Blah blah blah, It's like everyone read one review and repeats what it said over and over. Tell me why YOU like it and why it's so high on your list. I'll tell you why it's not near the top for me. The chick that played Rachel couldn't have acted that role out worse than if she was pretending to be a prostitute hooked on crack. It was awful. The motorcycle that detaches from the tumbler was absolutely unbelievable and the scene where it climbs the wall and spins 180 degrees is the worst thing in the whole movie. Christian Bales Batman voice was/is so pathetic every time I hear it it cringes me to hear as he plays Bruce Wayne so great. The first scene that features Batman where he bends the gun barrel wasn't very well thought out. I understand those particular frames were meant to show off Batmans arm gadget but I thought they could have done it better. It just wasn't very original.........
Now I'll say a few things that I thought were good about the movie. In particular The Joker, Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne were very well played roles. The scene in which the Joker is driving the police car with his torso hanging out the back window was IMO the best scene in the whole movie. It had subtle humor to it and a bit of craze as well. It was placed in a perfect spot of the movie where you already realized how sadistic the Joker is and exploited his character very well. In fact most of the things I think are great all have to do with the Joker and Harvey Dent, everything else was just average blockbuster movie making. I'll stop before I portray myself as a Heath Ledger bandwagon-er.
Ok a couple of things. I appreciate the lengths you went to in order to defend your position. You were very specific and detailed as where I was very broad and apparently cliche.
I am a "self-acclaimed" movie critic so I allow myself to critique things such as cinematography. I've taken multiple film and screen writing classes so that I can have an "educated" opinion on the topic.
I don't state that to pump myself up, just to give you the background for my perspective. When I said what I did I meant it.
Compare people's mindsets going into different movies. I don't know what you've seen and what you consider good because you haven't given a top 10 but I noticed you commented on Gran Torino so we'll go with that.
When I go see a movie like Dark Knight I have certain expectations. I anticipate cheesy crowd-pleasing lines and bad guy ass kickings. It's the same sort of deal you get going to a Harry Potter movie. The genre has already made it's mold. What The Dark Knight did was take those to a whole next level...especially with the Joker character. I know much has been said about the performance and it's gotten way overhyped but all that happened for a reason. It really was that legit...
The deal with the voice and bent gun bothered me as well. I saw it twice in theatres and I cringed nearly every time Batman spoke. But it wasn't enough to make me overlook what happened in the rest of the movie. Even the second time I saw it I was captivated and glued to the screen. I loved the dark humor in it like the scene you pointed to with the Joker leaning out of the cop car. You were supposed to be on Batman's side but the Joker was just so damn clever you couldn't help but enjoy his involvement in things (I feel like it took a lot of thought and hard work to portray him the way he was, it truly was a classic performance).
To contrast that with a movie like Gran Torino you have a different set of expectations. It's easier for a movie like Gran Torino to be great because it can be more original and it doesn't have previously developed characters with expectations. It can be more original and creative. I felt like The Dark Knight took the Batman story and made me forget that it was a Batman movie. It gave Batman a sense of realism and connected you with the characters like I've never seen a genre film do.
So I guess it depends on if you're ranking your top 10 most enjoyed, or your top 10 best. I kind of blended what would be my two separate lists into one. I don't know that The Dark Knight would be at #2 on my "best" list, but it is #1 on my "enjoyed" list.
I said a lot and I'm still not sure I answered your question but that's my perspective on it. What would your list look like?
