When unexplained happenings and connections started to come into play that affected the actors after they ended production well, someone had to ask.

Power One

When news hit that our beloved Heath Ledger was taken before his time, we were all perturbed. It was so surprising to so many people. How can these people lead such secretive lives when their working lives are so out in the open?

It was terrible to think that Ledger had some sort of disorder or conflict that led him to this point.

As time went on, information started to rear its ugly head. It was said in the news that Heath had gotten so enthralled in his role as the "Dark Knight", that he brought his work home with him. He was unable to sleep, eat, or even think coherently. Ultimately the stress of the situation led to his death. So we believe!

Power Two

Do you remember a movie by the name of "American Psycho"?

Christian Bale just happens to have been the leading role. He was a high power businessman that ruled the industry by day and murdered innocent women by night. He was said to bully the other lead actors out of playing the role because he said he was born to play it. He was sick of others saying Leonardo Dicaprio was a bigger star so he wouldn't get the part.

"I kept saying I was going to play the lead and people wondered if I was losing my mind. It reached the point where the film studio said about me, 'don't mention his name again.'

Christian Bale's acting merits ultimately led to his role in "Batman Begins" in 2005. I loved this movie. It wasn't filmed with an over exaggeration on weapons and gadgets but, the skills of the character.

However, when the second installment of the Batman movies wrapped, Christian was left with a bad taste in his mouth. There was so much attention on the recent demise of Heath Ledger that it took away some of the spotlight for him.

However, the spotlight was not skewed for long. While the movie was destroying box office records, Bale was in London, where his mother and sister reportedly leveled assault allegations against Bale.

Christian spent 4 hours in jail but, he was not charged; at least not yet.

And so the darkness surrounding "The Dark Knight" continued.

Power Three

In the 2005 installment of Batman Begins, Morgan Freeman had actually fashioned the Batman suit in this movie. It was one of his most secret inventions at the Wayne Corporation.

He was a voice of reason and a mentor to Christian while he was on the set.

Every opinion of Morgan Freemen that I have ever had has been an optimistic one. I've never heard of any antics on set or negative press associated with him.

However, after the filming of "The Dark Knight", the Academy Award winner was seriously injured in a car crash.
Freeman was traveling East on Highway 32 when his car skidded off the road and flipped several times.
Freeman was catapulted from the vehicle and then airlifted to a hospital in Memphis where he is still in serious condition.
Undisclosed accidents on the set

There were also unusual circumstances that had occurred during the filming.

A technician on the film died when the truck he was in reportedly struck a tree following a test run. It was also said that one of the actresses was set on fire as well.

I am sure there is one missing that would prove the aspect of Power of 3 but, the press has not released any information.

Another example of the Power of Three

Just the other day, I noticed that my Triond account had an odd amount of funds in it within a few hours. I was excited and skeptical at the same time.

On the same day, I lost my keys on campus and spent 2 hours looking for them. Did I mention my skirt was tucked into my red bikini underwear at the same time?

Not only did I have a humiliating day but, Triond took the money back which is what I expected.

If you put the humorousness aside about my story, you would realize that there were 3 dreadful things that happened to me that day.

This goes to show you that the Power of 3 is alive and affecting others all over the world.

 

My first point has to be that this is better than Batman Begins and BB was no slouch of a movie. It did reinvent the superhero genre and was deserving of the praise it received. Unfortunately it simply pales into insignificance when compared to The Dark Knight. Essentially, while BB was a film about fear and identity, DK is about morals and choice. I remember the second and third Matrix movies harping on about choice with school boy philosophy which was clumsily written however DK does it with more skill and while not subtle in its execution it manages to not come across as preachy. Indeed, this is a film which explores its themes and ideas fully. Finally we have a Hollywood movie which doesn't get scared in the third act and turn into an out and out action film. In fact during most of the extreme action of the film the ideas and themes are still being explored. The final confrontation between Batman and Joker doesn't come to a massive martial arts fight or ridiculous explosions, instead it is just two men at opposite ends of the moral compass confronting each other. In fact, Batman's character is in a constant fight with himself over his moral stance and while it might be easy to see Batman and The Joker as good and evil it's actually more of Commissioner Gorden and The Joker with Batman struggling to stay one side and Dent floating between the two.

