The Dark Knight (Full Reaction)
Added 2023-12-11 21:00:04 +0000 UTCWhat an incredible movie from start to finish! I had forgotten how good this movie was. The performances were phenomenal and this film was so immersive. Even though I enjoyed Batman Begins, I thought this movie was so much better. Do you have a favorite movie out of The Dark Knight Trilogy?
*Since I saw this movie a while ago, there may be spoilers throughout this reaction. This is NOT a first time reaction. If it's your first time watching this, you may want to watch this movie on your own first before watching it with me.*
Please let me know if you get any ads on this. I want to make sure this content stays ad free, and I'm suspicious that YouTube may start placing ads on these videos.
❤️🐑
Comments
I share your appreciation for Michael Caine/Alfred!! Probably won't surprise you to know that he was a leading man in the 60s, and 70s. He can do drama, humor, and romance equally well! Multiple Academy Award nominations, both as best, and supporting actor, winning a couple of times!
Michael Norman
2024-10-13 22:29:04 +0000 UTCThis is the only movie in the trilogy that I watched at the cinema. I didn't plan on going but my friends draged me along. I wasn't a Batman fan when I entered the cinema but I was when I left.
Daniel
2024-02-06 21:15:19 +0000 UTCFun Facts: The Lamborghini Bruce drives is a Murcielago, which is a word when translated to English means "bat". While Joker is talking to Harvey in the hospital about chaos and fairness, with a gun to his head in Harvey's hands--he has his finger on the hammer to prevent Harvey from actually shooting him. Did you notice that Bruce, at the fundraiser for Harvey, throws out the champagne instead if drinking and Joker, when asking for Harvey at the same fundraiser later on, loses most of the champagne from the flute he snatches from one of the guests. Jax, you mentioned the makeup continuity--did you notice Joker's makeup running a bit when he tells the mobsters they need to kill The Batman? One of the mobsters, Maroni(Eric Roberts) says Joker is a 2 bit hood in a cheap purple suit. Joker responds to this shortly after he enters the room. As if he heard it. As if he were hiding in the room over night so that he could be in position for when the mobsters start their meeting. Those are all the fun facts for Lady Jax that I can think of for now. The Postiest of Scripts: Oh and it's a tie betwixt Phoenix and Ledger for best cinenatic portrayal of The Joker
Phil Daniels
2024-01-21 19:52:33 +0000 UTCDC did these and way more movies right, wake up
LeSteeler
2023-12-19 00:48:48 +0000 UTCJax, thanks for the reaction, I am always happy for an excuse to re-watch Nolan's trilogy. I agree, Rachel was not a good fit for Bruce, but don't worry, a better match is coming.
Aendery2k
2023-12-18 01:02:21 +0000 UTCI was so insanely hyped for this movie when it came out. It was the first and only movie I ever went to a midnight screening of and it was one of the most fun experiences! Heath Ledger's Joker is just amazing and it was a somewhat controversial casting choice. It wasn't the type od character he was known for playing, so fans were skeptical until the first trailer dropped and the excitment just intensified. I'm still so sad he died because he could have had such a massive career. He deserved the posthumous OScar he got for this role! Also a fun fact, this movie and the first Iron Man movie came out the same year, just 2 months apart and they are arguably the 2 most important comic book movies made. Iron Man of course launched the MCU and this movie took comic book movies from being seen as brainless popcorn fodder and be looked at as real, serious, thought provoking films! And of this series, I think Jim Gordon would be my favorite character. I love how he clearly knows the problems within the police, but he knows he has to do the best with what he can and he fights for Gotham and fights to make it better. Especially with the Gordon character being such a dull side character in the 90's Batman films, I love that he had such a major arc in the Nolan movies!
