The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight Review

From the moment the movie starts, The Dark Knight is no mere superhero movie. It is much more than capes and spandex, but at the same time it remains what the title implies: the story of Batman. Batman is almost not a superhero. He is a man, a man with morals that is, who can be hurt. He conflicts with himself, his loved ones, and most importantly, the mask. His conflicts do not start from within himself. They stem from the antics of one man, a man as human as Batman: The Joker.
The Dark Knight’s story begins with The Joker committing robbery. In the process, he kills his accomplices to get all of the money. That night, Batman stops a meeting of various criminals with the ‘assistance’ of Batman impersonators. Batman and Lt. Jim Gordon meet in the vault of the robbed bank, and converse on letting Harvey Dent, the new district attorney, in on their possible mob ending plan. The mob meets and contemplates the loss some of their funds, which was stolen by the Joker. The Joker enters and proposes a plan to the mob: to kill Batman.
 
The Dark Knight is like a dreamcatcher. It is complex, and relies greatly on the outside ring to hold it together. In this sense, the outside ring is Gotham.  Two very long strings are woven in first: Batman and The Joker. Their battle is the main focus of the movie, and thus each character is a branch from those two, except Harvey Dent. He is the third main string, holding the dreamcatcher along with the rest of the strings, but a branch to some degree. When an intricate dreamcatcher is done right, it is a beautiful thing. This is the case with The Dark Knight. A huge cast of characters, a Peter Jacksonesque running time (2 hours and 32 minutes), great twists, a detailed plot, and one of the best villainous performances results in the greatest superhero movie ever.

Heath Ledger’s final and greatest performance is truly a sight to behold. The Joker’s madness and creepiness reaches such a level, as well perfection, that at times it is funny.  Every little motion is a reflection of his character: the licking of his lips, the straightening of his hair before attempting to kill Rachel Dawes, and his echoing laugh. He treats suffering like it’s a circus to enjoy; he spreads his hands as if saying “What? That’s all?” when the blowing up of a building doesn’t happen right away. He laughs as if being tickled when he is getting the crap beaten out of him. The creepiest, cruelest, and most terrifying aspect of his character is the lack of conscience he has. The Joker gets excited before he slices a man’s face in half. It is a terrible character to see, yet it is one of the greatest performances to watch. The fact that he is just a man, like Batman, is even worse. The Joker will become the highest bar to reach for villains. Alongside this horrendous character is fantastic music.  Churning violin music assists in the most intense scenes of the summer: A knife in a victim’s mouth as The Joker explains his scars, and the horrifying realization that he enjoys watching the world suffer. When Batman soars, swelling music gets the heart pumping, even though the visual scene would get you going on its own.

The Joker is not the only dark character. Bruce Wayne has lost his relationship with Rachel Dawes, and Harvey Dent is now courting her.  Bruce is now realizing that he can not be the only symbol for Gotham.  Its people start to turn on him, and from that he begins to doubt himself. He cannot decide whether or not to go on, but he is not the only one incubating those thoughts. The police force is has less faith in it than it should, and thus Harvey Dent becomes a rising hero. In this complex tale, each character conflicts with their most treasured beliefs. Does a killer deserve the same pain as his victim? Who should stand up, when no one will stand behind you? These questions and their answers work so well and entertain so easily that a constant state of moving forward is brought on. Over the entire course of the movie, the pace is always more than just “interesting”, and at its height, it’s like Bourne with a dose of Red Bull. Plot, action, and pace go together so well that at times it is difficult to distinguish which is which.

The Dark Knight becomes a crime thriller, a portrait of a city in crisis, but in the end, it is good versus evil. The Dark Knight has its heroes, its villains, and its heroes who live long enough to see themselves become the villains. Gotham is always in need of a hero. This hero is Batman, the Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader, or Bruce Wayne to his friends. The Dark Knight is  Batman’s story, it his tale. Never has the world seen Batman in such a light. It is new, cunning, and perpetually entertaining. It is a movie filled to the brim. It is a great acting performance, a gloomy tale, a record breaker, a fantastic score, but above all, it is one thing: The Dark Knight is a masterpiece.

5/5

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Last updated: 2010-04-10 20:06:26 by user01

The Dark Knight

The creepiest villain since Hannibal Lector battles the Caped Crusader. One of the best superhero sagas ever made just got a whole lot better. Christopher Nolan presents us with a Gotham City epic that is truly one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. This is one of the most remarkably crafted films of the genre.

The Dark Knight is a follow-up film to Nolan’s first Batman movie, Batman Begins (which also I loved). Unlike the first film, the Dark Knight presents a dizzying portrait of Gotham City – a city nearing complete anarchy. The Dark Knight is unlike any other Batman film or superhero movie ever made. It’s genuinely beautiful; and every character represents a different point on the morality spectrum – which keeps this superhero fantasy rooted in the real world (which is why the movie sticks with you).

The Dark Knight is a rich, complex, and thrilling piece of pop-culture entertainment. It’s as strong as any movie epic I’ve ever seen. The top notch cast includes Christian Bale playing the most intimidating Batman (and the most arrogant Bruce Wayne) in the history of the Batman mythos; and Gary Oldman as the righteous police officer, Jim Gordon.

Maggie Gyllenhaal (an upgrade from Katie Holms) plays assistant DA, Rachel Dawes, who’s at the center of a love triangle between Bruce Wayne and crusading DA, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). With the help of inventor Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Batman ventures outside of Gotham City’s jurisdiction to fetch a key mob accountant who’s fled to Hong Kong.

But of course the real villain in the Dark Knight is the Joker. The late Heath Ledger plays him like the demented offspring of Alex from A Clockwork Orange. As the Joker, Ledger created one of the most memorable screen characters of all time. Even when you look at still photographs of him playing the part, he’s completely riveting. Ledger gives the most convincing portrait of pure cackling evil since Anthony Hopkins ate ‘em up in the Silence of the Lambs.

Writer/Director Christopher Nolan has crafted two close to perfect masterpieces, first with Batman Begins and second with the Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan, who did the movie Memento, is truly a story teller of the highest order. In this story he spins a very sinister and foreboding atmosphere — and a superhero movie that is not for kids under 11 or 12. The violence is really too intense for younger kids. However, Nolan presents the violence in a way that’s extremely quick, elegantly staged, incredibly brutal, ultimately realistic, but really too much for those under a certain age. But when you compare the violence in this movie to the violence in Tim Burton’s second Batman movie (with Danny Devito as the Penguin) where the violence is over the top and perverse; in this Batman movie, though the violence is brutal, it works dramatically.

Chris Nolan’s action sequences are thrilling. Even with his main character wearing a bat suit, Nolan’s version of the Batman saga just may carry the same weight as some pretty lofty crime epics like Heat or the Departed – because the movie and characters are presented as authentic. The movie is presented as if all the characters are real people living in a real city that just happens to have a crazed killer on the loose and a masked vigilante who’s not always the most popular guy in town.

Another wonderful thing about Nolan’s screenplay, and the way he directed the picture, is that he didn’t over exploit the perfect villain. The Joker is in the film in just the right amounts. Every scene with the Joker really lands — while remaining creepily funny they’re extremely menacing. The balance is just perfect. It’s really hard to get that kind of creepy/funny balance in a comic book movie (look at Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s Batman).

This is truly an ensemble piece. Even Christian Bale has roughly the same amount of screen time playing Bruce Wayne and Batman as Aaron Eckhart does playing Harvey Dent. Every single actor has his or her moment — and none of the performances are flashy. Actually there’s only one flashy performance, and it’s the right performance.

