The Dark Knight Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Why So Serious?
Welcome to a world without rules.
Right after taking out Ra's Al Ghul's plan and the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Jonathan Crane AKA Scarecrow, Batman continues his seemingly-endless effort to bring justice to Gotham's crime and corrupt with the help of Lt. James Gordon and new appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent. But this time, The Dark Knight faces a rising psychopathic criminal called The Joker, who's eerie grin makes him more dangerous than what he has yet to unleash. It becomes an agenda to both enemies that only one of them remains and are willing to break every part of what they believe in to stop the other.
| Christian Bale | Bruce Wayne/Batman |
| Michael Caine | Alfred Pennyworth |
| Heath Ledger | The Joker |
| Aaron Eckhart | Harvey Dent/Two Face |
| Maggie Gyllenhaal | Rachel Dawes |
| Gary Oldman | Lt. James Gordon |
| Morgan Freeman | Lucius Fox |
| Eric Roberts | Salvatore Maroni |
| Cillian Murphy | Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow |
| Anthony Michael Hall | Mike Engel |
| Monique Curnen | Det. Ramirez |
| Nestor Carbonell | Mayor |
| Joshua Harto | Reese |
| Michael Jai White | Gamble |
| Colin McFarlane | Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb |
| Christopher Nolan |
8.90 out of 10 (436120 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Gritty & Unapologetic
posted on 30 Aug 2009It took me until I woke up this morning to realize the awesomeness of this picture, which I saw last night at midnight. Without spoiling anything, just know that this movie is gritty and complex with a huge amount of depth in both the plot and the characters. It's extremely uncompromising as far as how one would think a major studio would handle a major comic book hero franchise. Most superhero/comic book movie plots' are set up for the sole purpose of creating a franchise and selling it to death. This is the opposite (not saying the conclusion doesn't beg for more answers, story & resolution). However, it's extremely unapologetic in the plot and characters and just goes in ways that you wouldn't expect a comic book movie to go. It's mature and adult like, you forget it is even a comic book movie. It's in your face from the moment it starts until the after the credits roll. The 2 1/2 hour runtime appears long, but the plot captivates you from the start and won't let you go. There's nothing that can be cut away from this film, as it would undermine the complexity and richness of the plot and characters.Ledger is better than you could have imagined, as is Eckhart! Bale, Oldman, Caine, Freemon...amazing!! Go see this movie. It is the best film of the last two years and one of the best of all time!!
So much more than a Batman movie
posted on 30 Aug 2009The Dark Knight is stunning, in every sense the word. Whether you look at the acting, the directing, the writing, or any other aspect of the movie, it's hard to find a weak point.Nolan returns to do another incredible job at directing, and once again raises the bar for the Batman series. He creates a perfect balance between having The Dark Knight be a drama about the characters in it and an action-packed crime saga.The acting alone is terrific. Christian Bale is a natural as Bruce Wayne, and also makes the best Batman I've seen yet, and by his side is Michael Caine, who just seems to fit perfectly as Alfred. Maggie Gyllenhaal does quite well as Rachel and Aaron Eckhart pulls off the transformation from Harvey Dent to Two-Face. Gary Oldman playing Gordon deserves an honorable mention. And then there's Heath Ledger, whose performance alone is nothing short of amazing. A few years ago most people would've said that he would be best known for and remembered by his starring role in Brokeback Mountain. Not anymore.There's a constant internal struggle for Bruce Wayne, who does all he can to keep the difference between himself and Batman, and the difference between what is right and what has to be done. And all the while chaos reigns in the streets of Gotham, compliments of the Joker, who seems to be the one man who can bring down Batman.All in all, there is nothing disappointing about The Dark Knight. For a movie that's two and a half hours long, there isn't a dull moment. Living up to the expectations and hype seemed impossible for it to do, but somehow The Dark Knight not only does, but surpasses it.
