The Dark Knight I DC Comics Reaction I Movie Review & Commentary

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[@stonecoldku4161]

The Lamborghini that Bruce drives to stop the car crashing into Gordon's car is a model called the "Murcielago." Murcielago is the Spanish word for Bat, so even Batman's civilian car is technically a Batmobile. Maybe not as subtle as Alfred thought.

[@w01f777]

Always loved that little detail

[@billbill6094]

Always thought the wheels looked like they had little yellow Bat symbols when he was speeding.

[@fireeaglefitnessmartialart935]

I didn't know that about that model.

[@havu2236]

@@BigJohnLXV Lambo may be expensive but I'm pretty sure the Tublr is probably in the millions.

[@hkaayaakuu]

I love the Murcielago model and no way Murcielago model means a bat wow. I don't think they they make em anymore since v10 production got shut down

[@camannwordsmith]

"Everyone in Gotham is gonna need a therapist. I hope they have some good ones." Harleen Quinzel: Hehehehehehe

[@blatherama]

Batman: I don't need help. Scarecrow: Not my diagnosis. One of the best exchanges in this movie.

[@nathancruz9172]

😂

[@yourlifeisagreatstory]

She said “I hope there at good therapists in Gotham..” - Well, there’s at least two that are really bad…. Really really bad haha .

[@thegunslinger1363]

"I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be." I was lucky enough to see this masterpiece twice on the big screen last year (both were re-releases). And I was in tears at the end. From a young man. Nolans Batman is a big inspiration for me. The Dark Knight is my all-time favourite film.

[@ninevoices9401]

Watch more films

[@fautless]

@@ninevoices9401you must be a really good friend

[@ryangilligan40]

It is an experience to see it in the theater. I watched it in the theater during its original run literally seven times. I am an actor and was studying Heath’s Joker so closely. One of the greatest performances that I’ve ever seen.

[@crypticsg8748]

@@ninevoices9401 Get a life

[@firegod001]

Yes, watch more films, and make sure you consider The Godfather, Citizen Kane, Raging Bull and 2001: A Space Odyssey your favorite movies because someone said you should.

[@OneVoiceMore]

Skyhook ---- the plane and hook --- was a real thing, actually used in VN. That much is true. You're not yanked instantly to full speed --- the plane 'hooks' the line well below the balloon, so slack is being taken up above and below the plane --- roughly halving the initial velocity. Similar scene in John Wayne's "The Green Berets."

[@carlossaraiva8213]

And in the James Bond movie Thunderball.

[@JakkFrost1]

19:28 this Joker also tailors everything he says to suit the person he's talking to. "Abusive father" story to the gangster, "rebellious son" to the rich old guy, "lost love" to the attractive wpman. Not to mention "dog mindlessly chasing cars" to the guy looking for someone to hold responsible for his loss, and "mutual dependency" to Batman ("I need you and you need me"). And I don't think it was coincidence, Harvey Two-Face being used in this movie, as he became a quite literal representation of the dichotomy between Joker and Batman, both being flipsides of the same coin.

[@James_Smith862]

I worked at WB when this came out and got to see it at an employee premiere on the lot. It was amazing to be sitting in a packed theater filled with film industry professionals that completely forgot they made movies for a living and were just transported into the world Nolan created.

[@johnfive2440]

None of what you said is true

[@James_Smith862]

@johnfive2440 of course not. You weren't there so it can't be true. You are the protagonist of reality.

[@reactswithjax]

That is so cool! What a great memory!

[@johnfive2440]

@@reactswithjax it would be cool, if what that person was saying was true

[@matthewcollado6894]

@@johnfive2440bro stop being a hater you’re just jealous 😮‍💨😮‍💨

[@ThePonderer]

Michael Caine remains my favorite Alfred in any medium, not just movies.

[@andrewthompson9619]

Fun behind-the-scenes fact about that scene where the Joker is monologuing to Rachel. At the time they shot it, Maggie Gyllenhaal hadn't seen Heath Ledger's part of the script and hadn't seen him in costume. They wanted her to go into that scene blind so her fear and discomfort would be more real.

[@gracehiggins2666]

@@billbill6094 If you actually look up the full interview this story came from, Michael Caine quite clearly states he was talking about the first REHEARSAL he saw Ledger in makeup. The scene that was actually filmed and put in the movie was not the first time Caine or Gyllenhaal saw Ledger in makeup. This is just one of many stories about this movie that has been exaggerated or just simply made-up.

[@billbill6094]

@@gracehiggins2666 my bad G

[@inputfunny]

Sounds cool, but I seriously doubt they used the very first take of that particular scene where she would have been more uncomfortable with him.

[@LucianDevine]

@@inputfunny Except that the first take would be the best take to get the fear and discomfort. She keeps looking to the side at the director, hoping that he'll call "Cut".

[@inputfunny]

@@LucianDevine Sure, the first take might be the best take, but the chances that they got everything right on the very first take is low. Some scenes in movies will have over 100 takes before they get everything right.

[@user-gw3bs2in5i]

The prisoner guy throwing the detonator out the window of the boat is probably one of the most powerful moments in the movie for me.

