1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Dark Knight

#1107- The Dark Knight (2008)
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
Directed by: Christopher Nolan


Plot Summary: With the arrival of Batman in Gotham City, criminals are scared to wander the streets. But a new kind of evil emerges in Gotham City, The Joker. After aligning himself with the local mobsters, The Joker's devises a plan to kill Batman and spread anarchy across the city. With The Joker terrorizing Gotham, the citizens are in desperate need for a hero other than Batman, as they blame him for escalating a new form of crime. The citizens and Batman want to put their faith in Harvey Dent, Gotham's new District Attorney. Unfortunately, Dent is also a big part of The Joker's master plan to spread rear amongst the city.


Last time, when I talked about Batman, I explained that it was a dark and edgy adaptation of a superhero that set the standard for what most superhero films aspired to be. It took a long time, and to be honest very painful attempts, to try and top what Batman was able to do. That is, until 2008, when The Dark Knight was released. A sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, it follows many similar aesthetics to Batman, particularly with Batman fighting the same villain. This film was really intense and pushed the limits on what a successful comic adaptation needs. Since its release, many recent comic adaptations have tried re-creating the impact that The Dark Knight had on film history.

The most modern version of Batman and Bruce Wayne is played by Christian Bale. Bale does well in both roles, but I personally prefer him as Bruce Wayne. Bale seemed comfortable playing a billionaire playboy, and seemed to be struggling to play the caped crusader. Also, his Batman voice is LAME. Everyone and their mother has made fun of this voice, and of the trilogy, I feel it is at its worst in ironically the best film. Perhaps my biggest complaint about Bale's performance is that he does well, while I feel the villains and supporting characters put on top notch performances, but looking at the cast list that should be no surprise. That doesn't mean I'm calling Bale a weak link, I just feel that with all the great aspects of the film, his performance was not the strongest or most captivating.

Now it's time to talk about what everyone else was talking about when The Dark Knight came out, Heath Ledger as The Joker. The fact that Heath Ledger died before this film could be released is tragic, but that's not what I'm here to discuss. I'm here to discuss the new spin Ledger put on The Joker, combining elements from all the previous Joker performances as well as adding his own personal flavor to the character. He can be hilarious at times, but can also be terrifying. Mixed with a frightening laugh, disturbing appearance and chilling background music from Hans Zimmer, The Joker has the full and undivided attention of the audience whenever he's on screen in one of the most mesmerizing film performances of the 21st century.

"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain," is a line uttered by one of my favorite characters in The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent, played by Aaron Eckhart. Eckhart really has a commanding presence in every scene he's in, allowing him to blend into the mix with any of the characters he's interacting with. His character is the basis for one of the main themes of the film, which is phrased perfectly in the quote I mentioned above. Harvey is made likable through his loyalties to justice and doing the right thing, allowing the citizens of Gotham and the audience to believe that Harvey Dent is the hero they need. I know a lot of people ONLY focus on Ledger's performance, but I'll throw in my two cents and say that Eckhart's performance is also worth looking at, ranging from triumphant to tragic all in one film.

Another great aspect of The Dark Knight is its wonderful side characters, played by some of the greatest character actors of all time. Michael Caine plays Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Caine's sense of humor and well-spoken demeanor help make Alfred a likable character, particularly during his fatherly conversations with Bruce. Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, the chief executive officer of Wayne Enterprises and supplier of Batman's arsenal of weapons and gadgets. Freeman does not have as much screen time as his fans would expect, but his presence is always welcomed and his star power adds weight to the character of Lucius. Gary Oldman helps round out the cast as Police Commissioner James Gordon. Gordon serves as the link between Batman and Harvey Dent, but never feels as a weak link among the three. Oldman brings great quality acting to the role of Gordon, in a performance that is usually described as being right off the pages of a Batman comic, which could be the greatest compliment an actor can get from fans of the comic. 

The Dark Knight serves as a first for me on this list in terms of film comparison. Not only is this a film part of a re-booted franchise, but it is also the SECOND film in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. While I do feel that Batman Begins is a great film to start the trilogy, it is not the BEST film in the trilogy; that goes to The Dark Knight. This film had the better pacing, a gripping story, remarkable performances, and really proves that the trilogy peaked highest with the second film, rather than ending it with a proper finale (since the list has not been updated with 2012 films, it remains to be seen if The Dark Knight Rises will be on it. However, I doubt it will be). I honestly put myself in the perspective of someone who knew about Batman, but did not see Batman Begins, to see if this film fits the need to see the entire trilogy for it to hold up, or if it could stand on its own. When I finished watching, I knew why it made the list, because it could stand on its own.


