The Best Action Drama Ever Made!!!

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2008)

With everybody going completely nuts over this film and giving it practically nothing but rave reviews, I was sure I was going to be disappointed, especially after looking forward to it for so long. Instead, I was more impressed than I ever expected to be. This film is an absolute triumph!!! First, let me start by discussing its performances. The two most important characters are Batman and The Joker, with Harvey Dent/Two Face coming up close behind. Christian Bale gives us a haunted, visionary, and intensely driven effectuation of his Batman. Bruce Wayne is a playboy extraordinaire with an unlimited budget, flaunting his face all over the place as a master of business and a lover of good parties, but not exuding much substance. He hides his substance underneath, unleashing it with his Caped Crusader when he can hide his identity sufficiently from the world (meaning "at night"). He effectively comes close to eliminating crime from the streets, until a brilliantly psychotic criminal mastermind known only as The Joker sweeps into town and arouses the criminal underworld, shaking it up to its core and inciting massive tidal waves of chaos that spread through Gotham faster than wild fire. As Batman sinks deeper within himself, losing sight of Bruce Wayne entirely, Christian Bale grows darker and more pessimistic and morose than ever before in his performance. You can see his every emotion in his face as he gradually loses hope that he will ever be able to stop a monster like this Joker character. There is one scene in particular when it becomes clear that he may not even understand the man he is trying to eliminate. When he is in his computer/gadgetry room with his butler, he talks about Batman having no limits and tries to show understanding of his villainous opposite. But when he starts talking about The Joker as if he's just another stone of coal in the fire, his butler corrects him by saying that even he perhaps doesn't quite understand his nemesis. Alfred, the butler, explains that The Joker is a man without principle, without logic, who cannot be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with, and who just wants to "watch the world burn." This is, of course, so true of The Joker, more so than with anyone else Batman has ever faced. Heath Ledger, giving an astonishingly deviated, psychopathic, frenetic, and downright terrifying turn as The Joker, satisfies us all, creating the best villain the world has ever seen in a movie! He is not so much a human being as he is a catastrophic force of terror and mayhem. Ledger's performance delivers brilliant lines like, "Kill you! (Laughs) I don't wanna kill you! You...complete me!" and, "Why don't we cut you up into little pieces and feed you to your pooches! Then we'll see how loyal a hungry dog really is!!!" and, "You and me (to Batman), we could do this forever." I think Ledger's Joker thrives on his remarkable metaphorical attachment to Batman's hip, while Batman's sanity is nearly crushed by the relationship. Of course, The Joker doesn't just do this to Batman. After murdering Rachel Dawes (a job well done in my opinion), he succeeds at turning Harvey Dent, the White Knight of the city, a loyal, honorable, and well-beloved public figure, into a crazed lunatic, delivering to Chance (the entity) the power over life and death with a coin toss. Aaron Eckhart delivers powerfully as Two Face, whose morals can't quite be destroyed by his multiple personality disorder. The way that he descends into the devastating role is sensational! That is what happens with all three of the main actors; they disappear, and all we're left with is a trio of idealists (yes, that includes The Joker) whose ideals are always clashing at each other. This makes for the most brilliant film I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
As for the other, smaller performances, they are all exactly what they need to be. Gary Oldman is more impressive than last time as Lieutenant Gordon; Maggie Gyllenhaal lifts the bar with her DA Rachel Dawes (though, not by much); and Nestor Carbonell is just what he needs to be.
The other aspects of the movie, the action, the philosophy (especially from The Joker), the climax, and the clash is all phenomenal! It sets new standards for these kinds of films (comic book, action, drama). Also notable is the brilliant use of IMAX cameras for a lot of the imagery. This makes for a wider canvas and increases the reality of the adventure. This film is, in every respect, a masterpiece of the highest order! Well done to everyone involved!!! You all deserve medals!