Batman: the Beginning to the Knight.
"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
-Harvey "Two-face" Dent
This is a review and comparison of the most recent Batman movie series, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
It is personally my favourite movie and movie series. Christopher Nolan did a fantastic job of directing; the shot showed exactly what it needed to, and didn't what it shouldn't. The graphics and effects were amazing, completely realistic.
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is of, well, how Batman started. The character Bruce Wayne [played by Christian Bale] was traumatized as a child, he watched, helpless, as a mugger shot and killed both his parents after robbing them. He then decided to get revenge on him, and all other people who are criminals. When the robber slips through the system after 14 years in jail, Wayne runs off to study criminals and how they work. He ends up in a jail, we are unsure of where he is. Judging by the scenery, we are in the Himalayas. He is seen beating up criminals in the jail by a member of the League of Shadows. He is recruited to join.
He passes the tests after much grueling efforts and tests of strength, agility, and mental abilities. He is told to head a team of people to destroy a town that is causing problems in the world. Big Surprise, it's Gotham. He refuses, and also refuses to kill a criminal, saying, "I'm not an executioner." He burns the place down and saves his friend and mentor from dieing.
He then goes back to Gotham, and with the help of Alfred his...butler for lack of a better word [played by Michael Caine] and Lucius Fox, a government weapons developer [played by MORGAN FREEMAN] he designs and builds Batman.
He uncovers a drug league, and in doing so, he finds a strange hallucinogen, which makes the brain manifest it's fears, distorting reality.
Working with DA Jim Gordan [played by Gary Oldman], he leads a violent investigation to find the plan and stop it.
I won't tell you how or what the plan is, don't want to ruin the movie.
But the last scene, is Gordan giving Batman a piece of police evidence, saying it was the calling card of another bad-nut-job-guy. He turns the card over, and there's a card from a deck of cards: The Joker.
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is about The Joker [played by Heath Ledger] and Batman, Good vs. Evil.
The Joker robs mob banks, burns down buildings, kills authority figures without a seconds glance. In a speech that he later gives another character, he says that he wants to "introduce a little anarchy", inspire fear in the citizens. "This town deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm going to give it to them."
Harvey Dent is running for the new District Attorney, or DA. He is the political version of Batman. He fights for what's right, and doesn't stop until the job is done. Bruce Wayne is jealous of Dent, who is dating his childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes.
The Joker likes to play games. He wants to find and unmask Batman. In doing so, he kidnaps both Dent and Dawes and sends them to two different buildings. He tells Batman the two buildings, and says he only has time to save one. But remember, the Joker is all about chaos, "the exception to the rule", and playing games with people. One of the people dies, one does not.
I'm not sure how to carry on. I don't want to give away too much, but I don't want to give you too little to discourage you from seeing the movie. But it's intense, and mentally thrilling.
Interrogation scene, teaser
This is an example of The Joker's mind games. I don't recommend watching more then 3:35. Sorry for the poor quality.
What's interesting is the comparison of the two movies. The first one focuses on the revenge characteristic of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Which is of course the point, but it does make a drastic change from one, to the phycological characteristics of Batman, his exact opposite The Joker, the regular criminals, and Harvey Dent, Gotham's White Knight.
Phycological thrillers personally are my favourite genre. I love delving into the mind and seeing how different people's minds work. If you love mind games, action, or even just loud noises, see The Dark Knight. It's great, and you don't even have to see Batman Begins. Likewise, you don't have to see The Dark Knight after Batman Begins. That's why I love this series, it can be seen in any order and understood. I saw it out of order, and I still love it.
preview
I highly recommend it, even if you just want to see what all the fuss is about.
If you've seen either movie and noticed that I skipped over a lot, it was to save those who hadn't seen it from ruining the movie, but if you think it's big enough, tell me and I'll edit it.
**Thank You for Reading**
R.I.P. Heath Ledger
-Harvey "Two-face" Dent
This is a review and comparison of the most recent Batman movie series, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
It is personally my favourite movie and movie series. Christopher Nolan did a fantastic job of directing; the shot showed exactly what it needed to, and didn't what it shouldn't. The graphics and effects were amazing, completely realistic.
