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"The Dark Knight" the best yet
Published: 7/16/2008 2:24 PM
Last Modified: 7/16/2008 2:24 PM

A couple of years ago, a couple of people gave me the weird-eye, the stink-eye, the whatever you want to call it, when they saw my 2006 Top 10 movies list with "Casino Royale" on it.

Neither person had seen the film, often the case for some of these questioning armchair critics. We've all been there, suspicious of corn being passed off as class, myself included.

The James Bond reboot with a stunningly effective Daniel Craig in the title role was deserving of such acclaim, as both people told me later.

A film franchise known as much for cool gadgets and hot babes was now striving to be art, and succeeding.

I have an announcement: The new Batman film, "The Dark Knight," is the best film I've seen this year, a mesmerizing, sobering tale of modern mythology meets grand crime saga, hard-wired for the new world order of terrorism. It's fantastic, frightening and nearly flawless.

Like "Casino Royale," this summer's comic-book movies have permanently raised the bar for quality, with the well-praised "Iron Man," a much-improved "Hulk" and now the Caped Crusader putting the Ghost Riders and "Fantastic Four" cornballs of the world on warning: Goofy isn't good enough.

From James Bond to your superhero du jour, these movies are better than they used to be, and that's a blessing, considering that these films appear to make up a large serving of the summer movie menu for years to come.

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Chris Moore (5 years ago)

So, are you going to be reviewing the new Batman? After reading your imprerssions, I am looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on it. Over this summer it seems that James Vance has been reviewing all comic book movies. Or better yet.....a two-person review of "The Dark Knight". That would be very interesting.

Michael Smith (5 years ago)

Chris, it will be a double review of sorts on Friday. James Vance will tackle the movie itself, and I'm doing a separate piece on Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. We couldn't contain ourselves on this one.

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I See Movies for Free

“I was born a poor, black child” … not me, actually, but Steve Martin’s character in the “The Jerk.” That absurd opening line is just one of the absurd number of film facts, quotes and minutiae contained in movie critic Michael Smith’s brain, at his disposal to toss out on a moment’s notice. It’s a key requirement as Tulsa World film critic to know these things. Michael learned a few other life facts along the way (seven years as a Crystal’s Pizza & Spaghetti manager) before attempting journalism and joining the Tulsa World in 1996, where he’s covered everything from a school shooting in Fort Gibson to a tornado in Stroud to witnessing an execution. A little community theater coverage was sprinkled in there, too. Movies engender many of his happiest memories, from standing in line for “Star Wars” and “Grease” at the Southroads Cinema to the James Bond and Pink Panther movies that always premiered at the enormous Continental Theater.

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Past Articles By Michael Smith

2/16/2013		Broken Arrow movie theater moves to discount showings
2/15/2013		Review: 'Amour'
2/15/2013		Review: 'A Good Day to Die Hard'
2/15/2013		Review: 'Beautiful Creatures'
2/14/2013		Review: 'Quartet'
2/14/2013		Shirley MacLaine to speak at Osage Casino
2/14/2013		Weekly rewind: February 14
2/14/2013		REVIEW: 'Beautiful Creatures'
2/12/2013		Belgian best picture hopeful 'Amour' opens in Tulsa on Friday
2/10/2013		'Die Hard' marathon at AMC Southroads on Wednesday ends with new film
2/9/2013		Review: 'Identity Thief' a stupid movie from stupid idea
2/8/2013		Oscar audit: Critics choices for best picture hold up over time

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