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I don’t know where it is that Nolan’s Batman franchise has surpassed Tim Burton’s franchise, which I think handled Batman in a dark, moody, and fantastical way that brought out what superhero films are made of. Nolan on the other hand is more interested in realism and would rather make the Batmobile look like tank, Gotham look like a modern day city of glass, relieve the Joker of his laughing gas, and make the Batcave just another secret computer room. I don’t know what his intention was to make it all look real, other than that he was more interested in making it look like a Michael Mann film and hated CGI effects. Where I think the realism works with this Batman is that it contrasts with the colorful and whimsical look of New York City in Sam Raimi’s Spiderman series and the Roman-like structure of Gotham in Joel Schumacher’s campy Batman films, leaving those movies on a more cartoonish level that’s appealing for the eyes of kids. By making the surroundings of this comic book world resemble more closely the real world, Nolan went with making this film parallel to modern crime drama sagas, trying to fill it with enough complex story threads and moral ambiguity about the characters’ motivations. However, what he wanted to aim in that realism and complexity left a great deal of irony in my experience of watching The Dark Knight that I was exhausted and fed up with his intentions.

Where I felt the film went wrong was how crooked the plot gets, going into areas that are hardly relevant to the story revolving around the Joker and his wave of chaos, such as the trip to Hong Kong, corrupt cops helping criminals, and lastly, the last 45-minute time spent with Harvey Dent turning into Two-Face. These complexities made the plot feel like overkill for the audience and tended to wear me out because I thought, “Why is all this necessary to see?” Whenever it keeps getting revealed that one person after another in the law or in the underworld has been helping the Joker carry out his murderous schemes, it makes me wonder: is the Joker another depraved menace or is he becoming the new kingpin of Gotham? I found that hard to believe because the Joker is portrayed as overly maniacal and bloodthirsty that he’s too unstable for mobsters and lawmen to do deal with; the Mob should hate him more than respect him, but the smug boss Sal Maroni puts up with him anyway because it’s a quick and easy way for high city officials to get knocked off and for Batman to be taken down once and for all. Sometimes I wonder if it was that necessary to keep showing that the Joker was getting help from mobsters, lawmen, and even civilians when having him and a bunch of masked goons was enough to see of his dangerous role as the new face of terror on Gotham. These surprises of a corrupt line in Gotham just jump out quickly out of nowhere at every turn that it seems as though Nolan was trying to equate corruption with insanity, something the Joker is trying to inspire in the city, yet I’ve never thought of the Joker as a corrupting influence when he’s too hideous, too unstable, and too sadistic to be taken seriously as someone you should follow. His terrorist activities lead to one climax of another, from the explosion of a hospital to the boat situation where the passengers are forced to blow another boat up or die, that it felt like the film was running too long and didn’t have a result to aim for. These sequences were pointless because the Joker never got a pay-off from them and he was trying to scare the people into a frenzy for nothing. His only success is poisoning the mind of Harvey Dent with the fairness of chaos and revenge, but even that brings overkill to the film because we’re watching the turning of Dent into Two-Face get wasted in such a small amount of time towards the end and crediting his corruption to the Joker, something that was never true of the original Two-Face. I don’t even understand how he would even listen to a madman who has robbed him of part of his life and then carry on killings like he’s thanking him. It all happened too fast with little time left to spare that it was another example of how chaotic Nolan made his plot that I wished he and his co-writing brother Jonathan would have slowed down with what they were cramming into this film and save it for another film.

For much of the film, the Joker is treated as the show-stealer, due to Heath Ledger’s extravagant performance, which puts him at odds with Christian Bale’s performance of Batman and Bruce Wayne. In that case, Bale is hardly as interesting to follow when his Batman voice sounds too grizzly and exhausted, that whenever he’s expressing moral speeches, like to Harvey about how “good” he was before becoming Two-Face, the delivery runs flat and he’s making a fool of himself at speaking these preachy words with no real sincere effort. When he’s Bruce Wayne, he’s just another smug arrogant playboy who makes a full of himself in front of guests and business partners that I found it hard to sympathize with him, even if he’s just using it as an act to hide his alter-ego. If he wanted to try differently, he could have been just another nice guy or a clumsy fool like Peter Parker and Clark Kent could get away with. He acts too vain and obnoxious too many times like he means it that Bale made Wayne appear as an embarrassing contrast to Batman. His moments of sentimentality with Rachel Dawes and Alfred hardly carry the weight of the film, especially when there is no mention of his parents, whose deaths started him on the path of a cynical vigilante. His role as a vigilante reaches new heights with torturing criminals with his own hands, inventing an elaborate surveillance over the whole city in search of the Joker, and punching several SWAT guys out, but at the same time, I found it hard to understand where the film was aiming for in making Batman a vigilante and earning the scorn of Gotham’s people for acting outside the law. He gets blamed for what happens to the Joker’s targets simply for not cooperating with his demands of removing his mask, yet that kind of accusation shows how blind society is to how a madman like the Joker isn’t interested in negotiations and that he needs Batman around “because he is too fun to play with”. In that case, we rarely get to see a good reason as to why Batman should be a hated vigilante when I felt myself rooting for whatever he was doing and hoping he wouldn’t take his mask off when he would have just been playing the Joker’s game. He doesn’t kill anyone with his own hands nor does he deliberately let people die, he works as hard as he can to save lives and beat criminals without killing them, even preventing the Joker from falling to his death. In that way, the film confirms that Batman is needed more than ever and will be staying in business for a long time, even though Gotham has lost its “White Knight” Harvey at the very end who turned to the dark side, leaving little to think about in regards to Batman’s moral stature.