Ed Scoglio
2023-12-14 09:57:47 +0000 UTCThis ending apparently played much better with test audiences. In the original, the commissioner adjusts the collar on his overcoat and says to himself, "Man. It's one dark night." That was scrapped. In the second version they had M. Night Shyamalan in a surprise cameo serving coffee to Gordon, who looks at the cup and says, "This sure is dark, Night." Audiences didn't like that either.
Ian Rastall
2023-12-13 20:32:24 +0000 UTCI love that you like Michael Caine's version of Alfred. He's my favorite character in this series so far. ❤️
Jacqueline
2023-12-13 08:49:55 +0000 UTCThis is a fantastic film! I can see why it's your favorite movie.
Jacqueline
2023-12-13 08:49:07 +0000 UTCThank you Doug! This movie was so much fun. I'm glad you enjoyed watching it with me! ❤️
Jacqueline
2023-12-13 08:48:08 +0000 UTCThey had heard stories of him going full method acting and had gone a little crazy in his hotel room... and coming up with the makeup himself... they were terrified since none of what he was doing with the knife was scripted.
Preferred User
2023-12-13 03:57:30 +0000 UTCHey Jax, I didn't NEED a reason to rewatch this, but thank you, and I loved your reactions.
Doug Watson
2023-12-13 02:52:18 +0000 UTCThis is my favorite movie of all time and it’s majorly because of its rewatchability. I’ve seen it countless times and never get tired of it.
Enrique Espinoza
2023-12-12 19:57:37 +0000 UTCNot to mention its Gotham… corrupt city, prob not hard to sneak in lol
Enrique Espinoza
2023-12-12 19:56:21 +0000 UTCDearest Jax, please check your PO Box in the next week. Something from McKenzie and I will arrive w/in the week
Lamar Smith
2023-12-12 17:59:20 +0000 UTCThere are different iterations of Batman and Bruce Wayne (that distinction is important) and supporting characters and rogues' gallery. Alot of these are very well done in the Nolan trilogy. And alot of these are very well done in their original content, in their original form. Michael Caine will always be my Alfred.
Richard Flores
2023-12-12 09:49:11 +0000 UTCThanks for another great reaction, Jax! Fun as always. Your enjoyment really makes the rewatch so much more engaging. To answer a few of your questions: The MCU they referenced was the Major Crimes Unit, not the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Alfred Pennyworth was British Special Forces, and Michael Caine's performance was one of the very best. And yes, the Joker has someone he's close to, someone he cares about. Kinda. Sorta. Not really? But almost. Harley Quinn. This movie was amazing, not only for the acting and surface-level script but also as a metaphor for the Patriot Act, for government oversight that sacrifices privacy for safety. Lucius Fox is the conscience of the film, and his refusal to support Batman's authoritarian impulses stands in for the anti-war protests after 9/11. Maybe Batman's worthy of trust in that moment, but power corrupts, and Fox's position was that nobody should be able to spy on everyone, no matter the justification. And no, I wouldn't choose the failure case of the Prisoner's Dilemma with the ferry problem. Especially knowing that the Joker lies. Remember what he did with Rachel and Harvey, reversing their actual locations? I don't trust for a second that his promise that the boat passengers could blow up the other boat and live was true.
Robin Wise
2023-12-12 09:42:10 +0000 UTCThat's so cool that Heath Ledger improvised the detonator scene! It looked perfectly planned and so well done. The Harvey Dent foreshadowing was very well done. ❤️
Jacqueline
2023-12-12 09:11:50 +0000 UTCHeath Ledger did an incredible job. This is one of my favorite villain performances. I can see why you love this movie so much!
Jacqueline
2023-12-12 09:10:22 +0000 UTCI agree that these are phenomenal movies. It's good to know that as a fan of previous Batman films, you enjoyed these! ❤️
Jacqueline
2023-12-12 09:09:57 +0000 UTCIt took me a minute to process that!
Jacqueline
2023-12-12 09:08:35 +0000 UTCThat's so cool! I imagine it was really creepy seeing him for the first time.
