The Dark Knight To Be A ‘Hard’ PG-13 Thanks To The Joker?
Nov 5, 2007 by Vic Holtreman
While Batman Begins was not exactly targeted at the pre-school crowd, especially with it’s nightmarish depiction of Scarecrow… it’s looking more and more like it’s sequel The Dark Knight is going to be far creepier. I think it’s going to bump the ceiling of its predicted PG-13 rating and it’s all going to be due to The Joker.
Back in May we had our first peek at Heath Ledger as The Joker (in upper left hand image) and it was surprisingly grotesque. Much more so than I had anticipated. The next peek we had at the character was in the image on the right, where he’s holding a knife to the throat of Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Last week we had our latest look with a new image of the Joker along with some creepy audio of him saying “And tonight you’re going to break your one rule” at WhySoSerious.com which is worthy of putting some goosebumps on your skin.
Finally today we have a Heath Ledger interview excerpt courtesy of Latino Review where he describes the character as:
“…psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy…”
Based on what I’ve seen and read so far I don’t think the above statement will be portrayed in an over the top manner as Jack Nicholson did in Tim Burton’s Batman. Sure, his portrayal was twisted, but it was almost parody. I get the sense that Chris Nolan and Heath Ledger’s Joker are going to be closer to Charles Manson that a mustache-twirling villain – and that, my friends will be scary as hell.
Batman Begins is one of my favorite movies and my 11 year old daughter enjoys watching it with me (with the occasional pillow over the face when Scarecrow appears), but I think I’ll be leaving her home when I head out to see The Dark Knight next July.
Source: Latino Review
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Yeah,that first image of the Joker was,to be honest,sickeningly grotesque,and a little dissapointing,IMO. i don’t see whyhis face has to be all cut up (blehh!). He didn’t even look like the Joker. This current picture is my favorite,it’s the one that looks most like the Joker from the comics that I know and love out of the 3,IMO anyway.
I liked Nicholson’s portrayal,he was pretty good,IMO. I thought he wasn’t close enough to the Joker in the comics though. IMO,the only other version of the Joker outside of comics that has come close enough to ever getting the Joker right has been Mark Hamill’s Joker off Batman:the animated series and a few episodes of the JL cartoons. I really enjoyed his Joker,his portrayal could not have been closer to the comix,IMO. (I guess that him being a longtime comics fan may have something to do with that;yet another reason to like the guy) Initially,when I heard that they were using Joker in TDK as the main villain,I thought their version would be more like the comix version,cuz (minus Bale’s raspy,coarse,almost ill sounding voice,which I hope they fix in this film) they did such a great job with the Batman character(character,not costume or car,but I’m not going to start a debate about that again
,they kept him very close to the comix in BB. But it looks as though I may be wrong about their take on Joker,as it seems that they are aiming for something else entirely with their on-screen portrayal of him. Hopefully nothing TOO sick or over the line violent and scary. And hopefully he won’t be a traaaaagic and overly draaaaaaamatic character (like the Sandman in Spidey 3) either. Joker was NEVER meant to be that way. That’s a great way to suck all the fun right out of the movie.
Kel, have you seen the short film “Batman: Dead End?”
I like the portrayal of the Joker in that one.
Vic
OMG,yes! I’ve love all the Sandy Collora mini fan films. i think I’ve seen all of them.They’re really excellent. I love the batsuit that they use in them,it really looks like the one from the comics,it’s just awesome,IMO! I thought the Joker was great too,didn’t like the red looking eyes and giant eyebrows though,but the Joker voice and persona are nothing short of excellent,IMO. It’s almost like they had the guy that played him mimic Mark Hamill,I loved it!
Have you seen the one called “Superman/Batman;World’s Finest”? It’s quite enjoyable too. Gave me goosebumps the first time I watched it,seeing Superman and Batman together (and in their comix style gear,too!) in a non-cheesy,believable live action flick,even though it was fan made.