Stunning,Spectacular, Extraordinary
posted on 30 Aug 2009Pick your adjective. They all apply to "The Dark Knight" and to the late Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker. As the arch-villain says to a mobster, "This town needs a better class of criminal, and I'm gonna give it to them." But the movie is about more than a criminal who churns through Gotham City, leaving a trail of death, anarchy and chaos. It's about the line between lawman and lawbreaker, between hero and villain, between bringing people to justice and turning into a vigilante, and what a good man -- or men -- will do when faced with soul-shattering loss.As more than one character says: "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." In the past, there was a clear delineation about where Bruce Wayne ended and Batman began. This time, as Bruce (Christian Bale) sits in his penthouse clad in his Batman suit but without his cowl, we see that one is sliding, dangerously, into the other. It's only fitting in a movie in which Batman considers unmasking himself and in which the idea of two sides of a coin, of a face and of a personality, are explored.And it's only right that Alfred (Michael Caine) is witness to this sight, since the butler had cautioned, "Know your limits, Master Wayne," to which the billionaire playboy had responded, "Batman has no limits." And Alfred, observing the bruises on Bruce's back, corrected, "Well, you do." In case you've been holed up in the Bat-Bunker for the past half-year, "Dark Knight" is the sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins," which dramatized how Bruce Wayne became the Caped Crusader after his parents were murdered. Director Christopher Nolan wastes no time on flashbacks but, like Batman leaping off a skyscraper into the inky night, swoops right into the story.As the movie opens, Gotham City is in the grip of both a crime wave and chorus of nagging questions about Batman. Television news reports taunt, "Batman: Crusader or menace?" as he is faced with copycats -- "I'm not wearing hockey pants," he tells one ill-clad imitator -- along with crooks at home and abroad, plus a criminal who lives by no rules in The Joker.His face is covered with sloppily applied white pancake makeup, smeared red lipstick creepily curling toward his cheekbones, his eyes encircled with exaggerated black smudges. It's an outward sign of the disorder and damage in his life.The Joker gives two distinct stories on how his face was scarred, both including the chilling phrase "Why so serious?," which dominated promotional posters for months.He sows the seeds of chaos everywhere he goes and proposes that mobsters kill the Batman. His plot plays out against District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), literally a golden-haired boy who provides a nice physical counterpoint to Bale, romancing Bruce's childhood friend, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and trying to clean up Gotham City crime and corruption.Harvey appears on the brink of success when The Joker starts wreaking havoc and horror. "The Dark Knight" ends on a dark night and arrives with a well-deserved PG-13 rating for intense sequences of violence and some menace.Although there are a couple of well-placed laughs, some characters die or are disfigured, and children are kidnapped and threatened with death. Even Bale suggests it's best for children at least 9 years old and up.Working from a screenplay he wrote with brother Jonathan Nolan, the director doesn't repeat himself or provide a tortured motivation for The Joker. As Alfred says, recounting an episode from his past, "Some men just want to watch the world burn." In IMAX, especially, Nolan immerses moviegoers in expansive backdrops, be they Hong Kong or Chicago, which subs for Gotham City. With a little help from gadget genius Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Batman finds a new way to hitch an airplane ride and he gets not only a new place to live but a new Batsuit and a Bat-Pod, which allows him to roar through the city and even ride up a wall and flip back down like Donald O'Connor in "Singin' in the Rain." Bale made the role of Batman his own three years ago and he masterfully drives even deeper into it here. He's surrounded by class and skill in Caine, Freeman, Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon, Eckhart and Gyllenhaal, but it's Ledger who provides the movie's dark heart.Watching his frenetic motions, odd little walk (Chaplinesque in one scene) and habit of working his tongue as he licks his scars and hearing his devious cackle, it's astonishing to realize this is the same actor who played Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain" and the title role in "Casanova." Yes, he deserves the Oscar talk. Not because he died at age 28 but because he's hauntingly good at creating an indelible character. If a movie is only as good as its villain, then "Dark Knight" is a winner, hands down.
Heath Ledger's Dark and Brilliant Swan Song
posted on 30 Aug 2009I couldn't believe "The Dark knight" could live up to the hype. That's perhaps the biggest surprise. The secret, I believe, is a stunning, mature, intelligent script. That makes it the best superhero movie ever made. As if that wasn't enough, Heath Ledger. He, the newest of the tragic modern icons present us with a preview of something we'll never see. A fearless, extraordinary actor capable to fill up with humanity even the most grotesque of villains. His performance is a master class. Fortunately, Christian Bale's Batman is almost a supporting character. Bale is good but there is something around his mouth that stops him from being great. "The Dark Knight" is visually stunning, powerful and moving. What else could anyone want.
