Knight and Day...

I wasn't in the slightest bit fussed about this movie. I knew nothing of it until long after it had wrapped, and then I only knew very little - especially as the 'pre-buzz' focussed entirely on Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz being in it. "Not interested", said I.

Then they appeared on Top Gear (which made for an entertaining edition of Star In A Reasonably Priced Car) and they showed a clip of one of the action sequences and that got me a little bit interested. Then the following day (I think when we'd gone to see The A-Team) they showed the trailer and it looked good from an action stand point.

Such was Knight and Day - a dose of action comedy that was affable enough throughout to not put you off (unlike all that "omfg it's Cruise and Diaz!" pre-buzz nonsense). The action was our real reason in going to see it and it delivered in that respect with some spiffing set pieces (the highway battle being a high point). The rest is all fair enough but not particularly dazzling or memorable. If you're into Cruise and/or Diaz then that'd be a plus for you to check it out (I'm neither here nor there about them), but all-in-all it was a decent distraction for a Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't all that and a bag of crisps either.

Inception...

I was really looking forward to this flick, thanks in part to the spine-tingling trailer (which annoyingly shows too many of the awesome bits, as I was to find out), but I didn't have the same "omfg!" reaction to it whilst watching that I did with The Dark Knight.

Then again, expectation will do that, and if you add in a healthy dose of "must pay close attention" then it can prove to be a challenging watch ... but it's entirely worthwhile, and will easily be in my Top Ten of 2010. However, it is most definitely the sort of movie that you simply must watch at least twice, and possibly more. It is a bit of a tricky one on the old noggin, but it's great to see an intelligent blockbuster up there on the screen.

I do enjoy some dumb fun, don't get me wrong, but there's too much of it these days and it's just lovely to see something with a strong idea that gets you thinking pulling in the punters during the summer season. Well done indeed to Nolan & Co for continuing to create wonderfully crafted, memorable films that boast brains as well as brawn.

Finally, kudos to DiCaprio and Levitt who are really proving themselves of late (although I never understood why some people hate DiCaprio so much, the dude's a ruddy good actor). Inception is a right old thinker, and while my expectations perhaps did me a slight disservice, it was still a high quality and totally worthwhile viewing experience, and I look forward to seeing it again.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus...

It's always the case with a film by Terry Gilliam, that you never really know what you're going to get. You don't know what you should expect, and sometimes you barely know what you're paying to see. For the longest time I had no idea what this film was actually about, or in what time period it was set, or anything.

Much of the chatter around it, naturally, surrounded the death of Heath Ledger (who gives another great performance here, proving like The Dark Knight did, that a truly great acting talent was taken too soon). Trouble does tend to follow a Gilliam film, and such tribulations are well documented, but these actually add to the flavour and occasion of a Terry Gilliam film.

The fact that he is still making movies, even after all his filmmaking career has been through, is just really inspiring in itself.

To respond to a couple of oft-talked about things, the transition from Ledger to Depp/Law/Farrell is never jarring. It makes total sense in this world, and is never confusing. At times you'll even swear that his three replacements actually resemble Ledger.

Another thing is the Imaginarium itself. Mark Kermode spoke about how the Imaginarium itself doesn't feel weighty enough - much of it being CGI - and this is indeed the case. After a moment that, for me at least, really made an impression (the first opening of the Doctor Parnassus sideshow outside a London nightclub), a scene that really shows off the weight and sheer size of the horse-drawn show, the world of the imaginarium itself does indeed feel weightless.

It's like a more serious, but no less weird, big budget version of Gilliam's Monty Python cartoons. It's wonderfully daft and quirky and colourful and actually, quite confusing - but in a nice way. This is indeed, as has previously been talked about by others, a film that has to be seen more than once to understand what you've just been shown (and perhaps even then you won't get everything). Although, most Gilliam films are like that, so it seems.

But is the weightlessness a bad thing? Certainly, I don't see how it could have been achieved practically at all, so it wasn't a bother to me.

This all said though, I still have no idea quite what to make of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. However, the fact that it has remained in my mind, swirling around in there, is testament to it being a bloody good film. If only I could tell you exactly why...

X-Men...

What with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I figured it was about time to catch up on the X-Men movies, so I nabbed myself the 6-disc DVD boxset, and have set about pouring over the flicks.

