It's a Lock

Went back and saw The Dark Knight.

Again.

This is the third movie I've paid to see first run in the theater twice.

The other two? Silence of the Lambs and No Country for Old Men. So, you see, it's not that often that I'm so impressed with a first run film I want to see it a second time on the big screen, can't wait for the DVD.



For that matter, I'd have gladly paid the extra three bucks for the IMAX screen, but I was too late for it. First time I saw it, the IMAX was sold out. On a Tuesday. Even for the 11:15 screening. That's practically impossible.

As impossible as Heath Ledger's performance. I wanted to not like it, in a way, first time up. I wanted to tell people they weren't impressed with his Joker, they were impressed with his Jim Morrison impersonation. I had that line rehearsed but good, too.

When I peeled out of Rush Hour to go to the theater and wait for the world to cool down, I thought I'd see something I haven't seen. Journey to the Center of the Earth, in 3D, for instance. Or that mummy movie with the same star: the trailer for that has more special effects than the first three Star Wars movies combined.

But when I got up to the ticket window, even though I was too late for the IMAX, the Joker beckoned.

Then, when I'd got my soda and was headed in, twenty minutes before show time, I realized I was only 15 minutes late for the IMAX screening. I could just walk in to that theater, save three bucks and see 90% of the film and see it on the IMAX.

But I was afraid I'd miss something good. And I would have, too. Because I ducked into the IMAX theater and saw where the film was and realized I didn't want to miss what went before that.

It's that delicious. It's not as hilarious as Hellboy II, it's not as realistic as Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk, but The Dark Knight isn't just in competition with other comic book adaptations. It transcends genre. It's a great movie.

And who makes it great? It isn't Christian Bale. If anything, his hoarse, overly deep Batman voice is hoakie if you can distract yourself from the Joker long enough to notice it. It sure ain't Alfred played by a guy who always seems to be a butler. It isn't even Morgan Freeman, who is always good, even when he's given a shitty script (not that this is one of those).



No, it's the Joker that makes this movie. If Heath Ledger knew this was his last movie, it'd make sense. But like all of us, he probably figured his foibles were benign or close enough to it. I'll quit eating all that tomorrow. Quit smoking or drinking or eating prescription pills a child star palmed to me the other night. Tomorrow, or sometime anyway. But right now...

Sad as it is to say, I wonder if his addictive personality doesn't contribute to the role. When the Joker is called 'crazy,' he doesn't laugh. He doesn't shrug it off or try to disprove it. He just says, 'No, I'm not.' In a 'that's not even funny' tone of voice, like it's a sore spot. Ledger's Joker is the guy who makes an ass of himself at the party, alienating all these people he really cares about because he cares about their opinion. And he's done this so many times he blames them.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it you probably don't live in America. But if you haven't, go see it. Great movie.

It'll win Best Picture. I've never failed to predict that. I don't do it very year, but when I do I'm never wrong.