The more chaotic this film moved in its plot and its flat performance from Bale’s delivery of Batman and Wayne, as well as a whiny performance from Aaron Eckhart in his behavior as Two-Face like some big baby, I grew exhausted with whatever complexities this film was trying to aim for and the realism it used to combat the colorful world of superheroes, leaving me hungry for the old Burton version. Even though Burton may have been slightly whimsical with his creation of the world and comical with Jack Nicholson’s Joker, he at least kept his actors alive, his plots linear, and the mood entertaining that he was just doing what superhero films are usually supposed to be good at. Nolan tried too hard to make The Dark Knight gritty, real, and complex, but he aimed too much for flat performances (except on Ledger’s behalf), cheesy dialogue about good and evil, quick and sudden plot twists, unnecessary climaxes, and visual styles of Gotham that are nothing like a comic book city is supposed to look like. I’ll take the Gothic and lively Burton over the sullen and gritty Nolan because Burton’s use of fantasy, darkness, and humor is something superheroes usually come with. This film barely had any humor to laugh at, dialogue to quote (except for Ledger’s lines), or plot-lines that were worth the time that I feel that Nolan was being rather pretentious in wanting to appear as some Michael Mann-imitator and for throwing in too much preachy dialogue, story-lines, and action sequences that would have made the film more exciting but then became excessive and tedious to the point that I was good and ready for it to end at any point. Hopefully, The Dark Knight Rise won’t run into the same mistakes, but I will see it anyway just to see how Nolan’s whole Batman incarnation will resolve itself and make an overall critical statement of his trilogy as a whole when I still don’t understand what makes him so fascinating to people.

What else is there to say that has not been said about Nolan’s over-the-top cinematic masterpiece The Dark Knight. A fantastic entertainment package. Good storyline, great cast and crisp production. Ill refrain from praising all the elements that make this movie great, it is pretty much beyond any subjectivity of opinion. But I want to pen a few lines regarding the half a star that has been deduced from my almost 5-star rating. First of all, Aaron Eckhart was, in my opinion, miscast, both for this role which he does not fill at all. His character(s) stay lifeless and bland, and he made realize that I was watching a product instead of another world whenever he was on screen. Furthermore, I found that the screenwriters (Nolan & Nolan) tried a wee bit too hard to make the ambiguity of good & evil shine through the film, by introducing so many elements of blurred moralities and questions of right & wrong that I feeled smacked over the head with the message instead of subtly delivered. I know American people are said to be incapable of understanding movies without being spoonfed, and this movie shows how even Nolan thinks of that as being true, but we all know it is not and a bit more delicate and suave handing of the film’s core philosophy would have done the film good.

Heath Ledger is, we all know it, what makes this movie something else, transforms it into something that is relevant instead of just an action movie. I am not one of those buzzbirds claiming that this role killed him, but it certainly did not make him saner than he was before, to put it that way.

Highly recommended

My reactions to The Dark Knight fall in three categories – the good, the bad, and the ugly. First the good: Heath Ledger’s performance was every bit of amazing as has been ubiquitously claimed; his characterization undoubtedly makes the film. As with Memento, director/screenwriter Nolan keeps the audience on its toes and does so with a bang right from the get-go. Many times I couldn’t have predicted the plot twists and even when I thought I could, there was always some aspect that I failed to see coming. I loved the bits of game theory that permeate the film. The acting was pretty solid across the board, and the cinematography was sharp despite the fact that sometimes the lighting was a bit (purposely, I’m sure) too dark. Next the bad: the Bruce Wayne character was insufferable, nor did I like the character Rachel very much. It’s not the acting I abhorred but the actual personalities of these characters. Another complaint for me is that the film felt relentless. After two-and-a-half hours, I felt beaten up. I can’t point to any frivolous scenes that should have been trimmed, but it was too much for me to take in at once. Last the ugly: so Batman has all this high tech gadgetry but the best he can do to disguise his voice is an emphysema whisper? Complaints aside, I can admit The Dark Knight is head and shoulders above others of its genre and this may be the new standard. For sure, some of it is brilliant, but I didn’t always have fun watching it.

