in because I didn't see the movie right away.

Reuben · 07-19-2008, 09:24 PM

perhaps a separate thread for spoilers to be merged at a later date?

Ryan Freeland · 07-19-2008, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean

I was thinking that too. I was expecting them to play that up, but they didn't.

I was also expecting that. I think that's a sign of a great movie.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I might be seeing it again in a few days.

**slap_j** · 07-19-2008, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reuben

perhaps a separate thread for spoilers to be merged at a later date?

Or do this: Quote me to see spoilers: spoiler spoiler spoiler dananananananana batman!

ryan a johnson · 07-19-2008, 11:42 PM

first off, amazing movie. I don't remember the last time I'd been so impressed in a theater.

and I'm not sure if this would be considered a spoiler but I'll gray it anyways:

I thought having no backstory for the Joker completed his whole mission of chaos. Goes along with the line "some men just want to watch the world burn". It was perfect that this guy just came out of nowhere and started wreaking havoc. No real origins, he just "happens"

the end

Demon_Hunter · 07-20-2008, 12:20 AM

INTENSE!!!!!!!

I just got back from this movie.

Dude, epic all throughout the movie.

Ok, so I dont know alot about comic book characters, so there were some surprises for me. I guess im just lame like that.

But yeah....

I couldnt believe the Joker. Incredibly awesome. Heath Ledger was a genius. I still cant believe that was him. The make up people did a good job on him, and how he altered his voice was interesting. I already liked him as an actor, mostly for his role in The Patriot, but this was amazing.

Also.... his magic trick(s) were... grand.

guitarczar · 07-20-2008, 01:03 AM

I suppose I'll just put a spoiler on this right away.

***Spoiler***

In regards to Batman going for Rachel, and the joker tricking him, I guess I missed that. To be fair, it was a 12:45 am showing and I had just finished a 7 hour close at Starbucks. But still, wouldn't that have meant that the cops would've shown up at the warehouse holding Rachel, thinking it was Harvey? I thought they were suppose to go to different addresses. Did they did show up at the warehouse holding Rachel and they were too late? I guess I thought Batman and the cops showed up at the same place...<--At the risk of being insanely dense. I guess because those scenes had so many fast visuals, and because my vantage point was way on the periphery of the theater, I interpreted the scenes incorrectly.

An aside: frankly, I reveled in the Joker's character, perhaps too much. There's always a part of me that wants to go on an anarchic bender with no remorse for my actions. Though I have to say, Ledger in drag was hilarious. Top-notch. Especially the way he walked away from the hospital.

Last thing: At one point after Harvey had turned bad, he was flipping his coin and talking about how cruel the world was, and how the only uncruel thing to do would be to base one's actions off of chance. I don't know if it was the close-up of him saying it, but I thought there couldn't be a better denunciation of the crippling effects of atheistic materialism. Also, I kinda wanted him to live through the rest of the film. I thought he might come back in all his glory in the next Batman movie.

***End Spoiler***