Well, I saw “The Dark Knight” this weekend.

After all the hype and excitement, I really wanted to see this one in the large IMAX format. I saw it…at the only screening that wasn’t sold out on Saturday at the Hamilton 16 IMAX in Noblesville (a terrific new movie palace - more on that later.) The movie started at 9:15 in the morning.

I figured a Saturday morning at the movies would be fun. And it was. I was stunned to find a line at the theatre that early in the morning. But there it was. And the showing was virtually a sellout with only a few open seats here and there.

So am I surprised this movie broke all the box office records this weekend? Nope. What I am happy to report is that I thought it was a really, really outstanding motion picture and deserved all the attention!

On the Sandwich Scale, I give “The Dark Knight” a TEN. And since I saw it in IMAX, I’d give it an “11!” (Hey, Spinal Tap is an inspiration.)

IMAX is great…giant imagery and bone-shaking audio…this is the way to see a movie like “The Dark Knight.”

As far as the movie itself, it was dense, intense, and very dark…and enthralling. I was a fan of “Batman Begins” and this movie takes that set-up and ups the story to a whole new level.

Heath Ledger’s Joker is worth the price of admission.

Does he deserve a Best Supporting Actor? Why not? The guy is absolutely unforgettable. Ledger takes over when he’s on screen. As an actor, it’s amazing to think this is the same guy who played the tortured cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain.” In “The Dark Knight” he really creates a psycho that is in turns frightening, demonic, calculating and hilarious. Not an easy task.

I always thought Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Tim Burton’s version of “Batman” back in the 80s would be the definitive take on that character. That version of Batman was considered “dark” then. But it’s not even close to the level of sophistication and depth “The Dark Knight” offers.

I love this movie because its so much more than a “comic book” movie. Its an entertaining examination of good and evil and the limits of human compassion and endurance. Really, all this from a movie featuring a guy dressing like a bat and an insane clown. Good and evil. Light and dark. Two sides to every person (alter egos.) Duality plays a major role in “The Dark Knight.”

The whole cast is great. Michael Caine as Alfred; Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox; Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent; Maggie Glynhall is fine taking over for the weaker Katie Holmes. But I was particularly impressed with Gary Oldman as Gordon, the cop that doesn’t have a particularly showy part…no special makeup or masks for this guy. He’s great. And Christian Bale is noteworthy for making us care about Bruce Wayne, the man behind the mask.

There have been plenty of comic book movies over the years. Starting with “Superman” starring Christopher Reeve through “Spiderman 2″ with Toby McGuire to this year’s “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey Jr. and now “The Dark Knight.” These movies are not the best just because they boast cool special effects. They are terrific movies because we care about the alter-egos behind the heroes. Reeve’s Clark Kent, McGuire’s Peter Parker, Downey Jr’s Tony Starke and Bale’s Bruce Wayne are great characters on their own. 

“The Dark Knight” is one of the year’s best movies. Christian Bale says this movie is part of a planned trilogy. There will be a part three and ”The Dark Knight” sets itself up brilliantly for the sequel. 

*****

The Hamilton 16 IMAX theatres in Noblesville are a great place to see movies. Digital sound and picture, great comfortable stadium seating and a clean and comfortable theatre. I can highly recommend it. And they have great prices, too! Most shows are only $5 between 4pm and 6pm! Great for the whole family. 

This weekend, the BATMAN BEGINS sequel “The Dark Knight” is opening. (You probably already knew that…it would be hard to not have seen or heard something about it.)

In fact, it premieres with sold-out midnight showings on Thursday night/Friday morning. Locally, some of those midnight showings sold out early and theatres ADDED 3AM screenings!

Wow!

Batman is gonna be big. A co-worker, special IndyChannel.com Entertainment Blog coorespondent Seth Keever hit the midnight show. Here is his review:

We just returned from the midnight showing of The Dark Knight. While we didn’t see it in its IMAX glory, we definitely got to the heart of the film, if only in a “regular” theater.