Jacqueline
2023-12-12 09:07:54 +0000 UTCThank you, I’ll do a better job saving it. I hope your Christmas Season is excruciatingly wonderful. Dare I say I hope your entire Holiday Seasoned is utterly burdened by glorious purpose! McKenzie’s flying in and we’re doing an ugly sweater party. We’d love to send you a pic, if you figure out how
Lamar Smith
2023-12-12 08:48:13 +0000 UTCThat is so kind Lamar! Thank you so much! Here it is: P.O. BOX 9777 Wilshire Blvd 4th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Jacqueline
2023-12-12 08:43:53 +0000 UTCHarvey Dent said the gun as made of Carbon Fiber. Which wouldn't set off a metal detector.
Outcast Spartan
2023-12-12 08:29:48 +0000 UTCConroy and Hamill were absolutely iconic. Best Batman and Joker voices of all time.
Robin Wise
2023-12-12 07:50:59 +0000 UTCjust a FYI... none of the cast had seen Heath in his joke makeup in the party scene... she keep looking off screen because none of that was in the script and she was truly scared.
Preferred User
2023-12-12 04:51:44 +0000 UTCAnd, apparently, the hospital blowup that you noted ‘didn’t look CGI,’ the story going around was that the explosions were real, sequenced and flawed. Ledger’s walking, gets some explosions, stops, looks around annoyed, hits the detonator again….. I’ve heard there’s some truth to the notion that Ledger realized there weren’t enough explosions so just kept acting. Essentially, once the explosions stop until he boards the bus was all improvisation and necessary because, had he come out of character the whole thing would have to have been re-shot. May not be true but it makes a good story
Lamar Smith
2023-12-12 04:10:04 +0000 UTCOh, btw, do you recall the ‘officer’ that had Rachel Dawes on his name tag? That was ‘Kurt,’ one of the wombats that always show up….. once again…… in Hank Pym’s hour of need. Was particularly concerned with gypsies and Baba Yaga
Lamar Smith
2023-12-12 04:05:17 +0000 UTCI think my position satisfies Kant’s Categorical Imperative - the thing that’s an example for everyone all the time
Lamar Smith
2023-12-12 03:54:23 +0000 UTCDearest Jax, I’m still in the philosophical/ethical mode of one of our previous convos: On the boat experiment, from my understanding and certainly open to debate: I think the most ethical thing to do if you’re on the boat is, literally, nothing. You do not vote. You refuse to commit homicide even to the point of your own death. For the largest prisoner, his action was quite ethical but a minor quibble can be made that he removed agency from other people on the boat. You can justify chucking it, though, as removing the temptation to do evil or for human frailty in the last seconds. Essentially you have to decide that killing is ethically wrong. Shooting someone attacking you is morally justified but there are debates to be had about the virtue of self-sacrifice. The examples of Gandhi and MLK of absolute commitment to non-violence rate pretty high on the ethical scale. I’m willing to be corrected but, to me, the pinnacle of thought would be “This situation is not of anyone’s choosing, I cannot strike at the actual perpetrator, my only action available is to kill others to save myself no matter the justification (they’re criminals), therefore I will not act in any way that results in the suffering of others.”
Lamar Smith
2023-12-12 03:52:16 +0000 UTCThis is definitely an all time favorite of mine; included with “300”; “The 13th Warrior”; “Gladiator”; and “The Godfather”.
Uncle Phoenix
2023-12-12 03:46:09 +0000 UTCGary Oldman and Michael Caine are such perfect casting for their roles in this trilogy. As for my favorite version of Joker & Batman, I will still go back to Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy from the 90's animated series and the Arkham video games. When I imagine Batman in my head, it will always be Kevin's voice I hear, may he rest in peace.
