The Dark Knight

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• out with a bang
• live up to
• dark
• plot twist

• box office gross
• opened
• live up to the hype
• bittersweet

• big shoes to fill
• go out on a high note

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

The latest Batman movie has been called “the perfect movie” by some critics, and whether you believe that or not, there’s no doubt it’s the most successful movie to date, since it broke box office records when it opened a few weeks ago.

The film’s success and attention comes not only from the performance of the hero by Christian Bale and all the cool special effects (hint: the amazing car from Batman Begins is back!), but also the villain. Heath Ledger finished taping the movie just before he died earlier this year. Some say his performance is Oscar- worthy. Listen to Marni and Devan talk about it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Devan

Marni:  So I finally went and saw the new Batman movie the other night.

Devan:  Wasn’t it so amazing?

Marni:  It was really amazing. It definitely lived up to all the hype, I think. I remember we had a conversation right when Heath Ledger died about how tragic it was and glad we were that this final performance was captured and he just…he blew me away. He was amazing.

Devan:  It’s such a bittersweet thing because it’s such a great performance to end a career on, but at the same time it just makes you think about how he was only going to get better and better and that he really could have been such an amazing star. But what a note to go out on.

Marni:  Absolutely.

Devan:  He really went out with a bang, playing the greatest villain, in my opinion, ever, and if not in a very long time.

Marni:  He was an incredible villain. But the film itself, it worked so well. It lived up to The Dark Knight. It was very dark. Just when you thought, “OK, this has got to end…” All these plot twists and they brought in Two Face. I didn’t think they were going to do that. I was really impressed with the whole thing.

Devan:  What villain do you think they’re going to have in the next Batman movie?

Marni:  I don’t know. I wonder if they’re going to go with the Riddler or Penguin, maybe Catwoman?

Devan:  What ever they do, they’ve got big shoes to fill after Heath Ledger.

Marni:  Exactly. Definitely.

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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