[@ozimakistvan]

The movie ending was basically proving Harvey's line: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

[@Mini_Hayley]

Nolan gives away the ending really early on in his movies but it’s always hidden like that

[@gchild1286]

“I wonder how many times history has been rewritten for purposes like this?” Jax, that may be one of the most interesting questions I’ve heard anyone ask (at least for a long time).

[@VerryJerry90]

"I wonder how many times history has been rewritten for purposes like this" you NAILED it - its happened a lot and STILL happens today

[@blatherama]

I'm fully convinced, given the Joker's tricks, that if anyone on the ferries had pushed the button, their ferry would have exploded.

[@TheVlad1616]

That was my 1st thought as well.

[@thebkg]

Diddo. I had the same thought in the theater. I was expecting to see it happen, legit surprised neither got blown up.

[@LucianDevine]

Same! I always wondered what would have actually happened, but I'm so happy with how that scene turned out! I LOVE that what looks like a VERY hardened criminal convinces a correctional officer to hand over the detonator, just for him to throw it out the window, and for him to then be embraced by his inmate friends when he gets back to them. He said what he needed to say to the guard to get him to hand over the detonator, but then did what all of the inmates knew needed to be done.

[@Tantalus010]

It's not necessarily that he's making Batman choose whether Rachel or Harvey dies (because both of them are well aware that Batman can't control how quickly the police get to whichever one he doesn't choose); it's making Batman confront the reality that he decided that Rachel's life was more important than Harvey's, despite Harvey's stated importance to Gotham's future. That's what makes the switch an even crueler joke than it first appears.

[@jeffjones7108]

Not to mention that Bruce has to live with knowing Rachel died believing he hadn't chosen her. Had to hear that moment of realisation in her voice, through the radio. Had to hear her realise she's about to die. Many layers.

[@almasucia985]

Nolan´s trilogy is legendary, every detail, every character, is a must seen. thank you for the reaction, I enjoy it a lot.

[@Shifo_47]

i second that ❤

[@LucianDevine]

Yup! The first movie is a Bruce Wayne movie. The second movie is a Batman movie. The third movie is a Gotham movie!

[@Cobinja]

You do know Chris Nolan is known for his love of practical effects, right? Yup, they actually flipped that semi. In the middle of Chicago.

[@reactswithjax]

I've heard that! The actions scenes were incredible in this film.

[@calvinkopp1735]

@@reactswithjaxHe absolutely hates CGI and won’t ever use it unless totally necessary.

[@sincitygizzle]

So the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in person was this practical effect. A buddy of mine was/is a building engineer downtown and we went up to a roof of one of his buildings and watched them do that in real time. It was awesome. They used like a catapult launcher thing to pull the truck and some crazy wire setup to flip the trailer over. Seriously badass. Also, my wife hates that any time we watch them driving on “Lower 5th”, they go right by the loading dock I used to go out and have my smoke breaks (lower Wacker is always like 20 degrees warmer in the winter) and I have to point it out for the 1/2 second it’s on screen. lol

[@AkaiAkuma_]

@@reactswithjax Hi Jax, I’ve been a subscriber for a while now since I came across your channel with reacting to the MCU, I have a suggestion for a new tv show for you if you’re interested

[@LucianDevine]

And though it wasn't for Chris Nolan, when Batman interrogates The Joker, Heath Ledger actually had Christian Bale punch him. That's why those punches sound so real, because they are!

[@Kamenari37]

There have been many great people who have portrayed the Joker. I would probably have to say my most iconic would be Mark Hamil as the voice for Joker in the Animated Series, but there really is no such thing as a bad joker portrayed in cinema... with one exception.

[@patrickevans9604]

Mark also voiced the joker in the Arkham trilogy of games. They brought him in because he truly portrayed the full on psychotic joker and thats what they needed

[@abovewater6918]

The skyhook that Batman uses to get back into the plane in Hong Kong is an actual military tool that has been used before. Also the lighting did go out in the Hong Kong building, but the emergency generator kicked in right away and gave emergency lighting. And Batman only knocked out the guards there

[@Murph_gaming]

In regards to the Ferry scene, I would be worried that the detonator would actually be the detonator for the boat I was on. The Joker is tricky and wouldn't put it past him to fool the people in thinking they were blowing up the other boat when in reality they would be killing themselves.

[@reactswithjax]

That's a really good point!

[@Osfrie]

I fully believed that was the case when I watched it. No chance the Joker would make it quite so simple. I mean, he switched up Harvey and Rachel's locations too.

[@Murph_gaming]

@@Osfrie good point

[@OddBallPerformance]

or the detonators were both setup to blow up both boats no matter which one was used.

[@Necro616]

My thoughts exactly.

[@jflaugher]

The best portrayals of the Joker, I believe, are Heath Ledger for live action and Mark Hamill for animation voice work

[@VforVictory00]

To be fair, the camera crews were only at Gotham General hospital because Harvey was being cared for there and they didn't know Gotham General was the hospital to be blown up because Joker only said he was gonna blow up a hospital. They just prioritized evacuating that one because it was the primary hospital and it's where Dent was.