This is one block buster with both brains and class. It’s a superhero movie that works equally well for both superhero geeks and those who aren’t. It’s the fastest two and half hour movie that I’ve seen in a long time. At no point was I checking my watch and thinking, “c’mon, I gotta get goin’.” This movie zips along.

Don’t misunderstand me, we’re talking about a pulp flick here; but it’s elevated to the absolute highest level of filmmaking craftsmanship. So why not enjoy the film on those terms?

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Recommendations: The Godfather (1972), Schindler's List (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994)

Joshua Flaugher

The Dark Night

The Dark Night is a 2008 film which is based on the DC Comics directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan. The film is a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role.

The Dark Night focuces on Batman's fight against villain, the Joker and his relationships with police lieutenant James Gordon, district attorney Harvey Dent and his old friend and love interest, assistant D.A Rachel Dawes.

One year passed after taking out Ra's Ghul's plan to have Gotham eliminated and the mysterious disappearance of DR. Jonathan Crane AKA the Scarecrow, and after the was nearly plundered with his toxins, Bruce Wayne AKA Batman continue the seemingly endless effort to bring order to Gotham, with the help of Lt. James Gordon and newly appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent. But new threat has now emerged into the street and the Dark Night faces a rising psychopathic criminal called The Joker. Most of the scenes is running and fighting with Joker.

Movie Review : The Dark Night

I rate this movie 10/10. I really like the the movie more than I liked the Iron Man film. From start until the end of the film it is full of action and suspense. Joker is really hard to catch. The Dark Knight manages to exceed expectation with a villain so maniacal, his desire for destruction begins to make sense to the point you understand his desire for all out anarchy while you are cheering for the opposition in a war that basically boils down to one side against individual terrorism. The film presents a character so destructive and without a care for those landing in his path of decimation that you are left to your own devices. Love him. Hate him. Hate to love him or love to hate him, director Christopher Nolan has guided an actor into a dark realm not often realized. The Joker finds his place alongside villains that go by the name of Hannibal, Scarface and John Doe himself.

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http://www.favorite-movie-review.blogspot.com

Last updated: 2010-03-19 13:24:00 by FadingMemory

The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

***½USA

Christopher Nolan delivers another solemn, bloated Batman spectacle in a trendy haze of profundity. Thanks to Heath Ledger's hypnotic, maniacal Joker however, the sense of perpetually lurking evil is stronger than at any point in the franchise since Tim Burton bailed. So the film maintains its pull even though: Christian Bale looks constipated throughout (and when the mask comes on, he also sounds it); the fights are not visceral, or impressionistic, or anything other than a mess; and the epic, convoluted climax is beyond silly.

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Last updated: 2010-03-19 13:21:37 by FadingMemory

The Dark Knight (2008)

BATMAN BEGINS was an amazing reboot of the franchise Tim Burton started and Joel Schumacher destroyed.  But it seems that film has been erased off people’s memories the second THE DARK KNIGHT premiered.  Buoyed by the buzz surrounding Heath Ledger’s Joker take (and sadly, his passing) the film broke records the world over because it was the perfect balance of popcorn action, and brainy sociopolitical commentary worthy of award recognition.  It was the rare movie that appealed to people who like both: dumb and smart summer fare, from kids to senior citizens.  Some now say it’s overrated, but almost a year and a half later, THE DARK KNIGHT remains the granddaddy of superhero films.

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the dark knight

The Dark Knight.

It might not be the best movie ever made, but it is certainly the best movie I can remember seeing for myself.

I went to see it Saturday at the IMAX which was of course sold out.  When I got to the ticket booth, I asked the guy if there wasn’t one single seat left in the IMAX.  He said no sir, I’m sorry.

So I bought a ticket for the regular showing.  But being the sneaky guy I am, I walked into the IMAX theater just to see for myself.  At the IMAX you purchase numbered seats and they have ushers in there to help seat you.  Just so happens as I walked in, the usher on my side was helping someone to their seat up in the middle of the theater leaving the first row unguarded.  And there has a sparkly, golden seat calling my name.

Ha ha, suckers.

I didn’t feel safe until the lights went down though.  The theater was packed.  And there probably wasn’t a single empty seat.  I am lucky I didn’t get busted.

Needless to say, I was blown away.  Awesome is the only word that came to mind as I was walking out of the theater into the blinding sunlight of a humid July day in Louisville, Kentucky.

It was so good, I went to see it again the next day.  Just to make sure it was truly as bad ass as I thought it was.

It is.

It would have been nice to see all the same people reprise their roles from Batman Begins, but apparently Mrs. Tom Cruise didn’t think.  That’s it, she just didn’t think.  How can you not get back in this film?  Just one more reason I hate Tom Cruise.  I’m sure it’s his fault.

But that’s okay, Maggie Gyllenhaal looks like her a little bit and acted just like her, really.  I don’t know if she was intentionally trying to be Katie Holmes but she was dead on.  Speech patterns and all.  She’s just not quite as cute as Katie. 

Screw you Tom Cruise.

This thing was as good if not better the second time I saw it.  I’ll probably see it a third time.  I think it’s easily going to make more money than any movie in history; certainly it will make more money than any other movie this year.  And I know that’s not what gets you Academy Awards, but I’m starting to think they need to take box office draw into consideration.  I mean, gas is four bucks a gallon and it is at least six bucks for a matinee most places.  And if people are forking out that kind of bread two and three times to see the same movie, that means it’s pretty damn good.

The Guardian reports opening weekend ticket sales near $200 million. http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2291950,00.html

That’s a lot of bread.

Go see this movie.  It is a definite full price, as soon as it comes out on DVD purchase. 

I give this film eleven dead Joel Shumachers out of ten dead Joel Shumachers. Because Joel Shumacher should be buried under alive under the used ticket stubs of this film for what he did the Batman franchise with Batman Forever.  What a douche.

Oh, Heath Ledger’s Joker is off the charts frightening and hilarious.  Often times in the same scene.  In both screenings I saw this weekend, the audience reacted to his Joker like I have never seen in any other film.  Ever.  They laughed with him one moment and where scared to silence the next.

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Cal Reed

The Dark Knight

Basic Premise:

Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne and Batman in this sequel to Batman Begins. A new criminal has joined the ranks of Gotham City's scum and he's unlike any bad guy ever faced before. The clock is ticking and Batman is forced to find just how far he'll actually go.

**Sidenote:

You don't need to see Batman: Gotham Knight (the new animated movie) to understand this movie. Only two of the "episodes" actually even relate to the movie and they aren't that important. I'll do a more extensive review about that at a later date.


Review:

Best movie of the summer!

Until I saw Dark Knight this morning (I went to the first showing at 9am), Iron Man was my "best movie of the summer" pick. It was the movie I went to see twice (once was free... I think I mentioned that). I'm willing to pay to seeDark Knight again and again. Maybe even a fourth time.

This is a sequel that outdoes the original rather than doing it justice. I can't gush enough about it but I will put my enthusiasm on hold for just about for a PSA type thing. This movie is violent both physically and psychologically.

What do I mean by "psychologically"? It's a human nature type movie. It deals with psychological warfare in the basest sense of the phrase. This movie will not be for everyone. For people who like a good mind f*ck (like me), this was the best movie ever.

If your kids are highly impressionable or sensitive, you shouldn't take them to see it. This movie is far flung from the Batman in the cartoons or even the Batman in the first movie. This is Batman if Batman actually existed. There is no candy-coating and no apologies.

After seeing this movie, I'm even more sorry that Heath Ledger is dead. The man was a great actor and had amazing range. I can see why this movie messed him up so badly since it's so different from the other things he'd done before. I didn't think I'd like him as the Joker, but he did the role justice.

