Friday Movie Review - The Dark Knight

Kitties, you may remember how my Mommy and Almost Dad went to the movies WITHOUT ME. Well, I was once again forced to take matters into my own paws. I liberated mommy's magic plastic card from her wallet and had Loki drive me to the nearest theatre in my Igor Kittenovsky disguise, all so that I could provide you kitties with a hot-off-the-presses review of "The Dark Knight."


So, sit back and grab yourself some popcorn (or temptations) and enjoy today's movie review! (Next week we will resume our Reader's Requests!)

The Dark Knight(2008)
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Written By: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan

Alright kitties. I am sure that most of you are familiar with who Batman is, and I am sure you have seen at least one if not more of the previous Batman movies. In this second Nolan brothers installment, we see Batman fight his legendary nemesis, The Joker. Now kitties, my mommy's favorite comic book villain of all time is The Joker. She was a huge fan of Jack Nicholson's portrayal, as well as Mark Hamill's voice acting in "Batman: The Animated Series." I was naturally curious to see how the recently deceased Heath Ledger did in the role. I also wanted to see how Christian Bale managed to play Bruce Wayne/Batman, which can be very challenging.


We'll start off with Christian Bale. Apparently to ladybeans, he is very attractive. I suppose I can see how he would be. I know my mommy says he is "hot," whatever that means. But kitties, he is JUST NOT Batman. He makes a passable Bruce Wayne, if Bruce Wayne was a fluffy-headed, narcissistic playboy, instead of the quirky yet serious industrialist/entrepreneur we have historically known him to be. However, once he dons the suit, he loses any credibility he might otherwise have. I think the problem is that he is trying too hard. After all, Batman is an icon beloved by millions, and Michael Keaton's shoes are hard to fill. (The other Batmen found that true much to their dismay.) There is no shame in not being able to pull off a good Batman, so I hope Mr. Bale isn't losing any sleep over the fact that instead of having a husky and mysterious voice, his Batman sounds angry and constipated. Or, for those of you who may watch Adult Swim on Cartoon Network like my mommy does, he sounds almost exactly like Nathan Explosion from "Metalocalypse."

Mommy still thinks he's cute, though.


Now, on to Heath Ledger. If people weren't too sure who he was before, believe me kitties, the world certainly knows who he is now.

My mommy has been a fan of Mr. Ledger for years, and I can't count how many times I've watched "A Knight's Tale" with her, which is one of his early works.

To understand how incredible and really out of the norm The Joker role is for Heath, here is a picture of Heath before The Joker came into his life.

Handsome, isn't he? (Even if he isn't a mancat.) Mommy loves his curls. And his eyes. And his smile. And his Australian accent. She also deems Heath "hot."

Now, let me present to you a picture of Heath as The Joker.

Do you find this picture disturbing?

Let me tell you kitties: YOU HAVE SEEN NOTHING YET.

Heath Ledger's interpretation of The Joker is perhaps the best portrayal of a completely disassociated sociopath I have ever seen on the silver screen. Kitties, it is incredible. He manages to make you laugh, even as he creeps you out. You admire his brilliance, while at the same time wishing he will be stopped. You almost hate to watch, but your eyes are glued to the screen. And kitties, the opening scenes with The Joker and his planned bank robbery are perhaps the best crime-ridden movie moments this kitty has yet seen. This movie is made great by Ledger's performance. What might otherwise have done only respectably in the box office has now exploded into an incredibly popular phenomenon thanks to Heath Ledger and The Joker. Quite simply, The Joker IS the movie. The rest of the plot seems to be only fillers for The Joker's next scene. Even Batman is only a minor character for The Joker to play off of. Ledger dominates the film, and when you leave all you will be able to do is talk about him.

However, what makes this movie so incredibly pawsome also makes it a movie that young beans, puppies, kits, and sensitive adult kitties, doggies, and beans may not be able to see. There is a lot of violence. A LOT. And disturbing images. And really, The Joker. The Joker is what makes this movie not so kit-friendly. So be warned beforehand if your beans were thinking of taking any sticky little beans with them. Mommy says she saw one man walk out with his boy sticky bean for a few parts.

I give "The Dark Knight" two paws up, a chirp, and a tail poof - all thanks to THE JOKER!