[@zeer0squared]

Laughter may be the best medicine, but you can't have laughter without sLAUGHTER

[@jeromedutil-martin6823]

7:58 Yeah, the "MCU" thing can be confusing, today. But when this movie came out, i don't think Marvel was calling it MCU yet. Only Iron Man had come out (Maybe Incredible Hulk too). In this movie, "MCU" just means "Major Crimes Unit" 😉

[@calebwilliams7659]

The scene where Joker keeps clicking the trigger to blow up the hospital but nothing happens (right away) was actually a blooper due to bad timing, but Ledger stayed in character vamping and by sheer chance (luck) the demolition explosives finally went off. Because they blew up a real building and had only one chance to get the take right they had to use his performance but it turned out to be so good (AND FUNNY!) it all worked out.

[@JakkFrost1]

I always loved that story, but sadly it's an urban legend that has been debunked.

[@jasonschuler2256]

This has been debunked many times now by both Christopher Nolan and the special effects coordinator, Chris Corbould. Everything in that scene went exactly according to plan.

[@GreenGoblin64]

Earth-Two (Original Alfred) Alfred was introduced in Batman #16 as Alfred Beagle who had no connection to the Wayne family but Alfred's father did and on his deathbed requested that Alfred would be a butler to the Wayne family like his father. So Alfred went to Gotham to fulfil his father's last request. Alfred introduced himself to Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson at Wayne Manor and insisted on becoming their butler. Alfred would later discover the Batcave and the rest is history. This all took place within the original DC Golden Age continuity that we now know as Earth-Two pretty much the original renditions of DC's characters from 1930s to 1950s. DC in the 1950s then introduced a new continuity that would later became their mainline universe known as Earth-One Earth-One (Silver & Bronze Age) Alfred Pennyworth was introduced in Batman #92 (June, 1955) within DC's Silver Age continuity also known as Earth-One. This Alfred also had no pass history with the Wayne's once again following the dying wish of his father, Jarvis, to carry on the tradition of serving the Wayne family. But he had an added back ground of being officer of the British Intelligence, an entertainer etc. DC then rebooted there mainline universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths that saw the Multiverse being destroyed and a new single continuity being born that was a mix of Earth-One, Earth-Two etc. A stream-lined universe that opened the door for some changes and allow DC to bring in characters the bought. New Earth (Modern Age) We then get to the most well known DC continuity that being, New Earth (1986‎-2011‎) the Alfred we see in this film is based on. Introduced in Batman #401 (November, 1986) Alfred was born Alfred Beagle but later changed his name to Pennyworth, fun little nod to the original Earth-Two Alfred. He was a butler to the Wayne Family long before the death of the Wayne's and acted as legal guardian of Bruce Wayne after Thomas and Martha's death. The only big change from his Silver/Bronze Age counterpart is that he was apart of Bruce's life since he was a kid, everything else like his backstory is pretty much the same. An actor, serviced in MI5 and MI7 during WW2. They just made Alfred a Butler for Thomas Wayne who was around when Bruce was a kid instead of randomly showing up one day when Bruce was in his mid 20s to early 30s. DC then rebooted again in 2011 when the Flash decided to mess with time travel giving birth to a new continuity that pushed characters back 15 years while also merging together a few DC Earths so they exist together, similar to Crisis on Infinite Earths from 1986 just on a smaller scale. Prime Earth (Modern Age) Alfred didn't change that much, real name being Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth. His father was still a butler for the Wayne Family overseas. He still joined the British Army at 18 (Moving closer away from WW2 so I don't think he was old enough to fight) But he does have a very James Bond inspired past at MI5. He was a stage-actor and like other renditions his father died and on his behalf Alfred became a Butler to the Wayne family. Bruce was only four when Alfred became a butler so he's been around since Bruce was a child and became his legal legal guardian once the Wayne's died.

[@mcraiderking5690]

Yes, it’s possible. It’s called ‘Sky Hook’ and we used it to extract operatives.

[@johnhannon4074]

They avoid using it because it's really hard on your body

[@spiro7000]

CIA concept right?

[@gazzamanazza4pm]

Or, if your name is Snake, you use it to extract whatever you want.

[@otonashijorge8162]

​@@spiro7000 Not a concept, it it's actually use, in ww2 it was use a lot to rescue stranded pilots

[@kevinpogue7294]

It was also used at the end of one of the early Bond films.

[@FeaturingRob]

- 12:43 - Yep! The Skyhook. It's actually a thing the CIA used to extract people (mainly operatives) in situations that would be too much for a helicopter extraction. In fact, the end of the James Bond film Thunderball (1965) has Sean Connery and Claudine Auger picked up by the skyhook system at the very end of the film, and they are on a rubber life raft floating in the ocean around the Caribbean area. It's actually a pretty funny little scene to end the film.

[@angelfuturejob]

The sound for this film is nothing short of perfection

[@thebkg]

It won the Oscar for Sound Editing. Sadly the sound for the next one was terrible.