Last but not least, and without giving anything away, my favorite part of the whole movie was the bit with the tractor-trailer (eighteen wheeler). *nod nod*

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Recommendations: Star Trek (2009), Avatar, 300

D. Renee Bagby<br />
Building New Realms of Passion<br />
http://dreneebagby.com

The Dark Knight

Every now and then, there will come films that redefine cinematic experience. The reason movies are what they are now compared to movies in the past are because of these films. The Dark Knight is possibly the first since a long time. Sorry if I sound so serious cause it's just...OMG I seriously can't believe this film!



Storytelling brilliance doesn't get any better than this. First let me talk about the film quality. 6 scenes were shot in IMAX. If you don't know what that is, IMAX is the highest resolution of video any movie can achieve at this present time. So just imagine that much adrenaline rush jumping out in giant images from the screen.



Second is the story. The movie does run a bit long (2 hrs 30mins) and in that time, every possible lead character (even the small leads) gets broken down and stripped to bare wood in the movie. That's the difference between Dark Knight and Spider-Man 3. Spiddey had just as much characters as The Dark Knight. But they looked like they were there just for the sake of being there.



In The Dark Knight, every character's sub-story was utilized to create the master story and it all flowed so smoothly towards the end when all the character's stories combine into one heartbreaking finale. Seriously, how does Christopher Nolan even think up something so genius. But of course we have to remember that this is the guy who directed Momento, Insomnia, and The Prestige. This guy is just incapable of making a bad movie (you hear that Freidberg and Seltzer? Learn from this guy)



The Joker. I think we all have already heard how great Heath was in the movie and let me just say I really really want him to get an Oscar. Not because he's dead but because it's deserving. At times you just forget that that was Heath Ledger even after all that buzz and hype that surrounded him and The Joker. You don't even remember how he looks like anymore when you watch The Joker. He simply disappeared in the role. Heath almost makes Jack Nicholson's Joker look pathetic. He plays The Joker so devilishly and twisted. This guy isn't that flamboyant clown we see in the cartoon Batmans. This guy is sick.



He doesn't exactly kill people. He simply puts them in psychological situations where they have to kill each other to survive......and just sits back and enjoy himself. Testing people's morality and sanity. Most of the time in the movie, you really worry for the safety of the main characters. That's how crazy Heath Ledger's performance was.



Sometime for people like me, we see good performances and say" Hmm thats good acting" and start analyzing their overall character and shit. I know..I have no life. But when I watched Dark Knight..GAWD I didn't even have time to do all that because Heath Ledger just hooks you in and puts you through psychological hell. At times you'll say "Oh My God Heath Ledger I love you but please....Batman just kill him, I can't take it anymore."



Harvey Dent is second best performance in the movie. You really like this guy. And it's hard to like him because we all know he's gonna become Two Face and he's the guy f*cking Batman's girlfriend. Harvey Dent is suppose to be a bitch. But Aaron Eckhart plays him so innocently and so upright that you just can't help but love this character. At one point, I didn't want Harvey to become Two Face, which makes it even more heartbreaking when he does. It hits you on a more emotional level because you become attached to him. It's like witnessing a loved one's death on screen. Seriously Chris Nolan puts you through psycho hell in the movie.



Christian Bale was okay. You don't really care much about him. You just wanna see more of The Joker and Harvey Dent. I didn't feel like I was watching a Batman movie in there. I felt like I was watching some very twisted shit Criminal Minds episode that happens to have Batman as the main character.



Best of all what, I like most of this movie was that from the success of the first Batman, they could have done what Disney keeps doing and make a junk sequel because they know people will still watch it. The people behind this film really took the time, respected the expectations of the fans, respected the franchise and went out and made art. The Dark Knight was art. No question. Saying that this was the best 2008 summer blockbuster is really an understatement at this point. It's Best Picture of the year. My new favorite movie of all time.

RATING: 10/10

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NicholasC

The Dark Knight

Come back Adam West, all is forgiven! Though I doubt TV’s Batmanwould find much of a home in the new, brutal, unrelenting Batmanmovie, The Dark Knight. Perhaps he could be beaten to death as a pretext for another set-piece, but beyond that – No. The Dark Knight is not a movie that would welcome West, Burt Ward, or anything fun. I know I’m going against the grain – against doctrine – to say I didn’t like The Dark Knight, but this movie is to summer what a chain-saw is to a daisy-chain. The idea that its primary audience is children and young teenagers (it carries a PG-13 rating in America and a 12 rating in Britain) is pretty bloody depressing.

The movie begins with a brilliantly staged robbery, in the style of Michael Mann’s Heat. The Joker (Batman’s nemesis) leads the raid, and one-by-one he systematically executes his fellow thieves, until he escapes, in a school bus. We are led to infer that life in Gotham City is getting worse. Batman’s heroics have inspired a new breed of criminals. His good intentions (get ready with your Iraq parallels) have gone awry and The Joker is the end result. Fuelled by madness, sadism and a need to one-up Jack Nicholson, The Joker spreads chaos across Gotham; daring Batman, not to face him, but to kill him. It’s a bit like Heart of Darkness, if Kurtz wore clown makeup.

Now ok – I was harsh with that first paragraph. Am I saying the movie isn’t well-made? No. Am I saying it isn’t well-acted? No. My only caveat – and maybe it is subjective – but: is this movie suitable for the kids who are going to want to see it? No. Face facts: this is a Batman movie. It’s based on a comic. There are toys to be sold. I’m not saying allmovie violence should be censored, or even that comic-book movies can’t encompass adult themes, but comic-book movies do have some responsibility not to ape The Silence of the Lambs. There’s a passage in the Julia Phillips’ memoir You’ll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again, where she wrote that the first Batman movie was “more corrupt than dark”. And that’s The Dark Knight, to me: a relentlessly grim, cruel, wanton trawl through the underworld. More the sort of thing David Fincher thrives on than anything escapist or exciting in a conventional (old-fashioned?) sense.

As Batman, Christian Bale is angry, threatening – like he’s been in his bat-suit too long. He’s a hero the way Charles Bronson played heroes; the kind of man who wins with a frown. His romance with Maggie Gyllenhaal is only really convincing on her side – we don’t really buy that Batman would have a sex life, unless it involved Gyllenhaal whipping him and beat-cops looking on. Heath Ledger’s Joker is (believe the hype) one helluva show, but he’s also the main problem with the movie. He doesn’t play the Joker as a cackling movie villain, he plays him as a man who likes to cut people with knives – the kind whodo exist – and he will give pre-teens nightmares for weeks. Aaron Eckhart (as the crusading D.A.) looks dashing and handsome – for a while. But The Dark Knight is a movie hell-bent on wrecking beauty (just look at the way they light Gyllenhaal). In the end, everyone is pulled, howling, down down down.

When Batman came out people wondered if it was too dark. WhenBatman Returns came out people screamed it was too dark. But both those movies were kitschy compared with The Dark Knight. These early forerunners might have dabbled with dark themes, but always in that Tim Burton, Halloween-and-lollipops style; death dressed in tinsel. The Dark Knight is a bleak thriller that features silly costumes. Its atmosphere is menacing, designed to rough you up. If this is the kind of movie that summer blockbusters are made of: who are we? It used to be we wanted escapism from summer movies (think of Superman,Raiders of the Lost Ark). Now we want to be terrorised.

