@Fuckfacescumbag So...you call him xenophobic and then use brit as an insult? Well played mate, I hope the irony that you unintentionally propogate comes back and breaks your jaw.
Even if Mark Kermode is saying something with which I fundamentally disagree I can ALWAYS listen to him. Loved Dark Knight, but found myself agreeing that it might be a bit too full at times.
It's a decent film, but Bale let himself get overshadowed by Ledger and the addition of Two-Face was a little too much. Hopefully the next film will be stronger.
My big problem with it was that Gotham city in this one looks looks nothing like Gotham city in Begins, it looks like Chicago, really takes away the atmosphere.
@dinggledoser i dont think so for the dialogue alone but i think the really credit for the tension goes to hans zimmer for creating the ringing sound as build up
@dinggledoser those are very good reviews..for Metacritics none of the films look good..they're harsh :D...actually it is one of the greatest superhero movies and the guys in this video are harsh as well...they said that Heath's acting was very good?...it was extraordinary...I wonder what for them is a great acting if the Ledger's performance as The Joker is just good...
For me the superfluous part of the movie was the whole "go to china and get the chinese guy" part. Without that it would've had a better pace. And I wouldn't have killed Two Face, but that didn't make the movie worse.
So in order for someone to be a good critic, they have to agree with you on every movie? If you actually think that, then you know nothing about film criticism.
Mark Kermode dislikes Superbad and The Hangover, and he thinks that they're unfunny, offensive, and sexist towards women. I completely disagree with Kermode on that, but I still believe he's a good critic, mainly because he attempts to back up his opinions with his own take.
@123rockfan That's your opinion. A lot of people who make stupid statements attempt to back them up with even more absurd logic. That doesn't make them good critics.
@Hubastanka someone liking a film and disliking another is no reason to diss them; You don't always knw why they appreciate one movie over another. Everyone's opinion is valid, as long as the point made has some basis. the dark Knight is, for my money, the best batman film and the best superhero film made to this date (including the first two superman films). I don't agree with Kermode but I understand where he's coming from. If you don't believe in Harvey Dent the film loses its emotional core.
no sorry this film is just mind blowingly good i dont get the whole thing about too much too digest the fact is evry element was key to the story and none of it looked like filler to me it was all killer, every character seemed to have a purpose plot was simple but done in a very clever way seemingly making it complex. probably one of the best films ever made in my opinion
All bad things I can say about it ASIDE, I think that one MAJOR flaw with The Dark Knight is that Harvey Dent should have been a character in it, Two Face should NOT. It would have been great if they had done this -
1.Harvey is a character
2.Joker has some sort of monologue/dialogue with Harvey, but Harvey does not take what Joker says to heart.
3.Harvey gets his face mangled
4.Towards the end of the film, Two face is foreshadowed, to be fully fleshed out NEXT FILM, based on a mental shift.
i have always thought that Batman begins was better, i liked two face in this but i agree that there was too much to digest in one film though it was quality and like MK sez there was some brilliant set pieces and scenes i felt BB ran smoother. Hopefully in DKR it will come back around to the feel and origins of BB
how exciting a thought is it to think that if next year Christopher Nolan's final instalment of his reinvented Batman franchise is as good as the last two, that means it and toy story will become two of the greatest movie trilogy's of all time
I know what Mark means, Bale does get a bit side lined and maybe goes slightly in to ham territory, but he still gives a decent and believeable performance, and too be honest he has to step aside a bit for the villans of the piece. I hold Marks view myself with Dark Knight, too many characters, individually I thought Eckarts performance was good and very like the Harvey Dent of the comics. But he was a sideline to the majesty of the Joker, no mere villain can compete with that!
@Leatherbubba So? if you don't agree with the message and the way it's being presented to you, then you probably should give this film a miss but you know that beofre you go in because nolan always makes intellectually interesting films, which means a lot of people are talking and if that's not your thing then don't go and watch it.
@mm091540 i am from austria. if i compare the situation to german speaking radio, which is broadcast in austria, switzerland, germany mostly, no radio station would have a broadcaster talk with a local accent, even if it was a local radio station from bavaria or something. everyone's speaking "proper" german on the air, which is why it surprises me that that's obviously not the case with the guy in the video whose name i don't know.
the dark Knight is the better film to me because Nolan is not out to get an emotional but an intellectual response; it is about the villains. i also wonder whether the knowledge of aaron Eckhart's other roles might have influenced kermode's response to the film.
I hated the ship scene as well, wasn't necessary in my opinion. Aaron Eckhart was outstanding as Two-Face. It makes me wonder if Heath Ledger hadn't died, whether people would say his Joker is the best and still receive an Oscar nomination? And kudos to Christian Bale's raspy voice, why too OTT!
The worst thing about this movie was how the characters are constantly philosophizing about everything. Everyone talks like they're freaking Aristotle and it just gets ridiculous.
If I'm enjoying a movie, why the hell would I care if it's "too long"? I find Begins and Dark Knight to be amazing action films and clearly the best Batman films ever made along with the best superhero films ever made in my opinion. I find it being bullshit when superhero films are finally touching on morality and realism with the characters, but still get shit from people that are honestly hard to please.
There's no moral high ground in putting people's lives in jeopardy by letting the evil nemesis live. It just so obviously keeps the movie going. Joker begs for death by Batman. If Batman subbed 'innocent person' for 'vehicle' in the repo code: "I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof nor through inaction let that vehicle nor the personal contents thereof come to harm," this movie would've been over a lot sooner & his love Rachel would be alive.
