Don't have much time, have to go be the Walgreens bitch for 8 hours. But last night, I went with 500 of my closest friends to go see "The Dark Knight" at midnight in Eagan. It's not typically a habit of mine to go see movies at midnight. Hell, it's not really a habit of mine to go see movies in general. But this one seemed to warrant the $18.75 price of admission.
It was somewhat comforted, being surrounded by "fanboys" once again. Oh yes, once in the dark corners of my life, I was a fanboy. I know who these people are, because I was once one of them. And if anyone dare question my street cred, I point to the Jedi robe in my closet. I also held a Batman themed birthday party in 2nd grade. So waiting in the theatre before the movie to start was sort of like a weird trip down memory lane. There was the usual assortment of high school age bros and their girlfriends, the creepy old men with nothing else to do, and the fanboys. Legions of socially awkward clusters, many of them overweight or underweight, many in various stages of hair loss and/or hair disasters (see author). None of them with women, naturally (see author). A lot of Batman shirts that looked like they got stolen from Goodwill. I was proud to say I wore my "Western Wisconsin Day of Trombone" shirt instead. The necessary industrial tubs of popcorn and pop, the lifeblood of any true fanboy. Frankly, it was pretty hilarious. But for some reason, nothing brings out irrational enjoyment like a midnight showing of a comic book movie. You can forget just how ridiculous the situation is, the fact that you're dressed like your mom picked out your clothes, the fact that there's a very good chance your life is headed nowhere, and just enjoy the film.
Except this movie was not a comic book movie. It's far too sophisticated for that.
I would rate "The Dark Knight" as surely the best movie I've seen this year (out of 3). But what sets it apart, is the fact that this truly is not the run of the mill comic book movie, like Spider-Man or Superman. It is a genuine crime thriller/mystery. Acted brilliantly, supremely crafted, it's a film for people who love complex ideas and emotional struggle. The late Heath Ledger anchors the cast as the Joker. His performance is most aptly described as fucked up. Ridiculously creepy, scarily psychotic, yet also uncomfortably intelligent, he inhabits the role of the Joker. He plays him with the seriousness of a stage actor, and it shows. Absolutely brilliant. Christian Bale is once again superb as Batman/Bruce Wayne as well, but the Joker really does steal his thunder. I wish they would have given Bruce Wayne some more scenes. One cool thing is that you very rarely get a good glimpse of Batman. He stays in the shadows most of the time, which helps put the emphasis away from the ass-kicking and on to the drama. Fear not though, all you testosterone fueled men (and women), there is plenty of ass-kicking to be had.
Freaky, right?
Shit, I have to go to work. I'd highly recommend seeing this film. See it on IMAX if you can, I heard it's even better. And if possible, make sure you go see it with a bunch of fanboys. As long as you're not like me, you'll probably feel better about yourself and have an interesting sociological observation in the process.
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