See The Bat Man

The long awaited sequel to Batman Begins opened this weekend with sold-out showings across the country. According to Media By Numbers, a tracking firm, the Dark Knight set a box office record for a midnight debut, bringing in $18.5 million Friday from its midnight screening in 3,040 theaters. And that number doesn’t even take into account the 3 am and 6 am showings. With such a strong Friday start, the studio is projecting that the movie will take in over 100 million this weekend in the US and Canada alone. That would more than double the average for the previous five openings of a Batman movie.

While the stats are impressive, you may be wondering if the movie lives up to the hype. Well, I guess it depends on how much of the hype you believe. I walked into the theater expecting it to be a good batman movie, and it delivered. This is a strong follow-up to Batman Begins — definitely as good, maybe better. Heath Ledger steals the show as the Joker. It’s a shame his life was cut short and he won’t be around to reprise his role as this dark villain.

Speaking of dark…make no mistake, this is film is more intense, violent and bleak than any of the previous Batman movies. It’s not your typical kid-friendly superhero movie. Rottentomatoes.com describes it as dark, complex and unforgettable. The Denver Post states, “Watching The Dark Knight is like gazing into a mirror on a waning moon night: chilling and mesmerizing.” I think those are fitting summaries.

There are a few humorous lines mixed into the middle of the despair and darkness. One of my favorites was when the Joker told Batman “you complete me.” That cracked me up.

I would give this movie a solid 5-star (or A) rating. If you’re looking for a good movie to watch this weekend and you are a fan of the franchise, check it out. It stands up well against the hype.