What's bad about this movie is it loops back upon itself – 3 times if memory serves me. In between carnage -or near carnage- we witness Batman not killing the joker when he easily could. Then innocent people die. Then Batman doesn't kill the joker when he easily could. Then innocent people die. Rinse & repeat. This is supposed to imbue a 'batman isn't like the joker' morality, but it's just stupid. It doesn't connect to the killing this Batman did in "Begins."
@MrVinushka maybe the reason titanic was so popular was because there wasnt anything better at that time, whereas now, the standard of some films released is phenomenal, and its still made 800million ...
@Gonzoidzz awful film? say that to the millions of people who ran to see it at opening weekend, making it the highest grossing film on opening weekend ever....sure, say you didn't like it, as an opinion, but don't state as a fact that it was a crap film, because, obviously you're in the minority.
Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batmovie. It combines Nolan's psychology with Burton's goth-noir look, along with the snappiest dialogue the series has seen so far.
Batman Begins comes in second. The action wasn't up to snuff, but it's not entirely an action movie. It's about ideas and people, not POW!
Dark Knight is third. It's great, sure, but the dialogue is so stagy, people don't actually talk like that. Plus, the boat scene.
I agree with everything here. When I watching it I felt that I should be enjoying this more than i was: Health Ledger and Gary Oldman grabbed my attention to the degree that I didn't care about the other characters so much
the film is a very "cool moviegoing experience" has to do with the fact that batman is not the focus of the film but the villains like the joker and Two-face are because they are the consequence of his actions in batman begins. if you look at the monster there is a certain distance between you and "it". I also did not get bothered by batman's voice; it's CHRIS NOLAN'S Batman who talks like that. if you don't like it watch Burton's or schumacher's version of the character.
i think Mark did not get emotionally attached because he did not like harvey Dent as he has seen Aaron eckhart in other films before but those of us who haven't might have been emotionally engaged. The fact is that he is a movie critic and sometimes actors get typecast like Aaron eckhart. The first time i got to see Dent's face burn I actually shed a tear or two because he was such a nice fella. Mark, batman begins is a film only addressing fear. the dark knight has so much more going for it.
Agree with MK on this one..I thought "DK" was a letdown compared to the brilliant "Batman Begins" which flowed & engaged the audience much more..Kermode was right again in saying "DK" was a series of set pieces ( some well done, some not) & hackneyed moral dilemnas."Dark Knights' plusses: Heath Ledger's Brando-.like genius performance, the beautiful look of the film, & Maggie Gyllenhal..for no other reason except I just like looking at her..& Oldman makes a great nice guy..who would've thought?
This is perhaps the best and most truthful interview I have heard of The Dark Knight. I was so overjoyed when I heard the comment about Gary Oldman. He should have got an Oscar nomination, he TOTALLY tranformed into the Gordon I've been reading in the comics.
The only thing I have to disagree with is the point about Christian Bale. Even though he had less screentime and was sharing a film with The Joker and Two-Face he still managed to keep Batman at the heart of the film. That's impressive.
Not everyone would agree that it is the right way to get justice, but this is what I like about the movie. Near to the end of the film harvey says that the coin is the best form of justice in the world everyone gets the same chance 50/50 and fair. Some people may find this strange but in some parts of the world (somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Isreal, and even the US and the so-called enemy combatants at guantanemo) one could be argued that this is indeed a true statement.
@AEF091 still, the dark knight is better than batman begins and I was disappointed by both hellboy films. kermode just likes pan's labyrinth and would choose Guillermo del toros films over aything else even if we all know he is wrong for doing so because quite frankly none of the other films that summer had the level of intellectualism or the acting. the dark knight had both and the acting rests on the script,ergo it had also a very good script and thus story.
Unlike Mr K I did like the Harvey Dent Character. With batman representing good, the joker repressenting evil, i thought Harvey Dent balanced the 2 out as one could argue he was on neither side, but rather a shade of grey delivering his brand of hardline/right wing justice. One could almost draw an analogy between him and a farmer in Afghanistan who has been wronged (lost a loved one/family due to US drone bombing) and uses measures outside the law to get justice.
a crazy anarchist with Zero Empathy. Apart from the jokers appearances, nothing really happens in the movie until the interrogation scene, maybe just a set piece or 2 here and there and cristian bale pretending not to be cristian bale by grunting while he's in the batman costume. Kermode is spot on in that entire chunks of the movie could be chopped out and it would be a better movie because of it. Like mr K I was dissapointed aswell and was more satisfied with Hellboy 2 (cont)
The problem with the dark knight is that whoever was going to play the Joker (and remember as this role requires a high degree of over acting pretty much anyone playing it would have been nominated for an oscar, which is why Jack Nicholson, Adrian Brody and even Robin Williams threw their names into the hat) would have recieved the most attention. People essentially did not do in to see cristian bale or even gary oldman (who is a great actor) but rather went in to see the joker being (cont)
The scene where the Joker phones into the news station was enough to get the point across, the Ship scene could have been cut out, and for what actually happened it was dragging on.
@lynseylinzlu then you probably also agree that Kermode approves of the fact that there need to be more films like this in the future because this is the smart blockbuster, unlike ironman and all the other marvel jokes.
I dont know if its cause Im not a native english speaker, but I dont understand what he means with "set pieces" I know what it means, but in the context he´s using it, I dont know, can anyone clarify that for me please.
@eder333 set pieces is a refference to a chess board i think, for example the boat was done by the director because he wanted to have it the way he wanted without nescesairy being realistic or believable.
@Regenmacher175 I think the story is more fast paced and is more interesting. Don't get me wrong I love Dark Knight aswell but for me watching Batman Begins was a fantastic experience. I found Dark Knight to be slow and at times very boring.
