Repeat viewings...

Recently I've seen two movies in theaters twice, "The Dark Knight", and "Hellboy 2". While I thoroughly enjoyed Hellboy 2, seeing it again with the Evo crowd was a different experience. The first time I was awed with the design, cool visuals, and impressive wire-fu. The second showing allowed me to see just how campy it got, how overbearing the score was, and how crummy the acting was at times. The visuals were as good as I remembered, but did they really need the screaching tires sound effect when Hellboy punches Mr. Wink? Also, the Hellboy/Abe duet was WAY longer the second time around.

On the other hand, while I didn't have the same edge-of-my-seat excitement, my second viewing of The Dark Knight was just as good. Chris Nolan makes a good screenplay - the tight plot left no holes, the actors are still superb, and the subtle music still accentuates the scenes. Most characters in movies with sountracks have "themes" that play when they're on screen. The Joker's is simply a whine... a long high-pitched draw of a bow-string... and it perfectly raises the tension until he appears.

It seems I'm not the only one that liked seeing it a second time. The-Numbers don't lie.