The first word that comes to mind after seeing The Dark Knight is outstanding. To me, this movie definitely stands out, in story, in acting, and in effects. It's already standing out at the box office, breaking multiple records in it's opening weekend. Bringing in over $158 million, it has taken the top spot on the list of weekend openings, coming in ahead of Spider-Man 3, which earned over $151 million. (2008 as a whole has already been a pretty good year at the box office, with Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull placing 11^th on that list, and Iron Man 12^th, and Wall-E, Hancock, and Kung Fu Panda also in the top 50.) The Dark Knight also tops the list for the opening day and top grossing movie for a single day for it's Friday numbers (over $67 million), and it passed Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith for the record for money earned at midnight showings, bringing in $18.5 million. If the buzz and word of mouth that I am already hearing continues, it could easily become one of the top ten grossing films of all time.

The story is top-notch. While not dependent on either Batman Begins or Batman: Gotham Knights (at least for folks already familiar with Batman, and who isn't these days, really), it does pick up shortly after the events told in those stories. The story gives us all the elements of a great story for this genre. Plenty of suspense, when trying to figure out what The Joker's game is and how the other elements of the story relate to him, when waiting to see what will happen to the cops and citizens of Gotham, and when learning what has happened to the cast of characters and how their fate will affect the fate of others and the rest of the story. Plenty of action, from aerial scenes to car chases and from fight scenes to explosions. Plenty of character interaction and growth, especially between Bruce and the people in that aspect of his life, and Batman and the people in that aspect of his life. We see growth in both Bruce and Batman, and that is very important. With the movies before Batman Begins I often felt like we were seeing too much Batman and not enough Bruce. I believe that trend changed with Batman Begins and I'm glad it has continued. I also liked how the addition of gadgets and technology was worked into the story. Everything fit perfectly, especially toward the end with the surveillance and Lucius' reaction to it. Too many times I have seen gadgets just thrown in to be cool that didn't seem to have a clear cut reason or purpose. I think in this world that writer/director Christopher Nolan has created, he has been conscious that Bruce would not create gadgets without a concrete need.

The acting is excellent. There is not much I can say about Heath Ledger's performance except WOW! Some people have said that Ledger's Joker was a bit too dark, with not enough of the “joking” side of the Joker, but I believe it was just right. His sense of humor is darker than what has sometimes been portrayed on screen and in comic books, but I think that fits with the whole image that Ledger and Nolan wanted to show in this movie. Aaron Eckhart was great as Harvey Dent. I believe he captured the true essence of the justice-seeking district attorney, the person who some believe to be the flip-side to Batman because he wants the same things, but is able to work in the open. Then, after his accident, we have seen exactly what has driven him to that point, not only from the story but in Eckhart's acting as well. We can truly believe that he has been driven to this point in his life. For me, while all of the cast was wonderful, the other standout was Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon. We see and feel his emotions as his fellow cops and friends are targeted by the Joker, and how he reacts to the twists and turns of the story. At the end, Oldman is very convincing as the new police commissioner who now has to go after the one person who has been a bright beacon in his fight against the darkness of his city. Christian Bale did a good job as both Bruce and Batman, which can be tricky. However, I don't believe it was the same level of standout performance he gave in the first movie.

The special effects are very well done. While not as awe-inspiring as seeing Iron Man fly or as flamboyant as seeing Banner become The Hulk, they were a perfect fit for this movie. For me, something I look for in the effects is that they don't pull me out of the story. If they are sub par, the whole movie suffers because it just cannot be believed. Some effects are almost too good, to the point that you know it could never really happen and it is simply an example of how spectacular the effect can be, which becomes a distraction to the story. I think The Dark Knight had the perfect balance. Even with the gadgets and vehicles that Batman used, I always believed that it was possible. Also, definite kudos to the parties responsible for the look of Harvey Dent after the accident. I could not tell if it was achieved by make-up or by CGI, and for me that is a positive thing. Makes it look more realistic.

Outstanding in all aspects from where I sit. The total package. If you have not seen it, GO! If you have, get with some friends who have not seen it yet and go again. Naturally, you don't want to ruin it for them, but to see their wonder and excitement as they watch for the first time can make your experience more enjoyable. Oh...for those who have not seen it yet and may be wondering, you do NOT need to stay until the end of the credits. There were no surprises.

Oh...speaking of which, I said I might have some surprises in this week's article. Last week, I mentioned the R.I.P storyline that is currently taking place in DC Comics. Well, surprise, I'm not going to look at that this week...I'm still trying to digest it myself, and there is a lot to take in with that storyline. What I did want to mention is Joker's Asylum, a weekly mini-series that DC has been putting out this month, starring notables from Batman's Rogue's Gallery. Each installment is “hosted” by The Joker, who introduces a story about a different villain and then gives comments at the end. The first installment was about The Joker himself, and other issues have starred Penguin, Poison Ivy, and Scarecrow. Next week's issue will have a story about Harvey Dent/Two-Face. So far, these have been very entertaining. A self-contained story in each issue that shows the true nature of each of the villains. I have also enjoyed The Joker's role in each one, with the intros and comments coming from his unique point-of-view. As an added visual touch, the lettering for The Joker's musings are done in a special style, somewhat wavy and eerie, totally fitting his personality. While this version of The Joker is not nearly as dark as Ledger's, if you like reading stories with everyone's favorite Bat-villains, these won't disappoint.

Lastly, this may not be news for some out there, but I recently found out about a new online game that is currently in development: DC Universe Online. This MMO looks to be exciting, as players will be able to choose powers and actually enter the DC Universe. No mention of release date yet, but at this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con they will be giving a first-look at their booth, and possibly even allow attendees to play a demo version of the game. They have a website, www.myspace.com/dcuo and you can view trailers and video diaries from the developers, and read the blogs. As I get more info on this game, I'll definitely share it. When this does come out, I think I'll have to take some time away from Azeroth to visit Gotham and Metropolis.

Photos: Yahoo.com, dccomics.com 

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