Don't Believe The Hype!
posted on 30 Aug 2009Somebody please tell me why does Christian Bale talks like hes taking a dump when hes batman.... i spent the whole movie waiting for the sigh of relief..The writers were very unimaginative when it came to the jokers made up stories of how he got his scars.. Hes meant to be a Psychotic super villain...the jokers magic trick at the beginning was the highlight totally awesome but thats about it.. more things like that where needed in this movie. ledgers performance was OK he has a great laugh that suits the joker to a t.. but i wouldn't say best performance ever..and only think its getting so much hype because he passed awaybut the most ridiculous thing about this movie is the special effects on 2 faces face hahaha.. it looks so fake and i thought they were trying to make a realistic type of batman movie who ever designed Batman's motor bike needs to be fired out of a cannon i did love how the movie was filmed very dark like it should beit was OK just not awesome like everyone makes out
hands down winner
posted on 30 Aug 2009i have never put a comment or rated a movie on IMDb before, i usually like to read them, but after watching this last night i had to sign up to say a few words about this. i heard this was the number one title in the country and i honestly didn't buy into the hype. I read Marvel and DC Comics when i was a kid and I never thought that any of the Batman movies accuratley captured the dark feeling of the comics. That was until Batman Begins was released and when i heard Dark Knight was coming did not think that it would top Batman Begins. Boy was i wrong. heath ledger's performance as the joker is unbelievable. I see a couple of people giving bad reviews for dark knight on this site, ignore them!! believe me, you have never seen anything like this. This is NOT a spiderman or superman type movie you might be expecting to see 10/10
Another dud from Nolan
posted on 30 Aug 2009This movie was much too long and much too boring for me to enjoy. The action scenes were very sloppy, almost like a bad sci fi channel movie. Two face seemed like a throw away character and was really useless. The movies theme seemed to be "Batman can't stop crime and is the reason Gotham is in misery" which seemed odd to me. Hard to believe that so many plot holes made it into the movie. Lazy screenplay and lazy directing.Christopher Nolan's style of film making seems to be slap one scene after another together without making a coherent story. Honestly had to check the end credits to see if Michael Bay directed this movie.Heath Ledger was amazing.
Expectations Realized
posted on 30 Aug 2009Dark Knight, the long awaited sequel to one of my favorite actions films (not just action hero or superhero film), Batman Begins, finally arrives with a build-up, which included a IMDb user rating the highest ever, that surely no movie could possibly live up to. I went to the movie with my spouse and my business partner, both very discerning people who had equally high expectations. We wanted to see the IMAX version, and we had to wait until Tuesday as the first weekend was sold out at our venue.The cinematography at the beginning of the movie (without revealing details)has my buy in, taking full advantage of IMAX, as the action unfolds. The first several minutes doesn't disappoint, and then all of sudden, like a 70mm film was cut, and a unfinished raw project was spliced in, comes disappointment. That disappointment comes slow at first, and then building to a crescendo, which culminates in a hodgepodge of flawed cinematography, an underdeveloped protagonist and a lack of longing to see the completion of a possible trilogy (although #3 can't be as bad as this one). I too was blown away, but not in a good way.I was wondering, as the movie, was everything was looking so small, as if I was Gulliver and I had travel to the island of bad film noir. Gotham General Hospital looked like a clinic, which couldn't have possibly had many rooms as there was hardly enough room for a lab. The movie should have had a title with "Joker" or "Two-Face" in it, because Christian Bale's role was relegated to a man or myth moving through scenes with mechanical ease, while occasionally satisfying the special effects crowd. Where was Wayne Enterprises, or was Fox's office really in that room with no furniture and more displays than all the TV stations in Chicago (where most of the movie was shot)? In my opinion Maggie Gyllenhall, did an adequate job of playing the role of Rachel Dawes, but I don't think she is very good looking and as a result the competition between Dent and Wayne wasn't even a consolation event. (Dresses from WHICH century?) The transitions from Deep Focus to Shallow Focus were, in my opinion flawed and extremely irritating. What made the cinematography worse was the sequence in editing where transition which were smooth and logical in Batman Begins were choppy and even looked amateurish in many of the scenes (always landing at the upper torso turned left, and yes I know the motion direction is left but enough...NOT EVERY TIME!!!) I was hoping to see a movie the likes of Shawshank. I should have known that it is very unlikely to see an action or adventure film, which would rise to the top.