There are some lovely set pieces in the film as well. Look out for the bit with the ships. This sums up the whole moral theme of the film in a set piece that would usually take up the whole running time for other films but is consigned to the third act for DK. Another brilliant un-Hollywood touch at the end of that scene really made me feel honoured for watching it. The question has to be, if Hollywood has proved themselves capable of a film like this, why do they produce so much tripe?

The performances of all the cast are spot on. Due to the early death of Ledger this was always going to be his swansong and the performance which people look back on and it is a wonderful closing act to his career but as praise is heaped on Ledger we have to remember the other performances. Bale is, as always, superb and his double act alongside Caine has some genuinely touching and funny moments. Gary Oldman simply is Commissioner Gordon and I cannot see how anyone could take that role from him but for me the real hit is Aaron Eckhart. Here is an actor who plays the whole scope of Dent / Two Face so believably that you are just carried along with him. I'd hate to have to decide which one gets a best supporting actor nomination from it.

Of course, it's not a perfect film. Bale's voice as Batman has gone through some post-production effects which seem a little too much and as much as the film doesn't feel like it drags it probably is too long. As cool as some of the scenes are (the Heat inspired bank heist being one) I can't help but feel that it smacks of tautology.

Essentially it is a brilliant film and misses out on being an absolute classic by a hair's width. Still, in a time of so much tripe this is a welcome relief and everyone involved deserves our gratitude.

So, in two words... watch it.

Picking up nearly a year after “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight” (the title is a reference to Batman's nickname of the “Dark Knight Detective”) follows Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) continuing to fight crime and clean up the streets of Gotham City as Batman, with help from James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt). But fighting the remaining mobsters such as Sal Maroni (Eric Roberts), villains like the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy in a return cameo) and Batman impersonators is only the least of his problems. As Gordon predicted, escalation to Batman's presence has hit Gotham, courtesy of the Joker, a mysterious, clown-faced psychopath who seems to live on destruction and chaos. With the Joker threatening to kill more and more people unless Batman turns himself in, Gotham soon turns on its new protector, and even Bruce Wayne himself wonders if the city would be better off without Batman. Especially when friends and allies become casualties of the Joker's reign of terror, to the point where one falls victim to the madness.

“The Dark Knight” makes use of all the elements that made “Batman Begins” great, and like any good sequel, cranks it up several notches. Christian Bale is still probably the best Batman to date, giving dual performances of the brooding vigilante and the seemingly aloof Wayne. And there's plenty of chemistry to be had with the rest of the cast, whether it's the bantering with trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine), the techno discussions with Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), or dealing with his feelings for Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, replacing Katie Holmes) and the hope they can be together when he can give up being Batman. And let's not forget Batman's interactions with James Gordon and Harvey Dent (played with wonder political charisma by Eckhardt, and wait'll see his later performance, especially if you're familiar with the comics), who still seem to be getting used to the Dark Knight's presence and his coming and going. Add in all the action scenes, ranging from the fights to car chases to plenty of shootouts (the best one of the whole movie literally involves all three, making for one great sequence), and plenty of suspenseful moments (listing any would risk giving too much away), and you can't deny how great this movie is.

