Most Awaited DVD!

My favorite film of 2008 will be arriving on DVD and Blu-ray on December 9, 2008. I gotta have my copy!

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 8: The Dark Knight

My most awaited movie of the summer turned out to be my most favorite film of the year. In this sequel to Batman Begins, we find Bruce Wayne dealing with the increased political and corruption in Gotham City. Along with that, a new kind of smile is lurking in the streets and he must stop it before he ruins the city. The story’s premise is simple yet it expands in a way that it shines a light on everyone’s desire to make Gotham City a better (or worse) place. The movie’s main quote “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” is played vey well throughout the film. As one tries to keep making the rights things, eventually in the end it’s him who becomes the villain. Watching this film definitely was fun, it combined a nice mix of action, great performances and storyline. Director Christopher Nolan definitely has a talent for writing and taking the Batman franchise on a darker tone. Performance need not to be mentioned as they were all superb. With an all star cast, each actor definitely gave their best for the part. Christian Bale was awesome as the Dark Knight, yet I still find it weird that he has a much lower voice when he’s Batman. Michael Caine has a less prominent part in this film, yet every scene that he’s in makes up for it. Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox was the all time creator of Batman’s weapons and armor and he plays the part with intellect and seriousness. Rachel Dawes is now played by Maggie Gyllenhaal taking the role previously played by Katie Holmes. I think Maggie played a better role in this, emphasizing that she’s no damsel in distress, even when she is. Detective Gordon played by Gary Oldman has a bigger part in this film and this clearly shows that he’s the right man for the part. Harvey Dent or most commonly known as Two Face, has an appearance in this film and Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal is another one that you shouldn’t miss. And who wouldn’t forget Heath Ledger’s excellent performance as The Joker? He simply breathed more life into the character. His no empathy for killing combined with slapstick humor makes it one of the most memorable performances in the film. Surely everyone agrees with me as this is one of the best films of the year! The Dark Knight: 9/10

Most Awaited Movie of 2008: The Dark Knight

Being a lover of films, a friend of mine has asked me, "What's your most awaited movie this 2008?" Sure, I had lots to answer. Especially now it's the summer season, a lot of blockbusters are now releasing in theaters. A lot of films pop into my mind. Iron Man, which I had recently seen or Speed Racer, another special effects extravaganza from the creators of the Matrix trilogy. Or probably the return of Indiana Jones, 19 years after the last movie was shown. There’s Wanted, wherein we see Angelina Jolie going back to doing badass action movies. Hellboy II The Golden Army is another venture into the world of the unknown from the visionary director Guillermo Del Toro, or another superhero film in the form of the Incredible Hulk, another attempt to reboot the Marvel comic book franchise after the less than great adaptation from Ang Lee, which now stars Edward Norton as the mean green machine. Or even venture back to the world of Narnia this time with Prince Caspian. These are just a few of the films I’m dying to see. But when you say most awaited, I only wanted to see one: Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.

The premise of this sequel is simple. Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins, Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious criminal mastermind known only as the Joker appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman's struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to "confront everything he believes" and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent and Rachel Dawes.

What I liked about the first film is how the director tried to humanize the characters, and the results was a gritty and dark adaptation of the character. I remember watching the first film on movie theaters about three to four times. I even bought two copies of it on DVD. Even my friends were amazed, especially on how real it conveyed the characters’ emotions and realizations on the decisions they make.

With Heath Ledger creating much buzz when he was found dead on his NYC apartment, this film makes it more interesting to watch. Apparently, he was so in character during the shoot that even in between takes, he scared out some crew members. One welcome addition to this film is the recast of Rachel Dawes to Maggie Gyllenhal. I admit Katie Holmes is the only one that appeared too average in the last film. Definitely the first day it shows here, I will be there lining up to be one of the first one to see this.