The best superhero film to date, boosted to hysteria by Heath Ledger's ominous performance
posted on 30 Aug 2009THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)Number 1 - Superhero Film of All TimeThe hype for this film can be characterised as unique. It has been almost unanimously hailed by critics and audiences alike, smashed box office records and the performance of Heath Ledger tipped for Oscar glory.Does this Batman film deserve all this heap of praise? This is the most intense 'superhero' movie to date. In many respects this is a mature dramatic achievement where choices need to be made, sacrifices and characters wondering and being tempted by forces of evil. Yes, 'The Dark Knight' is worthy of strong praise, but to my opinion falls flat from its colossal hype. The film, at an impressive 155 minutes is overlong and at times unnecessary. The plot is at times excessively complex and confusing at a risk of perhaps boring or puzzling many of its young viewers. Overall I don't have many criticisms for the film and it would be unfair to continue like this because the goods far outweigh the bads, so here we go...As I said before, this is the best superhero film to date and that is for many reasons. The storyline is at times involving. The action sequences are beautifully shot and edited; the whole film is intense, dark and menacing: Christopher Nolan manages to sustain a feeling of uncertainty and discomfort throughout the film which is a great achievement that adds to the greatness of the film. The cinematography is also excellent providing is us with greyish and dark blue colours to correspond to the tone of the film. An Oscar is probably worthy to Wally Pfister who was also nominated for Batman Begins. However every single thing in the film is overshadowed by Heath Ledger's Joker. The greatest superhero villain we have met on the screen. Stunning. Intoxicating.Terrifying. Ledger's performance must be nominated for an Oscar and not out of sympathy for the late actor's tragic fate but to the immeasurable talent he has inputed into this demanding and draining performance.One thing though, when the Joker visits the maimed Harvey Dent in Gotham Hospital he claims that he is a man of anarchy and never makes plans. For a man with no plans he is a pretty good planner, choreographing with exquisite precision, the different crimes around the city, plotting bombs everywhere within hours. Pretty good for a man with no 'plan'. Just a little thing I noticed.Batman's struggle continues as he battles to take down the city's organised crime empire with the help of noble and incorruptible Lt. James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. However his attempts are skewed by the arrival of a lunatic calling himself the Joker that only wants one thing: chaos to run wild in the city.A great film, beautiful, dark, disturbing. A film where all superhero films must measure themselves alongside.8/10
Hype: A, Reality: B
posted on 30 Aug 2009Acting was generally above average: A.Supporting actors (Freeman, Oldman, Caine) made the movie so much better: A+.Heath Ledger brought his best to the game: A+.Direction. Ambitious but in the end nothing exceptional: B.Cinematography adequately does the job of promoting a brutal vision: B+.Story is mostly ordinary. At times, especially towards the end, it is quite loose: B.Length becomes too much because it is too little to do full justice to certain late characters and plot-twists : B-.Last 30 min dilute and significantly compromise the previous two hours. : B.Last 15 min. All aspects of the movie start to fray as the movie seeks to tie up all the angles: B-.Last 5 min. Incoherent. Mouthing of rationales that just don't make sense: C.Two-face portion of plot is the kernel responsible for much of the deficits that start to build in the last half hour. His character construction is in total contradiction to the movies ambition of bringing heft-filled dimensions to characters. Two-face is utterly cartoonish and flat. He is the car that clogs the highway. His motivations are solid enough. But the actions they translate into are incredibly arbitrary: C-.
this movie contains all the clichés and failures of today's blockbusters
posted on 30 Aug 2009a big Joke !First of all, can someone explain me why the camera is spinning like this all the time ? There is no reason to do that. Rollercoasters are fun but it never last 2 h 30. Christian Bale is not that good in this movie, and each times he uses his "batman's voice", it's impossible to take seriously. But why so serious ? Well...a little wouldn't hurt...and it'll never be as funny as the 1966 batman's version. The scarecrow part is not useful, so why bringing him back ? The part with the cell phone's sonar is lame, so lame you could cry... The end makes no point at all, and Bruce Wayne's sacrifice is just pointless. Well, maybe a tiny bit better than "batman begins", and the music is sometimes not annoying, these are the only good points. Ledger's interpretation is OK, but not well served by the rest, and the character of Twoface is too "cartoonesque". The balance is then pretty bad.I don't think there is any possibility in the near future to propose something comparable with "Batman's return", please stop trying !
