The Dark Knight (2008)

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2018)

This is a very impressive film not only for director Christopher Nolan, but also for the superhero film genre all around. The Dark Knight showcases masterfully crafted action scenes along with some power house performances, most notably from the late Heath Ledger. The film's dark and realistic tone allows it to feel less like a comic book movie and more like a classic good vs. evil crime drama, which happens to include Batman. Within these terrific themes come a few instances of shallow dialogue. It feels as if every character was obligated by Nolan to deliver their complex and overly complicated philosophies. As a result, I did not care for or worry about as many characters as I probably should have. Among these were Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel Dawes and Morgan Freeman's Lucious Fox. However, these scratches are not enough to put a dent in The Dark Knight's overall impact. The film is terrific in many ways and deserves credit for giving the superhero genre the sophistication and attention it deserves.