The Dark Knight arrived in 2008, the heyday of the superhero revival film, almost singlehandedly reinvented the possibilities of comic book film, and became the best Batman movie to date. It opens with an ingenuously masterminded bank robbery that expresses the film’s theme of reputations that precede people. None of the crooks know who the Joker is, they’ve only heard rumors about him.
When he does appear, the Joker gets an amazing introduction. Pulling off his mask, he gives a twist on the Nietzschean say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you…stranger.”
Of course, Batman’s career was also built on creating a reputation, to the point that other people in Gotham City try to cash in on it and dress up like Batman. The Batman comics were the best of the DC universe because, like many in the Marvel world, they rely on the moral ambiguity of the characters. They were never intended so much for kids. Their concern with vigilante justice was a cry for society as a whole.
Christopher Nolan, who performed CPR on the poor-faring Batman films with Batman Begins, created his best film with The Dark Knight, his second installment. It’s darker and scarier than anything done in the genre before and we actually care about the characters because, unlike in other superhero movies, people actually do die in mob- controlled Gotham City.
Every actor is perfectly suited to their role. This is true even of the secondary characters like Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent, a strong man who falls apart. Dent is known as Gotham’s “white knight” but, as his fate proves, everyone is a dark knight in the film’s eternal shades of gray. Even outside of the bat costume, Bruce Wayne isn’t perfect and suffers from the stereotypical only child syndrome. He enters his own party in a helicopter. This is kind of an act, but he’s also naturally arrogant.
Dent is a foil to Batman in two ways. He crusades against crime but within the law and is successful at it and even won the hand of Batman’s old flame Rachel Dawes. Then, in the end, he becomes a villain while Batman doesn’t. We do see hints of the upcoming Two-Face when Harvey Dent is flipping a coin to determine whether or not to shoot a criminal who threatened Rachel. This time he’s only bluffing because both sides of the coin are heads, but this test will become deadly serious by the end of the movie.
Replacing Katie Holmes, Maggie Gyllenhaal brings an earthy sensibility to the movie as Rachel Dawes. Rachel still loves Bruce, but in a platonic sense. Her heart really belongs to Harvey Dent. Harvey is truly a heroic figure. He even turns himself in so that the real Batman can fight the Joker. This is why his downfall is all the more heartbreaking. The Joker is truly evil, but Harvey Dent is a tragic villain of the classical variety, while also touching on the myth of Janus.
Every role is essential in The Dark Knight and Christian Bale, returning as the caped crusader, leads the stellar cast including Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. Eric Roberts also does a good job in the minor role of Sal Maroni, a reigning mobster. But The Dark Knight ultimately belongs to Heath Ledger as the Joker.
It’s telling that Ledger was the first actor to win an Oscar for a role in a superhero film. Every scene featuring the Joker, such as the now classic one when the Joker crashes a party looking for Harvey Dent, is a chilling blend of dark humor and gruesome violence. The ironic thing about the Joker is that as much as he decries planning and structure, he brilliantly plans everything he does down to the very creation of his character and his origins. Who knows which one of the Joker’s childhood stories is true, if any? He purposely keeps an aura of mystery about him.
The extent of the Joker’s evil nature becomes more and more evident as the movie progresses. He organizes the murder of Gotham officials who were fighting crime and sets his next sight on Harvey Dent. His powers for evil seem to transcend the possibilities of a real person at times and he seems more like chaos personified.
But here is the curious thing about the Joker. He always puts people in a situation in which they have to share part of the blame for what he does. This leads to an interesting discussion he had with his archenemy in prison. Taking ideas from Lord of the Flies, the incarcerated Joker draws parallels with his method to the plight of Batman. This confrontation would be repeated in the film’s climactic battle atop a skyscraper. This is one of the best movie revelations of recent times and the Joker is one of the best recent movie villains, a powerful final tribute to Heath Ledger’s legacy.
Despite the darkness of the tale, The Dark Knight is not a nihilistic movie as the sinister social experiment proves. No one on either boat of hostages has the nerve to pull the plug, detonating a bomb on the other boat but sparing their own lives. Ultimately, The Dark Knight shows faith in humans doing the right thing.
It’s hard to make a dark superhero movie. The ones that worked were Batman Begins, the first X-Men, and The Dark Knight. The previous summer’s Spider-Man 3 also attempted to go darker and shares some things in common with The Dark Knight, but came nowhere near matching this film’s depth of feelings. This movie actually feels like an Oscar-worthy drama.
Christopher Nolan has said that his third Batman movie will be his last. Keeping his contribution to the franchise as a trilogy will prevent its punch from running thin. Some have taken Lucius Fox’s (Morgan Freeman) line, “it may work on a cat,” to hint at a possible showdown with Catwoman in the next film. Whatever surprises it holds, he should keep the essence that he created in The Dark Knight. For what he did created here is a great movie supported by great acting and even an homage to Shane in the end. It’s so much more than just a superhero movie. In fact, can anyone in this film really be considered a “hero” at all? It’s an appropriately dark movie but it never quite loses its faith in humanity. And, of course, it features Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker, one of those characters you never forget.

Luego de sortear todos los cines de Caracas en busca de una función que no estuviese ya toda vendida finalmente pude ver The Dark Knight.

La primera sensación que queda después de ver la película es algo a lo que no nos tienen acostumbrados los blockbusters que inundan las carteleras por esta época del año.

Y ese algo es una profunda angustia, si angustia. Christopher Nolan se las ha ingeniado para sacarse de la manga el Batman más opresivo, oscuro, deprimente y desgarrador de todos hasta ahora. En comparación, Batman Begins es un paseo en el parque.

Si la anterior encarnación del encapotado dirigida por Nolan había encaminado al personaje a sus orígenes, The Dark Knight es la contribución final para colocar a Batman de nuevo en el sitial de honor entre los antihéroes.

Bat-Noir

La película es en todo el estricto sentido de la palabra un film-noir, cine negro del bueno. Una historia donde todo está torcido y aquello que no lo parece termina por estarlo. De allí la amargura y el mal sabor de boca que deja pues todos los personajes de una u otra forma terminan sucumbiendo ante la corrupción que subyace en Ciudad Gótica.

Visualmente la película igualmente está filmada al estilo de cualquier película noir que se precie de serlo. Claro que sin llegar a los excesos estilísticos de las anteriores Batman (exceptuando por supuesto a Batman Begins). Nada de neon o niebla perenne. La oscuridad de ésta Ciudad Gótica está más allá de sus edificaciones y de sus calles. Está en su gente.

El factor Mann

En varias entrevistas Christopher Nolan citó a Heat de Michael Mann como una fuerte influencia para la realización de esta película. Luego de que salió a la luz el prólogo de The Dark Knight pensé que la “influencia” llegaría sólo hasta ahí. No podía estar más equivocado, los elementos que unen a las películas son muchos otros (y de más importancia) por ejemplo la relación de anverso/reverso que existe entre Batman y el Guasón así como existe la misma relación entre Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) y Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro). Dos caras de una misma moneda donde cada uno convive precisamente en función del otro. Ambas fuerzas que existen en consecuencia (y no a pesar de) la otra.

Si bien este es un elemento fácilmente reconocible en la película de Mann no es más que un dispositivo clásico típico de los cómics: el personaje principal y su némesis sujetos similares pero sencillamente colocados en lados opuestos de la línea que los separa (y pensar que esto en apariencia es sólamente una película de verano, si Luis).