[@marcoftheninja6278]

Heath Ledger received an Oscar for his Joker performance post mortem

[@ThisIsMyFullName]

Happy new year, Jax! 6:54 Yes, there's no Batman without Alfred. He's the one who grounds Bruce and keeps him in check. Without Alfred, Bruce would become lost in his Batman persona and eventually become a villain. 19:02 Your whole hand is a "fingerprint" meaning the lines on your palm is singular to your hand only. The fingertips is the place that we apply the most pressure when we grab something so that's what most often leave a trace, but your whole handprint can be used as evidence.

[@TheVlad1616]

It’s cool to see on rewatches how they always shaded Harvey’s face throughout the movie based on angles/etc to foreshadow 2 face. One side was generally dark

[@omeshsingh8091]

Many of the greatest comic book movies are from the realm of DC. I am glad you are finally investing some time in these.

[@mityakiselev]

"See, in their last moments, people show you who they really are" _laughs histerically as he's plummeting to his presumed death_

[@theveryworstluck1894]

Thank you for the Jump Scare counter. I'm susceptible to that. You kept me from having a heart attack

[@oliverconway6960]

OMG JAX! You just gave me a fantastic birthday present with this reaction! I got the luxury of seeing this at the cinema in September 2023, on Batman day. I was only ten when it originally came out. A lot of people like to think that MCU is a Marvel reference (just because it means Marvel Cinematic Universe, which started about two months before this came out), but in this case, it actually means Major Crimes Unit, which some police departments have. Does the Beverly Hills police have that? Speaking of the MCU, you did remind us of the Stark Relief Foundation. Bruce has the Wayne Foundation (you'll get to see it in TDKR, but since he keeps a secret identity unlike Tony, he couldn't get them too involved without running the risk of blowing his cover. My favourite character in this is Harvey Dent (until he becomes Two-Face, of course), but there's no doubt Heath Ledger's Joker was amazing. I really felt your stress during the final battle at the skyscraper. Thanks Jax. 😃😃😃😃😃

[@georgeplimpton9429]

The plane pulling Bruce out of the building near the beginning is how they ACTUALLY rescued downed pilots who were in the water during the Vietnam War.

[@LittleGalaxyBoy]

I can't share it here (KZbin hates links) but Kevin Conroy the iconic voice of Batman across animation and video games, since 1992 read out Bales Batman lines in his iconic Batman voice on a podcast. Later someone else took those lines and made an animation out of it using the final scene of The Dark Knight. I'll send it on Patreon but I was never big on Bales Batman voice so for me Kevin just perfects the scene. Also there's one Nolan Batman project alot of people forget about and that's Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) an American-Japanese animated anthology film with six unique stories set in between Batman Begins and Dark Knight, each with there own animation style. If you have the time I do recommend it for an reaction as its so underrated.

[@LifeisANovel]

Never knew his name but man I loved that voice from the animated series.

[@gazzamanazza4pm]

I've seen that animation, it's excellent. To me the animated Series (plus the Arkham games) are the definitive versions of Batman, so it was really cool to see. Kevin Conroy was a legend, may he rest in peace.

[@JakkFrost1]

If he did all of Batman's lines, some should ADR that over Bale's Batvoice. It would improve the movie enormously, fixing that one flaw!

[@billbill6094]

Gotham Knight was intended to take place in this universe but when production began they changed the stories, so it's not canon. In fact you can tell just from watching that the Batman in those films is in a completely different universe than Bale's, Killer Croc, Deadshot, bullet proof force fields, the difference in backstory. Similar to how Arkham Asylum was meant to be a tie in to TDK but ended up taking form into it's own, very comic accurate world. Both voiced by my man Kevin Conroy, rest in peace to the legend. Obviously Kevin's voice is better than Bale's but I don't think Bale's voice gets that bad until the next film, especially with the way Nolan mixes sound. In fairness had they let him do the whisper voice he wanted to do we might not have had a _"Where's the trigger"!_ The fact they let Pattinson do just that gotta be favoritism.

[@havu2236]

@@JakkFrost1 You'd rather Batman talk in his normal voice? The Batvoice make so much sense. You can always play around with voice modulator to soften it up.

[@bannonstanks]

A little trivia about that mid-movie scene with the Joker crashing the party: that was the first time Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine saw Heath in his makep. The makeup, combined with his unhinged behavior, elicited truly panicked reactions. Go back and watch Maggie... she is kegitimately freaked out and not acting.

[@shadowfire_08]

yep, that scene wasn’t scripted as he said. she was looking around at the crew being like “wtf, y’all seeing this?”

[@peps181]

Michael Caine had a line but was so dumbstruck at Heath’s appearance he forgot it

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Ok, the whole legend thing snowballing about "not acting," and having professional actors and a professional director in a major studio film just winging it off the cuff when you actually need precision and communication the most is just so overblown. Like winging it extensively off the cuff, fly off the seat of our pants and force the professional cinematographer and tech crew to just roll with it, is comical.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

​@@shadowfire_08 yeah, they just improvise, don't they, permanently! Yup.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

A little made up "trivia." What a joke. 🎉

[@Shinnizle]

Jax: "Murder is always the answer" This one, officer. This one. 😂😂

[@stonecoldku4161]

12:32 Yes, this was something that the CIA actually did to extract agents from dangerous areas without having the escape plane land. But it is difficult to pull off and wasn't used a lot.

