From the second I saw the Joker card in Batman Begins, I instantly knew this movie would be unforgettable. And I was right!

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2008)

Comic book movies are just getting better and better aren't they? Recently we've had Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and the less recent Spider Man 2 which add depth and characters as strong as the superheros are. I'm sick of these special effects extravaganzas that ignore the human factors behind the superpowers. With some of these movies it's all about actiony explosions and cartoonish villains. These movies look pristine, but they're pretty weak at the core. Yes special effects look pretty, and they fully entertain some simplistic audiences, but I need something a little more complex. The Dark Knight does just that. Not only did it have excellent special effects and action, it had one hell of a brilliant story for a summer blockbuster.
Batman is back but not too adored by the citizens and police of Gotham. He is gaining a rep as a villainous criminal in a mask. One of the only people in law enforcement who does believe in him is Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman). Behind the mask, Bruce Wayne isn't doing too well either. He really wants to help Gotham get back on solid ground, but until then he still needs to be Batman. And the longer he stays Batman the longer his love Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) distances herself from him. She is even dating the strong willed new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who believes in helping the people of Gotham and stopping the mob and crime in the city once and for all. However it is here that a new villain shows up, who starts up with armed robbery and tangles with the mob, and soon starts his own reign of absolute chaos. His name is the Joker (Heath Ledger), wearing white makeup and a carved grin on his face. Without any desire for money or fame, all he wants is to terrify people and cause chaos until the heart of Gotham cracks in half, and people start to turn on each other just like he wants. Out of control and unrestrained, the Joker only gets increasingly more dangerous and powerful, and it's up to Batman to stop him. Or Gotham is going to literally crumble.
I've been waiting for this movie since I saw the ending of Batman Begins in theaters. I remember the second the Joker Card appeared, people in the crowd started clapping with joy. And I thought to myself, oh this is gonna be good! A few years later, after lots of anticipation, I finally saw The Dark Knight in Imax about a week ago. "Good" doesn't justify this movie. "One of the best movies of the decade", and "One of the best villains of the decade" ought to do the trick! This movie contains some of the strongest performances and storytelling I've ever seen in a comic book adaptation. Christian Bale is excellent at both Bruce Wayne and Batman, although his "Bat" voice is a little over the top. However the character of Bruce Wayne gets a little undershadowed here because of the Joker, but his character is still developed well. And the ending truly breaks new ground. His character was done better in Batman Begins, but that's because it was an origin story. Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman all have their captivating moments in this film. Although the Rachel Dawes character is still a little dull, Maggie Gyllenhaal is a far better actress than Katie Holmes. However the two best performances come from Aaron Eckhart and Heath Ledger, who truly provide the light and the darkness of this movie. Eckhart is charming and powerful as Harvey Dent, and as the infamous Two Face is nothing short of excellent, especially for his screen time. Two Face looked wonderfully gruesome, and comparing the great Tommy Lee Jones to Aaron Eckhart. Tommy boy barely even comes close, surprising right? But the real buzz of The Dark Knight comes from the late Heath Ledger, who damn well deserves a post-humus Oscar for this role.
The Joker is far more sinister and threatening here than he was in Batman 89'. First off Heath looks pretty creepy in the makeup, second off the character is just creepy in general. In Batman 89' the Joker tried to poison the streets of Gotham, and ended up failing miserably. In The Dark Knight the Joker just randomly decides to blow up a hospital, making everyone rush to the exits to barely get out in time. The Joker is very unrestrained, random, and downright twisted in his decision making. "I'm a dog chasing cars", he tells Harvey Dent, "I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one." He goes on to say that he just DOES things without any plan, because people don't panic under a plan. But with chaos "Everyone just loses their minds!" He's absolutely right, and this is what makes The Dark Knight's Joker one of the greatest movie villains in a long time. Heath Ledger plays him so well that you completely forget it's him, and even if he hadn't died I wouldn't praise his performance any less.
The Dark Knight is deeply disturbing, riveting, and chaotic experience. Your eyes feast on the visuals of Batpods, truck-flips, and "Pencil Tricks" (wink wink). While your brain is treated to powerful, mind blowing storytelling and performances. There are very few disappointments in The Dark Knight, but those few never overcome the great. The director Christopher Nolan tells his story with both breathtaking visuals, and disturbingly unforgettable emotion. I give The Dark Knight a 5 out of 5. Can you believe we graduated from Batman & Robin to this? Neither can I.