TOTALY! i think gaty oldman was fantastic, and deserves to be recognized. -
- NOW! i think not enough focus (spotlight criticism) is put on the joker by heath ledger, did heath's death immunize his character portrayal from criticism?
original joker was a psychokiller who seemed to try(and in some levels succeed) to be liked by the audience, there wasn't anything likable/amusing about this joker incarnation.i see fault in director not actor tho
If you watch the film again, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the film is about 2 face. And yet he doesn't actually turn up 'till near the end- they should have left him 'till the next film and not wasted him like they did, it should have been more firmly about the Joker. And also that would've solved the length problem.
My issue with the Batman voice wasn't so much that the growliness sounded forced but that Bale lisped when he did it. A lisping Batman just doesn't sound serious.
Oldman over Ledger. Oldman was great as usual, but Ledger was the driving force behind the whole movie that comment is practically trolling in its absurdity in my opinion. I agree with the other guy who said it didn't appear to long and that Dent was necessary. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a string of moral dilemmas rather than one. Still I really like Mark Kermode, he is insightful and lacks the air of arrogance that other critics have.
@michaeltansini batman begins constantly yalked about fear. this had more ideas and concepts at its heart and therefore I think it is a much better film. Also it does not have katie holmes in it which is also why it is better. there also was no performance like heath Ledger's Joker in batman begins and the villains did not have a very strong presesnce; This film also breaks the rule of letting the hero win triumphantly over the villain. the dark Knight is MUCH better.
@JohnThePunk584 ..he is right tho. it was a good movie but you fan boys need to chill out.. its not the best movie, the best movie is princess diaries 2
i disagree with the batman voice it may be because i can do a shit hot impression of him 'wheres rachel !' but i think batman should speak like that. I agree with the two boats bit, it wasnt needed or maybe another moral setpiece wouldve been better. Oldman is always the best actor in any movie he does. Ledger is masterfull as the joker a little bit of tom waits in there . Its a classic movie but two face is under used. Altho nolans movies are better and bale is good , Micheal Keaton is Batman
This film was absolutely terrible, simply the most overrated film in history. A laughable performance by Bale, boring visuals, generic score, dull characters and the most overrated performance of all time by Ledger.
So Gary Oldman is the best done character in this movie? This has nothing to do with the fact that Gary Oldman is, you know, british? Because this guy doesn't have a british bias at all, right?
Harvey Dent was a great idea, trying to clean up Gotham, but it took away going into great depths of the Batman/Joker relationship. Dent as the DA would have been great in a third movie butting heads with a mafia run by the Penguin.
@kerins94 Wel, it aint the greatest movie ever made,ok, not by a long shot, but I agree it was certainly very enjoyable to watch, shame we'll never get to see Heath perform another role in cinema again, he was becoming one of the modern greats.
@ALANSHEARERISGOD That is Colin Murray who was filling in for Mark's regular co-host Simon Mayo. He presents many quality sports shows for BBC Radio 5Live such as Fighting Talk and Kicking Off. He's a top presenter but film reviews are not his strong point.
It may have been cold, maybe not emotional but I think it's better than Batman Begin. There's far less fantasy, it's more real. You feel like it's a real city, not a comic-book city. The relationships make more sense, are more organic.
But like BB, Dark Knight is also incredibly overblown. The whole thing about the two boats with the criminals and then civilians and having a building where the lackeys and kidnaped people are being switched was way too much. It was uncecessary.
**SPOILERS** In my opinion, if Heath Ledger hadn't died, here's what they should have done: -Joker Escapes -Batman Despised -Rachel Dead -Harvey Griefstricken in Hospital -Wayne Griefstricken in secret -Everything Very Dark. END THE MOVIE THERE. It worked for the second Star Wars film! Span out the "Two-Face" plotline and bring the joker back in a 3rd film. My only major complaint about TDK was the length, and the disjointed conclusion. -and Batman's voice.
@TheCyberToad - It didn't work for the second star wars film - if by that you mean "Empire." I remember watching it when I was 12 thinking this is bad film making to just suspend plot lines 'cos 2 hours is up.
Now see, I didn't like this movie, because I interpreted it as defending the execrable policies of the Bush administration.
Though the Joker character was more intelligent and compelling than in any of the other films, I was kind of offended that they treated him as a scary moral-nihilist/Anarchist. If anything, it is the statists who are the terrifying ones.
The Eckhart role was essentially pure tragic juice. Had he been completely eliminated from the film, the overall cinematic experience would be boring.
I'll never understand any of the criticisms he just made. I think the film was almost perfect, except that it was a little too long. Other than that I found the narrative to be amazing, the character development to be spot on, and the overall enjoyment factor is there. It's the best Batman film out there. (Yes, better than Batman Begins). Too many moral dilemmas? I just don't understand...that's the Joker's character and that's what gives Batman such a difficult time. It's all about morality.
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MoonIightGraeme 3 weeks ago
Gary Oldman was the best performance? This was the worst role of his career. What a pompous, xenophobic, haughty brit scumbag...
Fuckfacescumbag 1 month ago
@Fuckfacescumbag So...you call him xenophobic and then use brit as an insult? Well played mate, I hope the irony that you unintentionally propogate comes back and breaks your jaw.
alyxi 1 month ago 5
@alyxi Hope in one hand and sh!t in the other, liver lips...
Fuckfacescumbag 1 month ago
@Fuckfacescumbag fuckfacescumbag.. wait....
Mistaken4starz 1 month ago 4
Christian Bale SUCKED!