[@thebkg]

The TV show The Unit did a fantastic job of portraying how it looks IRL in the 3rd or 4th season. Definitely not a quick and easy contraption to execute for the person on the ground.

[@adammakesstuffup]

"If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" That was from the graphic novel "The Killing Joke". This was turned into an animated short movie, with Mark Hamill again as the voice of the Joker. Just Saying. Semi-spoiler foreshadowing: The publication of The Killing Joke was also the end of the Batgirl monthly comic book line.

[@metoo7557]

Yes Alfred pops up in all of them, although I do think Michael Caine's performances are stellar, especially in the next movie in this series, i will give credit to the portrayal of Alfred in the Gotham TV series where they really flesh out and develop the Alfred character

[@MrJj726]

The scene where the squealer gets taken away by the plane was a real experimental extraction method. It’s called a “Fulton extraction”

[@akshayharshan3989]

Robert Downey Jr mentioned during an interview back in 2008 :when iron man got released this is it, this is gonna be the best movie in 2008 and until The Dark Knight got released 😂

[@eolson1964]

That scene with the plane is absolutely real and was how the military extracted men out of war zones

[@patrickevans9604]

This whole trilogy is an insane ride and i loved all parts of it, but the dark knight was hands down my favorite of the three. Its amazing

[@spf4yt]

Minute and a half into the video and already I'm smiling. Your enthusiasm and energy is infectious. I really enjoy rewatching movies through you. Omg, comparing the Batman to Hagrid! Thanks for the fun. You're doing a great job.

[@chuckmanion1128]

My favorite joker is definitely Heath Ledger. He's just so menacing. What would a lawyer say about this scene? I can't help but remember Legal Eagle's response to this scene. you should check it out. Its funny you mention it must have been hard to keep the make up consistent. That's actually why the joker has the tic of licking his lips. Heath Ledger hated make up touch ups between scenes. however the prosthetics around his mouth would pop up if they didn't stay moist. So he licks his lips to keep the prosthetics moist. It just also happens to add a level of creepiness to it. Sorry to disappoint you, but the joker is not in the next movie. The Joker may not be dead, but Heath Ledger was. He was already dead before this movie released. It actually added a lot of menace to this movie when I first watched it in theaters, because there was a lot of misinformation floating around. There was lots of talks about how getting into the role led to depression, and he ODed on antidepressents (they were in his system but that wasn't the actual cause of death, it was the combo of sleeping pills with other meds having a fatal interaction). So because of this story floating around, it actually felt like the Joker was menacing enough to reach out from the screen and kill his own actor in a true act of chaos.

[@johnfive2440]

Jack Nicholson is the best joker. You don't actually understand the character, you can type 15 paragraphs and you'll still be wrong

[@charlesmartinjr3971]

​@@johnfive2440 Or he just has a different opinion than you. It's cool that you prefer Nicholson--lots of people do--but don't tear down people over something that, ultimately, doesn't matter.

[@johnfive2440]

@charlesmartinjr3971 seriously dude you tore him down way worse than I did, I just said a simple fact

[@Eddie-Brock1988]

MCU stands for "Major Crimes Unit" something Nolan introduced in his Batman films. They don't exist outside of the Nolanverse and are also mentioned in Batman: Gotham Knights set in between Begins and Dark Knight. Never heard of the MCU being mentioned in the comics, animation or other movies outside of the Nolanverse so it seems like something Nolan came up with that never made it's way into other renditions. Edit: The MCU (Major Crimes Unit) are actually a real thing so they exist in real life. I personally have never heard of them within any DC related media besides the Nolan films. DC has alot of fictional divisions within it's police forces so maybe that's why the MCU is overlooked in other media.

[@Serpico360]

Nolan didn't make it up. It's a division of many police forces.

[@andrewblanchard2398]

LAW & ORDER CRIMINAL INTENT the DETECTIVES work for the MCU MAJOR CRIMES UNIT

[@jawbone78]

Also, the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn't kick off until about six or seven weeks prior to the release of this movie (with Iron Man), and wasn't known as such until a couple of years later. It's one of those weird things that always jumps out at me when I watch this now (wait, did he just say the MCU?) when it really wasn't anything notable at the time - just a reference to how real police departments are structured.

[@thatperformer3879]

MCU is a title given to a specific branch of a police department. Alternatively there is SVU, and other divisions.

[@sithlordkaeyl21]

In the comics, The Joker was originally supposed to be a one-off character that got killed in his first appearance, but was saved at the last minute by a DC editor. Also, in the beginning of Batman’s series, he was a very violent character that killed quite often, usually with a gun(s), until he had a particularly lethal storyline that turned out to be a possible future, and after this story and some policy changes, he didn’t kill anymore.

