I am distraught. The evolutionary biologist, Atheist blogger and all-around cool guy PZ Myers has revealed himself to be the worst of heretics. And no, I am not referring to his recent simultaneous desecrations of a Catholic communion waver, a copy of the Qu’ran, and Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. That was merely hilarious. No, the good professor has raised my ire with something far more insidious:
He saw The Dark Knight, and didn’t like it.
My fingers twinge in revolt just typing the words.
“The plot wandered all over,” says Professor Myers, “and the movie seemed less interested in telling a story well than in throwing up moral ambiguity and ethical dilemmas which, instead of actually pursuing with any depth, it would resolve with a punch from Batman’s fist or an explosion.” I feel compelled to point out two things:
First, the point of the story was that Batman and the so-called “good” people of Gotham were incapable of addressing moral ambiguity without violence; pointing this out was pretty much the Joker’s raison d’être.
Second, the movie is based on a comic book. There’s gonna be punching, and shit’s gonna blow up.
That said, the good professor is certainly free to like or dislike any movie that moves him one way or another. I have a fondness for movies in general and Batman in particular, and when they are put together I am known to squeal with delight. (Seriously. Ask the wife.) And I cannot help but agree with those who claim this to be the best movie of the year. However, I do wish to follow Professor Myers’ example — “Nothing must be held sacred” — and so I will finish my little tirade against his (slanderous! blasphemous! SCANDALOUS!) critique by saying, “I disagree. But that’s cool.”
I’m beginning to think that the people who have a problem with this movie feel that a Batman movie shouldn’t be about the internal conflict brought about by these characters’ choices, and in that case, they should go watch the crap that Schumacher cranked out in the 90’s. I think “The Dark Knight” is almost Shakespearean in character and plot and I absolutely loved it.
And yes, Chris does squeal like a little girl when it comes to Batman and the cinema. Thank you, Mr. Nolan, for making my husband revert back to a 8 year old. It’s pretty hilarious.
Said PZ Myers “This dog isn’t so shaggy.”
Interesting about the Shakesperean thing. I used to wonder what motivated the witches in MacBeth, or any witches for that matter. This Batman pretty much answered that for me…some people just want to watch the world burn. That’s about the awesomest motive EVER. BURN! BUUURRRRNNN!
He’s a professor and he over-intellectualized the plot, plain and simple. Calling the the Joker a TA for a freshman philosophy class shows how limited his experience is in talking outside of intellectualism- people who talk like that are indeed as insane and annoying as a freshman TA, this prof is just used to dealing with such morons by ridiculing and dismissing them. I think the Joker is clearly made clever enough to anticipate other people’s reactions in a given situation, putting him beyond that label. Plus I don’t think this guy has indeed ever read a comic book.