TheAmerican732 1 month ago
Even if Mark Kermode is saying something with which I fundamentally disagree I can ALWAYS listen to him. Loved Dark Knight, but found myself agreeing that it might be a bit too full at times.
BruceSwane 1 month ago
It's a decent film, but Bale let himself get overshadowed by Ledger and the addition of Two-Face was a little too much. Hopefully the next film will be stronger.
blokey8 1 month ago
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Susi2584 1 month ago
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@blokey8 decent film? one of the greatest movies ever made by far...I don't think the sequel will match ''The Dark Knight''...
Susi2584 1 month ago
My big problem with it was that Gotham city in this one looks looks nothing like Gotham city in Begins, it looks like Chicago, really takes away the atmosphere.
cuallito 1 month ago
mk is right but this is still the best superhero film ever made. roll on dark knight rises.
bruffmeister1 2 months ago
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mk is right but this is still the best superhero film ever made
bruffmeister1 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
mk is right but this is still the best superhero film ever made
bruffmeister1 2 months ago
mk is right but this is still the best superhero film ever made
bruffmeister1 2 months ago
Your Right mark but i havent enjoyed a film so much for 10 years
YourVertigoso 2 months ago
This film is way over-rated.
dinggledoser 2 months ago
@dinggledoser i dont think so for the dialogue alone but i think the really credit for the tension goes to hans zimmer for creating the ringing sound as build up
YourVertigoso 2 months ago
@dinggledoser It is one of the greatest movies of all time...it is underrated...
Susi2584 1 month ago
@Susi2584 nah, not really. It very over-rated. 8.9 on imdb. 94% RT. 82 Metacritic.
watch?v=z5eUGEMmBY4 this guy sums it all up pretty well.
dinggledoser 1 month ago
@dinggledoser those are very good reviews..for Metacritics none of the films look good..they're harsh :D...actually it is one of the greatest superhero movies and the guys in this video are harsh as well...they said that Heath's acting was very good?...it was extraordinary...I wonder what for them is a great acting if the Ledger's performance as The Joker is just good...
Susi2584 1 month ago
nice try mark but this is the greatest film of the last ten years to me
guitarreilly 2 months ago
Cunt
hmc117 2 months ago
For me the superfluous part of the movie was the whole "go to china and get the chinese guy" part. Without that it would've had a better pace. And I wouldn't have killed Two Face, but that didn't make the movie worse.
Baktor 3 months ago
Kermode is right.
mengutimur 4 months ago
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He's dead on. Its a good movie, but it isn't perfect.
HankJennings 4 months ago
colin murray sucks
TheOshman4 4 months ago
This review sucks. Kermode is a lousy critic.
Hubastanka 4 months ago
@Hubastanka
How is he a lousy critic? Just because you disagree with him?
123rockfan 4 months ago
@123rockfan That's usually what makes for lousy critics. When they make bad criticisms that you disagree with.
Hubastanka 4 months ago
@Hubastanka
So in order for someone to be a good critic, they have to agree with you on every movie? If you actually think that, then you know nothing about film criticism.
123rockfan 4 months ago
@123rockfan So if a critic makes criticisms you think are stupid that's a good critic to you?
Brilliant logic there.
Hubastanka 4 months ago
@Hubastanka
Mark Kermode dislikes Superbad and The Hangover, and he thinks that they're unfunny, offensive, and sexist towards women. I completely disagree with Kermode on that, but I still believe he's a good critic, mainly because he attempts to back up his opinions with his own take.
123rockfan 4 months ago
@123rockfan That's your opinion. A lot of people who make stupid statements attempt to back them up with even more absurd logic. That doesn't make them good critics.
Hubastanka 4 months ago
@Hubastanka someone liking a film and disliking another is no reason to diss them; You don't always knw why they appreciate one movie over another. Everyone's opinion is valid, as long as the point made has some basis. the dark Knight is, for my money, the best batman film and the best superhero film made to this date (including the first two superman films). I don't agree with Kermode but I understand where he's coming from. If you don't believe in Harvey Dent the film loses its emotional core.
Regenmacher175 3 months ago
Other guy - I don't know who you are but kindly piss off! Kermode is the critic!
orkavorn 5 months ago
@khanbaliq why is that a bad thing? sucking cock is awesome
robaquarian 5 months ago
no sorry this film is just mind blowingly good i dont get the whole thing about too much too digest the fact is evry element was key to the story and none of it looked like filler to me it was all killer, every character seemed to have a purpose plot was simple but done in a very clever way seemingly making it complex. probably one of the best films ever made in my opinion
guitarreilly 5 months ago
@guitarreilly grammar
TheSireX9 5 months ago
@TheSireX9 fuck off little Kunt i dont give a shit
guitarreilly 5 months ago
where's mayo.
crispycalamari 5 months ago
"You absplutely have to admire the fact that it is a movie of ideas. On the other hand, sometimes the ideas get in the way of the emotions."
The Good Doctor has absolutely nailed the problem I have trying to enjoy Nolan's films, as much as I admire the craft of them. Bravo, sir.
NiCoDeimus 6 months ago
I love listening to Kermode's reviews, even if I disagree. Though I generally tend to agree with him.
JerkyFraser 6 months ago
Didnt even notice THE VOICE when I watched it. Praps cos its a part of the comic folklore..?
weavehole 6 months ago
I'm not even that into the dark knight. But the Dark knight owns Mark Kermode's entire existence
Plusto84 7 months ago
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Plusto84 7 months ago
All bad things I can say about it ASIDE, I think that one MAJOR flaw with The Dark Knight is that Harvey Dent should have been a character in it, Two Face should NOT. It would have been great if they had done this -
1.Harvey is a character
2.Joker has some sort of monologue/dialogue with Harvey, but Harvey does not take what Joker says to heart.