Otros elementos que parecieran guardar una relación con la película de Mann (y con gran parte de su obra si a ver vamos) es la descripción y exposición de elementos del crimen organizado. Digo aparente relación porque todos esos elementos que describen a los residuos de la mafia de Ciudad Gótica, estaban todos en el cómic original de Bob Kane, sencillamente casi nunca fue explotado en su justa medida. Ni siquiera por la película de Burton que sólo toca el tema como algo circunstancial.

Pon al Murciélago-Hombre en su lugar

Olvídemos por un momento las anteriores incarnaciones del encapotado, olvidemos a Adam West, olvidemos a Michael Keaton y a Tim Burton, olvidemos a Val Kilmer, George Clooney y a Joel Schumacher porque esta película acaba de pasar una página. The Dark Knight logra muchas metas en cuanto a obra individual, en cuanto a producto, en cuanto a espectáculo. Son logros con creces, pero creo que el gran logro final es cimentar una imagen más cercana a los orígenes del personaje como tal.

Este es un Batman sin compromisos de taquilla, sin compromisos con cadenas de comidas rápidas, un Batman frío y desagradable. Un hombre al borde de la desesperación que debe luchar contra la locura y la malda en estado puro y tratar de mantenerse cuerdo en el intento.

De artesanos y artistas

Si hay algo que no se le podrá negar nunca a las películas dirigidas por Nolan son sus impecables facturas a nivel técnico. Todo elemento que es visto en la pantalla está cuidado hasta el más mínimo detalle. Quizás es un eufemismo decir esto para referirse a la calidad de las películas en general, pero en este caso cabe la atribución: esta es una película de Oscars. NO hay nada, léase bien NADA en esta película que no esté hecho con la marca de la excelencia.

Desde la fotografía de Willy Pfister, pasando por el diseño de producción de Nathan Crowley, la música de dos monstruos como Hans Zimmer y James Newton-Howard, la edición de Lee Smith, el guión de Johnathan Nolan y su hermano Christopher quien también dirige con maestría, además de la contribución del siempre correcto e ingenioso David S. Goyer quien ya ha demostrado con creces que sabe lo que hace cuando escribe (que mal que no pase lo mismo cuando dirige). Todo el apartado de efectos visuales y físicos. Es un deleite ver tantos elementos combinados de tal manera que hacen que la experiencia sea toda un fluir de emociones.

Una de payasos

Por supuesto que es imposible hablar de The Dark Knight y no hacerlo de Heath Ledger y de su Guasón. Caer en comparaciones como por ejemplo de si su construcción del personaje es mejor que la de Jack Nicholson es totalmente inútil. Sobre todo si consideramos que Jack Nicholson hizo precisamente el Guasón que necesitaba la película de Burton y que por eso es una de las cosas legendarias de esa película. La comparación sería perder el tiempo.

Lo que si se puede hacer es valorar la actuación de Ledger por lo que es, un “tour de force” como dicen los gringos. ¿es su mejor papel? dificilmente, los matices de todos los personajes que interpretó Ledger en su corta carrera son suficientes para hacer un sólo post, sin embargo es de notar como dije en relación a Nicholson y su Guasón, Ledger contruyó precisamente el personaje que necesitaba esta película, una fuerza indetenible, “un agente del caos” como el mismo se define en un momento decisivo de la misma.

Por allí, ya no recuerdo donde, leí que para que una película de estas características tenga éxito es esencial que el villano resalte. Coño no resaltó, se robó el puto show. Un personaje de estas características que es a la vez tan aterrorizante y atractivo. ¿Cómo evitar quererlo y a la vez temerle?. Sencillamente de antología.

Otra de las cosas que me pareció sumamente interesante fue la referencia a trabajos esenciales de la mitología de Batman (especialmente trabajos más recientes) para la construcción del guasón. Nolan citó el trabajo de Alan Moore (the Killing Joke) y de Frank Miller (The Dark Knight Returns) como fuente para la confección del Guasón del Ledger. Se nota por todas partes la verdad. Especialmente en lo que refiere al enfrentamiento moral, ético y emocional entre los dos (Batman y el Guasón). Es bueno que el trabajo de Moore se esté utilizando correctamente y no como en anteriores oportunidades donde lo que se ha hecho más que todo es modificarlo hasta los niveles de la caricaturización.

Eso por supuesto no quiere decir que los otros no le hayan quedado a la altura, Cristian Bale demuestra que es Batman por una sencilla razón: es el mejor. De resto el casting mantiene un nivel de olimpiada: Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhall (quien reemplazó, gracias a Dios, a Katie Holmes), Gary Oldman, hasta los secundarios son de pura calidad.

¿El Caballero Blanco?

Ahora que si hay alguna sorpresa, más allá de las anunciadas durante toda la espera que antecedió a la película ese es Aaron Eckhart/Dos Caras. Y de como es en su personaje, a pesar de todo lo que uno podría anticipar, donde recae la metáfora de toda la película (la historia), por lo menos desde mi perspectiva.

Harvey Dent es del mismo modo el héroe y el monstruo. El espejo de la realidad que se destruye ante la demencia y locura del mundo cruel de Ciudad Gótica, una ciudad gótica que atemoriza porque por momentos parece tan real y tan cercana. El conflicto de Dent/dos Caras es el conflicto del enfrentamiento entre Batman y su similar negativo.

Gracias a Dios que los panas que escribieron el guión no se fueron por el camino fácil y lo convirtieron en el villano de la hipotética tercera parte de esta nueva saga de Batman. Le dieron un papel catalizador de la transformación final de Batman en lo que siempre ha sido en esencia: un antihéroe. Sin desperdicio pues.