I liked X-Men ... it's no Spider-Man or Batman Begins (in my view), but it's better than other superhero movies. It's quite well structured, the plot is decent (although it does flag a bit when they start fighting on Liberty Island), but these days it's not the most action-packed superhero movie.

It's like the original Batman movie from 1989 - Burton's flick is positively sedate, and Batman Returns is even more-so - although X-Men has more action than Batman, but I just made the connection as they're the first in a series (if you set aside the campy Batman movie from the sixties), but they also pre-date (by years, or by months) the time when superhero flicks really kicked off grand style.

Spider-Man was one of the first really huge superhero movies - and now we have the likes of The Dark Knight with it's hugest ever hype machine (which it lived up to), and Spider-Man 3 with it's truly epic budget.

X-Men, on the other hand, is a much more moderate affair. Yes, there's a good amount of action, but it's not especially long, nor particularly grandious - what it is, is efficient.

Hellboy 2...

I was never a fan of the first Hellboy, which I found merely "alright", indeed I could use the word "meh" (now officially in the dictionary). Again, with this sequel I was thoroughly "meh" throughout. I turned down the opportunity of peeping it out at an early screening with a friend of mine (whose blog, the McLegs Mainframe, is over there on the right somewhere). Now he actually digs Hellboy, but he only gave it an average score ... but then again, he dissed The Dark Knight a bit too...deary me.

Now, TDK - my top film of 2008 - was absolutely ball-bustingly awesome in my view. Hellboy 2 ... couldn't give a stuff in the end. It is certainly the work of Del Toro, but I'm just not all that bothered about weird and wonderful monsters flapping around on screen, nor schmaltzy love themes thrown about within said framework.

Right on to those who love it, fair play to them, but it's not for me. I'll be over here awaiting my double-disc doovde of The Dark Knight thank you very much.

Batman: Gotham Knight...

As is my way, when I get into something, I really get into it and practically - to all intents and purposes - become obsessed with it.

Case in point - The Dark Knight - since seeing it, I've rarely been able to stop thinking about it and how bloody good it was. My desktop background has been a series of Dark Knight promos since viewing the film also ... and yep, I went and snatched up the Batman Begins/Gotham Knight box set.

Batman Begins, as anybody with half a brain knows, is an incredible piece of superhero filmmaking - and a great piece of filmmaking in general too. So it was cool to get to check out the extra features at long last. Then - Gotham Knight. There seems to be a bit of a tradition starting up now, Anime-style films (mostly shorts collected together) acting as prequels to big releases - or indeed just to get a bunch of pre-plot story out of the way (seemingly in the case of Dead Space, a new videogame coming soon).

Anyway, I guess I should finally talk about Gotham Knight - I dug it quite simply. I liked the story of the first one as an idea, but I didn't really like the first story over all. It certainly stood out from the others visually ... but I don't think the look quite suited the franchise.

Fortunately the rest of the films followed the franchises roots and stylings a bit more closely and came up with interesting new 'in between' stories that pre-date the events of The Dark Knight. It's a neat idea, although clearly some aspects wouldn't have fitted into the 'Nolanverse' (I'm mainly talking about the giant Crocodile bloke).

A great little accompanying piece, and quite enjoyable for someone like me who digs Anime, but isn't really, really into it. Basically, if you dug The Animatrix, check out Gotham Knight (especially if you dug the 1990s cartoon).

The Dark Knight...

This is a great superhero movie. Not only is it a great superhero movie, but it's a great Batman movie, and not only is it a great Batman movie, but it's a great movie ... and not only is it a great movie, but it's a great film.

The Dark Knight is most definitely 'The Godfather II of superhero movies', and indeed so it is the T2 and Aliens of the Batman 'Nolan-verse' (to quote Kevin Smith, who recently ranted and raved passionately about how simply awesome the film is).

Now, at a hefty two and a half hours, you might think it's a tad long - but not once did I check my watch, or think "I wonder how far through is it now?" ... actually I tell a lie, about mid-way through I wondered how far through we were, and hoped that we were only a quarter through the movie, it was that good and I was enjoying it that much.

It's grand, it's epic, it's weighty and it packs a powerful punch.