Rating:  5 out of 5 stars.

I labelled The Dark Knight as my favorite film for four years, and it is still a film that I love watching every chance I get. A more realistic adaptation of Batman brought to life through an all-star cast and the director's vision for the franchise. A huge recommendation for all viewers to see and own in their collection.

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The Dark Knight and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Batman

#832- Batman (1989)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger
Directed by: Tim Burton


Plot Summary: The high level of criminal activity in Gotham City has its citizens in fear of walking the streets. Help comes to Gotham City in the form of a masked vigilante known as Batman. Batman, who is actually billionaire Bruce Wayne, helps clean up the streets of Gotham, despite the police trying to put a stop to the vigilante. Batman's greatest challenge will come in the form of mobster Jack Napier, who was dropped into a vat of chemicals permanently bleaching his skin and turning his hair green. Through surgery, Napier has a permanent smile on his face and wants to be known as the Joker.


I love superhero movies. And let's be honest, the good ones are few and far between. It's rare to find movies based on comic books that the critics will actually say is a good movie. So imagine the joy I found in seeing that we actually have a few superhero movies on this list. And Batman is definitely one of my favorites. Before Marvel made big budget adaptations of their heroes, DC was the company who had already put out movies on Batman AND Superman. And even though Superman came first, I feel Batman was the film to speak to a modern audience by being darker, grittier and being targeted more for the adult audiences, instead of children. While I think it's now often forgotten over a more recent Batman franchise (which we will get to soon enough), there's a lot to enjoy from this one, as I feel it laid the groundwork on how to bring a comic book character to the big screen.

Michael Keaton had a very difficult task in playing both Bruce Wayne AND Batman, but it was also difficult because not many believed he could do it. Seeing him as more of a comedic actor, many people protested the idea of Keaton playing Batman (insert Ben Affleck Batman joke here). But when the film came out, people were pleasantly surprised. Keaton is actually my favorite actor to play Batman because he truly captured a humble nature to Bruce Wayne, while still being able to carry a reputation of a billionaire playboy. And when he's Batman, he becomes another character entirely. His brooding gruff voice is just the right amount of disguising ones voice in order to portray a dark character like Batman. Michael Keaton deserves a lot of credit for shocking his critics and putting on an amazing performance as one of the greatest, if not THE greatest superhero of all-time.

At the time of the film's release, the key marketing aspect was Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker. Nicholson adds a great dynamic when playing the Joker, ranging from lighthearted and silly to evil and shocking. Thanks to Jack's performance, many of the Joker's lines are remembered when talking about Batman. Like Keaton in having to play two roles, Jack Nicholson not only has to play the Joker, but also the sly mobster Jack Napier. With the proper makeup, anyone could play the Joker, but add Jack's acting ability and a laugh that is both terrifying and goofy, and wait til you get a load of him. I will say that his portrayal may not have aged as well as the film did, as modern audiences would probably be expecting a darker version of the Joker.

Vicki Vale is Batman and Bruce Wayne's main love interest, played by Kim Basinger. Basinger is one of the few aspects of the film I didn't like. She starts out as a strong, smart, independent female character, but slowly starts to slip into the damsel in distress role as the movie progresses. She isn't necessarily a bad character, but rather a confusing character. She starts off as a determined reporter for the local newspaper, but that seems to be tossed aside for the second half of the film, and only comes back as the film is about to end, making her character seem very inconsistent. One more thing I should mention is that most of her lines are high-pitched screams for help (and yes, it is as annoying as it sounds).

When you look at this movie, would you actually believe that this was directed by Tim Burton? Sure it has basic elements to it, including Danny Elfman providing the film's score and collaborating with stars who were in his other films, but I bet modern audiences who know of the stereotypes of Burton's films would not believe that he made Batman. One of his first movies as a director, Burton went into the project knowing what he wanted to do to bring Batman to life on the big screen. It was HIS idea to cast Michael Keaton, even when majority of moviegoers and fans couldn't see him doing it well, and after the film's release, they admitted they were wrong. Burton had the vision to make Batman dark and gritty on the big screen, and he was able to do that, while thankfully not putting TOO much of his eccentric twists on the project.