La verdad es que no es mucho lo que uno pueda decir de la última incarnación del Hombre Murciélago. La película está ahí y habla por si sola. Una obra maestra de cine, una pieza de arte. ¡Cómo nos engañaron!, nos vendieron un estudio de carácter como si fuese una película cotufera.

In short, Heath is great. NOT INCREDIBLE. He really stepped out of his personality to find his character. But his acting is as close as anyone in his generation will get to “method acting”. He deserved his Oscar.

I was not impressed by anything else in this film. Batman Begins really raised the bar for Batman films back to Tim Burton’s level. But after the first scene, this film turned into a bore. It was badly written and way too long for its own good. If anything, this film really raised the bar for supervillain performances. The film aimed high which is why fans love it, but if you are a studied film-goer, you will see it mostly failed.

What you get is a mediocre “modern noir” film that wouldn’t have been out of place in the mid 1990s. The acting is wooden and trying too hard to be legit. The action sequences are bland. The script is full of crime film cliches and hokey comic book dialogue.

And as a Batman adaptation, the film is still bad. Batman is no longer an astute and resourceful detective. All of his gadgets are provided by Lucius Fox. All of his spiritual incisiveness comes from Alfred. And he spends the other moments just sulking and barking at criminals. This film’s Joker barely resembles the Joker from the comics. The only thing spooky about him is his makeup. He’s now a burned out young psycho, not a witty gangster/clown. Commissioner Gordon, Alfred and any other characters are just stock characters given the names of their comic book counterpart.

But this film has given the “superhero genre” legitimacy with mainstream audiences and modern film enthusiasts. Its not even CLOSE to being a great movie. Its not even the best Batman film IMO. But its a breath of fresh air in this age of Hollywood trash.

Everything that made Batman Begins a great movie was only improved and/or kept on par with this. The directing is even better from Christopher Nolan, he understands the necessary way to go about a superhero movie like no one else. You have two major character arcs in this story (Batman’s limits to bring justice and Harvey Dent’s descent to evil) as well as over four major villians and it is still able to be handled with ease. Christian Bale not only plays the Bruce Wayne that Gotham sees him as, but he is also its greatest detective and justice breeder. Then there is also the “real” Bruce Wayne. A man of compassion, even though he is haunted daily by his past daily by the people he goes up against. Even though he wants to kill them, he knows that if he did he would be no better that someone like Ra’s Al Ghul and his league of Assassins. Aaron Eckhart also does a great job of playing multiple roles because he is so believable as the well mannered District Attorney and also as the psychotic killer that is Two-Face. Heath Ledger was a perfect Joker and I feel like it got the praise it warranted, but I feel all three leads deserved just as much recognition. This movie excels in every genre it approaches. As a comic book movie it stays really true to the Long Halloween and Dark Victory storyline. As an action movie it shows more shit blow up than a lot of other action sequences than others and it’s throughout the entire movie, not just the climax. As a drama it shows a number of clear character arcs and sees them through. Batman actually has to make a decision that neither Spider-man or Superman ever end up having to make, a life or an ideal. This builds on everything set up in Batman Begins, making it arguably the greatest sequel of all time.

The Dark Knight is a definite turning point in the comic book film genre. What truly separates this film from other comic book films is that it harkens back to its darker roots: The overall theme is more than just a dualistic perspective of good versus evil; there is also a struggle within Bruce Wayne regarding his true role; Can the city of Gotham truly appreciate Batman’s contribution to rid every malign criminal from the streets? Will there be a Gotham without Batman? If Bruce Wayne’s anti-criminal crusade is over, will he continue his life of privilege? In this franchise alone, there are so many questions that are yet to be answered after the film was over. Of course this was a clear sign that the franchise has to end at some point, in comparison to the James Bond method that backfired in the previous franchise.

For those who are still fans of the 1960s television show are not considered to be true fans of the Batman Mythology. When the 1960s televison show was released, Bob Cane was absolutely furious that his creation was smeared and dumb-down. The TV series relied heavily on comic relief, corny catch phrases from Robin, and preposterous contraptions that were created by the writers of the televison show: The utility belt with an endless supply of gadgets for any situation, the shark repellant, etc. The villains in TV series were only bad versions of Bod Cane’s darker, more anti-heroic characters. Of course the TV series was only a reflection of the psychedelic times.

Looking back at the previously failed incarnations of the Batman franchise, it was obvious that the directors and the writers were only making these film for themselves rather than making these films for the fans. Joel’s idea of Batman was this magical, colorful, fantasy world that perfectly accommodates the heroes and villains. The previous films were only concerned with what is happening around Batman/ Bruce Wayne rather than was going on within him. After the release Batman and Robin, there was a backlash from fandom around the world and Joel’s apology did little to assure the fans of the future of the franchise, and at this point, the franchise is basically on life support. In my mind, after that monstrosity of a film, fandom wanted the films to go back to basics.

To the fans, the mythology of Batman is beyond that feeling of campy happy-comfort food. Fandom wanted the films to be true to the original Bob Cane vision, which is to go darker and more psychological than what the previous films had done. At the time, toning down the franchise presented a great risk to the studios. They thought that sticking to the formula of the sixties televison show would work in this post 9/11 world, which obviously backfired. Although Batman is the only self-made super hero, the franchise should be rooted in reality not immersed in a “fantasy world” that resembled a three-ring circus.

Chris Nolan’s Batman Begins was a breath of fresh air to fandom around the world. This was the Batman that the fans have been waiting for since the original release of the comic books in the 1940s. “Begins” is the prefect prequel to revive the franchise. It provided the fans old and new, the psychological aspects of Bruce Wayne’s drive to avenge his parent’s deaths. But the mob assassinated the killer before Wayne claimed his vengeance. Then Wayne went through a phase where he unsuccessfully attempted to study the criminal underworld. And the only result of that is that he was in a vicious circle of hate. This psychological interpretation on how an individual of privilege, who truly lost everything, transformed into a symbol of hope that is completely incorruptible. This prequel is a masterpiece of thought-provoking imagery.