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The Dark Knight

This is the best super hero movie since "Superman II" and it is so much more than that. Take away Batman and Joker and you have a film noir classic that could have been made in the grand Hollywood age of the 40's. This is what big blockbuster, commercial film making is all about. This is such a dark movie with a screenplay that tackles vigilantism, moral decisions of right and wrong and it is so beautiful to look at! Chicago has never looked this awesome and this movie proves how amazing our city is with it's architecture and beauty. You also have outstanding action sequences that are spellbinding! The chase down LaSalle street with trucks, cars and the batmobile is one of the best chase sequences ever. The movie looks glorious in Imax and I actually felt queasy as the camera swoops down tall buildings and through the city. Of course one of the great pleasures of this movie is the performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. He creates something unique and twisted and actually makes you feel a twinge of sympathy for him. What really makes him different than Batman is one of the issues brought up. Heath Ledger has given us the best super hero villain ever on screen so far. Also strong is Aaron Eckhart who also gives an Oscar caliber performance. This is more of a complicated story than I thought with many layers and I loved it! This is actually a super hero movie about something. I have seen this movie many times and it still holds up so I know I haven't over rated this. I am just tired of The Mummy movies, the weak super hero movies like "X Men", the recent Superman and movies like "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe". This movie is a breath of fresh air and it reminded me when summer blockbusters were cool, exciting and larger than life. Movies like "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Star Wars", "Close Encounters" and "E.T." don't get made anymore. It is all about lifeless dreck and CGI effects and no characters to really embrace. Technology has ruined our storytelling anbition and "The Dark Knight" still proves there is life left.

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Vincent Snavely

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: The follow-up to “Batman Begins”, THE DARK KNIGHT reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organised crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective. But soon the three find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Heath Ledger stars as the archvillain The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart plays Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as Rachel Dawes. Returning from “Batman Begins” are Gary Oldman as Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

FILM REVIEW: “The Dark Knight” is one of those exceptional films that makes you believe in the full realisation of the magic that can Hollywood deliver on the silver screen. With a few very minor caveats, this film is perfect. It has powerful storytelling, rich characterisation, strong drama and thrills, sensational sequences, all rolled in to a big budget Hollywood entertainment (and all for under a $200 million budget I might add!). It’s hard to believe that such a description would be levelled at a film based on a comic book, and especially one that is as dark thematically as this one is. This is not a film based on smiles, sunshine and pretty rainbows like most Hollywood blockbusters are. This is a gritty, some times harsh crime saga where there are no real happy endings, and in that respect, its success, both critically and commercially, makes for an amazing piece of cinematic history.
Batman has ventured on to the big screen several times before, most recently in the excellent “Batman Begins”, also directed by Christopher Nolan. With that film and “The Dark Knight”, Nolan has effectively made the best Batman films ever. It’s hard to see how it could get any better than this; unless of course Nolan makes a third Batman film, in which case, he has the potential to make one of the best trilogies in cinematic history. All of this is due to Nolan’s strict adherence to the rich source material that made Batman such a memorable character in popular culture. Using that as a basis, Nolan and his team have created something truly memorable, and a film that can be watched countless times without losing the dramatic impact it conveys to you every time you watch it.
This film starts tonally where “Batman Begins” left off on the idea of escalation. In attempting to rid Gotham of its seedy underbelly of criminals, billionaire Bruce Wayne, in creating Batman, has raised the stakes. On the one hand, he has become a symbol of hope that people do not have to be afraid when they walk the streets. However, things are not all as they seem; having launched an assault on the criminal underworld, Batman inadvertently lays the groundwork for the emergence of the supervillain, The Joker. Not bound by any rules, The Joker seeks to bring chaos to order, and to show how pathetic and hypocritical the civilised people of Gotham are. With the Joker causing mayhem and destruction, Batman suddenly finds himself fighting an adversary who is not intimidated by him, beginning a heated battle where the soul of Gotham City is at stake.
“The Dark Knight” is complex, rich and satisfying. Much attention has been paid by Nolan and his screenwriters of ensuring that all aspects of the film come back to the major themes of hero versus villain within the context of escalation. As a result, the film delves in to those darker areas of the human psyche and dares to explore themes of how good people can turn bad if the circumstances are right. The Joker, as played so boldly and memorably by the late Heath Ledger, is the ultimate representation of escalation. Batman, played with an insatiable intensity by Christian Bale, finds himself pushed to the limit. In one crucial interrogation scene, Batman gets very rough with the Joker, but with no effect, as the Joker keeps laughing in his face, taunting him to cross the line. In that one scene, we see the look of desperation in Batman’s eyes as he realises he has no power to control this homicidal maniac. It is in that creation of heightened drama that this film excels. Batman now has an equal, and he has to re-evaluate how to handle the Joker if he has any hope of defeating him.
Heath Ledger is absolutely brilliant in this film. He has created a villain in the Joker that easily rivals such impressive screen villains such as Hannibal Lecter. He electrifies the screen every time he appears, creating a character that is impossible not to keep watching, or to forget.
The Joker however, is not the only drawcard in this film. Aaron Eckhart plays Harvey Dent, who later becomes the villain Two-Face. His character has the most tragic narrative in the story, as his turn from Gotham’s White Knight in to the villainous Two-Face is a result of the Joker’s insane, but brilliant schemes to prove that even the best of people can be turned to bad. Much attention has been given to Heath Ledger’s performance, but Eckhart deserves just as much praise as his creation of Harvey Dent/Two-Face is just as memorable.
The remainder of the cast are first rate, and they are afforded some great moments and through-lines in the plot. Gary Oldman does well as the straight-main Lt. Gordon. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman add much weight in their supporting roles as Alfred and Fox respectively.
Despite all these powerhouse performances, director Nolan does what Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher failed to do before him by creating a film where such performances do not overwhelm the film itself. The story contains layer after layer of intertwined complexity which completely envelope you as a viewer, leaving you on the edge of your seat all the way through its two and a half hour running time. The film itself is its strongest asset, not any individual component (eg like Jack Nicholson’s take on the Joker in Tim Burton’s “Batman”). The film has many spectacular set-pieces, and manages to go on location much more than its predecessor, including some great scenes in Hong Kong. “The Dark Knight” did not have a budget as high as some other blockbusters, but it somehow feels as if every cent that was spent on the production actually found its way on to the screen. On this point alone, the film deserves much praise.
The only real issue I had with the film was that Two-Face dies at the end of the film. From a narrative point of view, it has to happen, but it’s a shame this character does not have a chance to continue in to the future as his development and execution is quite fascinating in this film. I felt that one of the major mistakes in the Burton/Schumacher Batman films was the idea of killing off the villains. Nolan chose right not to kill the Joker, but it’s a shame Two-Face did not make it, even though it makes sense.
“The Dark Knight” is as close to perfect a film as you’re going to get. Get it out now on DVD and prepare to be thrilled!

TECHNICAL REVIEW: Given the high profile nature of this film you would expect nothing short of perfection for the transfer and we are not disappointed. The visuals are stunning, sharp, clear and clean with great use of colour. The soundtrack thunders out of the home theatre system, and provides stunning detail, even in the quieter character moments. Overall, this is how films should be transferred to DVD.

EXTRAS REVIEW: The extras package is somewhat disappointing. The film is a masterpiece and it would have been great to see documentaries exploring what went in to the making of the film, but aside from a number of featurettes totally an hour in length which go through the laborious process of explaining the technical aspects of the production, there is nothing here that talks about the inspiration for the film, director’s commentary on the story and themes, or even a tribute to the late Heath Ledger. The technical featurettes are okay, but they are a little dry and basically don’t really offer anything we haven’t seen before in technical featurettes, with the only two exceptions being the sections on IMAX filming and interviews with composer Hans Zimmer as he created the Joker theme. Rounding out the extras include a series of news segments shot for the film but not used, all the IMAX sequences transferred in the original IMAX aspect ratio (but not all that interesting given you cannot get the IMAX effect on a DVD), all the trailers made for the film and a series of photo galleries which include concept and poster art, and production stills. Overall, there’s enough to keep you watching for a while but nothing here gives you a strong insight in the film which is disappointing given the artistic and commercial success this film had and the interest of the cinematic public to know more about the detailed origins of the film and its execution.