[@daredevil272]

The Dark Knight is a masterpiece and a great movie. The whole cast is great including Christian Bale, Gary Oldman(my favorite character of his in this film as Commissioner Gordon), Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts, Cillian Murphy, Aaron Eckhart etc. RIP Heath Ledger who delivered a fantastic performance as the antagonist “The Joker” in this movie. The music/score is great and some of the lines from this movie are just so well written and amazing as my favorite one is “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. Loved your reaction as I’ll be looking forward to you reacting to the final Nolan Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ which I love. Take care, enjoy life, stay healthy and have a good one.

[@BH-vy5vw]

The pickup scene with the airplane did actually exist. It was known as Skyhook and utilized a modified C-130. And yes, they've done it multiple times with live people.

[@joshv9139]

Haha I think Dr Mike and Bear will appreciate the fact that you listen to his advice.

[@rebelwithoutaclue5693]

22:57 my take on laughter is simply that “ laughter in any language is Beautiful Music “ 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🤠

[@drb6771]

Such an amazing movie, due mostly to Heath Ledger's phenomenal performance! 👏👏

[@humzakhurshid11697]

Interesting fact: the actor that plays Gambol in this movie is Michael Jai White. He has black belts in many martial arts styles.

[@sllim126]

I was working in large Megaplex when this movie premiered. That night, at midnight I remember my job was to deliver the personal pizzas that people ordered from concessions. I watched that zip line scene about 15 times before I got to actually see the movie myself. Everyone was so excited and it was a very memorable night

[@DestroySteve]

The Skyhook concept is real. They have had different versions of it for a while but I don’t think any are really practically used. It’s just been done. Seems like a massive hazard 😂

[@billbill6094]

This is still perhaps my favorite superhero film of all time, maybe tied with Spider-Man 2. Love seeing one that's on the nature of heroism itself, what it takes & what it takes from you, when you have to not be the hero. As much as fans nowadays kind of take shots at Christian's Batman you have to admit he portrays this message beautifully, I gained a deeper appreciation for how strong of will he had to be to give up his life's mission in a split second when it would better serve the people of Gotham, and how he knows that even when he _has_ to break his rules, he has to give back that power when he's done using it. We even see how he's affected the people of Gotham when neither the mean looking prisoner or the faux bravado Gothamite could take another's life, in Batman Begins that boat scene would play out very differently. Of course it helps there is a lot of actually saving people instead of just punching the big bad a lot. And when Batman _does_ have to punch, the situations are so dynamic, from fulton extracting from the HK police to taking on multiple SWAT teams while saving victims from sniper fire & saving SWAT from Joker thugs. Speaking of the MCU, RDJ must have such a strange relationship with this movie. In an interview he did with Chris Nolan for Oppenheimer, he said to Chris that when Iron Man came out and he was getting so much love from the public a close friend came up to him and said "This will do, until The Dark Knight comes out." Then RDJ was nominated for the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role of Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder, but lost to Heath Ledger who won posthumously for his portrayal of the Joker here.

[@thew4lker]

12:40 yes, it is possible! That's called a Fulton extraction and was used in actual military operations :D

[@anthonydean1743]

I seen The Dark Knight 4 times in 3 different theaters. I went to the midnight release, an 11am showing with ny sister & her family, then got home right as my parents were leaving to the theater & watched it with them. The 4th time was when the 3rd film came out. I managed to get a ticket for trilogy marathon in select theaters with the first film starting at 6:15pm, the 2nd at 9pm, and the 3rd at 12:01am for the Friday premiere.

[@duanetelesha]

Since this is the first movie of the new year, a very Happy New Year. You do the best commentary for movie reactions, love them.

[@reactswithjax]

Happy New Year! Thank you so much! What an incredible compliment! ❤️

[@AkodoNoEyes]

I love that you also laughed when the Russian guy was impressed with the magic trick. Hahah. That always makes me giggle. He’s just like, “it’s good trick. *head nods head nods*”

[@wildtime845]

16:53 that whole scene where he held her face was improvised by Heath Ledger because that was her first time seeing him in full makeup so she was actually scared

[@LokRevenant]

This was, without doubt, the absolute best theatre going experience I've ever had. I saw it with my Dad in theatres at midnight on opening night. It blew my mind then and still does.

[@jdavis54]

I had the same experience! I was 10 at the time and walking into the theater and they had a cardboard bat bike with Batman and joker on both sides and the theater Gotham themed! I’ll never forget that day!

[@reactswithjax]

What a great memory! ❤️❤️

[@damacattack8434]

Easily one of the BEST movies ever made.

[@FuhqEwe]

Nah…

[@yourlifeisagreatstory]

I’d say it’s definitely in the top 100. Amazing cast and acting, and it’s all from an amazing story and greatly filmed…

[@fortunatus1]

Definitely not the best. Top 200, ok maybe. But it has a huge flaw within it. The only way Batman can beat Joker is plot armor. The macguffin of the phone device at Wayne Enterprises solves the problem of finding Joker for Batman. It gets in my craw because Batman is supposed to be the world's greatest detective. And yet, the writers couldn't come up with a way for Batman to figure out where Joker is perhaps through clues dropped at different points in the movie. It is an imperfect, though good, movie. Heath Ledger is the highlight. EDIT: Oh and Two Face should have come in earlier in the movie and been an actual bad guy.