Yup, I’ve seen World’s Finest and Grayson as well.
Vic
The new picture of Heath impressed me a lot. Also I’ve been reading how Ledger keeps a diary with him which pictures and quotes from The Joker.
When I first saw the picture of H.Ledger back a few months ago I first thought it was another picture of “Boy George” in his clown face. I also didn’t think H.Ledger was a good choice. Mark Hamill would have been interesting but not original for these new Batman films.
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From the interview it sounds like Ledger was a good choice afterall.
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PG-13 rating I’m sure will be very close to an R, on this film. Even with a PG-13 rating this film could be too hardcore for even thirteen year olds.
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The new direction these Batman films are on is very refreashing. I do feel bad that these arnt really kid films anymore but for adults there welcome entertainment!
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Also on the mini-films. I do believe I saw one that had Batman and the Predator in a battle in a dark alley? Is this the same thing your talking about?
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The Dark knight is looking bright!
TDK is my second most anticipated movie, after Iron Man. Does anyone have a link to the Joker audio? Also, I liked DEAD END until Aliens and Predator showed up. Ugh…
heath
PS-Joker is played by Chekov’s son, co-star of Growing Pains’ Boner (Josh Andrew Koenig).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Andrew_Koenig
heath
Oops, I didn’t know there were “sub photo” directions! Strike that last comment. (blush)
Jim
That’s it! “Deadend” yea I have that mini-film on dvd somewhere??
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I coundnt believe how good that was.
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I think at the time the comics were doing alot of mixing different characters. Like Terminator vs Robocop. I think that was the inspration for the aliens and. predator.
I liked them it was very well made film.
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If I recall the dvd was part of a dvd-format magazine that covered FX in the movies.
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I took it to my friends comic book store and we played inside. Everyone was jaw dropping while it played. It looked so well made that more than one person thought it was the new batman film.
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The guy that player Batman really. filled out the retro bat suit well.
I’ve got it somewhere here on the site, just do a serach for Batman Dead End.
Vic
Thanks for mentioning DEADEND Vic!
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I hope alot of readers check that out. Its very well made.
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Come Heath at least the Aliens and Predator looked good?
Yeah, but it was SOOOO out of left field. It lost me.
heath
Yeah,the alien and predator thing’s not really Batman’s bag,IMO,it was just an awesome movie though,short as it may have been.
I wish they would all be put on DVD so I could buy them,that’d be a cool idea but who would put them out and where could you buy them?
I think Sandy Collora did a JLA one too………..I think. I could be wrong though…..
Sandy could get in trouble if he sells them; plus, in DEAD END, you’re talking about two different studios. Warner Bros. and Fox (Aliens, Predator).
heath
Ahh,you’ve made some good points with your observations there,heath.
IMO, The character of this Joker is parallel to that of the Joker in “The Killing Joke”. That, IMO, is the best and most terrifying Joker, because he is that psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy in that story.
A sysnopis of the main acts”Killing Joke” (quoted from wikipedia: the Joker kidnaps Gordon, shoots and paralyzes his daughter Barbara(aka batgirl), and imprisons him in a run-down amusement park. His henchmen then strip Gordon naked and cage him in the park’s freak show. He chains Gordon to one of the park’s rides and cruelly forces him to view giant pictures of his wounded daughter in various states of undress. Once Gordon completes the maddening gauntlet, the Joker ridicules him as an example of “the average man,” a naïve weakling doomed to insanity.
Now THAT’S the Joker I love and hope to see in TDK!
Adrian, yeah, I’ve read some pretty hard core Joker-centric graphic novels and really a movie involving that character that would REALLY capture his essence should be R rated, but that would NEVER fly.
Vic
I agree,Vic, that the true essence of the Joker is on a rated R level, but,IMO, believe that Chris N. and Heath L. can/may come extremely close.:)
I agree with the comment up above that said he didn’t like the 1st few pictures of Heah but the latest picture is really great. I trust Nolan & expect a great movie!!
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