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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Dark Knight (2008) in Movies
Oct 31, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)
A stone cold classic at this point (2 more)
Nolan's direction
Fantastic performances all around
The Movie That Comic Book Fans Deserve
Contains spoilers, click to show
Almost 10 years on from the original release of this film, it is still the best superhero film ever made up until this point. While a few movies, such as Logan and Winter Soldier, have came close to the quality of TDK, nothing has surpassed it in the last decade. There is so much to love here, whether it is Nolan's deliberate and effective direction, Hans Zimmer's uplifting yet melancholy score, the beautifully epic cinematography provided by Wally Pfister and of course Heath Ledger's incredible, electrifying performance as the Clown Prince Of Crime.
The movie starts as it means to go on, with an awesome opening sequence introducing the Joker. It plays out like a short film that could even be viewed independently of the rest of the movie and still make complete sense. We see a group of criminals dressed in clown masks robbing a bank and offing each other one by one after they complete their part of the heist. This all builds up to the reveal of the enigmatic Joker, complete with an awesome Cesar Romero reference in the Joker's mask as well. The sequence works so well, because it shows even those who aren't comic book fans or aren't familiar with these characters, exactly what kind of villain we are dealing with.
On the other hand though, there is a lot here for long time fans of Batman comics as well. A good amount of plot elements in the movie were taken from one of my favourite Batman stories ever written: The Long Halloween. Things such as the Harvey Dent working with Jim Gordon and Batman to prevent crime to then go on to show his eventual transformation into the totally unhinged Two-Face. The character design for the characters is also clearly inspired by a comic by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, simply titled: Joker. Lastly, the ending of the movie shares similar elements to the ending of The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, in that they both end with Batman being framed for a murder he didn't commit and having to go into hiding and retire from crime fighting.
Overall, this is a perfect movie in my opinion. It is an astonishing achievement for a comic book movie and it is a great crime epic in its own right as well. The performances across the board are great, with Heath Ledger being the obvious standout and absolutely stealing every single scene that he appears in. The technical elements of the movie are great and it is just a fantastic cinematic experience all around. I first saw the movie in IMAX and that definitely was the premium way to initially experience this movie, but no matter what format you watch it on, its hard to deny that it is a masterpiece.
The movie starts as it means to go on, with an awesome opening sequence introducing the Joker. It plays out like a short film that could even be viewed independently of the rest of the movie and still make complete sense. We see a group of criminals dressed in clown masks robbing a bank and offing each other one by one after they complete their part of the heist. This all builds up to the reveal of the enigmatic Joker, complete with an awesome Cesar Romero reference in the Joker's mask as well. The sequence works so well, because it shows even those who aren't comic book fans or aren't familiar with these characters, exactly what kind of villain we are dealing with.
On the other hand though, there is a lot here for long time fans of Batman comics as well. A good amount of plot elements in the movie were taken from one of my favourite Batman stories ever written: The Long Halloween. Things such as the Harvey Dent working with Jim Gordon and Batman to prevent crime to then go on to show his eventual transformation into the totally unhinged Two-Face. The character design for the characters is also clearly inspired by a comic by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, simply titled: Joker. Lastly, the ending of the movie shares similar elements to the ending of The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, in that they both end with Batman being framed for a murder he didn't commit and having to go into hiding and retire from crime fighting.
Overall, this is a perfect movie in my opinion. It is an astonishing achievement for a comic book movie and it is a great crime epic in its own right as well. The performances across the board are great, with Heath Ledger being the obvious standout and absolutely stealing every single scene that he appears in. The technical elements of the movie are great and it is just a fantastic cinematic experience all around. I first saw the movie in IMAX and that definitely was the premium way to initially experience this movie, but no matter what format you watch it on, its hard to deny that it is a masterpiece.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
I really wanted this movie to be epic. I wanted it to be the follow up that so many waited so long to see.
However, it fell just short of that goal in my book.
Anchorman 2 picks up in 1980 where Ron Burgandy (Will Ferrell) and Veronica Corningstone (Christina
Applegate) are married, have a 6-year old son, and are co-anchors for a local news station in New York.
Not long into the movie, something comes between the two, and we see Burgandy hit a new low as an
announcer at Sea World. But he is approached with an opportunity to work at the first 24-hour news
channel, and a chance to get his old team back together. Along with Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ
Kind (David Koechner) and Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell), Ron Burgandy takes the world by storm with
a new format, and vastly different “news” stories than what some traditionalists would call news.
As I said, there was so much potential for this movie that it just seemed to miss. It felt like they tried
to force too much of Brick’s “natural charm” that made him so popular in the first, even with the love
interest they brought in for him this go around. You top that off with recycled jokes, not just from
the first movie (which I would have been okay with), but from other movies as well. I immediately
recognized 2 from the Austin Powers franchise alone.
It’s not to say that the movie didn’t have its moments. There were quite a few times where I was caught
off guard by something I was not expecting, or where the joke fell naturally into place. But the rest of
the movie seemed forced. And one cameo in reference to MTV had me downright upset. But hey, not
everyone shares my view.
So my test? Would I pay to see this movie in theaters? No. Wait for it to come to disc/digital
download. I have a feeling it won’t be long before it gets there.
However, it fell just short of that goal in my book.
Anchorman 2 picks up in 1980 where Ron Burgandy (Will Ferrell) and Veronica Corningstone (Christina
Applegate) are married, have a 6-year old son, and are co-anchors for a local news station in New York.
Not long into the movie, something comes between the two, and we see Burgandy hit a new low as an
announcer at Sea World. But he is approached with an opportunity to work at the first 24-hour news
channel, and a chance to get his old team back together. Along with Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ
Kind (David Koechner) and Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell), Ron Burgandy takes the world by storm with
a new format, and vastly different “news” stories than what some traditionalists would call news.