[@johnthomas5556]

Nowhere near

[@calebwilliams7659]

I usually shy away from complimenting KZbinrs, but I gotta say your hair looks amazing in this episode, Jax! Either you had it done or you spent a lot of time on it yourself, but either way it's stunning!

[@reactswithjax]

Thank you so much! That's so kind of you to say! ❤️

[@Archangel-0092]

My top 5 fav movies of all times is this movie. Such a dark, strong movie. I saw this opening day in theaters for my birthday with family and friends. It was so good! The audience reactions was great! I love your authenticity, dorkiness, and beautiful self both inside and out! Stay you!

[@tofton1977]

Joker's "magic trick" with the pencil makes me laugh every time!

[@keysersoze8110]

I was expecting more of a reaction to that, to be honest. When I saw it in the cinema, you could hear *everybody* wince.

[@AkodoNoEyes]

It’s one of the best parts of the movie. Especially the Russian guys reaction. He’s just like, “it’s good trick, *head nods*” It always makes me laugh.

[@wildtime845]

32:39 that moment where he can’t get the button to work and then runs was improvised because it wasn’t planned that way meaning the explosion could’ve been even more dangerous

[@jasonschuler2256]

This has been debunked many times now by both Christopher Nolan and the special effects coordinator, Chris Corbould. Everything in that scene went exactly according to plan.

[@wildtime845]

@@jasonschuler2256 Heath ledger god rest his soul said it himself so idk what you’re talking about besides anyone in special effects isn’t going to say their equipment is faulty let alone in camera or they wouldn’t be hired

[@jasonschuler2256]

@@wildtime845 Heath Ledger said no such thing, and you conveniently ignored how I pointed out that Nolan has debunked this story in multiple interviews.

[@jobinmcgooch]

I have been waiting for you to react to this one! Such a great movie. It goes without saying that Heath Ledger is beyond tremendous. So quotable and an instant classic. This one is GOATED. 🤘🏽

[@Serhii_Toleronok]

I'v seen the movie 3-4 times, but it was a real pleasure watching it with you! Greetings from Ukraine! Thx for youre content, feels like watching with a fun friend.

[@reactswithjax]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this!! Thanks for watching ❤️❤️

[@B.Wayne1939]

Loved the Joke(r) At the End 😆😜🤣😂 🦇 gets the 🤡 LMAO

[@Akm_699]

Yessss been checking every day to see if you reacted to it yet

[@reactswithjax]

I'm so glad you were looking forward to this! I only post on Friday FYI! ❤️

[@AllStarSuperMan248]

I actually prefer Batman Begins, Better Gotham City, tone, and atmosphere. Gotham just looks like Chicago in this film and Nolan moved closer to trying to capture realism while pushing the idea that "Gotham could be any city" but for me this just removed all the personality from the city of Gotham. But the Joker, writing, music, and acting carries this film even though I still prefer Batman Begins. I feel like Two Face was a little underused and would've loved to see him show up in Dark Knight Rises, a return of all Batman's villains. But beyond this Dark Knight is a really good film that unfortunately created a massive trend of "grounded" Superhero films that tried to be Dark Knight, forgetting that you simply can't put a Batman tone on characters like Superman for example call it a day.

[@bruno11022]

Waiting for this reaction for days hahaha Just love it!

[@GregoryHager2011]

The Hong Kong escape scene with the plane is very real. During the Vietnam war that procedure was used to extract captured prisoners, civilian hostages, also downed pilots. it was called Skyhook.

[@tigqc]

"He thinks he can sit it out and still take a slice?" Joker is literally sitting causally behind them in the back lol.

[@ink-cow]

The first scene has a callback to one of the most iconic Jokers, Cesar Romero from the campy Batman TV series of the 1960s. Cesar Romero's Joker once disguised himself as an opera singer performing Punchinello in a clown suit. Batman and Robin arrive and unmask him; he was wearing the same sad mask that Joker wears here during the bank heist. Romero's Joker couldn't be as scary and suicidal, but he was manic and unforgettable.

[@nathancruz9172]

That’s what I find out.

[@AkodoNoEyes]

I love that as well. Love the little callbacks and Easter eggs.

[@CubsFan2023]

You might be interested in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus", Heath Ledger's final film; I don't think I'm spoiling anything, but because Ledger died during production, director Terry Gilliam utilized a creative gimmick to complete the scenes Ledger hadn't shot.

[@JakkFrost1]

It worked out well that the gimmick was something the premise of the movie made possible to begin with.

[@RectalItch549]

the "yanked into the sky by a plane" thing is real. they name the program correctly -- Skyhook, also known as "Fulton surface-to-air recovery system (STARS)". The system was used from 1965 to 1996. In that time there is only one known fatality.

[@thatperformer3879]

MCU stands for “Major Crimes Unit”. All police departments have divisions dedicated to certain areas. Alternatively there is SVU (Special Victims Unit), Organized Crime Unit, Internal Affairs, etc.