BOTTOM LINE: Buy it now.

FILM RATING: 9.5/10 -- EXTRAS RATING: 6.5/10 -- OVERALL DVD RATING: 8/10 

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Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Last updated: 2010-02-20 15:30:38 by todd_murphy

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

BOTTOM LINE: "The Dark Knight" is nothing short of brilliant. It elevates the comic book movie to a level that matches any serious Oscar-winning film, has deep thematic story and structure which will actually engage your brain, and has some of the most stellar performances you're likely to see, beginning with Heath Ledger's unforgettable and sinister turn as the Joker which manages to out-do even the great Jack Nicholson.

THE GOOD: I’m ready to say that this is without a doubt the best Hollywood film of the year. When they finally get it right, that’s when you feel the magic of the cinema. This film delivers as an entertainment, as a spectacle, and most importantly, as a strong story with haunting, deeply dramatic themes and masterful, chilling performances. Batman Begins was already a fantastic film, but somehow, director Christopher Nolan has upped the ante and managed to deliver a film that is better in every department, and it’s not all smiles and sunshine as most warm and fuzzy Hollywood blockbusters tend to be. This is a dark, brooding film where not everything turns out well, including Batman himself who discovers that by becoming a dark, symbolic vigilante to stomp out crime in Gotham City that he may in fact be making matters worse. This deterioration in law and order is personified in the rise of the Joker, played with such a chilling, gleeful menace by Heath Ledger that you’ll feel your hairs stand up on end every time he appears. He’s nasty, funny and mad; he doesn’t want money or power. He’s a total anarchist who wants to show the people of Gotham City how black they really are. He says to Batman, “when the chips are down, these so called civilised people will eat each other!” What makes the Joker work so well is that he’s not afraid of Batman at all. In one powerful scene where Batman is interrogating the Joker and trying his best to intimidate him, the Joker responds by laughing in Batman’s face the more he attacks him, and trying to push Batman to cross the line; there are moments where you can see hints of desperation in Batman when he realises that there’s nothing he can do to break this mad clown. Therein lies the crux of what makes this film great; the Joker is powerful enough to stand up to Batman (getting the upper hand in some cases), and the Joker continually throws impossible moral and ethical choices at Batman for his own amusement. Each of these choices ends in a bad place for Batman, particularly in the case of Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent (played brilliantly arrogant by Aaron Eckhart) who transforms in to Two-Face after one of the Joker’s pranks burns half of his face and kills the love of his life, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). This is a film I would recommend seeing more than once because there’s so much going on that you’ll appreciate more the second time around. Aside from Heath Ledger’s spectacular performance as the Joker which has far more depth, range and chills than Nicholson’s performance as the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman (no small feat that!), Christian Bale is once again excellent as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, particularly in the latter with his dark, voice from hell interpretation of the character. Batman, as played by Bale, is darker and more sinister this time around, but he’s still the central character despite the emergence of the Joker in the story. Aaron Eckhart is wonderful as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and in many ways delivers a performance that is just as strong and chilling as Ledger’s, although it may not get as much attention. Gary Oldman shines as the newly promoted Commissioner Gordon and is the only real ‘good’ guy in the film who along with Batman is trying to reign in Gotham’s criminal hierarchy. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are great in their respective roles of Lucius Fox and Alfred Pennyworth in assisting Bruce Wayne to be Batman. There’s also a delicious sub-plot where an employee of Wayne Enterprises discovers that Bruce Wayne is Batman and tries to blackmail him over it. Fox replies to him, “let me get this straight, you want to blackmail someone who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands? Good luck!”. This is a film that delivers on all of its promise and more; go see it now!

THE BAD: I would have given this movie 10/10 but it does have a couple of minor problems. One of the issues with the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman films is that they killed off the villains in each film (for the most part). Given that this franchise will continue unspooling indefinitely, killing off villains is not a good idea given that they could appear in future films. In Batman Begins, Liam Neeson's Ras Al Ghul was killed off at the end, but there was something very dramatic and correct about that happening given his connection to Batman/Bruce Wayne. In this film, unfortunately Two-Face gets knocked off at the end. Although it makes sense in the story, his character's dramatic realisation on screen, both visually and as played by Aaron Eckhart, makes you want more from the character in future films. In fact, he's got more screen time in this film than I ever imagined given that the Joker was the central bad guy this time around. I felt it was a shame because with all the hoopla surrounding Heath Ledger's performance, Eckhart puts in an equally effective turn as Harvey Dent/Two-Face which you could theoretically see continue. Another problem with this film was the running time. The first hour of the film felt a little long, and it's not until the Joker starts appearing more often that the film gathers pace. The film does cover a lot of thematic territory but the almost two and a half hour running time could have been tightened up a little bit. The only other problem I felt was the treatment of The Scarecrow character from Batman Begins, which is executed more as an afterthought than anything else and probably didn't even need to be in the film at all other than to establish a sense of continuity with the villains to the previous film.

RATING: 9.5/10

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Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

The Dark Knight

***NOTE! SPOILER ALERT!! This review is a huge spoiler for this film, because I talk about everything and give away a lot. So, if you haven’t seen the film, perhaps you should wait until you have seen it to read this review. lso, not proofread because I am lazy. Sincerely, Rammfan518***

I have to say that I hate international release dates. The Dark Knight was released on July 18, 2007 in the United States. The Dark Knight doesn’t come to Germany until August 21st. Um. . .no. I was going to wait to be back in the States to see it, but after learning that all my friends had seen it, I thought about watching it online on some streaming website. But when I learned that my mom, my dad, and my sister had all seen it, I had to watch it. I was always that was impossible. My parents and sister seeing a comic-book movie before me? How impossible. So, I didn’t see it on a big screen, but rather something about 5,000% times as small with and shitty, pixelated quality. I wanted to spend the money, guys, I really did, but I just could not wait.

After seeing the Dark Knight twice online, I have to say that it is AWESOME. The second time though, I really payed attention and watched closely, and my goodness, what a good film. You can just see the hard work on the screen! Let me talk about the cool parts.

Heath Ledger. My goodness. I heard all the oscar buzz and how his performance was amazing, but I wasn’t going to make a descision until I saw the performance for myself. And here is what I have to say: One of the best villain roles ever. Ever. And an excellent performance as well. I was watching this character and saying ”Is this really that teenage knight guy from ‘A Knight’s Tale?”’ I just could not believe the performance. Mr. Ledger conveyed a character that was truly sick and sinister. I think it would be weird to see behind the scenes featurettes with Heath Ledger, full make-up and clothes, just talking regular and standing around. Right now, I can’t imagine it. When I see the Joker, I instantly think about the strange existence and mind that is the Joker, nothing else.

The scene that really had me sitting back in my seat was the one where the Joker’s video is shown on the news. ”Are you the real Batman?” teases the Joker, laughing maniacally. This little scharade is sick enough, but then when he yells ”Look at me!!” to his freightened prisoner, I couldn’t help but be blown away. Oh yea, he’s a viallin and he is laughing crazily like many other villains. But not most villains can make me open my eyes and think ”Holy fuck, this guy is fucking crazy and means buisness.” Wow, still thinking about that performance.

