Batman Still Can't Decide...

Rating: 5/10 (18 December 2008)

Just earlier this week i sat down and watched the 1966 classic movie, "Batman". After watching this movie, i felt happy, amused and satisfied, i knew i had spent 100 minutes of my life watching a movie i seriously enjoyed. Great over-acting, fantastic fight scenes and a truly epic storyline kept me watching this the whole way through and waiting to see what happened next. So you may be asking you're PC screen why I'm telling you about a movie which you weren't hoping to read a review for, well I'll tell you. The original 1966 Batman combined tongue in cheek humour, vast amounts of our favourite villains, and most importantly, Batman, yes, the very character you'd expect to see in a Batman Movie, however, in "The Dark Knight" we don't get Batman, we get a Dark Knight. And that is were the problems in The Dark Knight originate, often the movie can't decide whether or not it wants to be a Batman movie or a serious feature about an angry and revenge-driven man who protects the people who need protection the most, because you can't make a movie about both, because the bottom line is that the original Batman was about a regular man that dressed up as a bat and fought ridiculous villains, but now it seems as if the more recent Batman films wish to dust their origins under the rug and create this new, dark and twisted character. Obviously, the movie has a much more adult twist, compare any of it to "Batman and Robin" and the differences are vast, but is that really a bad or good thing? Certainly being similar to Batman And Robin would be disheartening for any movie director, but the point I'm trying to make is that perhaps the Dark Knight has come too far away form that silly slapstick version of Batman we all grew up with. And that may just be the problem, the movie spends to much time focusing on the dark creepy side of Batman's problems and doesn't focus on what we all go to a Batman movie to see, a hero fighting a villain, regardless of how wacky it is. However, this movie does have one truly great saving factor in Heath Ledger's wonderful and convincing performance as the Joker, although i still find his degree of insanity to little, the script making him too dark and sadistic, instead of crazy and manic, meaning Jack Nicholson's first performance is still my favourite, even above Ceaser Romero from the 1966 film and series; not saying that Heath Ledger acted this role incorrectly, he performed the Joker exactly how the writers wanted him to, but i'm not sure if that was the right decision. This movie puts the whole superhero problem into perspective, but it gives the Dark Superhero side a machine gun, and the wacky Superhero side an inflatable hammer, because in today's world there are few that want to see the true roots of Batman, they just want to be blown away with special effects ,difficult to view fight scenes and sinister gore, and The Dark Knight certainly provides plenty of these things, and none of the original humour. The thing is, today director's either make a movie dark and graphic and take the risk of scaring or putting off the viewers who came for a good fight, or they go back to origins and have their hero's fighting villains and saving the world, and in Batman 1966 and The Dark Knight, either side of the problem is represented. It just seems as if Batman cant quite strike the right chord and it may continue to have that problem unless a Director with an open mind and fresh ideas steps in and takes control of whichever future movies Batman stars in. This wonder director would need to find a way of pleasing both fans, but as far as I'm aware, that will be nearly impossible. Most of the shots and scenes in the movie are fine, but the Director still chooses to give you that awkward dizzy feeling by putting you right in the action and zooming around with the characters, instead of the Spielberg effect of watching the movie as if it's happening right there with you, and that's another problem, you just don't believe this batman, granted he's more realistic that the original Adam West patented Batman, but they've just gone too far, becoming nearly invincible and too cold towards everyone else. Furthermore, Christian Bale's second performance as Batman is just as weak and flat as his original, he still displays a clear lack of humour or emotion, and you just don't believe him, it always feels as if someone is holding up a cue card for him to read just off screen, and two movies in he still hasn't really nailed the role, i don't know anyone who impersonates Batman in Christian Bale's style, and i probably never will. So, to leave you with some closing comments, i think you should all see The Dark Knight just to judge for yourself, if you're into moody, dark and graphic realism then this will be a great treat for you, and you may come on here and argue your point against me, but if you're hoping for a great Superhero flick, with thrilling fights and a storyline that keeps you holding on the the end , i found myself counting the minutes until the credits began to roll, then you may just be a little more than disappointed with Batman's darkest and moodiest outing to date.