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is of, well, how Batman started. The character Bruce Wayne [played by Christian Bale] was traumatized as a child, he watched, helpless, as a mugger shot and killed both his parents after robbing them. He then decided to get revenge on him, and all other people who are criminals. When the robber slips through the system after 14 years in jail, Wayne runs off to study criminals and how they work. He ends up in a jail, we are unsure of where he is. Judging by the scenery, we are in the Himalayas. He is seen beating up criminals in the jail by a member of the League of Shadows. He is recruited to join.
He passes the tests after much grueling efforts and tests of strength, agility, and mental abilities. He is told to head a team of people to destroy a town that is causing problems in the world. Big Surprise, it's Gotham. He refuses, and also refuses to kill a criminal, saying, "I'm not an executioner." He burns the place down and saves his friend and mentor from dieing.
He then goes back to Gotham, and with the help of Alfred his...butler for lack of a better word [played by Michael Caine] and Lucius Fox, a government weapons developer [played by MORGAN FREEMAN] he designs and builds Batman.
He uncovers a drug league, and in doing so, he finds a strange hallucinogen, which makes the brain manifest it's fears, distorting reality.
Working with DA Jim Gordan [played by Gary Oldman], he leads a violent investigation to find the plan and stop it.
I won't tell you how or what the plan is, don't want to ruin the movie.
But the last scene, is Gordan giving Batman a piece of police evidence, saying it was the calling card of another bad-nut-job-guy. He turns the card over, and there's a card from a deck of cards: The Joker.
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is about The Joker [played by Heath Ledger] and Batman, Good vs. Evil.
The Joker robs mob banks, burns down buildings, kills authority figures without a seconds glance. In a speech that he later gives another character, he says that he wants to "introduce a little anarchy", inspire fear in the citizens. "This town deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm going to give it to them."
Harvey Dent is running for the new District Attorney, or DA. He is the political version of Batman. He fights for what's right, and doesn't stop until the job is done. Bruce Wayne is jealous of Dent, who is dating his childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes.
The Joker likes to play games. He wants to find and unmask Batman. In doing so, he kidnaps both Dent and Dawes and sends them to two different buildings. He tells Batman the two buildings, and says he only has time to save one. But remember, the Joker is all about chaos, "the exception to the rule", and playing games with people. One of the people dies, one does not.
I'm not sure how to carry on. I don't want to give away too much, but I don't want to give you too little to discourage you from seeing the movie. But it's intense, and mentally thrilling.
Interrogation scene, teaser
This is an example of The Joker's mind games. I don't recommend watching more then 3:35. Sorry for the poor quality.
What's interesting is the comparison of the two movies. The first one focuses on the revenge characteristic of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Which is of course the point, but it does make a drastic change from one, to the phycological characteristics of Batman, his exact opposite The Joker, the regular criminals, and Harvey Dent, Gotham's White Knight.
Phycological thrillers personally are my favourite genre. I love delving into the mind and seeing how different people's minds work. If you love mind games, action, or even just loud noises, see The Dark Knight. It's great, and you don't even have to see Batman Begins. Likewise, you don't have to see The Dark Knight after Batman Begins. That's why I love this series, it can be seen in any order and understood. I saw it out of order, and I still love it.
preview
I highly recommend it, even if you just want to see what all the fuss is about.
If you've seen either movie and noticed that I skipped over a lot, it was to save those who hadn't seen it from ruining the movie, but if you think it's big enough, tell me and I'll edit it.
**Thank You for Reading**
R.I.P. Heath Ledger
Great Blog! =D
I love it! Batman Begins and The Dark knight =]
I love Joker since i was little! =D Heath Ledger is awesome!
R.I.P
without a name, September 10th, 2008 at 10:27:55am
both movies are killer. awesome review.
Miley Cyrus, September 7th, 2008 at 09:45:40pm
Heath Ledger did a spectacular performance.
He will be missed.
You write a good review.
Ledge, September 7th, 2008 at 12:15:43pm
Batman is my favorite
even before The Dark Night
<3
Rage, September 4th, 2008 at 02:32:34am
OMG this is great.
You've done a great job of putting this blog together.
*hugs*
I love the quote from Harvey "Two-Face" Dent Thats one of my favorite characters.
RIP Heath
Great blog
Rain, September 3rd, 2008 at 09:02:45pm