What is going on? This weekend The Dark Knight became the second highest grossing film in history as it passed Star Wars and currently sits $129 million behind the all-time leader Titanic. Now I don’t want to hear anything about inflation and how Gone with the Wind would be #1 with $13 gazillion if ticket prices were the same back in 1939. Dark Knight is #2, Titanic is #1 and Star Wars and all its re-releases are #3. That’s the way it is. But why?
In the past two years I have seen ten films more than once at the theater. Those films include Blood Diamond, Smokin’ Aces, 300, Reign Over Me, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Kingdom, No Country for Old Men, Atonement, In Bruges and The Dark Knight. Of course being a film reviewer I typically don’t pay to see movies a second time. Of the bunch I listed above the only two I paid to see a second time were In Bruges and Atonement. I actually would not have gone to see The Dark Knight a second time in a traditional theater. Both times I went to see it was in IMAX and it was primarily because of IMAX I went to see it a second time. However, IMAX theaters are not in abundance across the States and IMAX screenings have contributed very little to The Dark Knight‘s bottom line.
So, why is everyone going to see this movie?
Is it Heath Ledger’s performance? Does it take a sadistic clown dressed in purple and a cut-up face to get you folks into theaters?
Is it the story? Is this film actually that much better than everything else that people can’t help but go see it three and four times?
Is it the politics? No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on it seems people see a little bit of the right and left in this film and it is drawing up debates.
Is it a combination of everything? Does this film just move you so much that everything about it makes you just want to see it again?
There is no way you can look at The Dark Knight and say it is flawless. If you believe it is, just go see it again and tell me how the Joker got out of Bruce Wayne’s penthouse after Batman saves Rachel. Sorry, but that is my one major pet peeve with this film and I love it.
Many folks have pointed out Batman’s voice as something they don’t like and I am sure many of you have various other nitpicks you may have with the film. Too long perhaps?
So what is it? Despite any flaw you may or may not see, why are you going back and seeing this film so many times. I know this film didn’t make based on folks going and seeing it only once.
We all realize it won’t be beating Titanic since Warner is going to have to announce that holiday DVD and Blu-ray release date soon, but as it held the #2 spot this past weekend earning an additional $16.7 million it isn’t showing any signs of leaving the box-office top ten any time soon.
