Na-na na-na na-na na-na BATMAN!

Oh man, I can't say enough how much I love the latest installment of Batman! We went with a group of people on Friday night after Chris's softball game, and then again on Sunday after convincing John and Stephanie they needed to see it too. I can't even remember the last movie I saw on opening weekend, let alone twice in one weekend. But it was that good.

I grew up with Batman. Those movies, along with Indiana Jones, were my Star Wars; movies that were beloved by most of my generation but I never saw until I became an adult. And just like Chris sat me down to watch all the Star Wars when the first 3 episodes came out, I made him sit with me and catch up on all the Batmen that had gone before. I was never a comic book fan so I didn't know the discrepancies between the Batman movies and the original stories, but I loved the super hero films for what they were. Even when the third and fourth installments were infused with cheese and rubber nipples (just who's idea was that??) I still had a soft spot for the Batman movies. I loved the Bond-esque toys he got to use and the fact that unlike most super heroes he was a regular guy just trying to fight crime with no real super power (unless you can consider being really, really ridiculously rich to be a super power). I even enjoyed the over the top characters that played the villains, Jack Nicholson's Joker and Jim Carry's Riddler being two of my favorites.

In 2005 when Batman Begins came out I was psyched for another take on my favorite super hero and was overall impressed with director Christopher Nolan's version. It was darker then any before with Christian Bale playing Bruce Wayne as more then just a pretty-boy billionaire with an interesting nocturnal hobby. He portrays him as deeply disturbed, a bit necessary when you think about the likely-hood of a grown man dressing as a bat in order to fight crime, and he gave his back story great believability. There was a new underlying presence of mobsters giving Batman an unending supply of bad guys to go after and a little more realism to the story. And there was just something in Cillian Murphy's cold eyes that made him a great villain.

Than around this time last year I heard that the second one was coming out; hooray!! And that Heath Ledger was going to play the joker; what?? Mr. Brokeback Mountain is going to be the joker? Nicholson's mouth was perfect in that plastic-y smile and his laugh along with his jittery, silly movements were just great, how is Ledger going to play this part? Then as time went on I started hearing more and more about the intensity and sheer craziness he was giving to the character, and I started getting excited about it. I really couldn’t help myself, even if his joker couldn’t hold a candle to Nicholson’s, there was still a new Batman movie to look forward to. Of course Ledger’s death in January gave the movie even more hype then it was already getting since the first one was so well done. Than as people started getting advance showings and critics even started talking about an Oscar nod along with a good shot at winning a posthumous golden statue, I couldn’t wait any longer! And I pushed aside the somewhat nagging feeling that I might be getting geared up to be supremely let down.

However, The Dark Knight did not disappoint. From beginning to end it was non-stop action, crazy stunts, cool bat-toys, and a psychopathic Joker who both creeped me out and made me laugh out loud. If you loved the first Batman you have to see this one too. I applaud the well developed characters, the solid acting all around and the fact that they’re not afraid to shock the audience with a death or special effect or plot twist. I may even have to see it again…