"The Dark Knight" Brightens the Superhero Film Genre

I think I may just be one of the last people to have seen "The Dark Knight." I'm not one to always go out on opening weekend, just because I usually like avoiding the crowds. I felt it was still appropriate to document my thoughts of the film here, though. After all, it has surpassed opening records, and is steadily on track for becoming the No. 1 movie of all time.

"Titanic" currently holds the record, which many say may be unbeatable despite potential monetary numbers rising above it, simply because of inflated movie ticket prices over the years. It will therefore be hard to judge the success of a movie merely by the box office totals. Total ticket numbers would be a more accurate gauge. As of Aug. 8, "The Dark Knight" stands at $423 million.

Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Aaron Eckhart are the leads in this superhero action film. The movie is aptly titled "The Dark Knight" because it reveals many sinister aspects of human (or perhaps non-human) behavior. There is a distinct plot, strong character development despite the fact that this is a sequel (I myself had forgotten much of "Batman Begins"), and never a boring moment.

The Joker, played of course by Heath Ledger, is very believable as a mysterious force that we can't help but feel compelled to watch with interest. Ledger himself certainly added a lot to this character, incorporating arm movements, mannerisms and this signature lick of the lips. If there hadn't been so much talk about Ledger playing this role, I certainly wouldn't have known it was him. He became so totally embodied in the persona that is the Joker, that it definitely marks his best performance to date. The fact that he never takes his makeup off while on-screen certainly adds to the air of believability.

"The Dark Knight" is more than just your typical superhero action film, of which I'm typically not a fan (i.e. "Spiderman," "The Incredible Hulk," "Fantastic Four," Daredevil"). The fact that this film appeals to such a wide age range is great. Many notoriously harsh film critics even felt satisfied with "The Dark Knight." I would definitely agree. It's a must-see, and a movie that you should try to see in the theatres while you still have the chance. This is the type of blockbuster that makes history and is best viewed on the large screen with surround sound.

And the Academy Award for Best Actor goes to ...

With all the buzz about The Dark Knight (which I really want to see) and Heath Ledger's amazing performance, it got me wondering if the Academy will possibly nominate Ledger for Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor. How unfortunate if he won and wasn't able to celebrate.

To date, Peter Finch has been the only posthumous Best Actor winner for his role in 1976's Network. He died in January of 1977 at age 60. James Dean, Spencer Tracy, and Massimo Troisi are others who were posthumously nominated for best actor; Dean was nominated twice after he died.

There have been other well-known, and in many cases very talented actors & actresses, who have yet to even be nominated for their acting abilities. According to Moviefone, these are some of the Oscar outcasts:

• John Cusack
• Jim Carrey
• Meg Ryan
• Richard Gere
• Sandra Bullock
• Martin Sheen
• Steve Martin
• Kevin Bacon
• Maria Bello
• Jeff Daniels
• Bruce Willis
• Scarlett Johansson
• Matthew Broderick
• Jeffery Wright
• Donald Sutherland
• Ewan McGregor
• Isabella Rosselinni (Ingrid Bergman's daughter)
• Dennis Quaid
• Steve Buscemi
• Maggie Gyllenhaal

Most of these people honestly don't surprise me that much. They're mostly known for a certain movie genre, and don't have any real scope in their acting abilities. Most of them on this list, not all.

What I've always wondered is why Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Johnny Depp have yet to win Best Actor Academy Awards. They are all fantastic, and have been in some great movies.