So why was The Dark Knight SO popular?

Its box office is too high to explain with just one factor. If it as just one thing, then there would be many other movies higher on the list.

There are other less successful movies that have suffered behind the scenes tragedies, like Ledger's death. There are other less successful movies that were, frankly, a bit better. There are other movies that have had an equally enthusiastic core group of "fan boys" that didn't make even a fraction as much money. There are other movies that have had bigger budgets and more hype that made less money.

The fact is that its not any one of those things, its a combination of them all working together. It happens to be a very good movie (but certainly not the best ever), and the death of Heath Ledger undoubtedly brought in a lot of people who wouldn't normally see a comic book movie, and it was always going to be a reasonably successful blockbuster even if neither of those other things were true. The combination of those things pushed it over the top into a huge success.
 
Anachrony - very good stab at explaining it!

Box office is so strange. Harry Potter 4 and Pirates of the Caribbean 2 were both utterly dreadful films imho - between them they've made nearly 2 billion dollars! It is the combination of box office and critical success which makes Dark Knight so unusual.

It'll never touch Titanic in terms of Box Office, which was (though time forgets) well received critically, if not universally. LOTR was big box office and generally great reviews - and (again imho) stronger than Dark Knight as an overall movie.

I wonder when Titanic will be beaten... and what sort of film will do it? It was uniquely universal in terms of age and culture, it seemed... it's a big ask for anything in its wake.
 
I doubt it ever will to be honest. Wasn't it in the cinema for some ridiculous time like 7 months? There's no way that would happen with a film now. TDK will undoubtedly be out on DVD before xmas.
 
I think it was about 9 weeks... the most amazing thing though is that the takings WENT UP for many of those weekenRAB! The peak was about five weeks in, which really is unheard of for a blockbuster, before or after.

Although it is very unfashionable to like it now, the effect the film had on audiences was extraordinary. The Dark Knight is just better than average popcorn, so can't really compete.
 
It always makes me laugh when people claim it is one of the best movies of all time - better than The Godfather, Shawshank, Pulp Fiction etc. It's a blockbuster about a billionaire who dresses as a bat and fights a crazy guy in makeup.
 
Yes but the psychology behind it is very interesting which, imo, takes the film above being just another popcorn comic book affair.
 
Seconded. It wasn't crap, IMO it wasn't better than previous Batman but it's overhyped because of the actor's passing. I must admit part of my good feelings towarRAB it is because I didn't pay to see it. ;)
 
The Dark Knight IS popular because its a great movie, batman begins was great but this improves further...everything about the movie was spot on, obviously heath ledgers death had a hand in it judging by all the morons who clap at his every appearance on the screen in the cinema

There hasnt been and wont be a better film this year
 
Heath Ledger overdoses on medication and is now being classes as a god. He was great as the Joker though. Unfortunately that does not make a great film.

The movie is being classed so highly because it was the best Batman film since Batman Returns. That's all. Give this a couple of years and people will have forgotten The Dark Knight.
 
Most of the plot elements in this film have been done to death - and the plot "twists" were obvious to say the least.

HanRAB up anyone who didnt see the "Joker sending batman after Dent whist making batman think he was going after the girl" plot twist coming a mile off?

There was very little that was surprising or original about this film. It wasnt a bad movie - I did enjoy it, but it was hardly breaking new ground and was definately overhyped.

I think Keatons Batman had a much darker streak than the current one - Batman appears to have gove very PC.
 
We'll I certainly didn't see it coming a mile off. I came to that realisation shortly before he got there. Something I think this film did very well was make you realise things at the right time so you went 'oh cr*p!'.
 
I have never seen one of the Batman movies but I heared the dark knight is very brutal. I avoid such movies because they scare me. So when it is a good film: How can such brutality be good?
 
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