To Clowns, Costumes, and a Better Class of Criminals

Yesterday, I got to watch the much-anticipated Batman movie. Today's Yahoo news says it broke the record for biggest weekend box-office ever.

I found the movie pretty impressive. It had all the makings of a great comic-based film: adrenaline-pumping action, props & costume upgrades, a tormented hero, and a story that will keep you at the edge of your seat. But what really impressed me here were the villains. As the Joker put it: "a better class of criminals."

The late Heath Ledger immortalized his acting career as Batman's psychopathic arch-nemesis: The Joker. This was the last film he finished before his untimely death last January 2008. This is not the comical Joker you've seen in old Batman movies and cartoons. This is a twisted, depraved, psychotic, clown with a wit and cunning that makes him worthy of being the great detective's most dangerous foe. *Just a warning: this movie is not for small children.* Joker's criminal ways will make serial killers on death row seem like petty thieves and the smudged make-up and villainous quips will make any child (even adults) pretty scared of circus clowns. And I thought Jack Nicholson's Joker was twisted.

Fantasic performance from Heath Ledger!

Harvey Dent is Gotham City's efficient crime-stopping District Attorney who ends up in the shoes of the villain after the cops fail to save his girlfriend from getting blown up by the Joker. It is interesting to see how a villain becomes what he is. It adds depth to the character and it allows the audience to see his motivations. I thought this Two-Face is definitely much better than the one Tommy Lee Jones portrayed.

Hm... I'd like to see how they portray Harley Quinn next. She's one of my favorite Batman villains. Maybe a femme-fatale feast! Think about it: Harley, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Bat Girl together!

Quotable Quotes from the movie:

"This city deserves a better class of criminal and I'm gonna give it to them." -Joker-

"Do you want to know why I use a knife? You see, guns are too fast. You can't savor all of the little...emotions. In their last moments, people show you what they’re really like. So in a sense...I knew your friends better than you did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?" -Joker-

"One thing I've learned is if you're good at something, never do it for free." -Joker-

"The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming." -Harvey Dent-

"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." -Harvey Dent-

"The world is cruel. And the only morality in a cruel world is chance." -Harvey Dent