A great encapsulation of our times!

Rating: 7/10 (18 April 2009)

*** Warning, this review will contain spoilers *** Not that this warning is really needed, since I seem to be one of the last to have seen this film.
What a great movie! In the vein of classics, this film makes you think while being absolutely entertaining. I had some reservations going into it, with so many people on YouTUBE idolizing the Joker and talking about the value of anarchy. But his film keeps a clear delineation of good and bad without making that delineation so narrow that the story sounds cliché'd. It is not a totally original plot nor is it a realistic film, but the direction, acting, and pacing make it feel fresh - allowing the writers to pack in a huge amount of themes without overloading the audience.
There are a few bad notes to the film which I'll mention first so I can then move on to the good notes. The most unrealistic aspect is the Joker's scheming. There are so many double and triple crosses that happen so quickly that he could not have possibly foreseen all that would happen. For example, after the Joker's semi chases Dent's armored car out of the tunnels (a tunnel exit the Joker was not planning Dent to take), how would he have known to have positioned 2 of his clowns with wires in just the precise spot at just the precise height to knock a police helicopter down? Or how could the Joker have predicted that his bomb at the police station would either kill or knock out every single police officer, yet leave him completely untouched, so he could stroll up to Lau and kidnap him? There's several examples of this sort of ESP that the Joker seems to posses even though he's portrayed as a normal person (albeit a totally crazy one). A second small quip was the Hong Kong scene. Batman flies from the IFC tower, then flies by the IFC tower, then lands on the IFC tower (although all are portrayed to be different buildings). Weird... Also, with so much chaos in Gotham, I think they would have called the national guard by then. And then there's the one faulty concept of "sometimes truth isn't good enough. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded." As a Christian, I believe truth sets you free and that faith is a gift from God, not something you can earn. But even with these faults, the film has such a surprisingly strong emotional pull with its characters you care about that the mistakes don't bog the movie down.
Now for the good... The production work, script, and acting are all top notch with even the most minor of characters getting just enough screen time or meaty enough dialogue that you remember them; even someone like the young police officer (whose wife is in the hospital) in the car who Gordon tries to disarm. While the Joker is by far the strongest and scariest villain I have ever seen, Nolan wisely avoids delving too much into his past. We end up understanding something of him without ever empathizing for him. Nolan keeps our compassion on his victims. I love the way ideas are addressed in the film and then played out in later scenes such as when Alfred tells Bruce they caught the bandit by burning the forest down, and then later there is Bruce using the cell phone sonar device to "burn down the city forest" if you will. I love how masses of people are shown giving into fear and then later courageously thinking outside of themselves. And so many themes almost effortlessly packed into this film: "The night is darkest before the dawn, but the dawn is coming."
What is civic duty?
Batman consistently taking on the blame of others to redeem them.
"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
"Know your limits."
And many others. With so much going on and so many opposing and complementing messages, the movie encapsulates the Zeitgeist of the 2000's and its post modernism. It is a reflection both positive and negative of the attitudes of this generation. The Dark Knight is not a perfect film, but an excellent one nevertheless. It is a worthy follow up to Batman Begins and indeed surpasses it in scope and production. It is a perfect transition film between Begins and whatever Batman 3 will be.