In every generation, there have been those who exceed their peers in their craft. They are capable of conceiving and implementing their work with incomparable integrity in its time. In 2008, the creators and stars of The Dark Knight has triumphed in the craft of story telling.

I endured the bad commercials as I awaited the movie to start, I have seen every teaser and trailer the studios dished out. It is one thing to watch a movie you know will be good, it is another when it tops your expectations. By the time the ending credits roll in, my view of superhero movies has seen the dawn.

One CGI-riddled flick after another, Hollywood has churned out a generous array of comic book (graphic novels, if you will) and video game adaptations. But most of them can only evoke so much as a few thrills and some laughs from fans and critics alike. The Dark Knight explores the “what-if” of life and human nature, the mind of a fictional psychopath, and the definition of a hero.

The Joker embodies a twisted outlook on humanity, how insane a thoughtful man can be. Aesthetics aside, he can really put together an organized plot to wreak some true havoc. With the more than remarkable performance of the late Heath Ledger, the Joker of the Dark Knight is one of the more frightening villains to grace the silver screen. Rest in peace, Mr. Ledger, you shall be honored as long as time will allow.

The very talented writers have brought us what being a hero is really about. Is it the abilities that one possesses? Is it the number of lives one can save? Or is it about the number of criminals put to justice? After the Dark Knight, I have set a rule of thumb, a measuring rod, a benchmark to determine the worth of what passes as superhero movies. How much is the so-called hero willing to sacrifice?

Other movies of its kind claim to tell stories of heroes. But most of them risk only their health or their costumes in order to win at the end. Batman has sacrificed something an ordinary man would not, resulting in an effect only some one of his unbreakable sense of justice would deem as victory. With this, most his fellow superheroes of both Marvel and DC fall to shame.

I can only hope that this movie will leave audiences asking themselves the things that matter. What would I have done in his stead? Could mankind stoop so low as to weigh the value of lives? Will I always be a bystander?

I can only hope.

From the very moment I heard that a second Hulk movie was going to be made, I was excited. Not because I read comic books (I don’t), not because I like large green men (don’t even try), but because of Edward Norton. Not only did he play Bruce Banner, but he played a significant role in completing the script. Norton’s resume includes a white supremacist, a schizophrenic loser, a magician, a children’s show host and now a Marvel hero. Too bad the studios were being bitchy with him.

I can see that the Incredible Hulk has accumulated some very positive feedback already. But I feel that it is my duty as a blogger to highlight its hits and misses.

The Hits:

1. It wasted no time. The plot progressed at a good pace, it did not dwell excessively on any monologues or inner conflicts or anything. It presented the point well enough to keep audiences glued.

2. It kicked ass. I was blown away by the action scenes in this movie. It wasn’t just mindless smashing, it took the opportunity to show the world a fight that was previously impossible to film. The climactic clash between the Hulk and the Abomination is a battle to remember. After all, superhero movies must always have supervillains.

3. It was emotional. But not too much. Bruce Banner had to deal with a problem that no other superhero had to face: himself. The Hulk isn’t out to save the world and get the girl. He had to be man enough to persevere, and make difficult choices.

And now for the misses:

1. It is not stand-alone. The way the movie begins and ends made it too dependent on the prequel (or existing knowledge on the audience’s part) and the obvious sequel(s). The lack of origins explanations may leave some newbies confused. And the ending did not *spoiler alert?* bring his conflicts to a real close.

2. Too much in trailers. The trailers revealed too many snippets of the movie, some of which were important. I especially felt that the Tony Stark cameo should have not been ‘leaked’. I do not want to watch a movie and have ‘I saw that coming’ moments.

3. It felt shallow. The movie did only so much to tell the story. It was almost as if its just another episode of a series (like how I would describe Ocean’s Thirteen and Jumper). I want movies to be whole in itself, seeing the hero experience a transformation (no pun intended) that would make a different but better person altogether.

All in all I give it 4 stars, mostly for the intensity of the action scenes. Or maybe the speakers were too loud.