The other roles were equally as well, and should not be ignored. Cristian Bale was awesome again as Batman, Michael Cane seemed a bit cooler in this one, and Morgan Freeman was as cool as ever. Maggie Gyllenhaal was a great replacement for Katie Holmes. In fact, I think she is better. She is definetly cuter, that’s for sure. And how could I not meantion Aaron Eckhart, who plays Gotham’s new DA Harvey Dent, as well as the viallian Two-Face. Gary Oldman is an excellent actor. Lt. James Gordon is now one of my favorite movie characters. Especially with those galsses and that ’stash. w00t! Great performances by everyone, I say.

The technical side is just as good. The editing was excellent, the directing a thing of mastery. But I was most impressed with the score. What a great musical experience! Music runs through the whole movie, setting the tone for the film in an amzing way. I scene in particular I can think of is the scene where Batman is beating up Joker in the interoggation room and the Joker is just rolling around laughing. Crazy good stuff.

I didn’t really have any probelms with it. I just thought Batman’s voice was funny. Christian Bale goes around , talking in his regular voice, but when he turns into Batman he sounds like he’s been smoking for 30 years. Haha.

But, here is the rundown:
script – excellent
the acting – great and unforgettable
directing – well done
music- awesome
editing- perfect
movie- 10/10 for sure. for sure.

Good work everyone. You have made something that will never be forgotten. Good, good work.

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Recommendations: (500) Days Of Summer (Marc Webb, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-01-18 14:48:39 by rammfan518

The Dark Knight

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Last updated: 2010-01-17 22:30:32 by malikaziz

The Dark Knight

To read my article on themes of heroism in The Dark Knight, head on over to sister site Memory Wave Transmission.

I'll be honest with everyone - I've never seen Batman Begins. Truth be told, I was not interested in it when it came out, because I thought it looked corny and there had already been too many Batman movies. But when 2008 rolled around and I saw the trailer for The Dark Knight before Get Smart, I was pumped. It looked like a total headrush, a dark and violent Batman that had never been before. It mimicked the original paths of the comics, and Heath Ledger looked like a man who would burn in Hell as the Joker. So I knew I had to see this movie, preferably on the big screen.

**I want to stress that it is much better to see the movie, rather than reading a synopsis. With this said, I will only go into a limited plot outline, to save the uninitiated viewer from any spoilers.**

The Dark Knight continues from Batman Begins, with Batman Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) duking with evil again. Yet a new villain has made himself known, with unwarranted murders and bank heists. This is the Joker (Heath Ledger), a make-up clad man with deep scars on both sides of his mouth and plenty of tricks (and stories) up his sleeve. As Batman fails to stop the Joker numerous times, the Joker resorts to kidnapping Bruce Wayne's love interest Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her boyfriend and Gotham City's new crime-fighting DA, Harvey (Aaron Eckhart). The Joker wants to draw Batman out, to get to the real alias of who Batman is - to have Batman take off his mask. But as time runs out on Batman's ability to catch the Joker without having to kill him, and without society turning into mindless criminals trying to kill each other off before the Joker kills them all, Batman contemplates putting an end to the Joker. And to make matters worse, the Joker creates another monstrous villain that Batman has to try and battle. I'll leave you with a quote from Alfred (Michael Caine), when asked how he had caught a bandit who had been stealing diamonds in Burma:

"We burned the forest down."

So you can tell that The Dark Knight has a pretty intelligent plot, but how does the actual movie stack up? Let me say that it's the best Batman movie ever made, hands down, and it blows all other Batman movies way out of the water. But you want specifics.

Director Christopher Nolan really knows how to shake a viewer around. His quick cuts during scenes leave the viewer barely hanging on from one shot to the next. This is a good thing, because none of what we see gets so boring or tedious that we zone out for a while. It's also a good way to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, because the way that we zoom around from one action sequence involving Batman to a sequence that occurs the next day leaves the audience wondering what happened that we didn't see. It doesn't allow us to really contemplate what comes next, because we're so absorbed in the current predicament that we're not thinking about the next scene. The quick cuts allow twists and turns to be packed into the 2 and a half hour runtime, keeping The Dark Knight from becoming cliched.


Christian Bale, I feel, plays Bruce Wayne better than he does Batman. Batman's growl, while needed to disguise his voice, feels too exaggerated. With the gadgets that Lucius (Morgan Freeman) comes up with, Batman should be able to have a better guise than Bale's polar bear growl. Yet Bale's emotions come through, especially when Rachel is the subject at hand. But even though Batman is the main protagonist, the film doesn't feel like it's actually about Batman.

The Joker seems to be more the main subject, even from the very beginning where the camera seems to be following Ledger as one of his minions. We, as the camera, seem to be silent observers in the Joker's carnage, even focusing on him as he blows up a hospital. The Batman seems second to the Joker, as if The Dark Knight is a clinical observation of the Joker's personality and mental disorders.


Ledger's portrayal is absolutely deserving of the early cries of Oscar nominations at the time of his death. I was afraid that his death would generate too much emotional love for him instead of actually focusing on his acting ability displayed in Knight, but after seeing his work with an attempt at an unbiased reaction, I can safely say that these commendations are correct. Ledger's role is visceral, emotional, disturbing, and even comedic. Ledger brought a gamut of adjectives to the Joker's character, most of which can be lumped into one category - devilish. Ledger's laugh and his unnerving calm even during some of the Joker's darkest scenes add to how depressing and black the atmospher of The Dark Knight really is.

The Dark Knight hits on so many themes of violence and paranoia, desperation and love, that it's hard to discuss in one review. However, The Dark Knight really pours on the darkness towards mankind. The violence the Joker creates with his hands, his misanthropic worldview, and his uncaring attitude towards anything besides committing arson on the whole world are chilling, and the script has many spine-tingling lines which go right to the core of the human soul. One of my favorite motifs that Knight touches on is the dilemma - the meaning - of what being a hero is. Everyone wants to be the hero - everything needs a hero, and what if there isn't one? What if Batman is just a do-good criminal? What does that do to society? Does it tear it down, or build a new hero? Can there be an innocent hero, or is that just naivete?

Also, much of what many people want to know is about the action. The Dark Knight is not full of fist- and gunfights, but when they happen, it's really hard to miss. Some are over-the-top, like a chase sequence in which Batman motors his Batmobile in front of an oncoming bazooka shot, or an exploding hospital that, from sky-level, looks like a gas station went up in one of your Hot Wheels toy models.

Others are pretty impressive, especially when Batman wrangles in Rachel while falling from a building. But all in all, The Dark Knight left me feeling like jumping down the escalator and beating up a masked guy stealing an old lady's purse, then jumping down the elevator shaft, rolling over my car, and then stopping to get coffee while battling armed robbers at the local Starbucks. That's pretty damn impressive.

If you're looking for a nice superhero movie to take the kids to, you might want to settle for the flop that is Spiderman 3. If you want a really dark, daring, fast-moving action-packed ride, with lots of thought involved, The Dark Knight is for you. It's Heath Ledger's final complete movie, and one of his best. This film's Joker may go down as the best in history - and you want to skip it to go see Mamma Mia!? Put this on your list of movies to see - Alfred and Bruce Wayne will be waiting to put you in your place if you don't. And Batman ain't too happy anymore.

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The Dark Knight

Ok, who else haven't seen this film? After all the hype and buzz around the film, is it really an exceptional film?

To start with, this is not a film for children, unlike the previous Batman films of the past. It deals with deep moral and political issues that may seem taboo in a superhero flick. They transformed Batman from everyone's favourite hero into a dark and mysterious crusader, who is imperfect, and torn between the definition of justice or vigilante. It may also have been patterned after Frank Miller’s take of Batman in the 90’s.