Not that much time has passed in Gotham City when we meet the Caped Crusader again (yes, all of the nicknames are in play this time). Look for some cameos from the past and a few nods towards the future. Batman is with it, right off the top.

The favorites are all there (Alfred and Lucius), but look for bigger parts from Commissioner Loeb and key scenes with the Mayor of Gotham.

But the part you really care about is the Joker. Heath Ledger is downright frightening. As Alfred says, “some men just want to watch the world burn.” There is no logic behind the Joker’s actions, he thrives for chaos. Complete and total anarchy. Ledger’s performance is chilling; I’m sure it’s Oscar-worthy, but I don’t know if it’s worthy of snubbing all other films. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll be thinking about the Joker all night, and it was a stellar job. There are moments where you’ll laugh out loud at him, but this is a very dark character. And you should expect the movie to take you to some very dark places. There is a big philosophical discussion happening throughout the movie about the essence of justice (read “balance” and “fair”) and Batman’s never-ending battle against evildoers.

Aaron Eckhart definitely makes a name for Harvey Dent in this movie. You really get behind Gotham’s new D.A. and his war on crime. We all know the inevitable ending for Harvey Dent, though. And you’ll get a lot more than you bargained for in this film.

If you appreciated the humor of Batman Begins, then this will be right up your alley. A few little asides, some puns here and there, but nothing like the over-the-top junk we saw in those Schumacher-travesties. Some of the gadgets are a little out there, but we don’t get anywhere near the Adam West days.

Fans of Chicago will love the locations used in the movie. That semi you see in the trailer flipping end-over-end? They really did that. Right in the middle of LaSalle Street. Breathtaking scene. Also, the building they level? They really leveled it. There’s a nice little slideshow on Fandango.com (of all places), that shows where they shot the key scenes.

But, be prepared. At nearly two and half hours, make sure you take a bathroom break ahead of time.

Oh, and there’s nothing after the credits, so don’t sit around for the extra 7 minutes.

On the Sandwich Scale, I’m personally giving this movie a 10 (I plan on seeing it for a second time in IMAX). There are those I know who won’t like this one, or expect it to be just like the first. So for everyone else, I’m giving it a 9.

Thanks for the overnight reporting Seth!

This one is gonna be special. Many sequences were shot in IMAX format (the BIG SCREEN) so I’m gonna hit a Saturday showing at the new Hamilton County IMAX…if I can still get a seat!  

The Batman series was relaunched a couple a years ago when writer/director Christopher Nolan re-booted the movie with a new lead (Christian Bale) and a new serious attitude. I just re-watched “Batman Begins” to get myself in the spirit of the sequel. It was even better than I remember. Boy, I can’t wait!

*****

I love the folks at Jib Jab. Remember the 2004 Election cartoon they did called “This Land is Your Land” featuring George Bush and John Kerry?

It’s a new election year and they’ve got John McCain, Barack Obama, the White House and lots of familiar political faces in this new version called “It’s Time for Campaigning!”

Hilarious.

Cool part? You can put yourself into the video and easily send it to friends!

Click here to see it.

*****

Earlier this week I did a post about “Wipeout.” ABC announced they will be ordering more episodes of the  summer game show hit.

“I think there’s no question it’s going to go forward,” ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson said Wednesday at the network’s TCA press tour presentation. He’s also going to try to resist burning it out. (Remember, ABC and many night’s of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”)

McPherson cited NBC’s “American Gladiators” as a way of what NOT to do with a hit show.

“I’d love to have a summer asset … a show that comes back in the summer the way CBS has ‘Big Brother,’” he said. “We’ll have to see how the schedule lays out this year and where it goes. But I think we all have to try to resist the temptation to just burn things out.”

How can anyone get tired of watching people trying to leap across giant inflatable balls?

*****

 I’ll post my “Dark Knight” thoughts over the weekend. See you back here same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. Have a great weekend!