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The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy) 
Actors : Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Studio : Warner Home Video
by Warner Home Video
Brand : Warner Brothers
Release Date : 2008-12-09
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 2
EAN : 0085391176589
UPC : 085391176589
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 454 reviews)
List Price : $34.98
Our Price : $15.98
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Product Description |
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Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 12/09/2008 Run time: 151 minutes Rating: Pg13 |
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Electrobazaar.com |
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The Dark Knight arrives with tremendous hype (best superhero movie ever? posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger?), and incredibly, it lives up to all of it. But calling it the best superhero movie ever seems like faint praise, since part of what makes the movie great--in addition to pitch-perfect casting, outstanding writing, and a compelling vision--is that it bypasses the normal fantasy element of the superhero genre and makes it all terrifyingly real. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's new district attorney, charged with cleaning up the crime rings that have paralyzed the city. He enters an uneasy alliance with the young police lieutenant, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale), the caped vigilante who seems to trust only Gordon--and whom only Gordon seems to trust. They make progress until a psychotic and deadly new player enters the game: the Joker (Heath Ledger), who offers the crime bosses a solution--kill the Batman. Further complicating matters is that Dent is now dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, after Katie Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role), the longtime love of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. In his last completed role before his tragic death, Ledger is fantastic as the Joker, a volcanic, truly frightening force of evil. And he sets the tone of the movie: the world is a dark, dangerous place where there are no easy choices. Eckhart and Oldman also shine, but as good as Bale is, his character turns out rather bland in comparison (not uncommon for heroes facing more colorful villains). Director-cowriter Christopher Nolan (Memento) follows his critically acclaimed Batman Begins with an even better sequel that sets itself apart from notable superhero movies like Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man because of its sheer emotional impact and striking sense of realism--there are no suspension-of-disbelief superpowers here. At 152 minutes, it's a shade too long, and it's much too intense for kids. But for most movie fans--and not just superhero fans--The Dark Knight is a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi |
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The Dark Knight |
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This movie is loved by all in my family. They have watched several times now. |
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A Batman movie, like non other. |
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It was a thrill ride, and yes, more freedom for the producer this time around. I loved the movie, only one minor thing, Batmans voice. It is a little bit like a soar throat, needing a cough drop. But maybe that was the way to not reveal his true identity. LIke the Superman movies, you wonder why people could not place the same voice as being Clark Kent's voice. Anyway, well worth to own, the movie has plenty to enjoy, over and over again. |
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Meets The Hype |
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Lots of hype that for once lives up to every bit of it. See it many times. |
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This is about the DVD not the movie |
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After buying the DVD, I have realized that there was no need to get this 2 disk special edition, the movie DVD would have sufficed my needs. The 2 disk edition does not come with anything extra special, except for the scenes which are shot in IMAX and the fake news program about the city! So, my advice is to go for single disk version and wait for the REAL special edition which I am sure would come with some cool stuff, like interviews with crew and actors, directors commentary, directors cut etc. |
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Where's Batman? |
I loved Batman Begins. It was fun, with wonderful characterization, cool Bat gadgets, and fun bad guys. A thrilling run from start to finish, and most certainly a movie I hope to someday own. So, needless to say, I couldn't wait to see The Dark Knight.
I quickly discovered that The Dark Knight does not have the same spirit as Batman Begins. It is not a fun movie; it is a dark, "heavy" movie. Heavy themes, heavy thoughts, enough depth to drown in, carried by excellent actors and sharp dialogue and deep ethical questions. That's great. I usually look forward to movies like this -- movies coupling art with entertainment, one of the highest callings entertainment can aspire to and one of the hardest to achieve.
That said, this is the only movie that I could not say simply, "I liked it" or "I hated it" after watching it. I simply felt drained after watching it, like I had just sprinted down a steep road for 2 1/2 hours and hit a wall face-first at the bottom. I thought that perhaps after a few days I'd figure out whether it was my thing or not. At the end, no. It's not my kind of movie. I must add one thought to this: I could also not say it's a bad movie by any means. In fact, in some ways, rating it below 5 stars is a crime.
There's great acting here by everyone, even secondary and tertiary characters. Batman does have some unintentionally humorous moments with his rasping, slurring "bat-voice" -- sometimes you can't tell what he says, and it borders on over-acting -- but overall, he does a fine job. The Joker is downright perfect (perhaps a little too perfect) -- a character you'll love to hate.
The characters are great, the plot is excellently crafted, and the dialogue is great. It's not just solid, it's a masterpiece.
But do not be fooled by the title of this movie. This is the Joker's film from beginning to end. In fact, that's my main complaint. Where's Batman? Why is everyone so powerless in Joker's schemes? Why is Batman such a failure? Joker is a psychic; everything goes according to his plans, and I mean everything. He foresees every movement, every feint, and every plot. After a while, this gets very, very silly. As another reviewer so aptly stated, when he DOES get proven wrong, it seems more contrived than anything else -- merely a way to end the movie. The Joker gets more screen time than anyone else; Batman and all the other champions of Gotham City fail time and time again before his onslaught.
Because of this constant struggle, with the "good side" never giving up and often so close to victory, the tension never drops for a second. Every moment the Joker is alive is a moment you can't relax. It's like a nightmare that never ends -- every time you think there will be a moment of brightness, the Joker backhands it and everything falls black again. It's tiresome. No, you can't stop watching it, but it's terribly draining and depressing.
Harvey Dent is another con for me. He is Two-Face for such a short time that he doesn't deserve the moniker. That wasn't Two-Face; that was just a scarred up guy who killed, what, two people? Not scary, not very impressive, not worth a "super villain" title.
Pacing is yet another con for me. As I stated before, it is constant, draining tension from start to finish. There's not a single moment of reprieve, not one -- false starts, sometimes, but never truly a moment to breathe. And there's almost never a positive moment to be had!
In the end, this isn't entertainment. This is an experience and an exploration of the natures of good and evil. What I wanted, and thought I was going to see, was a fun ride with an uplifting end; what I received was a riveting, dark thriller that essentially states that evil is all-pervasive and nigh insurmountable. Even with the Joker captured, one has the sensation that he has won anyway -- every second he is alive, he wins. Indeed, according to The Dark Knight, there is no good -- only different kinds and different "strengths" of evil.
In the end, The Dark Knight just not my kind of thing -- not for its lack of quality, and not because I deny the fact that "evil's" successes are more prevalent than "good's" -- but because I go to the movies to see evil smacked in the head at the end. I want to see something work for once. I want to see good triumph; I want to think there IS such a thing as good. I wanted Batman to win completely, without question.
This is certainly no feel good movie; it has most certainly raised the bar for super-hero movies. There are more philosophical and ethical questions to ponder here than in many of the dullest art movies. However, I do hope that in the inevitable sequel, there are a few more bright points and positively charged thrills... and more of the Batman himself. |
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