New Dark Knight trailer:

Since the trailer for the new Batman movie was released about a week ago, I have watched it maybe 10 or 300 million times (and a few dozen more since I’ve started this post). Indeed, I have watched it so often that I have had time to do little else (not even blog about it). What I didn’t see until now was MTV’s shot-by-shot analysis of the trailer.

The makeup job done on Heath Ledger is horrifying. The high-angle shot at 58 seconds of Ledger staring tiredly up at the camera is all I needed to believe The Dark Knight is going to be a fitting sequel to the fantastic Batman Begins. I predict director Chris Nolan is going to prove yet again how much raw vitality he can pump into this once-dying franchise.

Of course, actually utilizing the stunning source material is a good start for any director translating a comic book into a film. (Nolan and screenwriter David Goyer did similarly with Batman Begins.)