Patrick Egan
2023-12-12 03:35:38 +0000 UTCProbably my favorite Batman movie of all time- although for favorite Joker performance my vote would have to go to Jack Nicholson by a very narrow margin and I'll admit it's mostly due to nostalgia than anything else. I'm curious if you've seen the new Matt Reeves' "The Batman" yet. Only because if you haven't, it might be worth a watch not too long after you finish the Nolan trilogy so that you could make a clearer comparison while the trilogy is fresh in your mind.
LuMarq
2023-12-12 03:13:21 +0000 UTCThat's okay if it appears there! The videos are made private, so it doesn't matter how many people see the channel.
Jacqueline
2023-12-12 02:40:48 +0000 UTCI say this because RWJ Patreon appears now on the list of channels I'm subscribed to. That can be either public or private.
Ian Rastall
2023-12-12 01:57:45 +0000 UTCAlfred before being a butler was in the military. he was in British special force. Harvey Dent while in the restaurant with Bruce and Rachelle was talking about the hero becoming a villain foreshadowing his own fate. When the hospital blow up, the part about the Joker fiddling with the remote detonator was improvised, the final explosion came late because of a mistake, but Ledger stayed in his role trying the button again.
David Bourgeois
2023-12-12 00:28:37 +0000 UTCThis is LITERALLY my favorite movie. 100% because of Heath Ledger's performance, he truly brought the Joker's character to life
Zeliodes
2023-12-12 00:16:55 +0000 UTCThis has been one of my favorite movies since it came out, and that’s coming from an MCU fan. This and Batman Begins are probably the only movies that DC did right. They had me worried when they announced that they were redoing the Joker character, because I grew up on the Tim Burton Batman movies, but they did not disappoint. Christopher Nolan did a phenomenal job rebuilding this world, which is more than I can say for Michael Bay’s take on Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Pearl Jam
2023-12-11 23:50:24 +0000 UTCDearest Jax, you can send it to me privately, if you choose but McKenzie and I want to send you a little Christmas cheer and I can’t find your PO Boz you sent me before. Could I trouble you to resend?
Lamar Smith
2023-12-11 23:37:46 +0000 UTCWow! That's incredible!
Jacqueline
2023-12-11 23:33:24 +0000 UTCHeath Ledger totally steals the show!
Jacqueline
2023-12-11 23:32:54 +0000 UTCYou can totally subscribe there! It isn't mandatory though. If YouTube decides to put ads on the videos, I will move to a different video hosting platform. But all of the Patreon videos will still be available here!
Jacqueline
2023-12-11 23:32:18 +0000 UTCAre we supposed to be subscribing to RWJ Patreon over on the unlisted? Because we all are. Just to... let you know.
Ian Rastall
2023-12-11 23:27:17 +0000 UTCThere's many great Jokers, for my generation it's Jack Nicholson facing Michael Keaton in Batman (1989). But yes Ledger performance is great, another good one in animated movies and cartoons this one is Mark Hamill.
David Bourgeois
2023-12-11 23:09:00 +0000 UTCHands down The Dark Knight is my favorite of the trilogy, and I'm sure most people would agree. Begins and Rises are good movies, especially compared to today's movies, but TDK is truly great. Ledger's performance is unforgettable.
Cameron
2023-12-11 22:54:08 +0000 UTCSkyhook is a real thing it's real name is the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system (STARS). It was created by the CIA and the Air Force in the 50s and was use up to mid 90s.
David Bourgeois
2023-12-11 22:46:58 +0000 UTCYeah...of the Dark Knight trilogy, this is the one. Love Batman Begins. Really like The Dark Knight Rises (one character in particular steals the show for me on that one, but no spoilers). But this one...this one just does it right from start to finish. Like Empire Strikes Back, or The Godfather Part II, it takes what was well established, builds on it, implodes it, and just takes things to another level. Heath Ledger's Joker is still my favorite Joker, and steals every inch of this movie that he can (which is a lot); but, the rest of cast also shines here.
Steve Mercier
2023-12-11 21:46:28 +0000 UTCLove it.
PKS
2023-12-11 21:28:21 +0000 UTC
