The Dark Knight

Every now and then there comes a movie in which no one can stop talking about. One that had huge hype leading up to its debut and managed to garner even more attentioon when it was released. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight is one of these films that had everyone buzzing when it was released in the summer of 08.

Whats interesting about The Dark Knight is that despite getting glowing responses from audiences and critics, its story and plot is really is quite simple and is not at all original. It follows its super hero Batman as he tries to bring peace and order to the city of Gotham while his arch nemesis, the Joker, tries to bring about chaos and panic throughout the city. There are also smaller subplots involving other characters. A large amount of attention is paid to Harvey Dent, who eventually becomes another villain of Batman. One of the film's most impressive feats is carefully crafting his story and arc. He spends a large portion of the film as a likeable character who is just as passionate as fighting crime as Batman. Yet after the events of what he is put through throughout the film, his turn to evil is believable and does not feel out of character. There is also a love triangle between Batman, Dent, and their love interest Rachael.

Whats surprising is that the film manages to feel mostly balanced and well-paced despite so much going on and so many different characters getting screen time. However, things take a bad turn in its final twenty or thirty minutes in which things begin to feel rushed. There were many who felt that Harvey Dent's portrayal as the demonic Two Face did not receive nearly the amount of time he should have gotten and should have been left for the sequel. There is also a late plot device in which Batman uses people's cell phones to track where the Joker is. This device pretty much came out of no where and was not explained very well.

However, there is a reason The Dark Knight made over 500 million dollars domestically and it easy to to see when looking at its script. Another Batman movie called Batman and Robin was notorious for having cringe inducing lines and puns. The Dark Knight manages to keep its dark tone, and still have plenty of funny lines and comic relief . Batman's butler Alfred as well as his gadget maker Lucious Fox manage to provide some spark while still maintaining their "wise old leader" status. However, no character can upstage Heath Ledger's Joker. If most other actors had atttempted this role, the results would have been disaterous, yet he is able to deliver every line with a twisted voice and tine which is chilling and sure holds your attention. One of its best scenes is an interrogation between Batman and the Joker, in which the Joker manages to give an interesting and inciteful speech about the way of the world while still managing to appear completely insane and in-character.

Another reason the film excels, is because of its dark tone. In movies today, there seems to be a trend that darker is better. The Harry Potter films have received this treatment as well as the newer Bond movies. Here, however it really works. You can feel the despair and fear of the citizens of Gotham as well as Batman's determination to stop the madness and his guilt over the events that occur. The Joker also manages to invoke fear and terror while still being very entertaining to watch. All in all, the film does not have a great story, but the way in which the way the events are written and are able to stretch the film into nearly two and half hours of suspensful viewing make this movie a very interesting film to study.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight was not only a nice surprise for those who are Batman fans. But also it is easily appreciated by those without any knowledge of the Batman series. I am not particularly an avid Batman reader. Not only did it surpass the expectations of people who had doubts for the film. It is undeniable that it was a better film than the first Batman movie. “Why soooo serrrrrious?!” Although, sounding nothing like the proper English of Shakespeare, its slang spoke words to the public.

It is also very well known that Heath Ledger’s award winning performance helped captivate the numerous followers, fans and large profitable sums. He created a completely new dimension for which the Joker came to life.

Manohla Dargis of the New York Times states “Pitched at the divide between art and industry, poetry and entertainment, The Dark Knight goes darker and deeper than any Hollywood movie of its comic-book kind.” It was first of its kind to take comic book writing and transcribe it to a memorable and substantial piece of literature.

The movie held strong sociological points while giving it a hint of philosophical intake towards the stories plot. The movie was entertaining regardless of age, mindset and intellect of prior Batman knowledge. You can view it to see a new side of things or to just watch things blow up. The strong characters and psychological conditions proved to be convincing more than just a box office hit.