3.Harvey gets his face mangled
4.Towards the end of the film, Two face is foreshadowed, to be fully fleshed out NEXT FILM, based on a mental shift.
Bassbait 7 months ago 2
i have always thought that Batman begins was better, i liked two face in this but i agree that there was too much to digest in one film though it was quality and like MK sez there was some brilliant set pieces and scenes i felt BB ran smoother. Hopefully in DKR it will come back around to the feel and origins of BB
8Morgan8webcat 7 months ago
Worse than Begins? Some mistake shurely...?
TheNylonStrings 7 months ago
how exciting a thought is it to think that if next year Christopher Nolan's final instalment of his reinvented Batman franchise is as good as the last two, that means it and toy story will become two of the greatest movie trilogy's of all time
roloug95 7 months ago
You can see Kermode gets very impatient when he's not talking
ridingtigers 7 months ago
I know what Mark means, Bale does get a bit side lined and maybe goes slightly in to ham territory, but he still gives a decent and believeable performance, and too be honest he has to step aside a bit for the villans of the piece. I hold Marks view myself with Dark Knight, too many characters, individually I thought Eckarts performance was good and very like the Harvey Dent of the comics. But he was a sideline to the majesty of the Joker, no mere villain can compete with that!
BelatedCommiseration 7 months ago
He hits on one of the things that bugs me about The Dark Knight. The message and themes of the movie are so blatanly smashed over your head.
Leatherbubba 8 months ago
@Leatherbubba So? if you don't agree with the message and the way it's being presented to you, then you probably should give this film a miss but you know that beofre you go in because nolan always makes intellectually interesting films, which means a lot of people are talking and if that's not your thing then don't go and watch it.
Regenmacher175 7 months ago
the guy opposite kermode... why has he such a thick accent? kinda out of place on radio, no?
mm091540 9 months ago
@mm091540 Only for those outside the area of intended broadcast which you obviously are.
burlearth 9 months ago
@mm091540 i am from austria. if i compare the situation to german speaking radio, which is broadcast in austria, switzerland, germany mostly, no radio station would have a broadcaster talk with a local accent, even if it was a local radio station from bavaria or something. everyone's speaking "proper" german on the air, which is why it surprises me that that's obviously not the case with the guy in the video whose name i don't know.
mm091540 9 months ago
i thought Christian Bale was the weakest link in the dark knight his batman is shit but the films themselves are excellent.
AMD3FAN 9 months ago
I could never get past the stupid voice Batman had in this film,pathetic.
KGMDMusic 9 months ago
i will never see the appeal in this film. overrated.
nic1357 9 months ago
does this guy ever like a film?
GBL2K9 9 months ago
@GBL2K9 I was wandering the same damn thing... what a douche!
ComandoPadentro 9 months ago
@GBL2K9 You obviously don't listen to his show often.
burlearth 9 months ago
Horribly overrated movie
LoLzZ85 9 months ago
the dark Knight is the better film to me because Nolan is not out to get an emotional but an intellectual response; it is about the villains. i also wonder whether the knowledge of aaron Eckhart's other roles might have influenced kermode's response to the film.
Regenmacher175 9 months ago
I hated the ship scene as well, wasn't necessary in my opinion. Aaron Eckhart was outstanding as Two-Face. It makes me wonder if Heath Ledger hadn't died, whether people would say his Joker is the best and still receive an Oscar nomination? And kudos to Christian Bale's raspy voice, why too OTT!
MarkSkidMcCormick 10 months ago
The worst thing about this movie was how the characters are constantly philosophizing about everything. Everyone talks like they're freaking Aristotle and it just gets ridiculous.
Sash5034 10 months ago
@Sash5034 Right, no one complained about that in fight club
SupremeGor3 9 months ago
Gary Oldman is amazing in the film.
JohnnyZenith 10 months ago
He wears that headphone for several years....
johnchannetshow 10 months ago
Christopher Nolan just does not make bad films, and that is a real achievement in itself. Roll on The Dark Knight Rises
bodieofci5 11 months ago
If I'm enjoying a movie, why the hell would I care if it's "too long"? I find Begins and Dark Knight to be amazing action films and clearly the best Batman films ever made along with the best superhero films ever made in my opinion. I find it being bullshit when superhero films are finally touching on morality and realism with the characters, but still get shit from people that are honestly hard to please.
clipsryan 11 months ago
{cont'd}
There's no moral high ground in putting people's lives in jeopardy by letting the evil nemesis live. It just so obviously keeps the movie going. Joker begs for death by Batman. If Batman subbed 'innocent person' for 'vehicle' in the repo code: "I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof nor through inaction let that vehicle nor the personal contents thereof come to harm," this movie would've been over a lot sooner & his love Rachel would be alive.
oosik49 11 months ago
What's bad about this movie is it loops back upon itself – 3 times if memory serves me. In between carnage -or near carnage- we witness Batman not killing the joker when he easily could. Then innocent people die. Then Batman doesn't kill the joker when he easily could. Then innocent people die. Rinse & repeat. This is supposed to imbue a 'batman isn't like the joker' morality, but it's just stupid. It doesn't connect to the killing this Batman did in "Begins."
{cont'd next post}
oosik49 11 months ago
@MrVinushka
Not necessarily. Although I think Titanic is very good movie, there are many glaring flaws (dialogue, setting, etc.).
ElvenWarrior891 1 year ago
@MrVinushka maybe the reason titanic was so popular was because there wasnt anything better at that time, whereas now, the standard of some films released is phenomenal, and its still made 800million ...