As much as the billions of dollars it has earned and will continue to earn with release of the DVD, I seem to think that the movie may have been overrated; a bit, I might add. True the acting is top-notched, special effects are aplenty, but I think what I missed is the touch of humour and a coherent and simple plot. The story dragged on and on, when it should have ended a few minutes earlier. However, I must give credit to the writers for the unpredictable plot and awesome dialogue.Batman: The Dark Knight is one of those movies where you can only watch it once. I think that is the reason it will not overtake Titanic in terms of ticket sales. In addition, much of Titanic's success came from international ticket sales, something the Dark Knight's complex plot cannot bank on.

Batman became a very profitable franchise for director Christopher Nolan and the next Batman is now getting the buzz. There are rumours that Johnny Depp will play the villain Riddler (previously played by funny man Jim Carrey) and Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman will play the villain Penguin (previously played by Danny DeVito). However, they might go the other way and pick a villain that has not appeared in the Batman movies of the past. Funny though that the villains are getting more buzz than Batman, the title character.
I give this movie, 7 stars out of 10.
Verdict: Will prefer Iron Man over the Dark Knight anytime of the day but you still need to watch it in a movie house, just for the heck of it.

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Last updated: 2009-08-16 11:51:12 by edthehead

The Dark Knight

Up to this point, the summer of 2008 has been the summer of great comic book movies. The Incredible Hulk and Hellboy were both great fun, and Iron Man brought us the best superhero movie since Batman Begins. Well I hope Iron Man enjoyed it's time on top, because The Dark Knight has come and left every single one of those films in the dust. I'm somewhat afraid that with this review I will be unable to fully convey how spectacular this movie was. Christian Bale, a man that has time and again proved himself to be an amazing actor (American Psycho, The Prestige, 3:10 To Yuma) returns as the caped crusader, who seems to have fallen out of favor with the public. Ever since he has began patrolling the streets of Gotham, the crime rate has soared, and a new breed of criminal seems to have been born. Batman, who cannot fight injustice alone, takes up support of new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Dent has become a beacon of light for Gotham, vowing to be a "white knight" and make the street's safe again. His campaign could not come soon enough, as a new villain emerges from the depths of Gotham to play games with its inhabitants. This individual is The Joker (Heath Ledger), a man who simply came from nowhere to challenge Batman to see how far he was willing to go to stop a madman. At every turn, The Joker makes another move that is completely unexpected and always catastrophic. Unconcerned about what happens to him, this green and purple freak will do anything to cause chaos, and to push Batman to his limits to see how moral of a hero he really is. While Batman has his own set of problems, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne must deal with the fact that he has lost the love of his life Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) to the very man he is supporting, Harvey Dent. The Dark Knight is not only the best superhero movie ever made, but one of the best crime dramas ever put on film, and should be considered for a Best Picture Oscar.

Everything works in The Dark Knight. There is not a single weak link in the chain. Christopher Nolan, the man behind one of my personal favorite films Memento, does an outstanding job of handling this material. He has created a city that has descended into disorder and desperation. Gotham is unforgiving and the people that dwell there are just as harsh. They would have to be in order to survive. Even though this city has fallen to corruption and crime, Nolan does a tasteful job of not exploiting that fact to a point beyond where anybody can appreciate it. His focus lies on the conflicts of Bruce Wayne and the rise of the evil Joker. He presents us with the question of how far should anybody be willing to go to protect what they believe is right. Nolan also accomplishes the feat of tackling multiple storylines without becoming jumbled and confusing. The movie slides easily from scene to scene, changing directions but always remaining focused. Some excellent cinematography helps to ease the viewer into each scene without jarring them, but also without dragging them in kicking and screaming. The action in The Dark Knight is without a doubt heart racing, adrenaline pumping fun that doesn't get too bogged down in its scale. Although not without its share of CGI, Nolan only uses it whenever is absolutely necessary and doesn't turn this epic crime drama into a third rate superhero flick. That's right, I don't even consider this film a superhero film. It packs the punch of an excellent action film, but also is an enthralling exploration of the unending battle between good and evil, right and wrong. Nolan is at the top of his game with The Dark Knight, as he somehow manages to surpass his masterpiece Memento. I guess that would make The Dark Knight a....super masterpiece?

Direction alone cannot make a movie brilliant, though. One needs a cast that can take a script and turn it into a something real. In other words, take a fictional story but make the audience believe it's true. To say the all star cast of The Dark Knight did that would be an understatement. Christian Bale is the most intimidating Batman and the most arrogant Bruce Wayne in the history of the franchise. His struggles and battles that he must face as both Wayne and Batman are all exemplified perfectly, bringing the viewer into his head to feel exactly what he feels. His struggle to maintain composure in the face of the insane Joker shows us all that everyone has a breaking point, even people masquerading as a bat. Bale's versatility as an actor really permeates through to the audience in every movie he does. You can also feel Bruce's heartache as he loses Rachel to Harvey. Aaron Eckhart gives a top notch performance as righteous Harvey Dent, the man who wants to clean up Gotham without wearing a mask. As Dent, Eckhart is a delight to watch as he spreads his ordeals and stands up to the injustices of his city. When Dent unavoidably becomes Two-Face (that's not really a spoiler, so don't be upset), his fight for what is right becomes a flawed mission as he turns to vigilantism himself. Using the flip of a coin to decide whether someone lives or dies, Harvey "Two-Face" Dent is a depressing reminder that everyone is corruptable. Echkart's performance is definitely note-worthy, but unfortunately he will most likely be overshadowed by another performance (Hint: It's not Maggie Gyllenhaal). In Batman Begins, Rachel Dawes was played plainly and unenthusiastically by Katie Holmes. Well in The Dark Knight, since everything else was better, Holmes was swapped out for an upgrade, but not too much of an upgrade to Maggie Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal brings us a much more convincing performance as the one woman in Gotham to know Batman's true identity, and the agony that comes with that knowledge is detectable on her face. Although her character is in love with Harvey, anytime she is near Bruce you can sense desire between both parties.

But you probably don't care about Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance. Chances are if you care about this movie, there is only one person you really want to hear about. That is the late Heath Ledger, who portrays the dysfunctional Joker. Ledger has brought forth the most frightening and deranged villain since Hannibal Lector. The way he so completely became this role, creating strange mannerisms and tics, makes you believe that there is not even an actor playing this man, and that he truly exists. The paint on his face that is often a runny mess symbolizes the insanity lying beneath that face, and how utterly diabolic his mind works. Christopher Nolan does not give a backstory to the Joker either. He has no identification, his fingerprints are unique, his DNA has no matches, he has no discernible origin whatsoever. He is genuinely an entity that was born from the presence of Batman. In a few memorable scenes, the Joker explains how the scars on his face came to be, but the story changes each time. This could simply be a part of his insanity, or maybe it is a sign that not even the Joker himself can remember who he was before Batman. Ledger is absolutely phenomenal as this unprecedented character, stealing every scene that he is in. His actions and words hypnotize you so that you cannot help but be scared. It would be downright foolish to not nominate him for Best Supporting Actor. Now some people might be saying "Oh well you are just saying this because he died and it's sympathy for him that everyone is giving him this praise". Well I'll tell you right now that what happened to Heath Ledger in real life is completely irrelevant. As I watched The Dark Knight, I didn't even see Heath Ledger. I saw the Joker.
Whenever I review a film and give it a high grade, I always consider that it is just my opinion and that there are probably many people who dislike the movies that I give tens. People could find No Country For Old Men boring and I understand that. People could find A Clockwork Orange too controversial and inappropriate and I understand that. People could find The Shining too slow and I understand that. But not this film. I find it hard to believe that anybody could completely dislike The Dark Knight. Yes the movie is dark and it has a very bleak message, but Batman is a dark comic book. That is the way it should be. The way it was meant to be. Length is not an issue with this film, despite a run time of 2 and a half hours. I promise you it will fly by, and you may even want it to last longer just like I did. With not a single flaw (except maybe some improbable forensic software), I am obligated to give this film the highest rating possible. With a movie this captivating, the sad question is asked: How will they top it? My rating: (10/10)

This review is dedicated to the memory of Christopher Nowak.

