I don't doubt that Ledger had a huge impact on the Joker being a great character in the movie. He was just brilliant. The way he shuffled around, licked his lips, the random twitches and crazy voice should all be attributed to Ledger. But the nature of the Joker, his chaotic mindset, utter disregard for human life etc, shouldn't be attributed to him. No way that this Joker was created solely by Ledger. Along with his own insights, it was a collage of several portrayals of the Joker in the past. If you don't think that the Jokers in the graphic novels aren't very similar to this Joker, I don't know what else to say to you. Sure, Ledger knocked all the little mannerisms and the voice out of the park, but he didn't create this newer, darker Joker. Far from it. He just brought it to the mainstream. I have a problem with you saying that his Joker is the absolute craziest and nastiest there's ever been, and that the other versions don't even brush up against Ledger's version. That's just saying a lot considering he was basically demonic in Arkham Asylum.
I saw it, and yea, Ledger's Joker was exactly from the dark knight adult comic books some of you have seen...Awesome.
just saw it tonight at IMAX.. and even with all the hype, it was still really really good (as everyone knows by now)
You obviously didn't read my whole post, even though you quoted it. I cited Arkham Asylum in the very post you quoted. I've read virtually every comic featuring Batman or The Joker since around, oh, 1975. When I was 6. You're not telling me anything when you mention Arkham Asylum. I bought it brand new the same day it hit the shelves. As I did Killing Joke, every issue of Dark Knight Returns, every issue of the unfortunate sequel to DKR, pretty much every everything. It's not for nothing that my name here is Batman. In the 70s I had a subscription to Batman, Detective, JLA and Batman Family. The comics were mailed to my house and arrived earlier than they did in stores, in brown paper covers. You won't find a bigger Batman expert on this board than me, so spare me the lecture please. I'm not saying anything to denigrate the comic treatments of The Joker. I've been waiting my entire life for a movie to get ANY of these characters right. Batman Begins had its moments and Batman: The Animated Series did too. But this movie was the first one to truly respect these characters' great histories. I wasn't dissing the comics. I was responding to these two ideas: 1. That Nicholson was in any way comparable to Ledger 2. That Ledger had little to do with his portrayal since he was written and directed by other people. Heath Ledger made The Joker walk and talk. By doing that he advanced the character immeasurably. That is all.
When it comes to Batman, the Houston Rockets, presidential politics and avant-garde theater, I am extremely nerdy.
It's true that Ledger did an amazing job as the Joker. It's also true that there's 6+ billion poeple on Earth. To say that no one could do as good a job on such a wonderful character is r****ded. If you are absolutely married to Ledgers Joker as people probably were when Nicholson played him... hell, I remember when people, inclusing me reviled the selection of Ledger, just goes to show you how talented people are. We make poor casting directors and we shouldn't take credit for people who are paid to do so... artfully. So when you say that no one else can touch this role, you should decline to speak with any authority. There are other people you don't know about. Even Johnny Depp could rock this role. You know who he is. It's likely someone else will surprise you. It's not the actor, people, it's the role. LEdger is dead but the Joker role is one that will always be freaking badass to play off of. Every actor would beg for such a role.
They are going to have to change it though. No one could imitate Ledger and get away with it. No one would dare. Especially an established actor like Depp, he would put his own spin on the character. And we won't like it. No matter what we won't like it. Not as long as the next Batman is part of the last 2. Ya maybe 10 years from now it can happen. But what we are asking is for is someone to play THIS Joker. It just ain't happening. No one would take it seriously.
whoa....that greatly increases the chances that it could rake in another 100 mil by sunday. that would be insance. im sure its happened recently with other movies but ive never really paid attention
why do they add up total money and not ticket sales. do people not think in 15 years when ticket prices are even higher that they wont break more records. dumb
