Dark F'N Knight!

Well, WB finally let a few details slip on the sequel to Batman Begins, and, I have to say, I am loving the direction that the new BATMAN flick is going in.

a.) The Title - If you haven't heard, the new flick is going to be called, simply, "The Dark Knight." The term "Dark Knight" defines everything that separates THIS version of Batman from the old. This isn't the Adam West Batman, nor the Superfriends Batman, and sure as hell not the Joel Schumaker Batman. What images does "Dark Knight" conjure? I immediately think of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns, of Neal Adams and Jim Aparo, of the Animated Series. Basically, Dark Knight strikes all the right chords. Sweet.

b.) The Writers - I am very curious about the fact that the movie is apparently being written by Christopher Nolan's brother Johnathan, based off a story by Chris Nolan and David Goyer. Goyer of course is a comic guy, but tends sometimes to be too comic-booky for his own good (witness the Blade movies, certain scenes in Batman Begins). But it might be cool to have a different hand guiding the script, especially if said hand is one half of the team responsible for Memento - still one of my all time favorite movies.

c.) Heath Ledger as the Joker - After giving this one some thought, I like it. Sure, I don't KNOW if Heath has what it takes to play perhaps the greatest fictional villain ever created, but I see potential. And, most importantly, I'm happy they didn't go with someone who is "funny," like Robin Williams or Adam Sandler or any of the other cringe-inducing rumors that have occasionally popped up. The Joker needs to be played first and foremost by an ACTOR, who can convince us that he is possibly the most insane, twisted, creepiest mutha there is - the badguy who the OTHER badguys tell stories about when they want to scare each other silly. Ledger seems to have some decent acting chops - I mean, he WAS nominated for an Oscar this past year, and he seems to have the right look - brooding, slightly crazed, slightly mad, to pull it off. Paint the guy's face white, dye his hair green, have him do some messed-up stuff and you have yourself a classic rendition of the Joker. I know, the tendency is to want to jeer this casting choice, but this could be really cool.

Now have Nolan recruit his old Memento running-buddy Guy Pierce to be Harvey Dent, and maybe throw in Brittany Murphy or Niaomi Watts as Harley Quinn, even if it's only a small role (though adopting some elements of "Mad Love" would be cool), add two parts Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, and we're in business.

Can't wait.