entertainmentdissected

It probably seemed unfathomable over the last nine weeks, but the summer blockbuster The Dark Knight finally may be exiting the box office top 10 this weekend. So why not reflect on the year’s must-see flick that dazzled both audiences and critics alike?

Opening with a remarkable three day haul of $158.4 million in ticket sales back in July, the latest chapter in the Batman franchise broke records and torpedoed all commercial expectations. Grossing $519 million in the USA and Canada through Thursday’s close of business, the Warner Bros. film was ranked 28th on the inflation-adjusted list of all-time box office champs, per www.boxofficemojo.com, and will climb a spot once this weekend ends.

The Caped Crusader brings a large built-in audience to any new film, but The Dark Knight also benefited in part from buzz about Heath Ledger’s performance as the maniacal Joker. That buzz intensified following Ledger’s untimely death as result of an accidental drug overdose; so, anticipation for this particular Batman movie was running rampant, especially since the prior film entry reinvigorated the once-left-for-dead series.

Predecessor Batman Begins opened in 2005 to strong critical notices and strong box office, grossing an inflation-adjusted $226.8 million in ticket sales (all pre-2008 grosses mentioned here are inflation-adjusted, as that’s the logical means of comparison). With Christian Bale in the lead role, director Christopher Nolan successfully took the comic book hero back to his dark origins, eight years after the Batman franchise came to a screeching halt.

The Batman film franchise started strong enough back in 1989, with Michael Keaton in the lead role of the brooding Bruce Wayne, and Jack Nicholson gleefully portraying his primary nemesis, the Joker. The Tim-Burton-directed film grossed some $446 million and probably held the title of Best Batman Movie until The Dark Knight hit theaters. The second installment- 1992’s Batman Returns- was a darker film than the first, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito wrecking Gotham City havoc as Catwoman and Penguin, respectively. Ticket sales weren’t as strong, but the film still managed to gross some $278 million.

By the time the third movie arrived (1995’s Batman Forever), a new director (Joel Schumacher) and Bruce Wayne/Batman appeared (in the form of Val Kilmer), and sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder made his debut. With Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, the mood lightened some compared to Batman Returns, resulting in a slightly stronger $300 million gross (though the critical reception wasn’t as strong as its predecessors). 

The viability of the Batman franchise slid downhill in all respects with 1997’s Batman & Robin- another Batman was on board (this time, George Clooney), and poor casting additions came in the form of Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. The movie easily was the worst in the series, thanks to misguided direction from Schumacher, a weak script and lackluster performances. Grossing $165.5 million, it easily was the least successful of the first franchise; reception was so bad that plans for a fifth film were put on hold, until Batman Begins came to fruition years later.

With the Batman franchise firmly back in box office and creative glory, moviegoers await the next chapter of the Winged Wonder. However, Warner Bros. will not proceed with  discussions until Christopher Nolan decides whether to return to helm the sequel.

As we wait for news, there’s always another opportunity to experience again one of the year’s grandest film releases- which like Titanic before it- succeeds both as great art movie and great popcorn flick. And also like Titanic, this Dark Knight has left the competition lagging behind at the ticket windows, selling an estimated 73 million tickets during its run of box office domination.  Knight even considerably outpaced fellow superhero flick Iron Man, which has grossed $318.2 million and sold an estimated 45 million tickets.

Some bold movie-industry folk had discussed The Dark Knight’s prospects in topping Titanic’s $908.7 million gross and 128 million tickets sold, but apparently there’s no usurping that unsinkable titan in modern times. Unless, perhaps, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet find themselves fighting- or committing- crime in the next Batman flick. Toss in some chilly water and an iceberg (sans Arnold Schwarzenegger), and an ultimate box office showdown we may have…