Maybe it’s not really fair to compare these two films. After all, they are completely different kinds of movies. Aside from the fact that they’re both about superheroes (using the term loosely as one is a vigilante with no powers and the other is an anti-hero), they don’t have that much in common. Both are well executed and are effective for what they’re trying to accomplish.
But… ah fuck it. It’s my blog and I can do what I want. I don’t have any dislike towards TDK (though I do think it might be a tad overrated), I just happen to think Deadpool is a better overall film.
Of course, I have to remind you all this is just my opinion. It’s all subjective. So if you think the other movie is better for the exact reasons I’m saying, you’re right too.
And the reasons are:
#1. Keeps the focus on the hero
Let’s be real, if you took the Joker out of TDK, nobody would care that much about it, and it would be Batman Begins. It’s Ledger’s movie through and through. I don’t think most people even remember the plot. And yes, Ledger gave a stellar performance.
But here’s the problem: For a movie about Batman, the worst executed element easily was… BATMAN!
All due respect to Christian Bale, who is a good actor, this movie was not his finest hour (which of course goes to Newsies). His performance isn’t bad — aside from the lung cancer — it’s just his character isn’t really the focus of the movie. He’s so far overshadowed by Ledger that he almost disappears. Batman is just another pawn in this convoluted plot that Nolan is spinning.
However, Deadpool is about Deadpool. He’s in almost every scene of the movie. I say this is better because it’s way more difficult to achieve. The hero is often the least interesting character in the movie. It’s easy to make The Joker interesting. It’s hard to make Batman interesting, and even harder to make Bruce Wayne interesting. And I don’t think Nolan succeeded — partly because I don’t think he was trying.
You might think a guy who breaks the 4th wall and spews pop culture references would be easy too, but not for a two hour movie. The schtick can get old really fast. For a few people, it did, but by and large the audience seemed to accept it. They knew exactly how to balance the comedy with drama, so you really care about what’s happening. It’s similar to the genie in Aladdin — most people remember the jokes, but it wouldn’t work without those emotional scenes. Since Deadpool had a harder task to pull off, and pulled it off, that makes it better.
#2. The action and violence
While the action in TDK is good, DP really stepped it up a notch. Why? Because it was R rated. And the R rating allowed them to go all out and really show people getting hurt. I’ve talked before about my problems with the lack of violence in movies, but the short version is that what was once PG is now considered R. When you tone the violence down too much, it starts to feel like there’s no consequences for what’s happening.
That said TDK does better than most PG-13 films, and indeed straddles the line very well. I bet this film was just on the line of being R, and they had to negotiate with the MPAA to get it taken down to PG-13.
But because Deadpool had no fear of the R rating, they had total liberty. There’s no feeling of restraint. It’s just pure, unadulterated brutality. I know I may sound like a sadist, but I just think the happy ending doesn’t mean as much without the pain. The lower the lows, the higher the highs. Those torture scenes are hard to watch, but they add so much to the catharsis of the film.
Add to this, I just like the way the scenes are choreographed more in DP. You get the sense that “realism” was the number one priority for Nolan. He really wants this to feel like real people doing real things that are subject to real world physics.
I guess it ultimately comes down to taste, but I’m not really the kind of person who needs my superheroes to be that realistic. Sure, I want them to feel like they have weight, and the things they do to have consequences, but I also want to see people doing things you can’t do in real life. That’s what makes movies fun. DP is heightened. It exists in a world that is not our own. Deadpool knows he’s a fictional character, and his movie knows it’s a movie and plays with the medium of film expertly.
#3. It’s funny as hell
The only real humor in TDK comes from the darkly comedic moments with the Joker. Other than that, everyone is always frowning in this movie. It’s a little depressing. I guess that’s why I’ll always Burton’s version a little more. It still had humor even though it was dark. And I guess you can’t blame them, after both Adam West and Schumacher, Batman’s camp factor was over 9000.
But Deadpool embraced its own silliness. It wasn’t afraid to be dumb. Deadpool is the character that constantly has to remind people that superheroes are kind of stupid. They’re fun, and we love them, but they’re still really silly and not worth being taken as seriously as a religion. And I love it for that.
#4. A love story that works
Do you really care about the love triangle between Rachel Dawes, Bruce, and Harvey Dent?
No. You don’t. If you say you do, you’re lying. When she died, I didn’t give a crap. But when Vanessa was in trouble, I did. In fact, the love story in DP is better than most love stories in all movies. In a world of Edward and Bellas, be Wade and Vanessa.
#5. No pointless subplots
Everything in Deadpool is there to serve the story that they’re telling, and in comic book movies today, that’s getting pretty rare (looking at you, BvS).
The most pointless aspect of TDK is having Two Face and the Joker. We don’t need two antagonists. It completely pulls the focus away from the story we’re telling. Everything in DP was totally focused on telling a good story, not dropping in set ups for future movies. Sure, there were a ton of easter eggs for the fans, but they don’t pull anything away from the story we’re telling. Two Face in this movie was entirely pointless. Should’ve saved that for the third movie.
I’ve heard people complain that Ajax was boring, but I don’t see it. He was menacing and threatening enough to be effective, but not enough to pull the focus away from out hero.
Conclusion
None of this is to say The Dark Knight isn’t well done. I like them both, I just happen to like one a little more.
Until next time!
Matters of Great Pith and Moment 