why so serious?

I’m really not keen on doing movie reviews because by the time that I finish drafting one, the film would have already been released on DVD. So, let’s not call this a movie review. This is just me raving how awesomely cool the Dark Knight is. This is huge considering that I’m a non-fan of the Caped Crusader. Or whatever it is that he calls himself nowadays.

Christian Bale is, well, Christian Bale. Gorgeous as always. But his voice when he dons his mask – he sounds like he has a sore throat. It’s not terrible but it made me wonder if Batman did speak like that.

As for Heath, goodness, my fear just had a new face. Move over Captain Howdy. I’m now officially scared, no more like terrified, of The Joker. As I’ve said, I’m not the biggest fan of Batman since he is more likely to fight street thugs and armed robbers with his Batarang or any other weapon that he could fish out of his costume’s numerous secret pockets. I’m pretty sure he’s hiding a bazooka somewhere on it. It’s just so real as compared to my X-Men. Why bother with guns and knives when you can just instantly turn anyone into cinders with but a glance?

But the Joker is different. He is terrifying than any vampire Buffy has faced or demons that the Charmed Ones has vanquished. He is a smart, cunning, manipulative SOB who kills people just for fun. People might see him as a madman but his words hold a pinch of truth – when the chips are down, civilized people will eat each other. I’m not a cynic but it’s the reality. What happened in the movie, when the Joker gives the passengers on board two separate ferries the chance to destroy the opposing ship (the classic civilians versus convicts scenario) in order to save their own lives, and neither end chooses to detonate the bomb – that’s not reality. That’s drama. That’s the “aw” moment that the audience expects for their PHP160.

The chances of a happy ending, should the same circumstance occur in the real world, is very slim considering how self-preservation is of paramount concern to everyone these days. And that idealism is what feeds the sick mind of the Joker. He doesn’t have to have the powers of magnetism, or brute strength to be scary. His character is real enough. It’s so real that anyone can actually take it for his own. It’s not impossible that somewhere in this world, someone is treading that same dark road, scheming, and waiting for the right moment to spread anarchy and discord, in this already-chaotic world.

Unfortunately though, Bill Gates is no Bruce Wayne, as Oprah is no Ororo Munroe.