[@aaronjohnson8786]

43:56 If you're expecting Joker to be in #3 prepare to be disappointed. Heath Ledger's untimely passing made impossible. While I believe WB would certainly attempt to digitally resurrect a character, I cannot see Nolan allowing it.

[@generic_sauce]

I will say this, out of all the different portrayals of Alfred, there hasn't been a bad one yet. At least in my opinion.

[@jasonschuler2256]

I mean, it's not a particularly hard role to play, and given the fact that it will always be an older actor who probably has decades of experience acting, it'd be pretty hard to mess up.

[@alexkor380]

Murcielago is the first Lamborghini model developed after the company came under the control of Audi AG in 1998. According to the tradition established by Ferruccio Lamborghini, it was named after the famous fighting bull, which, during a bullfight in Cordoba in 1879, withstood 24 blows with a sword, after which the matador saved his life.

[@arthurcamargo8416]

Chest compressions, chest compressions, chest compressions! Also, "S" is the only difference between "laughter" and "slaughter!" Also, I agree with you that Joker used an anesthetic to plant the phone in the man's belly... most likely, heroin. Absolute Freedom is anarchy, where there is no security. Absolute Security is fascism, and comes at the cost of freedom. There has to be balance. Lucius Fox understood this which is why he begrudgingly agreed to help Bruce just the one time. For me, Lucius is my favorite along with Alfred. Also, if you are wondering whether history has been changed to make certain folks look better, keep in mind that the US used to celebrate "Columbus Day," and that currently in the US there are several states that have already changed history texts to reflect a "better" (albeit less "accurate") version of history as well. Sadly, Heath Ledger did get an Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker, but was given the award posthumously, as he died 6 months before the movies' release (22Jan 2008/18Jul 2008). Great reactions! So fun and wonderful! And Lamby's joke was fun too!

[@aguilarjr]

Jax is proof that Santa is real 🫶🏽

[@user-ko2uq9us6n]

37:37 - this moment is brilliant because it shows that criminals are not animals and are just like us! Human beings with feelings and morals! He made the right decision in order not to be held ransom by a madman! And throwing the detonator away is basically saying "if anyone's gonna die, it's us..."

[@khrisbreezy3628]

20:06 I was thinking exactly the same thing when you started listing off Dr Mike advice lmao well done Hopefully we see you learn how to do the batman vanishing trick by the Dark Knight Rises reaction 😏 I'm sure you got the skills to make it happen 😉 And Happy New Year! Hope you're well!

[@CapulloSpawn]

36:40 Yep everyone would need a good psychiatrist. I think the Joker definitely knows one: Harley Quinn. 😅

[@makaveli8809]

I seen this first day it came out and then I seen in the IMAX two weeks afterwards then seen it two more times in the theaters I couldn’t get enough of it. Just a phenomenal movie and amazing trilogy

[@spinynorman887]

"How do you NOT have a fear of heights? It's actually a fear of plummeting to your death". Exactly, Jax. The key is plummet prevention. Batman uses wings. Or a balloon that gets snagged by a plane. I used a parachute. Plummet removed, fear controlled. "Oh, the MCU isn't a reference to the MCU!" Um....right.

[@cliveklg7739]

wiki: "Fulton surface-to-air recovery system" also known as skyhook which is what the called it in the film. Apparently the grab just feels like a kick to the rear of your pants and no more.

[@user-ts8ig7dt7r]

"Laughter Is The Best Medicine" was what it originally said on the truck. Joker added the "S".

[@billstephens396]

Your reaction to the "magic trick" cemented my sub to you...

[@billstephens396]

I don't have a fear of heights or a fear of falling... It's that sudden stop at the end... Yeah... No-go for me... LOL

[@constantdvdcollector]

'Can you imagine being stuck in a room with the Joker?' Wait till you see Joaquin Phoenix's performance as Arthur Fleck in Joker. That comment is gonna haunt you.

[@reactswithjax]

Oh gosh! I'm looking forward to seeing that film.

[@matt-db5hm]

Finally!! I’m gunna watch this tonight, thanks Jax!

[@k.delpino1124]

In the record-breaking, comic-book based film line up of 2008, The Dark Knight was king. As an single feature and sequel, it's the biggest Batman film ever. No.1 of the year at over $1 billion. The peak of cinematic glory for the franchise. Seminal as not just a superhero movie. But one of the most critically acclaimed as an crime drama/suspense thriller. Christian Bale reset the standard of portraying Bruce Wayne/Batman in more ways than one. Heath Ledger in his Oscar-winning performance as Joker is truly fearless, relentless and disturbing for all the right reasons. While Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face is so saddened yet scary. TDK sealed the deal for Christopher Nolan as one of our great filmmakers and presented comic-book movies as an serious artform.

[@SuperSinsir]

Great reaction as always! My theory has always been that the detonators were actually for the ships they were on as a twisted punishment for being willing to activate them

[@benn454]

I never noticed before, but Harvey calls the gun the hitman pulls on him in court a ".28 caliber", which is not a real pistol cartridge. 😂