As aforementioned, The Dark Knight is a definite turning point in the comic book film genre. With a denser plot, darker imagery, and unexpected twists, this film will garner the respect that this genre that has longed-deserved. There are many elements in this film that are entering uncharted territory in terms of a comic book perspective. These elements are ones that would associate with other memorable crime dramas such as Heat and Cop Land. What also separates ths film from other Batman films, is that the world around Bruce Wayne is reality-based. Which means that everything associated in this realm of the mythology is more credible and not campy and corny like its predecessors. What surprised me about this film is Nolan having the audacity to use more practical effects and stunts rather than using artificial computer generated effects. There were a few moments in the screening where the audience broke out in applause, which is truly a sign of appreciation for this film.

Out of every comic film that I’ve seen thus far, this is the most evocative. This film, in my mind, and in the minds of fans, is destined to become the best comic book film ever made. The only performance that stood out from the rest was Heath Ledger’s memorable, but maddening portrayal of The Joker. Regardless of the fact that this was Ledger’s somber swan song, this menacing performance is definitely worthy of a posthumous Oscar nomination. In closing, this film is also worth several Oscar nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger and Gary Oldman), Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Make-Up, Best Sound Editing, and Best Picture. All in all, this is hands down, the best picture of the year.

It seems everyone totally overlooks some serious issues with Dark Knight – like the fact it was censored and edited to nothing. From what I’ve read, the MPAA cut out all kinds of scenes in order to get this film a PG-13 rating. This film should never have been given an R-rating, and ended up looking really bizarre in the end. Way to violent and dark for 13-year olds…and they wouldn’t get much of the movie anyway.

Doesn’t everyone remember that there were total gaps between parts of the movie? Until they release an unrated version, it’s ridiculous to call this the best movie ever.

With The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan continues his vision of the batman franchise as a dark, psychological noir-tinged thriller, one with a sleek and minimal look reminiscent of Michael Mann’s crime epics. Stylistically, Nolan has gone in the opposite direction to Burton’s Batman films with their gothic flights of fantasy, grounding his vision very much in the reality of a crime epic with gangsters and rogue cops. There is no denying the skill, intelligence and craft with which this film is made, it emanates from every frame. It is that rarest all of things in cinema: a smart, thought-provoking, supremely well made summer blockbuster from by a gifted auteur: the antithesis of Transformers. And yes, in parts it can gets a bit too self consciously serious and dark and Nolan lays on the 9/11 parables a bit too thick in places but this is mainstream filmmaking at its finest.

And Heath Ledger. There isn’t really anything else I can say on his performance that hasn’t already been said a million times, suffice to say his Joker is a masterpiece of method acting: a rigorous journey into the mind of a psychopath. Christian Bale also deserves plaudits for his performance as the caped crusader. There was always the danger of his Batman being overshadowed by Ledger’s Joker (a la Michael Keaton with Nicholson’s Joker) but Bale is a far too gifted and brilliant actor for that to happen, constructing an intelligent and dynamic performance of a character in constant inner turmoil. The score by Hans Zimmer is a low-fi electronic work of genius, stark in its simplicity and the action set pieces are cleverly staged and are original and inspiring. I have to say part of me, amongst the sleek cityscapes and courtroom battles did long for the beautiful gothic whimsy of Burton’s Batman Returns but don’t listen to the naysayers, this is a fine piece of cinema.

Welcome to a world without rules. So reads the tagline for The Dark Knight, and not since the phrase “This Time It’s War” adorned the poster for Aliens has a film been summarised so effectively. To the uninitiated, this is the sixth film to be made in the Batman franchise, and the second since Brits Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale were given the task of reinventing a series that had fallen away critically and commercially since Tim Burton first brought the Caped Crusader to the screen back in 1989. 2005’s Batman Begins was an impressively moody effort, but one that never really got out of second gear. Fortunately it appears that earlier film was merely a test run for Nolan and his collaborators, as this time they have surpassed it on every conceivable level. The Dark Knight represents a new apex for mass entertainment and for the art form of the film blockbuster in general. Not since James Cameron made Terminator 2: Judgement Day in 1991 has the personal and the public been intertwined to such a powerful degree. Be warned, despite the films 12 certificate, this might not be one for the kids.

In a summer where Batman’s position as our favourite superhero has been challenged by Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hancock and Hellboy, it must have been tempting for Nolan to rest on his laurels, but it takes a brave man to turn what in the past has been little more than an excuse to print money into such a dark and intense political allegory. Make no mistake, The Dark Knight is fiercely contemporary, and over the course of two and a half glorious hours it takes in wire-tapping, RICO predicates, terrorism and torture, as Gotham attempts to come to grips with a sadistic terrorist called The Joker (the late Heath Ledger) who appears to be motivated only by a desire for anarchy and chaos. Fighting him in tandem is the uncomfortable triumvirate of Batman, new District Attorney Harvey Dent (a tremendous Aaron Eckhart, who plays his role with the zeal of a Kennedy or even an Obama) and Lieutenant James Gordon (a returning Gary Oldman), whilst Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Maggie Gyllenhall admirably flesh the other roles out. The sheer talent of actors on display is further indication that this is not your typical summer movie fare. The artistry and commitment involved, from Nolan’s effortless control over the proceedings to Ledger’s career-defining serpentine performance, everything about The Dark Knight points to a level of excellence never before seen in a comic-book adaptation. The Dark Knight must be seen to be believed, and the only way to truly see it is at the IMAX. I have never experienced a film before which starts with a sharp collective intake of breath from the audience, nor one where they break into spontaneous applause on three separate occasions. I felt like I’d wondered into Paris in the 1890s to see one of the Lumiere Brothers earliest productions, or I’d stumbled into the premiere of The Birth Of A Nation in New York in 1915. This is a film that will be remembered for redefining what the cinema is capable of. The Dark Knight is like writing history with lightning. It truly soars above the competition.