The Dark Knight – Critics

It can’t be argued that superhero movies are all the rage nowadays. Over the past few years there has been a literal explosion of Marvel and DC characters flashing up onto the silver screen in live action. While these types of superhero films aren’t new, the genre has been growing steadily more rapidly after the success of the pioneering film series Spider-Man and X-Men. Now, it’s almost as if there’s an annual picking going around to see which comic book character will be the next one to make the transition from paper to film. Some of them have succeeded and some of them have failed. Some have been incredibly successful and some of them have been labeled as flops by disgruntled critiques and fans. One character has been going on long enough to see both sides of this spectrum. That character is Batman, whose most recent release, The Dark Knight, has been met with wide critical acclaim.

Following the story set in the prequel, Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan’s sequel presents audiences with a look at Gotham’s Caped Crusader as he struggles to keep the streets of his city clean. Introduced is the Joker, Batman’s arch nemesis and most recurring foe in the comics, who utilizes sabotage, murder, and perilous mind games that push Batman to his limits, physically, mentally, and even morally. Critics have praised the film for this almost nerve-racking script and for the dark atmosphere presented throughout the story. Famed Chicago Sun-Times movie critic, Roger Ebert describes the production as a “haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy” and helps “redefine the possibilities of the comic-book movie.” Rolling Stones magazine called the film’s script “deft” and said it “refuses to scrutinized the Joker with popular psychology, instead pulling the viewers in with an examination of Bruce Wanye’s psyche.”

A lot of praise was given to the characters and their actions against each other, mainly to interactions between Batman and the Joker. Entertainment Weekly gave it a positive review as well. In it, the film’s characters were praised for their relationship to each other with the statement, “Every great hero needs a great villain. And in 2008, Christian Bale's Batman found his in Heath Ledger's demented dervish, the Joker." The story, largely driven by the character of the Joker, shows evidence behind this due to the Joker showing up at nearly every major plot in the film or at least being related to the majority of them. Not all of the critics were pleased with the film however. David Denby of The New Yorker criticized the story for “not being coherent enough to properly flesh out the disparities.” He felt that the film was too long and rushed from point to point, leaving no time for the audiences to catch up. Another negative review came from David Edison of New York Magazine who stated that the story was too dark. One of his quotes sums his review pretty well: “It could only be darker if Batman died.” Edison calls the film “noisy, jumbled, and sadistic,” but his review doesn’t hold much sway when compared to the hundreds of overwhelmingly positive reviews from other sources. But it shouldn’t be a surprise that a few found the story bad. It always happens.

Speaking of the story again, it is dark and gritty, as mentioned in several reviews, harkening back to the positively received Batman films directed by Tim Burton. The concepts of murder and distrust run rampant throughout the story, from the very first introduction of the Joker to the final end with the face off between Batman and Two-Face. Several sensitive themes are presented in the film by the Joker’s actions. The themes of moral rights and ethnical decisions are laid bare within the script as the Joker tries to get Batman to become a dark, twisted version of who he normally is, of what he stands for. Critics have taken note of an uncommon theme of evil triumphing over good as it plays out with every encounter the audience gets of Harvey Dent. While not a popular theme, the script presents it very thoughtfully and not too vaguely.

The Dark Knight is well deserved of the amount of praise that it has received. The story presented within the script gets the audience thinking. There are numerous events that let the audience members think of what they would do if they were in a specific character’s position. The story is one that, while presenting an entertaining film, gets the audiences out of their special effects blindness and into a story that causes them to think. While not every critic gave the film good reviews, the story was supported by the masses and most likely unhindered by a few minor instances of bad press.

Till next time,

Richard Jicha

Sherlock Holmes-Critics

Its no secret that movie critics are often disliked by the general public. They not only get to watch movies for free, they get paid to do it which is something most people would love to do. They are also said to be narrow-minded and only like oscar worthy films while dismissing everything else. This is not necessarly true. There have been many times when a film has been beloved by both audiences and critics. However, it is almost impossible to please everyone which is the case with the film Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes was directed by Guy Ritchie and was released on December 25, 2009 starring Robert Downy Jr and Jude Law. The story revolves around the famous detective as he sets out to solve a series of murders along with his sidekick John Watson. The films has been mostly liked by audiences along with critics. At rottentomatoes.com, the films has a 69% approval rating with 137 positive reviews and 63 negative reviews. It is said that films in which movies are based on are never as good as the original work. While the movie is not a direct story from one of its novels, turning the famous icon into a movie character is no easy task. There have been many different opinions on whether or not Sherlock Holmes is an entertaining and thought provoking film or just a big mess.