Deserves another look for the performances alone...
posted on 30 Aug 2009For a film based on a comic strip character that runs for some two hours and forty-five minutes, I feared I'd be bored long before the film was over. Usually I'd be checking my watch in the dark if a film runs this long without any redeeming qualities. But there's plenty to like in THE DARK KNIGHT--most of all, the performance of HEATH LEDGER as "The Joker", a much darker and more fully realized "joker" than has ever been shown before.The dialog is well sustained throughout, moving the film along briskly despite all the explosions and action sequences that you expect in this sort of thing. And everyone plays their roles with so much authority that you find yourself drawn in by the many characters on display.Along with HEATH LEDGER, there's Christian BALE, GARY OLDMAN, MICHAEL CAINE, MORGAN FREEMAN, MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL (a welcome replacement for Katie Holmes), CILLIAN MURPHY and ERIC ROBERTS (Julia's brother), and all of them are admirably cast. Special mention, too, for AARON ECKHART's role as Dist. Atty. Harvey Dent or Two-Face. He's excellent.Furthermore, the cinematography, sets, costumes and CGI are of the highest order, as is a pulsating background score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard.If you relish this sort of entertainment, it's not to be missed. And I certainly agree that Ledger's energetic performance must have required an amazing amount of energy and skill to pull off. He's created a vivid portrait and surely deserves an Oscar nomination this year.Summing up: Definitely not for the kiddies. Too much of it is on the dark side. Stunning to watch.
Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
posted on 30 Aug 2009Terrible acting (I burst out laughing a few times at the voice of the actor portraying batman), non existent character development, a plot so thin you can see through it in the first ten seconds of the film, and, on occasion, direction so incompetent as to not warrant comment.It also goes without saying that this is pure, unadulterated, US propaganda, designed to legitimise wrongdoing and evil, of the most laughable kind since Transformers.Really, it's not even the best film I've seen today.Also, don't believe the online hype, most of the people commenting on this page will be paid shills.I have yet to meet anyone IRL who thinks that it is anything like as good as these reviews make out.
Amazing Work... for a Serious Superhero Movie
posted on 30 Aug 2009The Serious Superhero Movie Movement has been going on for a while... from the Hulk reboots to the X-men franchise-- but none of them is anywhere as good as the Dark Knight (2008). Packed with solid production values and strong dramatic performances, the deal is sealed by the Seriously Psychotic Joker Character of Heath Ledger, who inspires equal amounts of fear and hate through the sheer unhinged power of his performance.Written & directed more like a crime drama involving a serious vigilante rather than a comic superhero, the film manages to create and maintain an amazingly consistent and convincing pace and atmosphere. Gotham City feels like a real city threatened by crime although we never really see the crime syndicates and dirty cops at work; and the Joker feels like a criminal genius even though his level of dementia could never have allowed him to plan and lead like a crime boss. So the heightened level of realism can sometimes work against itself in places where the film still applied "superhero movie logic/ conventions"-- i.e. where superheroes/ criminals get things done too easily/ conveniently. I mean, I can accept that all of Batman's gadgets work-- but enter and leave Chinese airspace without authorization? Err, the last American aircraft that tried it in 2001 was captured on Hainan Island.Doesn't really break any genre conventions-- the characters are still stereotypes despite the great characterizations, and the imaginative script still led to an ending stinking of post-cold war propaganda ("we need a common enemy/threat to unite us", blah X 3 is not really that smart/ meaningful-- see Watchmen, etc.)-- but it certainly made for a great ride.
just a quickie...
posted on 30 Aug 2009just a quick comment as I don't think there's anything I can say to improve one of the best 3 films ever made...but for anyone commenting on here, its OK if you didn't like it, it took me to see it twice before I fully accepted it with its ending, and its bold brilliance....but don't submit a review unless you've seen batman begins, because of course you wont like this one, all of the character of batman is explained in that, and is used a lot in this, as to why batman never kills the joker, and why bats are't in this one, because he is over his fear of them.Batman begins although not quite as brilliant, is still extremely good, and is integral to understand this one fully.
for the love of the joker and ledger
posted on 30 Aug 2009every thing in the dark knight amazes me,great direction from Christopher Nolan and a deep,amazing and moving script.bale gives us another outstanding performance for Bruce Wayne.freeman,Caine,old man are amazing.Elkhart gives us one of his best performances ever.Maggie is okay as Rachel.but this movie begins,stops,moves,breathes with heath ledger,this movie is about the joker.my god what a performance that challenges all the great performances for the best in Hollywood history how can you fall in love with the villain cause he's that charismatic.this movie is hands down the best in comic movies.ledger showed everybody how to dominate a movie without being the main character and without appearing that much in the picture.most movie lovers will memorize every dialog for the joker.ledger we will never forget you,your gone but your creation for the joker will live on.