Lee1amDelooney1 1 year ago
@MrVinushka no but the dark knight was very good AND made a lot of money.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
Kermode is to film criticism what Jar Jar Binks was to the Phantom Menace.
G1Starfire 1 year ago
What a shitty review. Kermode has no taste.
Hubastanka 1 year ago
@Gonzoidzz awful film? say that to the millions of people who ran to see it at opening weekend, making it the highest grossing film on opening weekend ever....sure, say you didn't like it, as an opinion, but don't state as a fact that it was a crap film, because, obviously you're in the minority.
Lee1amDelooney1 1 year ago
Aaron Eckhart was creepy and slimy in No Reservations?
SongNadia 1 year ago
So, whos the better Alfred the butler?
Michael Gough or Michael Caine?
Guesswhokk 1 year ago
Awful review.
TheJoker27780 1 year ago
bloody awful film
Gonzoidzz 1 year ago
@Gonzoidzz you have never seen a good film in your life then.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
@Regenmacher175
It was an awful film and overrated to an amazing extent. I still don't know what it was about, nor do I care.
Gonzoidzz 1 year ago
Kermode disected that pretty well.
marlboroman1985 1 year ago
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ogfunk187 1 year ago
Irish people shouldn't be allowed to speak.
MrBoBoTom 1 year ago
Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batmovie. It combines Nolan's psychology with Burton's goth-noir look, along with the snappiest dialogue the series has seen so far.
Batman Begins comes in second. The action wasn't up to snuff, but it's not entirely an action movie. It's about ideas and people, not POW!
Dark Knight is third. It's great, sure, but the dialogue is so stagy, people don't actually talk like that. Plus, the boat scene.
DulBeat 1 year ago
Colin Murray needs to shut up.
Yannak 1 year ago
So wait did he like it or not.
grievous1 1 year ago
I agree with everything here. When I watching it I felt that I should be enjoying this more than i was: Health Ledger and Gary Oldman grabbed my attention to the degree that I didn't care about the other characters so much
pacmansays 1 year ago
Can you put up more UK only reviews?
guywiththerockfistup 1 year ago
Kermode is absolutely right about everything
Amaresku 1 year ago
the film is a very "cool moviegoing experience" has to do with the fact that batman is not the focus of the film but the villains like the joker and Two-face are because they are the consequence of his actions in batman begins. if you look at the monster there is a certain distance between you and "it". I also did not get bothered by batman's voice; it's CHRIS NOLAN'S Batman who talks like that. if you don't like it watch Burton's or schumacher's version of the character.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
i think Mark did not get emotionally attached because he did not like harvey Dent as he has seen Aaron eckhart in other films before but those of us who haven't might have been emotionally engaged. The fact is that he is a movie critic and sometimes actors get typecast like Aaron eckhart. The first time i got to see Dent's face burn I actually shed a tear or two because he was such a nice fella. Mark, batman begins is a film only addressing fear. the dark knight has so much more going for it.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
"what was that aboite" fuck that guys accent is so over the top it annoys the shit out of me
roloug95 1 year ago
Agree with MK on this one..I thought "DK" was a letdown compared to the brilliant "Batman Begins" which flowed & engaged the audience much more..Kermode was right again in saying "DK" was a series of set pieces ( some well done, some not) & hackneyed moral dilemnas."Dark Knights' plusses: Heath Ledger's Brando-.like genius performance, the beautiful look of the film, & Maggie Gyllenhal..for no other reason except I just like looking at her..& Oldman makes a great nice guy..who would've thought?
machiaveliyoohoo 1 year ago 2
This is perhaps the best and most truthful interview I have heard of The Dark Knight. I was so overjoyed when I heard the comment about Gary Oldman. He should have got an Oscar nomination, he TOTALLY tranformed into the Gordon I've been reading in the comics.
The only thing I have to disagree with is the point about Christian Bale. Even though he had less screentime and was sharing a film with The Joker and Two-Face he still managed to keep Batman at the heart of the film. That's impressive.
americanpsycho28 1 year ago
Not everyone would agree that it is the right way to get justice, but this is what I like about the movie. Near to the end of the film harvey says that the coin is the best form of justice in the world everyone gets the same chance 50/50 and fair. Some people may find this strange but in some parts of the world (somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Isreal, and even the US and the so-called enemy combatants at guantanemo) one could be argued that this is indeed a true statement.
AEF091 1 year ago
@AEF091 still, the dark knight is better than batman begins and I was disappointed by both hellboy films. kermode just likes pan's labyrinth and would choose Guillermo del toros films over aything else even if we all know he is wrong for doing so because quite frankly none of the other films that summer had the level of intellectualism or the acting. the dark knight had both and the acting rests on the script,ergo it had also a very good script and thus story.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
Unlike Mr K I did like the Harvey Dent Character. With batman representing good, the joker repressenting evil, i thought Harvey Dent balanced the 2 out as one could argue he was on neither side, but rather a shade of grey delivering his brand of hardline/right wing justice. One could almost draw an analogy between him and a farmer in Afghanistan who has been wronged (lost a loved one/family due to US drone bombing) and uses measures outside the law to get justice.
