Believe the hype

In my experience, more often than not a movie never lives up to its hype. The higher the expectation, the harder the disappointment (the Matrix sequels, the Star Wars prequels…). So with all the hoopla surrounding "The Dark Knight", I couldn't help but feel a little trepidation. But considering the amazing job Christopher Nolan and company did on "Batman Begins", I was cautiously optimistic.

I never should have doubted Nolan.

The beauty of "The Dark Knight" is that it doesn't play out like a comic book movie. The drama, the tragedy, the themes; it's a fantastic movie that just happens to feature a man in a bat suit. And the acting…Batman may be the star of the movie, but the hear and soul all go to this man:

The way Heath Ledger loses himself in the role is amazing. The mannerisms - like sucking at his cheek wounds or walking with a strange limp - seem like so little but add so much to the performance. And dare I say it, his take on the Joker not only honors to the comic role; it surpasses it. Instead of the insane criminal that we're used to seeing, this Joker is downright scary. He's a true anarchist with no motives besides creating chaos and mayhem. Calling him insane is a disservice because the fact is that he sees things on a totally different level than most; a mind without filters. Every one of his little speeches contain a truth that's just scary for being so true. And pay attention to the way he tells a different story each time he talks about his facial scars (just goes to show how unbridled his thinking is).

One thing that crossed my mind during the scenes shot in Hong Kong: isn't it ironic how it takes a "foreigner" to shoot HK in such a fresh and original way. I don't recall HK being so exotic looking in any locally made films.

I hate spoilers so I won't go into much detail about the movie. Just go see it. Oh, just one minor thing: the way the Batpod is introduced? Totally kickass…I was giddy during the entire sequence.