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Reviews
Angel: A Hole in the World (2004)
A series highlight
It all starts with a simple question: "Who would win in a fight, Cavemen or Astronauts?". In a regular show this would be just a petty argument for comedy's sake but as this is written by Joss Whedon it serves a higher purpose as the thematical exposition of the episode. The debate literally manifests when the smart, reasonable and science-minded Fred is infected by an ancient and violent primal force slowly hollowing her out to take control of her body. As Fred lays dying each member of the group begin an all out struggle for Fred's life and as they sink deeper into despair the violent and unreasonable cavemen inside of them begin to take control of their actions. When Spike and Angel find out that killing thousands of people is the only way to save Fred the cavemen in them comes out as Angel states he will chose Fred over the world. However as desperate as they become, ultimately the astronaut of logic and reason wins leaving Angel and Spike powerless to stop Fred's death. As Spike says "there's a hole in the world" and the viewer can't do anything but agree. It's unjust that Fred is killed. A girl who lived in a cave for years where her kind were slaughtered like cattle is finally brought down by, as she puts it, "some monster flue". It's unfair and unjust. The world is imperfect i. e. there's a hole in it. But in the end instead of letting go and giving in to an animalistic anger Spike is forced to simply accept the worlds flaws and continue to fight the good fight, a response of reason not of anger. A score for the astronauts and a score for Angel for producing one of the most beautiful and tragic things shown on television.
The Dark Knight (2008)
A film where everything just works.
So here it is. The most hyped-up, talked about and acclaimed superhero movie in... well, ever. Was it worth the wait? Yes Did it deserve the praise? Yes Did Heath Ledger surprise viewers who have had people nibbling in their ear about his portrayal for months now? Definitely yes. The film pretty much succeeds everything it sets out to do, and that's a lot. An epic crime film that has the similar layered and extravagant plots of something like Inside Man, The Dark Knight is far from a typical superhero film. There are psychological character studies of the Jokers anarchic destruction, Harvey Dent's shining savior and last but far from least Batman's role as the Dark Knight, the man who is above and below everyone else to do what they won't. The discussions in the film about who Batman is really defined what the character is all about and when the words The Dark Knight concluded the film I completely understood it's meaning. This incarnation of Batman is also the darkest. While Burton opted for Gothic quality, Schumacher for colorful campyness, Nolan has decided on a gritty and unsettling look at Batman. The story is unbelievably tragic and while I won't say much the film has far from a happy ending. It may not be the most entertaining superhero flick out there but it's certainly the best.