AEF091 1 year ago
a crazy anarchist with Zero Empathy. Apart from the jokers appearances, nothing really happens in the movie until the interrogation scene, maybe just a set piece or 2 here and there and cristian bale pretending not to be cristian bale by grunting while he's in the batman costume. Kermode is spot on in that entire chunks of the movie could be chopped out and it would be a better movie because of it. Like mr K I was dissapointed aswell and was more satisfied with Hellboy 2 (cont)
AEF091 1 year ago
The problem with the dark knight is that whoever was going to play the Joker (and remember as this role requires a high degree of over acting pretty much anyone playing it would have been nominated for an oscar, which is why Jack Nicholson, Adrian Brody and even Robin Williams threw their names into the hat) would have recieved the most attention. People essentially did not do in to see cristian bale or even gary oldman (who is a great actor) but rather went in to see the joker being (cont)
AEF091 1 year ago
The scene where the Joker phones into the news station was enough to get the point across, the Ship scene could have been cut out, and for what actually happened it was dragging on.
ehmazin 1 year ago
i have to say i agree with a lot of this review
lynseylinzlu 1 year ago
@lynseylinzlu then you probably also agree that Kermode approves of the fact that there need to be more films like this in the future because this is the smart blockbuster, unlike ironman and all the other marvel jokes.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
Thanks for uploading these! amazing!
Have never seen this man before but now I cant stop watching these haha :D
jdlmbgh 1 year ago
I dont know if its cause Im not a native english speaker, but I dont understand what he means with "set pieces" I know what it means, but in the context he´s using it, I dont know, can anyone clarify that for me please.
eder333 1 year ago
@eder333 i was just about to ask this too
jamchew1982 1 year ago
@eder333 me too
2505994 1 year ago
@eder333 set pieces is a refference to a chess board i think, for example the boat was done by the director because he wanted to have it the way he wanted without nescesairy being realistic or believable.
dardo1201 1 year ago
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eder333 1 year ago
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eder333 1 year ago
Batman Begins is a better movie.
clemarochies 1 year ago 2
@clemarochies how is that film better?
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
@Regenmacher175 I think the story is more fast paced and is more interesting. Don't get me wrong I love Dark Knight aswell but for me watching Batman Begins was a fantastic experience. I found Dark Knight to be slow and at times very boring.
clemarochies 1 year ago
@clemarochies I love them both as equal films. What makes you like " Begins" more?
trexguy 11 months ago
@trexguy I don't know i just think it is faster paced. Dark Knight is a good movie but i felt it dragged and was boring in some parts.
clemarochies 11 months ago
@trexguy I know your not asking me, but for me, pacing. editing, musical placement.
oshman4 10 months ago
@oshman4 I forgot. There is an element that makes Dark Knight the better film.... TWO FACE man! TWO FACE!!!
trexguy 10 months ago
"You're kidding? Gary Oldman was totally Gordon"
TOTALY! i think gaty oldman was fantastic, and deserves to be recognized. -
- NOW! i think not enough focus (spotlight criticism) is put on the joker by heath ledger, did heath's death immunize his character portrayal from criticism?
original joker was a psychokiller who seemed to try(and in some levels succeed) to be liked by the audience, there wasn't anything likable/amusing about this joker incarnation.i see fault in director not actor tho
PRprince305 1 year ago 2
god that guys accent is soooooooo ridiculous
roloug95 1 year ago
god that guys accent is soooooooo rediculas
roloug95 1 year ago
I thought that the SHIPS SCENE at the end was really childish but apart from that' the movie was AAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME.
chuprichachi1 1 year ago
If you watch the film again, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the film is about 2 face. And yet he doesn't actually turn up 'till near the end- they should have left him 'till the next film and not wasted him like they did, it should have been more firmly about the Joker. And also that would've solved the length problem.
xeractus 1 year ago
whats wrong with set pieces?
LoomVideos 1 year ago
My issue with the Batman voice wasn't so much that the growliness sounded forced but that Bale lisped when he did it. A lisping Batman just doesn't sound serious.
mooseven 1 year ago
Oldman over Ledger. Oldman was great as usual, but Ledger was the driving force behind the whole movie that comment is practically trolling in its absurdity in my opinion. I agree with the other guy who said it didn't appear to long and that Dent was necessary. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a string of moral dilemmas rather than one. Still I really like Mark Kermode, he is insightful and lacks the air of arrogance that other critics have.
redcommander27 1 year ago
not as good as Batman Begins.... there i said it
michaeltansini 1 year ago
@michaeltansini batman begins constantly yalked about fear. this had more ideas and concepts at its heart and therefore I think it is a much better film. Also it does not have katie holmes in it which is also why it is better. there also was no performance like heath Ledger's Joker in batman begins and the villains did not have a very strong presesnce; This film also breaks the rule of letting the hero win triumphantly over the villain. the dark Knight is MUCH better.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
Kermode please, pretty please with sugar on top...fuck off
JohnThePunk584 1 year ago
@JohnThePunk584 ..he is right tho. it was a good movie but you fan boys need to chill out.. its not the best movie, the best movie is princess diaries 2
Harryclownie 1 year ago
How can one judge this movie? I mean seriously. It is a fucking masterpiece. It's like looking for flaws in Van Gogh painting.
kustomkure 1 year ago
Agreed with Kermode. Enjoyable, but not spectacular. Part of it's success is directly attributable to Heath's performance.
qqs764 1 year ago
when will people stop misusing "it's"?!?!?!
LANE211 1 year ago
When you learn basic punctuation.
qqs764 1 year ago
i disagree with the batman voice it may be because i can do a shit hot impression of him 'wheres rachel !' but i think batman should speak like that. I agree with the two boats bit, it wasnt needed or maybe another moral setpiece wouldve been better. Oldman is always the best actor in any movie he does. Ledger is masterfull as the joker a little bit of tom waits in there . Its a classic movie but two face is under used. Altho nolans movies are better and bale is good , Micheal Keaton is Batman
TheHappydead 1 year ago
Bale's voice was not "tweeked" (pitch shifting) in production...
He dubbed it himself...