Dark indeed.
posted on 30 Aug 2009I remember going to see this film, at the time of writing that was almost a year ago. The cinema was packed to the last available seat and everyone there seemed to be enjoying the film immensely, myself included. You could hear murmurings when something major happened and everyone shuffling with anticipation when the action sequences started. I have to say it was easy to get blown away by the film, as summer blockbusters go, this one has it all. A comic book character for the hero, a truly spectacular villain, gasp, horror, a great plot and one that is at times quite complex seeing as it takes in aspects of terrorism, organized crime and finance, wonderful supporting characters, great actors and some of the best action sequences in many a year (Hong Kong, the car chase, the boats and the hospital). It was after watching the film that I realized something and that was just how dark the whole film is and I mean it is dark, pitch black. If Batman Begins was a comic book movie through and through, albeit an intelligent one, the optimistic first act bathed in a dark orange glow of fighting today for a better tomorrow, then The Dark Knight is genuinely the darker second, this time in a blue glow carried along by the message that sometimes just fighting for what is right is never enough, that bad things will happen no matter how hard we fight for it because no matter what good you try to do there will always be someone who just wants to watch the world burn, who will kill those who are good and innocent and corrupt the seemingly incorruptible. It amazes me that a film as dark and pessimistic as this has become the second most successful film in history after Titanic (then again that film features a sinking boat with a high death count so maybe mainstream tastes are darker than I ever considered).I don't want to seem I'm knocking it, because I'm not. Truth is, like Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan has created a perfect film once again, a near flawless work of art that roots his re-imagined Batman universe in the real and plausible, it's just here things aren't just as entertaining as they were last time, at least not overtly so. Begins felt like a comic book adaptation, but an intelligent one, a film rooted in the comic book nevertheless with it's love for ninja vigilantes, creepy villains and wonderful action sequences taking in trains and tumblers. Although a lot of those elements are still there, this time they are rendered with a pitch black view. None more black than its villain. It has been said in many places but it must be said again, Heath Ledger is terrific and watching this film you cannot help but feel gutted that we will never see this talent again. His Joker is mesmerizing, a darkly humorous take on the character, like Jack Nicholson, but one rendered not through a comic book frame work, but one more real and relevant, for what is the Joker of Christopher Nolan's imagination but a terrorist, a metaphor for the villains of our world, the ones who truly do blow things up, kill and stab. Is any coincidence that the Joker uses knifes, just as the 9/11 hijackers were said to?All this elevates the film above a summer blockbuster, albeit one that many of us flocked to, again and again (I admit, I seen it twice on the big screen and have watched it many times on DVD).It's nearly a perfect film, it's just that the darkness can be a bit overwhelming, like being hit with a baseball over the head for two and a half hours, but there is a lot to love here, with amazing performances from everyone, including the much criticised Bale, although special word must go out to Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and, for reasons I won't get into, out of respect for the two people on the planet who have yet to see the film, Aaron Eckart, who deserved an Oscar nomination as well. It's wonderful stuff, and for a film as long as it is, it never drags, the pace is unrelentless, especially in the second half as it builds and builds to a truly superb climax, one that leaves you gagging for a third movie in a way that is truly even better, if that is possible, than Batman Begins did when leaving you chumping at the teeth for this one. Let's just hope the real star of the Batman franchise, Chris Nolan returns, but if he does, I would like to see that orange glow make a return with it.