Fans, audiences and critics have all been waiting for Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins sequel, many obviously predicting the villain will be the Joker (hint from the ending of the first film). Though they probably didn’t expect anything like this to be put on screen. What we have here is more of a character study of a film than being all action spectacle and having good fun i.e. Iron Man.

Not that it’s exciting, the many action sequences in this film are spectacular (an improvement on Chris Nolan’s part). The most talked about thing about this movie is Heath Ledger’s performance as the Clown Prince of Crime, and having it being his last completed film project before his tragic death in January this year. The hype is not overrated, his performance is both comedically and frighteningly brilliant. He is more interesting than Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman, pointing out very good points in the film (“you know the thing about chaos, it’s fair”) and the scene between himself and Batman (played with emotional depth from Christian Bale) is just spine-chillingly fantastic. Both characters being complete opposites, making out that the Joker is what Batman could be if he fell to madness;

Batman: “You’re garbage who kills for money.”
Joker: “Don’t talk like one of them- you’re not, even if you’d like to be. To them you’re just a freak, like me. They just need you right now. But when they don’t, they’ll cast you out like a leper.”

Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and even Gary Oldman are fleshed out in this sequel than they were in the first film. Giving themselves more of a back-story and even equal screen time. The new additions being Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent is a huge surprise, feeling so sorry that he’s slightly ignored from everyone thinking this is Heath’s movie. When Harvey Dent turns to Two-Face, it is a somewhat horrifying transformation (both physically and mentally). Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, better in the acting department but still a one-dimensional character.

The cinematography is like Michael Mann’s Heat (obvious to it’s visual style and influence with the opening heist sequence), and the orchestral score from Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is both electrifying and exciting. This is a comic book hero film unlike any of the others. It feels like a normal crime/thriller film, but just so happens to have Batman and the Joker.

A great film, considering it came from the same place as Michael Bay and company. Christoper Nolan did a great job, as usual. And their were less shitty script-writing, it was still their just concealed well. Heath Ledger did a great job and Christian Bale had all his scene’s stolen by Michael Caine. The story is pretty good, but has some obvious defects. Watch it just for Ledger going insane on screen, rest in peace.

In my opinion, no comic book film has ever come close to achieving what this brilliant film has. The Dark Knight encompasses such a broad spectrum of unique characters that it makes one wonder why no other director has been able to take a comic book hero seriously before now. Spider Man is entertaining for certain, and Superman will always have a special place in my heart (the Christopher Reeve entries), but with TDK it’s clear that Nolan understands Batman as a character, specifically with his relation to the Joker. Coupled with the amazing transformation of Harvey Dent into Two-Face, among dozens of subplots in the lengthy film, you get the finest and most serious Batman film ever created, which also happens to be the most entertaining one ever.

Believe me when I say this is not to be seen mainly for Heath Ledger’s outstanding performance. Sure, it’s a reason. But his death and performance really overshadowed the film’s pure greatness. What we have here is some of the most complex, multi-layered and philosophically struggling screenwriting ever put in front of a camera. Put on top with excellent, non-conventional direction and cinematography, and all great performances outside of Ledger, and you have a film we’ll be telling our grandchildren about.

The only saving grace of this movie is Heath Ledger’s (rip) brilliant performance…I really hate all the attention it got, cuz it really wasn’t all that great, except as a vehicle for the Joker…Christian Bale was really wooden as Batman and it seemed like they just tacked on Harvey Dent to pull more audience when he really deserved his own movie…especially cuz his story is a lot more complex than what they turned it into in the Dark Knight…and who the fuck is Rachel Dawes??? I was raised on the animated series, to which (so far) no live-action Batman has even come close to as far as recreating the vibe. They certainly touched something with Batman Begins, but the Dark Knight was just another let-down.

What do you do when your film is hyped up as the best comic book movie of all-time? What about when your star dies of an accidental drug overdose after completion, attributed by some to prescribed depression medication acquired due to the toll his character took on him? Well, you just have to ride the wave and hope it all turns out good. I mean just those two aspects alone were going to drive people to the theatres on Friday night, the real question was would the word-of-mouth keep them coming afterwards? My answer is a resounding yes. Rarely does a film not only live up to the lofty expectations set before it, but almost never does it exceed them. The Dark Knight is not only a great comic adaptation, but also a great movie from any genre. The acting is amazing, the story is intelligent and always keeping you on your toes, and the direction is a step up from the original installment, Batman Begins. I definitely had my reservations with the plethora of new characters and return of so many old ones, but Christopher Nolan handled it all like a champ. Some were so small that they probably weren’t necessary at all—I’m talking to you Scarecrow—but it never suffered from the sequel curse of too much too soon. Having The Joker and Harvey Dent introduced at the same time was natural and necessary because the two are on opposite sides of the legal spectrum, helping give Batman a look at what life could be in Gotham without him, both for the worst and the best.

