Jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng…
Jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng… BATMAN!

I didn’t grow up collecting/reading comics, but I did watch lotsa TV and movies. And I’ve watched all the Batmans, including the original Fatman Batman TV series during my kindergarten days.

Previous Batman movies were disappointing. They were just weird. Overdressed villains created the mood akin to cheap circus acts rather than a town plagued by evil. But when Batman Begins hit the silver screens, my first impression was, “Woah… now THAT’S more like it!”. And with the latest installment of Batman, Dark Knight, things got a whole lot better! Here’s 10 things I like about Dark Knight:

1. The Joker is finally a villain I can take seriously. I think previous Jokers were more like circus clowns than bad guys to be feared. Future Jokers will have a really tough time surpassing Heath Ledger’s stellar performance.
2. No last minute heroics to stop The Joker from performing his evil deeds to the finish. When the Joker wants a hospital blown up, it GETS blown up!
3. The Joker’s disappearing pencil trick.
4. The Joker’s script. It’s hard to describe. There’s a certain rhythm to his lines.
5. The quick-getaway scheme during Batman’s invasion of China.
6. The Bat-mobile. I don’t know why many think it’s ugly. I think it’s cool because it has huge tyres for bumpers! Imagine getting into an accident with one of these puppies. You’ll walk off unscathed, unscratched, and with little evidence that you got into an accident while the other fella will have a huge dent on their bumper. The design is simply practical and quite intimidating… great for traffic jams! (Go ahead. Hit me. I dare you…)
   

   Tyres for bumpers man..

7. The interrogation scene. Notice how The Joker remains calm and retaliates only with his words and wit while Batman physically assaults him. Sorta makes Batman the bad man here.
8. The 2 ferries scene. Gripping… I love the non-stereotypical, self-sacrificial resolution to the dilemma. Who would have thought?
9. It’s 2.5 hours of pure cinematic goodness oozing with action… lots of satisfaction. Worth the money.
10. I like the unexpected when it comes to movies (one of the reasons why I don’t read reviews before watching the movie), and I don’t know what’s coming up in the next Batman. Like who will be the next villain?

Some reasons why I don’t like Dark Knight

• They blew up the Bat-mobile/tank and replaced it with the Bat-cycle (is that what it’s called?)
• Harvey Two-Face got kil… err… never mind…
• It’s not full-bladder friendly. This is one of them movies where every second… ok ok, every minute is chock-full of heart-stomping, mind-blowing action that’s guaranteed to take your breath away (they should pay me for this).  So remember to take a pee pee before you enter the cinema or else you’ll suffer. Remember… it’s 2.5 hours long.

Some memorable quotes

Harvey Dent: Rachel’s told me everything about you.
Bruce Wayne: I certainly hope not.

The Joker: Why… so… serious?

The Joker: Let’s put a smile on that face…

Batman: Why do you want to kill me?
The Joker: I don’t want to kill you. What would I do without you? You complete me…

The Joker: I’m like a dog chasing cars… I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one! I just… do things…

Hmm… You know what? Come to think of it… the star of Dark Knight was actually Heath Ledger’s Joker, not Batman…