Tag Archives: Morgan_Freeman

The Dark Knight (DVD)

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For those of you who have been living in a cave, “The Dark Knight” is the blockbuster smash hit follow up to the critically acclaimed “Batman Begins.”  TDK continues exploring the notion of a superhero existing in a real world context (at least as far as Hollywood goes) and delves even further into the Batman mythos with the introduction of his most famous nemesis, the Joker. 

The overall cast is superb with Christian Bale reprising his role as Batman, Michael Cane as Alfred the butler, Gary Oldman returns as Commissioner Gordon, and new addition Aaron Eckhardt appearing as District Attorney Harvey Dent.  The only disappointment was Katie Holmes’ Rachel Dawes character who is played by Maggie Gyllenhaal in this movie.  Gyllenhall, while passable, just seems to lack the leading lady beauty and charisma that such a big film demands. Finally, Heath Ledger as the Joker conveys so much uneasiness, tension, and chaos its almost hard to believe that underneath all the makeup the Joker is being portrayed by an actual actor. While I was a huge fan of Jack Nicholson’s previous take on the character, in all honesty he isn’t fit to tie Heath Ledger’s shoelaces in this film. That is how good he is in this movie.

The plot is superb and relies more on a real world crime drama story line than your typical comic book “I’m the hero and I need to stop the villain” setup so prevalent in superhero movies these days.  In fact, this adherence to a “real world” context is what gives the movie so much depth and the scenes that require complete suspension of disbelief are minimal.  This movie is oozing with inner conflict and pathos and everything from the actor’s performances to the environments to the story line itself help to convey the inner struggles in all of the characters while reinforcing the notion of realism the director was aiming for.  From the opening scene to the movie’s end, the pace is non-stop. The constant uncertainty of what the Joker will do next seems to be felt just as much by the audience as it is by the citizens of Gotham City that he is terrorizing. 

All in all, this is the best movie of the year, if not one of the best movies of all time. I highly recommend this film as it has something to offer everyone, even if they aren’t fans of the comic or the character.

The Bucket List (DVD)

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bucket_list_xlgThe Bucket List although hardly original or innovative, found ways to touch the heart and tug at the soul. Solid performances by Oscar award winning actors Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson definitely played a huge role in saving this film from all the Hollywood stereotypes and clichés that were littered throughout the feature.

The focus of the film was primarily on the developing friendship between two complete strangers who were terminally ill. Although they had lived two completely different lives prior to their chance meeting, their one common trait was their death sentence. It was the reality of death and all of life’s uncertainties that left a lasting impression on me long after the credits began to roll. I can’t imagine how tough it would be to hear from your doctor that you had just six months to live.

Personally, I really enjoyed this film. Sometimes you need a little dose of reality to keep you humble and serve as a reminder that our lives are only temporary. The Bucket List reminds us all that although death is absolute and life is filled with so many uncertainties, its how you live your life that’s important. I quote our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln:

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

So the question now is: What would be on your Bucket List?

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The Dark Knight (Theaters)

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dark_knight_ver3To be honest with everyone, I wasn’t overly impressed with The Dark Knight. The growing anticipation and the worldwide hype of this film unwittingly had my expectations at an all time high. I walked into this film expecting to be blown away by it, but the outcome wasn’t what I had expected it to be.

Don’t get it confused however. The Dark Knight was a solid piece of work. Christopher Nolan did a terrific job in creating a sequel which would rival some of the best superhero films to date. The action was excellent, the pacing was good, and the cast put on some really solid performances.

The late Heath Ledger’s performance as the infamous and sadistic Joker will definitely get him in Oscar nomination and Christian Bale continues to impress as the Cape Crusader. My biggest disappointment with the casting however had to be the disappearance of Katie Holmes. Maggie Gyllenhaal filled in decently as Rachel, but I couldn’t help but notice the difference throughout the film and for some reason it really annoyed me.

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