Going crazy waiting to talk to someone about this movie!
posted on 28 Aug 2009OK, I went into this movie expecting it to be great, just like some of the other films I've seen this summer were great. But it wasn't great. It was so POWERFUL that I've been going online for the last two days reading reviews on it because no one else I know has seen it and I have to share this experience somehow. It was so dark and disturbing without being "Seven" that I find myself haunted by some of the things that happened in the film. When I saw it at the noon showing on Friday, the pact theater kind of chuckled at some of Heath Ledger's early lines and actions. Soon, like REAL soon, the entire theater was got DEAD QUIET every time he was on screen. And it wasn't because they were bored, because I was quiet too, like he was THAT intense! Don't get me wrong, Aaran Eckhart was just as good as Heath was but he wasn't creeping me out most of the time. If anything, he made me feel safe, even more than Batman did. I wanted to vote for him, for ANY office. I believed in Harvey Dent. I keep wanting to hold onto Michael Keaton as my favorite Batman. But I can't anymore. Christian Bale found himself surrounded by incredible actors, hidden behind a mask half the time and he still managed to keep from getting buried. This was a Batman film. I keep seeing reviews where people complain about Christian Bale's voice as Batman but I liked it because it made sense (as did everything else in this movie). It gives him a sense of instability that he needs if he's going to try to intimidate people who aren't easily intimidated. Not to mention, it keeps people from figuring out he's Bruce Wayne. I think comic book movies are okay, but they always feel like comic book movies, like the hero will save the day and probably by some improbable act. This didn't feel like that. Everything in this movie seemed frighteningly real. Like REAL! A lot of the reviews I read say this is the best comic book movie ever. But I say it's a sweep at the Academy Awards. Now if only some of my friends would hurry up and see it!
Like nothing you've seen from him before
posted on 28 Aug 2009I don't want to sound insensitive, but when people talk about how Heath Ledger's suicide may have been due to immersing himself too deeply into the role of the Joker, I think it may have been true.The Joker as portrayed in The Dark Knight is easily the most ruthless character I've ever seen. In one scene, Batman drives his Batpod straight for the Joker, while Joker simply stands in the middle of the street screaming for Batman to run him down. You can tell, as the movie unfolds, that it's not a deathwish that drives him; it's a chilling indifference to his own fate, as long as he can destroy the Batman's soul in the process.To say that he's prepared to die to accomplish his goal would imply that he felt death was something for which he needed to prepare; the Joker simply doesn't care whether he's alive or dead. He knows that if the Batman kills him that it would haunt Batman for the rest of his life, which would be worse than death.He repeats this in a scene with Harvey Dent, in which he hands him a gun to see if the heroic Harvey will murder him rather than try to bring him to justice. Recently scarred in an explosion, the newly emerged Two-Face tosses his signature coin to decide the Joker's fate; the Joker's only reaction to this is "Now we're talking."Some people are offended by this; not that he's violent, but that he's wholly psychotic. They think of the over-the-top Cesar Romero Joker, or even the gangster-clown Jack Nicholson Joker, and say "that's how it should be". These people either haven't read the graphic novels detailing the Joker's reign of terror over Gotham City, or they have and just prefer that they have a "funny villain".That's not what the Joker is. The Joker is not a risk-taker or a thrill-seeker; he is nothing more or less than a complete psychopath. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime is absolutely my favorite interpretation. Every scene which features him leaves you wondering, "Would I have closed my eyes if I knew that was coming?", so vicious and yet so compelling they all are. Of course, they often happen too quickly for you to make that decision. If I want comedy, then I'll watch the animated series and catch Mark Hamill's act.In short, it's like nothing from either the Joker or Heath Ledger that you've ever seen before.
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Batman and Joker's Moral Dilemma...
posted on 30 Aug 2009The Dark Knight begins with a bank robbery. The Joker (Heath Ledger) is stealing from the bank where the mob keeps it's money. It bores him. He wants to do something that makes an impression.Meanwhile, Gotham City has a new District Attory. His name is Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Thanks to him (as well as Lt. James Gordon and Batman) the mob is falling apart. As you can imagine they are desperate. Who do they turn to for help? The Joker. However, The Joker does not care about helping the mob at all. He just sees it as a way to go through with his plan. What's his plan? To prove that people aren't good. To prove that everyone is, well, like him. He even forces Batman (Christian Bale) to question his own moral code. Will Joker prove his point or will Batman have another victory? Overall, the movie is great. The best movie of the year so far. Director Christopher Nolan makes a large amount of improvements over Batman Begins. Everything from pace to the fighting scenes. It's a movie a lot of people will enjoy. Even those who aren't a fan of the genre because this isn't your typical comic book adaptation. Nolan tries his best to make everything feel and look realistic. Which also hurts the movie if you're a fan of movies that do have the look and feel of a comic. Nonetheless, it's great for what it is. As for Ledger, he's fantastic. He does deserve an Oscar nomination as well as other people involved with this movie.