I feel like there's something about Batman that just works. There are some stuff that might feel dated (like the songs from Prince on the soundtrack), but overall, the film is a great testament to how an adaptation of a comic book should be done on the big screen. While the first installment in this franchise was a big success, sequels would lead to a constant decline in quality and fan support, leading to the desire to have a new look at the caped crusader, but I'll get into that franchise in a little bit so tune in next week....same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.


Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars.

This is a great adaptation to film, not only being a good superhero movie, but also being a good movie that happens to be about a superhero. The key components to this film are Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Tim Burton, as they made Batman a film to remember. An easy recommendation to all moviegoers.

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Batman and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

#116- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Harry Stockwell
Directed by: David Hand, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, and Ben Sharpsteen


Plot Summary: When a wicked queen is no longer declared the fairest of them all, she sends a huntsman to kill the one who has surpassed her beauty, her stepdaughter Snow White. Upon learning of her stepmother's plot, Snow White flees to the woods and encounters many woodland creatures and seven dwarfs, who befriend her and invite her into their home. Hearing of Snow White's whereabouts, the queen takes it upon herself to take care of Snow White through a poisonous apple, whose spell can only be broken by true love's first kiss.


Animation is an interesting genre for me to review, because I find it difficult to describe my appreciation for the films themselves. There's just so many ways that someone can say "The animation looked very good" that it almost makes it difficult for them to stand out (and because they're on a short list of animated movies to see before you die, of course the animation will look very good). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, however, is an animated film I had no problem looking at. The best part about this film is that it has no predecessors, it IS the first animated feature film. For animated films, fantasy films, and most importantly Disney films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the standard for what all these genres of film should aspire to be.

When looking at a film that's over 75 years old, there's bound to be some things that don't hold up, and sadly for this film it's our main character, Snow White, voiced by Adriana Caselotti. Looking at most modern female characters, Snow White can be looked at as someone who has held the female stereotype of "the good housewife" in place for decades. I understand that Walt Disney was staying faithful to the source material for the film, so I'm not angry over that. My biggest problem is that she's a main character who serves as a damsel in distress, waiting for her prince, voiced by Harry Stockwell, to save her. Snow White and the Prince's romance is just kind of thrown in at the beginning and end with unrealistic development. So yes, our prince and princess haven't aged well on film, but there are still many reasons to enjoy this film.

Well, the film is called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and we've looked at Snow White, so let's look at The Seven Dwarfs. Doc, voiced by Roy Atwell, is the leader and presumably oldest of the dwarfs and his biggest characteristics are his glasses and mixing up of words. He's probably the most toned down of dwarfs, which would make sense as to why he's usually the one in charge. Grumpy, voiced by Pinto Colvig, is by far my favorite of the dwarfs because he undergoes the biggest amount of character development amongst any of the film's characters. Dopey, performed by Eddie Collins, plays the most comedic role, as he brings an immense amount of slapstick. Other dwarfs like Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy and Bashful, voiced by Otis Harlan, Pinto Colvig, Billy Gilbert, and Scotty Mattraw respectively, serve as personality roles with no real development, but otherwise the seven of them do make a fun group of comedic relief, as they are the most fun characters in the movie.

The Queen, voiced by Lucille La Verne, is one of the more underrated Disney villains in my opinion. Like, the rest of the film, she sets the standard for how all fantasy villains, and witch characters in general. She isn't necessarily more evil than some of the better villains, but there's something so poetic and ironic about her motivations. She wants to be fairest of them all, and in order to get rid of her competition, she must disguise herself as an ugly witch, exposing her true personality, and proof that beauty can sometimes be only skin deep.

Disney has always been known for memorable music in its films, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is no exception. I know not EVERY song in the film is memorable, but I still have some favorites in there. For example, "Heigh Ho" is a popular song for most Disney fans (be honest, you've hummed that when you've been on your way to or from work). And a personal favorite of mine is "The Silly Song," played when Snow White and the dwarfs have a fun dance party in the middle of the film. There's just one thing I would've enjoyed more in the song department, why couldn't the queen have had a musical number? Other than that minor gripe, the music was very charming and didn't feel forced into the film.

