more than an action flick

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2008)

This was a movie that transcended your typical action movie. The subtle themes and moral debates presented in this film were totally unexpected. The moral (or spiritual, if you will) conflict between the Joker and Batman reminded me of Dennis Lehane's "Darkness, Take my Hand." This story could have been told without superheroes and villains to spice it up. (not that I would want that). The line that struck me that people should consider when watching the Joker's character develop occurred briefly at the beginning of the scene where he meets the criminal bosses. This was the only line that the Joker was completely serious about, (all of his other scenes he is enjoying himself). He says, "I am NOT crazy." This is meant to tell the audience that we are witnessing something much more than a deranged killer but a genius terrorist that wants simply to expose society for all of its weaknesses. He ranks up there with the best bad guys of all time. He believes in his mission, and he exposes Batman for all of his character flaws, which in turn gives credibility to the fact that Batman is not a "good guy." What an amazing movie not for it action packed scenes or it's character development, which were phenomenal, but for the themes and issues the writers tested and debated before our eyes. Did anybody else question the use of the Patriot Act being implemented to seek out the terrorist in this situation? It leads to interesting debates. I'm going to continue nursing this hangover, I may not have been clear in my review but my head hurts.