The Gotham crime syndicates are afraid of the caped crusader to the point where their employees cower in the shadows at the sight of the Bat-signal and the mob bosses hold their meetings during the day. Worried that their finances are about to be seized by Lt. Gordon’s strike force, (Gary Oldman once more showing his greatness in even the straightforward roles he takes when on hiatus from the crazed villains he is used to playing), they pool it all together and hand over control to an Asian corporation, naively thinking it is safe from Gotham and new DA Harvey Dent’s jurisdiction. Only the demented nihilist The Joker understands that Batman has no bounds when it comes to what he is capable of. A vigilante himself, the superhero can go where he pleases and extract Lau from Hong Kong, the man with every penny owned by the city’s underbelly in his seemingly safe hands. This fact isn’t a question of could happen, but instead one of will happen. It is the first step in The Joker’s elaborate plan to take control of the city and prove to all that even the pure of heart can be and will be corruptible. Human nature is flawed and he wants to show the world just how much. Money is inconsequential; all he wants is the power and control.

While first seen as a fly sticking out of a bee swarm, Batman and Gordon don’t take any real heed of The Joker’s threat. It is the mob they are after and, with the help of Dent, are almost to the point where they can take them down for good. But as Harvey says, it is always darker before the dawn and this crazed maniac is blotting out the sun. Devoid of morals and seriously insane—“do you want to know how I got these scars?”—he takes no prisoners and consistently plays with everyone on his trail. A master of the human psyche, he is always two steps ahead of Batman and Gotham’s finest, pulling the strings on who is to live and who is to die. With the finding of his polar opposite in the form of Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego, The Joker is ready to have fun. Knowing how Batman’s one rule is the inability to kill, he pushes his buttons and places the blame of those he kills onto Wayne’s consciousness. Having a man like Dent there to stand for justice, face accessible to the world and not hidden behind a mask, Wayne’s guilt drives him to the edge of finally letting his identity be known. The Joker is a wild card in the poker match of life, orchestrator of anarchy, turning the world on each other and soon doesn’t even need to actually do any of the killings himself. Those he toys with find themselves falling to the darkness of revenge and greed, doing his bidding without even having to be asked.

No one is safe in this pitch-black world of violence and crime, almost completely shrouded in shadow once the small glint of light that seemed about to break through is snuffed out. Nolan throws conventions out the window with his plotting and willingness to take a chance on letting those we may find to be untouchable become expendable. He also has honed his action skills by giving us a bit more of a wide angle view on fights, letting them happen before our eyes and not be constructed later with quick cuts that don’t meld together. And the special effects, all I can say is bravo. From the new gadgets, (sonar systems and a kickass bat-cycle whose introduction is only upstaged by its ability to flip 90 degrees by riding up a building wall), to the make-up work, (The Joker is unsettling to view without Heath Ledger’s superb acting work), to the computer graphics, (not to ruin anything, but Two-Face is a sight to see), The Dark Knight pulls no punches.

With solid acting all around, Christian Bale and company carry over the success from the first film without fail. He himself is more comfortable in the duality of lifestyles, shining as Bruce Wayne the playboy, while also getting a chance to show some heroics before able to get his suit on, showing how it is the man and not the costume that really is super. However, it is the newcomers that bring the standard for comic book performances up to a level that may never be eclipsed. Aaron Eckhart is great as Dent with his pretty boy looks and affable charm. Unable to be bullied or scared, Eckhart embodies the good that Gotham has in its future and the subtle hinting to the darkness always hiding behind the façade of someone that pure of heart. He himself said it best, “you either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Foreshadowing at its best.

But of course, the true amazement is with Ledger’s Joker. When cast, many had their doubts, yet I remember always standing by the choice, knowing he could hit it out of the park if given the chance. Wow, this is the best villain ever put to screen. His vocal work and laugh are chilling and the facial ticks and licking of the lips just show the detail Ledger put in. The back-and-forths between him and Bale are always intriguing and exciting as the two powerhouses just put on a clinic and how about the introduction to his character at the start robbing the bank, what an entrance. The only part of this film that left me sad was the fact that we won’t be able to see Ledger reprise the role in the next installment. Kudos to Nolan for already saying that they will not recast; it is an honor to the job Heath did and to the audience so as not to pull a switch, ruining the character and movie because no one could ever even attempt to match the craft that went into the role here. A fantastic performance in a fantastic film…whatever you have heard, believe it.

Long movie, but I think we would have felt cheated if they hadn’t taken it where it needed to go. Comic books are reimagined all the time, but everyone complains about movie remakes and reimaginings not being original. I love the fact that these new Nolan Batmans present fresh births of the hero and villain characters drawn from more recent comic issues. This movie is not trying to repeat or continue the same old stories, and it doesn’t have to, so the actors can create their characters on their own terms. Again there is a realism in this Batman universe. Comic books can deal with serious themes, but are rarely taken seriously. I do wish the Academy had given this a shot at Best Picture, but I understand their tastes and that they are not giving awards based on populism. The movie is rightfully nominated for several technical awards, which is a sign that the Academy does not totally ignore movies that are recognized as great.

In most comic book adaptations, heroes pop back up into the frame after taking deadly beatings as if nothing happened, and villains are charming mischief makers who we still love. Comic book stories deserve to be more than a bunch of caricatures sometimes. Ledger as the Joker embodied that chaotic evil, which is the ultimate challenge for Batman. Never, never, NEVER has an actor embodied such evil (alright maybe that was exaggerating a bit when I first wrote this). This is definitely a movie for multiple viewings. I don’t think I’ve seen a movie that dealt so well with real, complex, moral ambiguity in quite a while and it’s crazy exciting! The world IS NOT so simple as good versus evil, black and white with no gray area in between. Batman is not about a white knight in shining armor, it’s about The Dark Knight.

The caped crusader is back, darker and even more spectacular than his previous adventure, and thanks to Christopher Nolan’s inventiveness, the most far-fetched elements of the comic and the orgiastic action seem grounded in reality, hence overpowering. It’s not a movie that builds a bridge to a climactic conclusion, but the climax is constant, however, sometimes that could distance oneself from the story rather than excite.