As I said, there was so much potential for this movie that it just seemed to miss. It felt like they tried
to force too much of Brick’s “natural charm” that made him so popular in the first, even with the love
interest they brought in for him this go around. You top that off with recycled jokes, not just from
the first movie (which I would have been okay with), but from other movies as well. I immediately
recognized 2 from the Austin Powers franchise alone.
It’s not to say that the movie didn’t have its moments. There were quite a few times where I was caught
off guard by something I was not expecting, or where the joke fell naturally into place. But the rest of
the movie seemed forced. And one cameo in reference to MTV had me downright upset. But hey, not
everyone shares my view.
So my test? Would I pay to see this movie in theaters? No. Wait for it to come to disc/digital
download. I have a feeling it won’t be long before it gets there.
Tom Turner (388 KP) rated The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Books
Apr 30, 2021
Though there were sections that don't feature in the public consciousness a much as others (mainly due I suppose to how much they feature in the 1939 classic movie adaptation.) this book was precisely what I was expecting and hoping it would be, wonderfully whimsical with a dash of the macabre. Now I'm more excited than ever to continue through the 13 other books in L Frank Baum's Oz series!
The World's Rarest Movie Posters
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A perfect book for lovers of movies and movie posters. Over 300 color images of vintage movie...
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Hate u Give in Books
Apr 3, 2019
Starr Carter lives in Garden Heights, which is the ghetto. She goes to the predominately white private school, Williamson, where she has to pretend to be someone she is not. When she witnesses the murder of one of her closest friends, Khalil, from the neighborhood, by the hand of a white police officer, she has to take a closer look at herself, her neighborhood, and the friends she chooses to hang with.
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. Now, that it's a movie, I had to get it in before I went to see it.
This book really resonates with the times we are now living in. For people of color in this country, every day is a reality that your life can be cut short, by one wrong move. Even if that move is not going to harm another person.
For Starr Carter, being the only witness comes with a lot of pressure to speak about what happened or to keep it inside. Speaking out can mean trouble for her family and herself. Keeping it inside, means that Khalil will never get justice for his death. While Starr decides what to do, life must go on. She examines her relationship with her friends at Williamson, she reflects back on her life with Khalil, and she grows closer to her family.
This is a great book for everyone to read. Please read it and see the movie.
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. Now, that it's a movie, I had to get it in before I went to see it.
This book really resonates with the times we are now living in. For people of color in this country, every day is a reality that your life can be cut short, by one wrong move. Even if that move is not going to harm another person.
For Starr Carter, being the only witness comes with a lot of pressure to speak about what happened or to keep it inside. Speaking out can mean trouble for her family and herself. Keeping it inside, means that Khalil will never get justice for his death. While Starr decides what to do, life must go on. She examines her relationship with her friends at Williamson, she reflects back on her life with Khalil, and she grows closer to her family.
This is a great book for everyone to read. Please read it and see the movie.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Girl In The Rearview Mirror in Books
May 26, 2019
Not the best book........
What do I say about this book? I wanted to like it so much. But, I just couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t hate it. I just simple didn’t like it. I liked the premise behind the story, but the characters didn’t flow. They felt forced and fake. I like my characters to grip me in to the story as much as the story itself. If I can’t feel that, then I can’t like a book the way I want to because I have to try too hard to get into the story.
That said, the plot line/premise is a good one. I can tell where the author wanted to go with this one, with the secrets, the twists and turns, but with out that captivating connection with the characters, I didn’t get the edge of your seat suspense with this one. I didn’t feel like I was watching a movie play out like I like to see with this style of book.
Sadly, I have to give this one 5 bombs. But, don’t let my opinion deter you from trying this book. What I found lacking, you may find absolutely gripping. Dimberg shows great effort where her talents are concerned. I do look forward to trying more of her books in the future.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from LibraryThing, William Morrow and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
That said, the plot line/premise is a good one. I can tell where the author wanted to go with this one, with the secrets, the twists and turns, but with out that captivating connection with the characters, I didn’t get the edge of your seat suspense with this one. I didn’t feel like I was watching a movie play out like I like to see with this style of book.
Sadly, I have to give this one 5 bombs. But, don’t let my opinion deter you from trying this book. What I found lacking, you may find absolutely gripping. Dimberg shows great effort where her talents are concerned. I do look forward to trying more of her books in the future.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from LibraryThing, William Morrow and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
ashezbookz (32 KP) rated Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in Books
Jul 5, 2018
I re-read this book again - Read in October, again in February - it was still as good as it was then. Though I physically read a copy this time instead of listening to the audio - and I again still thought Blue was someone else the whole book, same lines as Simon in the end - oh how cute cute cute! I cant wait for this movie!!!!!!
I adored this book. I listened to the audio and I loved it! The whole story was great, it evidences high school completely I think. How afraid people are, how afraid they shouldnt be. How rude people are. I think Becky's writing is beautiful and flows amazingly. I can't wait to read more of her books!
I adored this book. I listened to the audio and I loved it! The whole story was great, it evidences high school completely I think. How afraid people are, how afraid they shouldnt be. How rude people are. I think Becky's writing is beautiful and flows amazingly. I can't wait to read more of her books!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated How to Party with a Killer Vampire (Party Planning, #4) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Presley Parker is hosting a vampire party in a graveyard to celebrate the completion of filming on a vampire spoof movie. But when a body appears the morning of the party, she begins to wonder if there is a connection between the victim and one of her guests. I like Parker and find these books fun.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-how-to-party-with-killer.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-how-to-party-with-killer.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Martin the Warrior (Redwall, #6)
6.0
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The sixth book in the beloved, bestselling Redwall saga - soon to be a major Netflix movie! ...