While the film has received mostly compliments, many critics have had a problem with its story. Critic Stephen Silver says "The plot of Sherlock Holmes is so needlessly complex and nonsensical that you'll try to understand, but eventually give up, since its not worth it." Having a good story is essential to a mysfilm like this, because it requires the audience to want to play along and solve the case along with its protagonists. Just like reading a mystery book, it should put the viewer on edge and make them anxious to find out the answers. Some critics say that the makers of the film should have gone with one of the stories that made the titular character such a classic in the first place, while others applaud them for trying to make Sherlock feel new and original. While its story and plot has some problems, Sherlock Holmes has been praised for its writing and script. Fellow critic Alex Zane writes that watching the two leads, Holmes and Watson, converse with eachother is the film's strongest appeal. This is mostly thanks to the chemistry and delivery of its stars.

Another way this film has divided audiences and critics is its approach in bringing Holmes to life. Most think of him as an ordinary man with a bowler hat and pipe in hand. Instead the film makers opted to go with a more gritty Fight Club style in which Holmes is more of an action hero than a detective. While this may cause some to be turned off, it does allow for some great chases and fights to take place. All in all, Sherlock Holmes is a film that can be highly enjoyed by everyone depending on their tastes and style of prefernce in watching a mystery or action movie.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes although entertaining for a couple of hours, you’d really have to decide whether or not the movie followed the original story line. Cole Smithey says “You'd need a special magnifying glass to identify any elements of Doyle's original literary source material that lends the title character his name.” The same literary merit is not found in the movie as it was in its original format.

The action scenes in the film were more over compensating for the lack of witty and intellectual story line which Sherlock Holmes is known for. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law give an adequate performance and live up to my expectations of a Guy Richie rendition.

Action and suspense/mystery are the main focus. The original literary source was witty and ingenious; it incorporated good writing to capture the reader’s attention and could lock them into the mystery. Whereas the film throws in action packed fun and the Hollywood commercial appeal it loses all literary merit and intellectual stimulation. It is difficult to appreciate the story when it was smothered by action. A story that has always had such rich material, it is sad to see it be completely erased.

Sherlock Holmes - Positives

When people think about detectives, one of the first characters to jump into the forefront of their minds is the timeless Sherlock Holmes. With fifty-six stories and four novels about him written by creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and numerous others composed by various other authors, the character is certainly one who has been locked into the prominent head of detective literature. For the most part, Holmes has been carried on through books, but now as films have been rising at an exponential rate, the character has been making appearances in movies. The most recent of these is Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie, and released on Christmas day, December 25, 2009.

In the film, a series of murders attracts Holmes’ attention when they are suspected of being linked to occult worship. Together with his friend John Watson, they set out to uncover the means and reasons behind the killings. For the most part, audiences and critics have received the film with positive feelings alike. The story has been well received for its innovated plot twists and detailed, but understandable descriptions to key events that occur during the film. It never feels overwhelming or confusing. By the end of the film, viewers are anxious to learn how instances in the movie were completed, which should be expected from a detective production. Another strong point about the film comes from the pace of its script. The story moves along at a rather quick rate, even with the amount of information presented at every turn. Viewers are taken through the film with enjoyment and drawn into the world presented on the screen, despite the fact that some of the language used is within the realm of what one would hear from an expert working in the field.