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The Dark Knight

Before I begin this review, let me say that I am a Batman fan from way back and that the Joker is my favorite member of his rogues gallery.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let me say that while this is a really good film, it is overrated. I’m so tired of hearing people talk about it like its the best thing to hit the big screen since films went to color.
Christian Bale isn’t the worst Batman, but he’s not the best either. AS Bruce Wayne, he’s a total douche. This deviates fro the comic and I would be willing to be dollars to pesos he had something do with Bruce being that way on film. On top of this, what is up with the voice thing? It’s ok that he wants to give Batman and Bruce Wayne separate voices, but keep talking like that and he’ll end up pulling something. Now Bale is off to ruin the Terminator franchise.
Heath Ledger give the performance of his life. That’s quite fitting seeing as how this was his last role. There are those that have said his take on the Joker freaked them out. I don’t see how, other than the tongue thing. For me, he was just another villain. His performance is an excellent one. whether he deserves to be nominated for an Academy Award is debatable, as is his place among on-screen Jokers, but one thing for sure, he made the character his own.
Aaron Eckhart may very well have been the best and most accurate part of the entire movie. In the comic, Harvey Dent is a dashing young D.A. who gets his face scarred by acid. For the film, they changed it to him being burned. I can live with that, but what makes him most impressive is that he looks dead on like he does in the comic. It’s like they lifted him from the books and put him on the screen. No offense to Tommy Lee Jones, but Aaron Eckhart just knocked the role of Two-Face out of the ballpark.
Maggie Gyllenhaal could have been used more. I’m not saying that just becuse I’m a fan, but becuse I feel that if you’re going to change actresses, then you need to give the new cast member time to show what they’re made of. If you’re going to kill her, then keep the original actress. Still, she did a much better job as Rachel than Tom Cruise’s zombie slave, Katie Holmes.
Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine round out the cast in their supporting roles as Lucious Fox and Alfred, respectively. Both show why they’ve been in this business for as long as they have with masterful performances.
For my taste, this film was too dark and  just not entertaining. Granted it was better and kept my attention more than Batman Begins, but that’s not saying much. I think my issues with this film lie in my distaste for Christian Bale and the fact that I’m not a fan of Christopher Nolan’s vision for Batman. I know he’s dark character and all, but this was just too much.
Judging by the amount of money this film has made, there many out there that loved it. Do not count me in that number. I won’t deny that this is a pretty good picture, but it’s not my cup of tea. I can only say that you shouldn’t go strictly on my word, but rather rent it and make your own decision. Maybe you’ll agree with me and maybe you won’t.

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The Dark Knight

This is one of the highest rated films in IMDB with a rating of 9/10. Does it worth it? I think it’s too much but I do enjoyed this film a lot. I remember watching the first “new” Batman film and I said to myself this is how the Batman series should be and look like.

First of all, I am glad a great director like Nolan took the project on himself. A man who did film like Memento and The Prestige is someone to do Batman differently which he did.

The opening scene in the film reminded me a lot of the opening scene in the movie Heat and that already was a plus. Then the film begins and Batman played by Bale is the Batman I always thought he should be. Dark, cold, terryfing...this is the real Batman. Then comes the late Heath Ledger and gives us the best performace ever of the Joker. Darker than Batman, cruel, scary as hell and a feeling that this Joker can do anything he wants and still get away with it...

The score of the film is very good and there’s a chilling sound in the background of the film at tense moments where you really don’t know what to expect.

The special effects are beautiful too and besides the Batmbile, we can see the bike of Batman in this film.

Also, I really enjoy that the plot here is mixed, so we see not just a film about the Joker but we see the Joker, Batman and Two-Face all in the same film and plot, so this is very good, that is why it’s a bit long.

I can’t wait for the third film to come out. I know it will be good, not sure if good like this one but I do recommend watching this film and especially the great performace of Ledger as the best Joker ever...enjoy!

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Pure distilled awesomeness.

Once in a while there comes a movie so impressive and so awesome that just about everyone you know will be quoting from this movie till months from now. That movie for 2008 is undoubtedly The Dark Knight.

The themes of TDK are of a wide and varied assortment, ranging from that of morality, justice, love, heroism and the unadulterated love of men who love to wear fancy costumes. What sets this apart from the rest of the batman films is the inherent struggle with morality when the Joker starts to break down every single moral construct established in society. The joker turns man against man, brother against brother and class against class just to prove his nihilistic view that perhaps mankind isn't inherently good after all. This leads up to an epic battle for the hearts and minds of the people in Gotham, that demands every citizen to do his own soul searching in times of desperation.

The Dark Knight bearing such heavy topics could almost have been a spectacular failure. Having much real world concepts drawn to it like society's reaction to terrorism, the role of new media in terror and the warrant and need of illegal wiretapping. Ignorant liberals may even say the Dark Knight is an allegorical tale of America's incumbent tough talking , shoot from the hip and none too subtle president George W. Bush. Bush's Patriot Act and his war on terror are shown as necessary compromises against a growing and fathomless evil that feeds itself off the fear and anxiety in the hearts and minds of the people(Hey just like terrorism!). Such blatant political messages are run rampant throughout the movie, with discipline and a firm guiding hand the movie could be seen as an unabashed right wing ideologue. People after all have no taste for political films, as seen in Shooter where Mark Wahlberg shoots down a bunch of hissy political figures( notably republican).

What saves this movie is the fact that these political messages are well integrated into the film. If one thinks about it , it could have been disastrous had the director gone slightly overboard in his shoving of political messages. The infamous interrogation scene could have very well ended with batman being excessively preachy.

Joker: You thought you could torture me! Looks like you ain't so moral after all

Batman: I must torture you to save lives! The lives of the countrymen I love and the lives of the people I love! I hate to torture as much as anybody , but in these situations one must remain stern in the famous of an unstoppable force of nature like yourself..

Yawn.

I guess what elevates this movie from just being well executed to greatness is the fact that the movie holds transcendental qualities that can really be worked upon to any thinking discerning viewer.The Joker claims he is an opposite but equal force to the Batman, and it is mentioned by Alfred that the Joker is a reactionary force to the Batman's overly draconian punishment of street criminals.. As such one must ponder did the Batman inherently create The Joker? And as a result , who is truly to blame ? After all it was Batman that left the Joker the exploitable power vacuum after his extermination of Gotham's top criminal masterminds.. Or is the Batman and the Joker like yin and yang, dependent and subsistent on each other's existence.. hmm... The Joker had multiple accounts on how he got his facial scars.. This mystifies the character a great deal.. You know who else had multiple accounts of creation??...Jesus..and ..SATAN.. could batman be Jesus and the Joker be Satan? Batman did have to suffer for the sins of the common man( Harvey Dent)..

Once your brain gets sufficiently tired from gnawing at these little intricate details that will satisfy you to know end in a bizarro act of mental masturbation, you'd kinda have realised that you'd have watched a pretty kickass movie.. After all the last time i watched high school musical, i saw no Jesus allegory.

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Last updated: 2008-12-03 18:17:36 by admin