Just the acting talent on show alone sets this movie high above all other films in its genre. Bale as the eponymous hero continues to rock copiously after his triumphant turn in Batman Begins. Oldman continues to paint Gordon with due care and attention, creating a character you truly respect. Caine again steps up to the plate as Alfred the Butler, the sort of chap anyone would love to have as their uncle, a man of pin-sharp wit and never-bending loyalty.

Now - the two villains - firstly, I'll have to say that Eckhart as Harvey "Two Face" Dent was fantastic, so much so that yes - I too believe in Harvey Dent. It is a shame that his sheer acting talent in this film will end up being kicked aside somewhat, due to the demise of Heath Ledger - who, quite simply, was astonishingly good at being The Joker.

Indeed, with this being Ledger's final full performance, he most definitely went out on one of the highest career notes in cinematic history. Just the scene where The Joker exits an exploding hospital (which was done for real, in one take), leaves you completely entertained as well as staggered. Jack Nicholson definitely created a legendary Joker in Batman 1989, one that was somewhat dark but mostly full of comic exaggeration. Indeed, Burton's Batman - often described as being dark and brooding - is comparatively light and fluffy when sat next to Nolan's shockingly bleak and complex entry. Only in the world of Nolan could The Joker be so exceedingly pitch black, while still managing to raise a wry grin and hearty chuckle from the audience - his "magic trick", or his fussing over a faulty detonator, exemplify this humorously dark tone that Ledger so beautifully captured.

Action wise - again - it leaves you staggered. From the technical marvel of a one-take, Ledger-involving, razing of a hospital, to Batman taking out a semi truck as only he knows how, to many other set pieces, you're just left nothing short of clamped to your seat.

Indeed, certain action sequences demonstrate such a potent and skillful understanding of tension building, that you are desperately strapped in position, and - when a character suffers a certain fate - you're genuinely blown away. In terms of the gloves coming off, I can only think back to the season five opener of 24 as being this shocking.

Why is the movie so involving? The script - which is truly adult in nature - no, I don't mean there are titties flopping around all over the shop. What I mean is, the issues at hand are often deeply complex, and there are some amazingly deep ethical scenarios played out throughout the film that left myself and a friend talking all the way back home again.

Through no action of my own, The Dark Knight remained one, two or three steps ahead of me. I barely was allowed room to stop for breath (or time to grow weary), and by the time the final shot cut to black and the title appeared before the credits, I was gagging for more.

I would have gladly watched another hour of something this well scripted, this well acted, this well directed, and this well assembled. Yes, there is a lot of hype surrounding the film - but try and forget about as much of that as possible - and just get swept away by literally the best film of 2008.

I'd previously said that WALL.E was my #2 of 2008 because I was holding #1 open specifically for The Dark Knight - I was not left disappointed, and am still swooning over how bloody brilliant it all was days later.

One final note - here in the UK it's a 12A, which is an advisory rating. As such there were kids as young as eight (guestimate) in the audience, and at times I did wonder (as Kevin Smith has also), what are they getting out of this movie? This film works on so many levels, most of which circle the depths of the grown up world, that you start to think - is this serving to entertain the kids as much as previous, far lighter installments did?

Well, it must do (at least for some), because when the trailer-bothering shot of the semi truck getting flipped over front-wards, some kid near the back just yelled out "WOOOOOOWWW!!!!", and indeed wow, it was a bloody cool sequence (especially Batman's idea of an about-turn).

Indeed, The Dark Knight stands up and shows the world that even a comic-book-based film can become something to be taken very seriously, that even ballsy box-office-owning entertainment can leave you mulling over a myriad of issues - from the superb acting, to the complicated ethical choices that characters must face throughout.

Now, actually finally, The Dark Knight is occasionally fairly shocking - the sheer detail in the revealing of Two Face alone made my jaw clatter to the floor (both in terms of Nolan's execution, and the CGI wizardry). Truly, this film won't be forgotten anytime soon - and yes, you miserable old farts on Newsnight Review, in a decade The Dark Knight will be looked back upon as a milestone in cinematic history and not just superhero movie history.

Truly great filmmaking, full stop. See it now.

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Now gimme a top notch DVD to pre-order, chop-chop!