I've seen a lott of his reviews and it bothers me that K-mode (not always) gets a lott of production info wrong.
Samplelord 1 year ago
Colin Murray is soooo annoying!
jibsmokestack1 1 year ago
Dark Knight was garbage, not as bad as Batman Begins though.
pythonbyte 1 year ago
@pythonbyte Oh grow up.
Regenmacher175 1 year ago
oldman is f~*king MUMBLING all the time - can't understand him
Batman's stupidly GROWLING all the time- can't understand him
Micro phone was RIGHT down Ledger's throat- didn't need to hear that
Moral dilemma with the ships didn't come over- can't understand it
Bruce Wayne looks like a TWAT when he walks in with 2 models both a foot taller than him
The 1st hr was enjoyable though
Don't praise a man 'cos he died afterwards, he is unable to give a fuck about your praise
Joker was good.
natmanprime 1 year ago
THANK YOU. Oldman is the king in that film.
Filmzie 1 year ago
Haha, yes Mark! I've been saying the same thing about Gary Oldman's performance since day one. Awesome.
harry7789 1 year ago 2
This film was absolutely terrible, simply the most overrated film in history. A laughable performance by Bale, boring visuals, generic score, dull characters and the most overrated performance of all time by Ledger.
BigBoss7777777 1 year ago
@BigBoss7777777
Go fuck yourself bigboss777777777777777777777777 fuck you, fuck you up the ass
SupremeGor3 1 year ago
@BigBoss7777777 Better than Burton's though eh
1985snowball 1 year ago
So Gary Oldman is the best done character in this movie? This has nothing to do with the fact that Gary Oldman is, you know, british? Because this guy doesn't have a british bias at all, right?
kaminarigaston 1 year ago
@kaminarigaston Er, Christian Bale is British too...
liquidgeorge 1 year ago
@liquidgeorge
I don't think that Batman was the best done character in the movie. I was talking about the Joker. I thought it was obvious.
kaminarigaston 1 year ago
I really loved The Dark Knight, but I agree that Batman Begins was a superior film. The first half of BB is just extraordinary.
RockBottomRiser21 2 years ago
Harvey Dent was a great idea, trying to clean up Gotham, but it took away going into great depths of the Batman/Joker relationship. Dent as the DA would have been great in a third movie butting heads with a mafia run by the Penguin.
Sector806 2 years ago
greatest film ever mede. roll on the sequel though i dont know how theyre going to top that
kerins94 2 years ago
@kerins94 Wel, it aint the greatest movie ever made,ok, not by a long shot, but I agree it was certainly very enjoyable to watch, shame we'll never get to see Heath perform another role in cinema again, he was becoming one of the modern greats.
JackRabbitSlim 1 year ago
Who is that thick fucking mong opposite Kermode? He has no idea...
If you ever read this, please keep your mouth shut when in company you dickhead.
ALANSHEARERISGOD 2 years ago
@ALANSHEARERISGOD
He makes several fine points, and everyone knows Kermode needs someone to occasionally stop him mid-rant.
wobjob 2 years ago 5
@ALANSHEARERISGOD That is Colin Murray who was filling in for Mark's regular co-host Simon Mayo. He presents many quality sports shows for BBC Radio 5Live such as Fighting Talk and Kicking Off. He's a top presenter but film reviews are not his strong point.
VoteJoker 1 year ago
Gary oldman was was good. but to say his performance was "The best by a mile" ? what is kermonde on !! mushrooms i guess !!
luvpump1 2 years ago
I did like the scene in BATMAN BEGINS where the Mob boss tells Batman that he is naive.
I liked moments of the DARK KNight but over all I thought it was a mess.
BUDDY6414724297 2 years ago
It may have been cold, maybe not emotional but I think it's better than Batman Begin. There's far less fantasy, it's more real. You feel like it's a real city, not a comic-book city. The relationships make more sense, are more organic.
But like BB, Dark Knight is also incredibly overblown. The whole thing about the two boats with the criminals and then civilians and having a building where the lackeys and kidnaped people are being switched was way too much. It was uncecessary.
skinwalkerxxx 2 years ago
Yes! Finally someone who agrees with me in regards to TDK vs. BB.
TheSilhouette 2 years ago
TheCyberToad 2 years ago
TheCyberToad, I completly agree. The ending was just boring and silly. Maybe they should have saved Two-Face for another film?.....
ohmygodimonfire12 2 years ago
@TheCyberToad - It didn't work for the second star wars film - if by that you mean "Empire." I remember watching it when I was 12 thinking this is bad film making to just suspend plot lines 'cos 2 hours is up.
oosik49 11 months ago
Now see, I didn't like this movie, because I interpreted it as defending the execrable policies of the Bush administration.
Though the Joker character was more intelligent and compelling than in any of the other films, I was kind of offended that they treated him as a scary moral-nihilist/Anarchist. If anything, it is the statists who are the terrifying ones.
Jcolinsol 2 years ago
@Jcolinsol
Completely agree with you, although the Bush representation in this film (Batman) is definitely portrayed in a negative light.
massivedickweedohyea 2 years ago
The Eckhart role was essentially pure tragic juice. Had he been completely eliminated from the film, the overall cinematic experience would be boring.
omingura 2 years ago
I'll never understand any of the criticisms he just made. I think the film was almost perfect, except that it was a little too long. Other than that I found the narrative to be amazing, the character development to be spot on, and the overall enjoyment factor is there. It's the best Batman film out there. (Yes, better than Batman Begins). Too many moral dilemmas? I just don't understand...that's the Joker's character and that's what gives Batman such a difficult time. It's all about morality.
Evidentz07 2 years ago