Movie review: The Dark Knight

So I've survived my first ever midnight showing of a movie. But when the movie in question was The Dark Knight, I really didn't have a choice in the matter. We were going to see it as soon as was humanly possible. :)

And as it turns out, it was a great decision. It's a wonderful fabulous movie, and I'm not just saying that because I love Christian Bale. It's dark, it's gritty, it's based loosely on comic books--basically I love everything about this movie. :)

I will warn folks that it's violent, a little scary in places, and there are more than a few moments that might leave you going "wait, I thought ..." The last part is only an issue if you've followed the Batman storyline in the comics at all. Though Jerome tells me that they diverge from that storyline even more than I thought they were. :)

And Heath Ledger? Spot on as Joker. He doesn't try to channel Jack Nicholson, he made the Joker his own. And he's MUCH scarier than Jack Nicholson's Joker could have ever been. Remember, dark and gritty. So for everywhere that the Michael Keaton Batman was campy and funny, The Dark Knight is realistic and creepy.

As an aside, having lived in Illinois for 9 years, I LOVED what they did with the "Gotham" license plates. You only really see them in the opening scenes, so keep an eye out for them. I couldn't really spot anything that screamed Chicago to me other than the plates, but that may be because I don't like Chicago at all... but I'm like 90% sure they filmed quite a bit there.

No End of the Work Week Wisdom this week. Too many good quotes from the movie, but I can't remember most of the ones that weren't in the previews. :)

(Also, speaking of previews, Terminator Salvation and Watchmen. Christian Bale in the former as an adult John Connor; tons of confusion but prettiness in the latter. :) )