Lastly, the film belongs on the list because of the legacy it left on numerous genres. Its legacy on animated films is very obvious, being the first full-length animated film. It was so successful and appreciated that Walt Disney received a special achievement award at the Academy Awards (a normal sized statue and seven miniature statues).It has left an indelible imprint on the fantasy genre, serving as inspiration for other fantasy movies, like The Wizard of Oz. And finally, it was the stepping stone for Disney, which would go on to become the most successful name in family entertainment, as well as set the standard for Disney's interpretation of classic fairy tales.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first animated film from Disney. If you love Disney films (or animated films in general), I cannot stress how important it is to see it. This is the predecessor for all animated films, and it still holds up well, for the most part. I highly recommend all audiences see it once, and all fans of animation should own it in their collection.
 
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Usual Suspects

#939- The Usual Suspects (1995)
Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin
Directed by: Bryan Singer


Plot Summary: Dean Keaton is a former corrupt police officer, Michael McManus is a short-tempered thief, Fred Fenster is McManus's partner in crime, Todd Hockney is a professional hijacker and Verbal Kint is a con man with cerebral palsy. These five men are brought together in a police lineup and hatch a plan to rob New York's corrupt cops. After committing another robbery, it is revealed to them that they have been hired to attack a ship on the San Pedro harbor by a lawyer named Kobayashi, who works for the mysterious Keyser Söze.


I didn't know what I was expecting when I decided to sit down and watch The Usual Suspects. Aside from it's now famous twist ending (which I still will not spoil for anyone who hasn't seen this film yet), I was curious what set this movie apart from other gangster movies. And as I delved deeper into the movie, I figured out what it was, the characters. The main image of the film is our five main characters in a prison lineup. And like a prison lineup, the movie serves as a study of these five characters, their distinct personalities, and their development throughout the film. Instead of giving away major plot details, I thought I'd simply talk about the main characters, which I believe are the selling point of the film.

Gabriel Byrne plays Dean Keaton. Keaton serves as the main face and voice of the group and Byrne does a good job in contributing to that role. Byrne plays Keaton as someone who seems very tired. He feels like a seasoned veteran with knowledge in crime and the law. He seems like a natural-born leader and does a good job of taking control of scenarios. Byrne can play Keaton as calm and collected, while also playing him as temperamental and impulsive. What's great about that is that it feels like Byrne was channeling Keaton's past and showing that he is a character with flaws.

Kevin Spacey plays Roger "Verbal" Kint, the con man with cerebral palsy. Spacey plays Kint with a good sense of innocence and even gives him a code of ethics and morality, as far as a criminal could have at least. Kint also serves as the film's narrator, so we see the events of the film through Kint's point of view. The most important factor that Spacey can give Kint is his voice. With an alias like "Verbal," Spacey had to give Kint a very distinct pace and tone of how he talks, and I felt Spacey was able to succeed in that, as Kint has a very soothing tone, very befitting of a narrator.

My favorite character in The Usual Suspects is Michael McManus, played by Stephen Baldwin. McManus brings the right level of youth and professionalism to the group. His introduction painted him as a young, rebellious type, but after the famous lineup scene, he is the character to take control of the situation. McManus is the big instigator of the idea to rob the crooked New York cops, and even questions if Keaton has gone soft, not wanting him to be a part of the group after he grills Keaton about his newly reformed life. I'm not sure why I was expecting Stephen Baldwin to under-perform as McManus (might have something to do with the acting reputations of the Baldwin brothers that are not named Alec), but I was pleasantly surprised with the performance he gave.

It's hard to talk about Fred Fenster, played by Benicio Del Toro, without talking about how he speaks. Del Toro gives Fenster a Latin lover look with a very distinct voice. Half of his humor comes in a mixture of the way his voice sounds and his half-mangled English. There isn't a lot of depth to Fenster, but his main relationship to the group is his friendship with McManus, which is established before the group of five get together.

Kevin Pollak plays Todd Hockney. Hockney's humor is very dry, which I think Pollak portrays wonderfully. Hockney is that voice of pessimism in the group, who seems to mostly only be interested in his share of the profit. He has his good share of one-liners, but can turn into a very serious, soft-spoken player in the group's scheme. I felt like Todd Hockney was a good fit for the group as someone who was in the background for a good part of it, and voiced his thoughts when it suited him, and Pollak has a great way of contributing to that role and rounding out an outstanding cast of characters.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The characters are good as an ensemble, but can be a tad bland individually. I know I'll watch the movie many more times in my life, but for the casual moviegoer, I'd recommend watching The Usual Suspects once, particularly for the characters and its great plot twist at the end.
 
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The Usual Suspects and movie images are copyrighted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer