See this movie! But not the kids.

Rating: 9/10 (18 July 2008)

I am a skeptical critic who is rarely impressed by movies anymore. This was a happy exception.
I went to see this movie with my brother, a film student, and by the end we were just both blown away. This is NOT a superhero movie. This is NOT a kids movie. This is NOT a happy-happy joy-joy wisecracking action flick with a smarmy, charming good guy and a hammed up over-the-top bad guy. This was a study of several incredible characters scraping against each other in a desperate quest of heavily flawed people trying to do the right thing.
Now, there were a few 'comic book' moments. Like after the Batmobile gets blasted, and our hero 'ejects' into a motorcycle type pod from the blown-up car. That one almost lost me. Or when the Joker tells the sad tale of his demented dad, which turns out to be just a fantasy anyway because he tells a different origin story later. So that one kind of redeemed itself. And, I'm sorry... Ms. Gyllenhall... I don't find this woman attractive at all. Her face is like Droopy Dog met Kirsten Dunst. I know, it's harsh, but really, it did kinda ruin a little of the film for me. Her acting was perfectly fine. But she just isn't good looking at all. Aaron Eckhart, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and, of course, Heath Ledger were all PERFECT. The acting compliments this movie so well, you'll believe that these characters could be out on the streets. The story itself is more like a novel. It seems as if it struggles to find it's way for the first two acts, but by the end, everything fits together. It underscores a message of dark reality versus striving ideology in a world where corruption is rampant and a handful of dedicated people try to stop it. Amidst it all, is the Joker, the element of chaos ripping both systems apart.
Now let's shoot the elephant in the room. Heath Ledger is dead. His performance was so incredible, so believable, and so darkly disturbing, that this movie is definitely NOT for kids. People think "Oh, it's Batman, my kid will love it." Stop being an idiot. The movie is called "THE DARK KNIGHT" The Joker kills one person by slamming his head over a pencil and driving it into his brain. Getting back to the elephant... Yes, I believe Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar Nom for his performance. I'm not saying this because he's dead. I'm saying this because his performance was THAT good.
The movie is like watching a novel, which is my favorite kind of movie. There are stories within stories adding a rich complexity. My favorite scene is when the hardened criminal throws the detonator out the window. You'll know it when you see it. I loved that.
This is easily the best movie I've seen since Iron Man, and Iron Man was f-ing good! This movie made Batman Begins look shallow and empty. Not that Batman Begins was brilliant, but for a 'superhero' movie, it was good. The 'Dark Knight' is a good MOVIE period. See it. But leave the kids at home. This isn't 'biff! pow! thud!' Batman. This is dark, gritty, disturbing, gripping, enthralling and powerful. See. It.