MOVIE REVIEW! - "The Dark Knight"

This was the first real review where I was really trying to write a detailed review and not just something for my friends. I still stand by most of it, except for a couple of things. But first, I want to acknowledge that the Academy did notice Heath Ledger and he did posthumously win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The next thing I want to mention is that I said that Maggie Gyllenhaal was better than Katie Holmes was in “Batman Begins”. Truth be told, in the numerous rewatches that I’ve had of both films, I’ve actually changed my mind and think that Holmes gave the superior performance.

Finally, towards the end of this review, I mention that this is one dark movie and parents would be fools to take their kids to it. I don’t actually think it’s too dark for children and there have been far darker superhero films since, so that warning that I bluntly gave can be fully ignored.

Beyond that, I still feel that this is not just one of the best superhero films ever made, but it may just be THE best superhero film ever made. If by some chance you’ve been living under a rock this whole time and have never seen the movie, then stop reading now and go treat yourself to a truly cinematic experience!

THE ORIGINAL REVIEW

Director Christopher Nolan returns to the series he revitalized in 2005 with “Batman Begins” and the result is a resounding success. This time, the audience follows Batman as he deals with a new psychotic mastermind whose only goal is chaos. That person is the sadistic Joker played by the late Heath Ledger. Meanwhile, Batman and Lt. Gordon join forces with the new District Attorney Harvey Dent to push harder on the mob bosses still controlling Gotham’s underworld. The only problem is that Harvey is also dating Rachel Dawes, Bruce Wayne’s old flame from “Begins”.

First, I would like to go ahead and get this out of the way. We have all heard about how Ledger’s performance as the Joker is causing Oscar-buzz. Now, I do not trust the Oscars to acknowledge a great performance from a summer blockbuster that they consider beneath them. However, if they do not acknowledge Ledger for the Joker by at least nominating him, then that would truly be the snub of all snubs. I never once thought that was Ledger behind the make-up. I was thoroughly convinced that he was a completely psychotic character and think that Ledger has set a new standard for this iconic villain.

Batman must face off with the Joker in "The Dark Knight"!

Now, to the other key players that also help make this movie stand above the rest. Let’s face it, Christian Bale is perfect for the role of Batman and plays him with the extreme intensity he did in the first movie. Bale is great at convincing us that Bruce Wayne questions whether or not Batman is truly needed as Gotham’s savior and thinks that with Harvey as Gotham’s white knight, he will not have to be Gotham’s protector for much longer.

Talking about Harvey Dent leads me to Aaron Eckhart who is also perfectly cast in the role of Gotham’s newfound protector of justice. He plays a man who truly wants to clean up the city but gives subtle hints at having a darker side to him than the Gotham citizens might think and Eckhart turns in a beautifully tragic performance as Harvey/Two-Face.

What about the other supporting players? Gary Oldman returns as James Gordon. This time, Gordon has been put in charge of Gotham PD’s Major Crimes Unit. Like Bale as Batman, Oldman was born to play the part of Gotham’s top cop and like Ledger, Oldman completely disappears into the part and only Gordon remains. One of the biggest mistakes in the former Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher films was that they never gave Gordon his due, but Nolan and Oldman have successfully corrected that error.

Oldman’s Gordon is not just a man who calls Batman when the going gets tough, he is also a man that takes care of business. However, as fans of the comics know, Gordon is not the only ally Wayne can rely on.

Batman, Gordon, and Harvey Dent form an alliance in "The Dark Knight".

Michael Caine returns as Alfred and turns in another great performance as Batman’s butler and, sometimes, even his conscience. Caine plays Alfred as a man who wants to help the son of his former employer but worries about what being Batman will do to Wayne’s mental state.

Then we have Morgan Freeman returning as Lucius Fox, a man who helps Wayne manage his company and help supply him with some of those wonderful toys. It is great to see Freeman back in this film with a slightly bigger role to play than in the last movie.

Lastly, Maggie Gyllenhaal is a step up from Katie Holmes and is fantastic as a woman torn between waiting for Wayne or fully committing herself to her new found love, Harvey.

So now, we come to the story. The Joker is a sadistic madman that would do anything (and I mean anything) to accomplish what he likes to do best: create chaos, full stop. It is not about the money and it is not about personal gain, it is about anarchy and how the Joker thinks that the good people of Gotham are all destined to fall into chaos.

The Joker just wants to watch the world burn in "The Dark Knight".

The Joker feels that he is the one to kick start the process and get Gotham’s citizens there a little quicker. On the other hand, there is Batman who is Gotham’s protector and thinks that Gotham still has a chance for salvation.

The hero and villain’s views, chaos vs. order, is the ultimate theme of this movie. How far will a person go to achieve their goals? Will they remain good and true to themselves or will they fall to revenge and greed? These are the questions that are answered and they are answered beautifully by the screenwriters, Nolan and his brother, Jonathan Nolan (Jonathan also co-wrote “Memento” with his brother as well). Their engaging story makes the two and a half hour runtime fly by without a thought.

Finally, I do want to make a couple of quick notes for the light hearted. First, if you take your children to go see this movie, then to be blunt, you’re a fucking idiot. The reason for this leads to my second note and that is the fact that this movie is dark as hell and does not give a shit if the parents like it or not.

I will admit that while I loved this movie and had no problems with how dark the movie is, it might polarize others with its tone and they might find themselves feeling a little uneasy afterwards. The film grabs the audience by the throat and does not let go so be prepared. This is not Schumacher’s or Burton’s Batman. It is Nolan’s and it is grim and full of death.

In the end, however, does “The Dark Knight” live up to the hype? No. The film is in that rare category where it exceeds the hype surrounding it. With a fantastic and engaging story, great performances, and the brilliant direction from Nolan, this is the definitive Batman movie. It is also something more: it is so far the best film of the year and one of the best movies of the decade.