I think most fans of nerd-based movies have been sitting and watching as the fresh tomatoes come in on The Dark Knight. And, you know, it’s pretty fantastic news – it’s close to universally agreed that this is a goddamn good, if not truly great, movie. I’m hearing “better than Batman Begins“, and since that’s my high-water mark, I’m pretty happy.
However, what truly baffles the shit out of me is the critical attitude towards liking it. I mean, I know that the superhero genre has a bad rap in the overall groupthink, and considering some of its representatives in the past (Helen Slater’s Supergirl, Batman & Robin, Daredevil) it’s hardly lost on me why that would be the case. But, guys, come on:
In its rethinking and transcending of a schlock source, The Dark Knight is up there with David Cronenberg’s 1986 version of The Fly. It turns pulp into dark poetry… The Dark Knight is bound to haunt you long after you’ve told yourself, Aah, it’s only a comic-book movie.
–Richard Corliss, Time Magazine
Nolan wants to prove that a superhero movie needn’t be disposable, effects-ridden junk food, and you have to admire his ambition. But this is Batman, not “Hamlet.” Call me shallow, but I wish it were a little more fun.
–David Ansen, Newsweek
In other words, you expect moralistic underpinnings in a Martin Scorsese movie; in a Batman movie, they hit home with renewed vigor.
–Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” is another unforgettable offering from the visionary that defies all expectations by creating a serious “superhero” movie for grown-ups, one so grounded in a brutal reality you’re left in a cold sweat by its stalwart refusal to cater to escapist fantasies.
–Edward Douglas, Comingsoon.net
This is not a Batman movie… this is a 2008 version of The Untouchables with The Batman as Elliot Ness, The Joker as Al Capone, much better toys, and, it seems, a topper.
–David Poland, The Hot Button
What is this, the denial hour?
Is there nobody on staff at fucking Time and Newsweek to point out that their reviewers are praising the film for ‘transcending’ limitations that don’t exist? Dark Knight certainly looks more intellectually stimulating than the Burton/Schumacher flicks, which were just audiovisual spectacles with varying degrees of commercial success – design masterpieces without soul. (Well, at least the first two.) As an object to compare The Dark Knight favorably to, it does the job just fine.
However it’s just astonishing, although I really shouldn’t be surprised, to see the film critic community react in such a bewildered fashion to an interpretation of Batman that challenges their minds as much as their senses. While I admit that I have not yet seen The Dark Knight (although if anyone has some sweet preview passes for Toronto I would be your friend forever) the aspects of the film commonly praised – the focus on moral quandaries, the intelligent and reasonable approach towards cause and effect, the thematic unity, the roots in crime fiction – for God’s sake, these aren’t new to the character. They aren’t anywhere close. The modern conception of Harvey Dent and the theme of violence escalation in Gotham came from current fan community whipping boy Jeph Loeb. I can’t even imagine how reviewers would react if presented with The Long Halloween, never mind Death and the Maidens or The Killing Joke or, shine on you crazy diamond, Batman R.I.P.
As a former expatriate from comics fandom, I understand the tendency towards ambivalence in the public mindset regarding the artistic merit of superhero properties. But, when presented with evidence to the contrary, don’t try to pass it off as something else – justifying its quality as saying it took more cues from crime films, or being disappointed for not falling within its predetermined boundaries, is a mistake. Above, Honeycutt essentially states that, due to the fact that The Dark Knight is a Batman movie, the bar is lower with regards to intellectual stimulation – so, essentially, a smart Batman movie is a greater achievement than a smart crime film, like the Bat is some kind of horrendous creative albatross.
So, I mean, let’s stop this ridiculous notion of treating comic book movies differently because, you know, they’re just comic book movies, right? Stop giving things you don’t think are that great a free pass on characterization and theme because of their origins. Simultaneously, don’t try to decontextualize works that don’t fit within the expected boundaries. And don’t be surprised when other established franchises start getting adaptations this good.
I’m looking forward to seeing the public reaction to the first truly thematically intact and intelligently constructed Superman film.