Nolan continues his “realistic” take on the world of Batman, and continues to make an incredible movie full of incredible visuals and intense action. As you watch this film, you can't help but wonder if a lot of the gadgets and vehicles used, such the returning Tumbler and the new souped-up motorcycle the Batpod, could exist in real life. Batman's suit also gets an upgrade, courtesy of Lucius Fox, when Bruce realizes he needs something that not only protects him but grants him better maneuverability. And unlike previous “Batman” flicks, where he has a new suit from the start, we see the events and conversations that lead up to the new suit rather than just jump into it. It shows both Bruce's thinking and rationality and the techno savvy of Lucius, who gives the impression that he has an idea of just what his boss is doing with this equipment but is smart enough to not say anything. Even the Joker is given the realistic treatment, with a scarred smile and poorly applied make-up as opposed to the original comics, where the villain is chemically disfigured into a permanent clown with white skin and green hair. Naturally, the more die-hard comic loyalists will bash on this, but for this film it works. More on that, later.

It's not just the action and visuals that makes this movie great, as there's plenty of emotional drama to go along and help build the story. Naturally, there's Bruce's thoughts on being Batman and whether he's having the effect on Gotham City that he had in mind. Especially when it all it does is create guys like the Joker and results in added death and chaos (hey, Gordon did warn him). You may not like it when the people of Gotham turn on Batman, but you can't really blame them, either. And then there's his relationship with Rachel, with the hope they can be together one day, even though she's now with Harvey Dent and he's running around as Batman. Yeah, it all sounds like it would be more in-tune with Spider-Man, but that just fits in with the realistic tone Nolan is creating with the movie.

And speaking of the Joker, that has to be probably the best part of the whole film. I had my doubts along with plenty of others, but after seeing Heath Ledger in action, I was blown away. Ledger is, hands down, the best Joker to date, playing Batman's signature arch-nemesis as the psychopath we know him to be. He's freaky, deranged, homicidal and downright terrifying. You never know just what this guy is going to do next, as he's never quite clear on his motives and a lot of the moves he pulls show both just how insane and how clever he is. The scar-smile and the make-up just adds to the effect, to the point where I'm sure many will think this works better than the original comics' version. I'm as a big comic book purist as they come, and even I have to go with this one. It even makes you wonder just how they'll pull some of the rest of Batman's rogues gallery to fit this version of his universe.

Hands down, “The Dark Knight” is definitely the best movie of the summer, comic-based or otherwise. This is one you HAVE to see in the theater, since that's the only way you can truly experience it. And if you're lucky enough to be able to catch it in IMAX, that makes it even better.

Released by: Warner Bros.

Starring: Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Heath Ledger (Joker), Aaron Eckhardt (Harvey Dent/Two-Face), Gary Oldman (James Gordon), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel Dawes), Morgon Freeman (Lucius Fox), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth)

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Rating: PG-13

Score: 10 out of 10

"The Prestige" -- boasting a heavyweight cast composed of Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Piper Perabo, and Andy "Gollum" Serkis -- is a tale of two rival magicians (Bale as Alfred Border and Jackman as Ruper Angier) who plied their trade in London around the turn of the century. Their fierce competition turns increasingly dangerous, prompting Angier's mentor (played by M. Caine) to suspect that Border has real magical powers.

What makes this film interesting is that both Jackman and Bale have recently played comic book heroes: as Wolverine and Batman, respectively. The Prestige, based on a 1995 book bearing the same title, alludes to the residue that remains after a magician has successfully performed his trick.

The same dual dilemma is also evident in "The Departed", which topbills Jack Nicholson as mob boss Frank Costello. A remake of the popular 2002 Hong Kong thriller "Internal Affairs", the movie also features Leonardio DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, etc.

DiCaprio stars as an uncover cop (Billy Costigan) who infiltrates the criminal syndicate headed by Costello, in a parallel move with Matt Damon (Colin Sullivan), a criminal figure who joins the police force as a "mole" for the mob. Both undergo intense stress and fine-tuned tightrope walking as they gather information for their respective sides without divulging their real identities.

Incidentally, this movie also marks the third time that Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorcese have worked together.

Judging from the trailers of both movies, it looks like October is going to be a worthwhile month for moviegoers. The weighty names being bandied about and the high-caliber directors who are crafting these films should be a sufficient magnet for fans of both genres.