Probably the most positive point of Sherlock Holmes deals with the pattern already set for the character within the stories. It seems that this pattern was followed by the current take on the character. The pattern, more or less, is this: Get case, search for clues, gather clues, solve case, then explain how the clues helped Holmes close the case. It has been this way in most of the stories and it could have both positive and negative effects, due to audiences always wanting to see something new and original. Thankfully, the story delivered is one that stays true to the essence of Sherlock Holmes, but adds the kind of action to the mix that audiences of today desire. As mentioned above, there is never really a dull moment in the film, enabling audiences to always be “on edge” so to speak, waiting for the next big event. Fights and chases are plentiful in the film, but they don’t detract from the intellectual pursuit and confrontation that comprises the main plot. The story itself is firmly established as the most important part of the film, outshining the special effects and barely edging over the spectacular characters.

All in all, Sherlock Holmes was a thoroughly engaging film and one that many fans of the character seemed to enjoy. While there are negatives to the film, as there are in any film created, the consensus is that Sherlock Holmes is worth the watch and most importantly stays true to the character that is loved by millions.

Till next time,
Richard Jicha

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire-positives

One of the most successful franchises in all of cinema has been the Harry Potter series. They have accounted for billions of dollars world-wide and with its fourth entry, Goblet of Fire, it is easy to see why. It is no easy task to condense a 734 page book into aproximately two hours and twenty minutes, but the film manages to strike a good balance for most of its important events. Hard-core fans always complain that events from the book are changed and certain plot points are left out. I fail to see how this can be a bad thing, as what would be the point of watching a film in which you already know every single line and event that will happen ahead of time. I believe that this film, as well as the other entries, have been pretty faithful to their source material. Not to mention, movies such as Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix would be six hours long if everything were to stay exactly the same from the book.

Another reason Goblet of Fire is an excellent film is because it boasts tremendous action pieces. The film resolves around a tournament in which Harry as well as three others contenders must compete in difficult and dangerous tasks to be crowned champion. Although I would have liked to see the third task extended, the first and second task which includes an air-bourne battle with a dragon and an under water rescue more than make up for it. No Harry Potter movie would be complete with out magic, and the film has some great special effects. Scenes such as the quidditch world cup and a chilling battle inside of a graveyard are a treat for the eyes.

When the movie is not trying to wow its audiences, it manages to be enjoyable by boasting a witty and funny script for all ages to enjoy. Some say Harry Potter is for children, but this is the first of the fims to pander more towards adult audiences as seen by its pg-13 rating. The acting from its stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson continues to improve with each film as they all perform funny and charming roles. The film is also helped by newcomers Mad-Eye Moody and Harry's arch-nemisis Lord Voldemort, who always manage to hold your interest when they are on screen. Whether or not this film is is the best of the current Harry Potter films is a matter of opinion, although I definetly found it to be in the top three. The film can feel a bit rushed sometimes, but the end result is well worth it.

Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire – Negatives

By now, nearly everybody in America has heard of the famous Harry Potter series, written by J. K. Rowling. As with almost every work of literature that reaches pop culture status, the series was quickly transferred onto the silver screen and is still running strong. On November 18, 2005, the fourth installment of the series was released in American theaters and fans flocked to the movies to satiate their inner Potter cravings. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire went on to become one of the most well-received films in the series, its reception trailing after the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by only a minute percent.

It has received its flood of praise and popularity, but as with all films, not everybody was thrilled with what it delivered. Among the negative points garnered from reviewers, several areas stand out. The Arizona Republic, Arizona’s largest and most prominent newspaper described the film as "far too episodic." CNN.com described the film as “trying to do too much with too little.” Also mentioned in their review was how the three themes of the film, thriller, action flick, and romance story didn’t “mesh together” and felt "clunky and disjointed." Another criticism took issue with the relative absence of much of the familiar supporting cast. Fan favorites such as Draco Malfoy, his father Lucius, and professors Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall all received the short end of the stick in terms of screen time. The relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione was weak and rarely played upon, something very strange in a film that is trying to combine adventure with character development. Other criticism stemmed from fans accusing the film of changing and leaving out too much source material. Of particular interest, these dropped parts were instrumental in developing characters and setting up events for later occurrences in the series.

This just goes to prove that when stories have been written, their transition to the big screen usually isn’t a smooth one. Very rarely will everything get transcribed perfectly, undoubtedly upsetting purists and fans alike.

Till next time,

Richard Jicha