Dark Knight Hype Reaches Out-Of-Control Proportions
Author: AF Duncan
July 17th, 2008
With people wildly predicting a $200m weekend, a $1 billion gross, Oscars, and giving it four/five star reviews all over the place, I think it’s safe to say that The Dark Knight is officially the most overhyped and already overrated film of the year, which has to be some kind of record. Kudos to the folks at Warner Brothers marketing. This was a very well played campaign. One of the best we’ve seen in a long time, actually. Some people over there deserve a raise/bonus/something or other for getting this event all up in our collective grills 24-7.
I legitimately hope this flick is good, but, let’s be honest, how could this possibly live up to people’s expectations at this point?
Seriously, after scouring just a tiny corner of the net, here are just a few of the things people are predicting The Dark Knight will accomplish — well, accomplish beyond making a bunch of people enormously rich:
- cure cancer, AIDS, blindness, Alzheimer’s, and herpes
- discover an alternative energy source
- travel through time to assassinate baby Hitler
- build the first terraforming colony on Mars
- lead the human race towards spiritual nirvana
- reverse the spin of the Earth and undo all natural disasters from the last decade
- help underprivileged orphans skip to the front of the iPhone lines
- raise Atlantis, solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, defeat the Yeti, and find Amelia Earheart
- call back to Earth our extraterrestrial forefathers who will evolve the human race to the next step of existence
- improve the original Coca-Cola recipe
- erase the Star Wars prequels from our collective pop culture memory
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20 Responses to “Dark Knight Hype Reaches Out-Of-Control Proportions”
July 17th, 2008 at 11:46 am
THE DARK KNIGHT MADE OIL PRICES PLUMMET AND SAVED WALL STREET!!1!11!!
July 17th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
“The Dark Knight is officially the most overhyped and already overrated film of the year”
Nope, Iron Man has already won that award.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I talked to a friend last night who is definitely no fanboi. His fiance works at a major newspaper and got them into a press screening. He loved DK like a fat kid loves cake.
I think this bat might actually have some wings.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
You’re smoking retarded amounts of crack there, Dan. Iron Man had hype, yeah, but you can’t legitimately and objectively believe that anything else comes close to Dark Knight this summer.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Iron Man definitely was the #1 champeen of overhype for a bit but Dark Knight has eclipsed it by leaps and bounds.
July 17th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I just saw it and I have to say NOTHING can prepare you for this…no hype, no reviews, no internet rumours…it is its own thing existing in its own world. I followed everything and still cannot believe what I just saw.
My only caveat, and the reason for the words above, is that you don’t treat this as a direct sequel to Batman Begins in thinking its more of the same, because this time all bets are off and it really is its own beast.
Where Iron Man, Hulk, Hellboy are your popcorn summer fun movies, The Dark Knight will haunt you to your core and stay with you for the rest of the week.
July 17th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Haha no it’s true, DK has more hype, yes, but Iron Man is so overrated. That’s what I was reacting to. I think it’s soon to call something overrated, IMO, especially if you haven’t seen the flick.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Just saw it. I liked it but it was way overrated. As good as the film is, it doesn’t match the amount of hype it’s been given. Some may even be underwhelmed. My only complaints: Much too long and way too much symbolism for it’s own good. The Joker was great.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:38 am
“I think it’s soon to call something overrated, IMO, especially if you haven’t seen the flick.”
Yes that’s part of the point of the post.
July 18th, 2008 at 6:37 am
“Yes that’s part of the point of the post.”
Now I’m just confused!
July 18th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Waitaminnit- “Biggest Hype Ever”? Are we overhyping the hype itself?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:37 am
yes, iron man= overrated / dark knight= (over)hyped.
but i saw it last night and it totally transcends any hype or expectations.
just a pure movie experience - enthralling stuff.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Just saw it. Best comic book film ever! EVER!!!!
July 18th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I find it hard for myself to call The Dark Knight a “comic book film”
I wonder if Nolan wanted it so dark and realistic why they didnt just get an R-rating. I think it would have been even scarier if we actually saw the Joker kill someone on screen and when Batman was punching him, some blood.
I loved it but I have tons of problems with it.
July 19th, 2008 at 5:34 am
I’m a huge Batman guy, in case you didn’t notice from a few of my posts on here, and I was underwhelmed by the first quarter of the film. I watched Begins twice in the last week in addition to re-reading Year One and the Long Halloween and I let the hype get to me. All that build up wasn’t satisfied until halfway through the film. But after that point, WOW, I was blown away. I’m still speechless when I try and take stock of the drama, tension and darkness Nolan brought to the screen.
July 19th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Saw it in IMAX Friday morning. The movie was great, but the whole IMAX experience of it was a little much. Especially when there was a lot happening real close to the camera.
But it ruled. I can’t wait til 3 weeks from now, when I can see it again without fighting a crowd.
July 20th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I saw it Saturday, it was good but, way way way too long. Too many worthless scenes, that could have been chopped and kept the movie very focused and exciting. Most of the hype is due to Heath’s passing and the outstanding work he did with the Joker. Beyond that, I actually prefered Batman Begins.
July 20th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I just watched the 1989 Batman again this weekend - and as a hard-core Batman comic reader - ‘I’ say that Jack Nicholson was closer to the comic book Joker than Heath Ledger.
The Joker while homicidal is extremely theatrical. Jack had those moments in 1989, Heath was called a “thug” and that is more of what I got from him.
In the context of Nolan’s Batman, Heath was fantastic, but in the context of the comic vision, I lean to Jack, and I too still enjoyed Batman Begins as more of a comic book movie…The Dark Knight was a crime drama more than superhero movie…everyone will watch it again on DVD and agree and I do believe any true comic fan will see that too.
I do believe that Bale proved to be a much better Batman/Bruce Wayne in this one. I saw so much stuff going on with him that I loved and wanted him to be more of the focus than the bad guys…if they do a third one I hope its like the 1st one.
And all the naysayers about the Bat-voice (not here but from what I’ve read elsewhere) it rocked and makes sense why one of the richest/famous men would need to disguise his voice and also it scares me when he’s yelling at somone.
Damn I can discuss this adaptation for days. I need to watch them again back to back.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:19 am
this is a classic post…hysterical. TDK is the greatest movie of all time
July 21st, 2008 at 8:04 am
Saw it last night. In short, I loved it. Still thinking about it.
Steve, maybe this post should be stickied or something? Seems like it’s become the Official TDK discussion.