Unbelievable!

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2008)

This year was flooded with top-notch movies that surpassed my expectations - the dead-pan but utterly hilarious (in a dark way) There Will Be Blood to the summer-loving Iron-Man and everything in between. However, when The Dark Knight first hit the cinemas, I took pride in witnessing what I would humbly deem as the greatest movie of the decade.
Let me first get pass the obvious. Its BATMAN! And then there is JOKER! Yes,Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan are on top of their game as usual,BUT Heath Ledger made me believe that there is a god. Oh, and then there was the supporting cast which includes the ever soulful Aaron Eckhart, the relatively brilliant (as compared to Katie Holmes) Maggie Gyllenhaal and some unknowns (Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and anyone knows Gary Oldman?).
Nolan's controlled directing has orchestrated a sombre piece of crime drama in which the stand-off between Batman and Joker is worth the price of admission alone. The movie is visually stunning and the soundtrack is the best I have heard in years. Certainly, this is a movie Micheal Mann would be proud of.
Without giving too much away, the movie goes to explore the central theme of anarchy and the sacrifices one have to make in this fabricated society. It highlights the burden of being a superhero and the liberty of being a villain. It also ties some loose ends in terms of the development of some characters. The depth of the movie may skip pass a casual viewer but the action set pieces is in every respect of the word, adrenaline-pumping.
Some critics have bemoaned the movie to be anti-climatic and bringing together several stories into one 2 and 1/2 hours of drama. I say if it is done right, who cares? Heath Ledger's performance is almost certain of an Oscar and I give credit to everyone who has their name on the credits.
This movie mind you is not Iron-Man or Wanted. If I ever were to be asked to sum up this movie: it's Heat on crack done right.