The Dark Knight is a Revolutionary Title We've Been Waiting For

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2008)

In today's day and age, superhero movies run amok in Cinemas all around the world. Just like crappy horror and action movies of the 80's, comic book movies are everywhere. From the turds like "Catwoman" to the decent like "Blade" to the classic like "X2:X-Men United", they have all felt like comic book movies. But there was one franchise that went from decent to horrid in a span of 8 years. It was Batman, going from "Batman" to "Batman and Robin" from 1989 to 1997. And when everyone counted out the franchise, they were in for a rude awakening.
In 2005 WB and Christopher Nolan came together and made "Batman Begins", a movie that transcended the genre and made people clamor for a sequel. Well in 2008, Christopher Nolan returned and brought with him the old team and newcomers Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhall and Jonathan Nolan. This was a movie hyped for so long because of the last one and the buzz around Ledger's performance around the Joker. Well after three years of waiting, it arrived. And the question on everyone's mind is "Does it live up to the hype?" Well a simple answer in yes. But it is so much more complex that that. It is not only the greatest movie of 2008 or the greatest comic book movie, it is the best movie of the decade and one of the best crime dramas ever.
The movie starts right where Batman Begins ended. The Joker and his goons are robbing a bank. But this isn't an ordinary bank or robbery. During the robbery, the henchmen start picking each other off. We find out the Joker told them each to make the cuts better. But they don't he's there with them. Also, this is a mob bank. So the manager doesn't go down without a fight. He pulls out a shotgun and goes to town. But he is dispatched off and we get our first glimpse off The Joker. Things only get better from here.
After the robbery, we are treated to a gang meeting. Apparently the drugs being bought have odd side effects. Turns out the dealer is none other than Scarecrow. Cillian Murphy is back, but it's only a cameo to tie this to "Batman Begins". This scene works very well. It shows us the fake Batmen running around. It also shows us that Batman isn't happy with his suit.
Things really kick off during the meeting of the mob. All the remaining bosses met to discuss the cops recovering the laundered money, led by Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman). They also briefly mention The Joker, but they feel he's a nobody. Then he crashes the party. He shows us a nice little magic trick and talks to the bosses. We find out he plans to kill Batman. After this scene, the movie just kicks it into high gear. I don't wanna spoil the movie for anyone, so I'll stop discussing the plot.
Let's get this out of the way, Heath Ledger is no where in this movie. All we get is the Joker. It's a performance for the ages. Quite possibly the greatest performance of all time. Every scene he's in, he chews up the scenery. He's hilarious and frightening at the same time. The third time I saw it, I was still tense whenever he showed up. He's brutal, manic, psychotic, hilarious and very smart. The ultimate screen villain. He makes things harder for future Jokers.
Everyone else in the movie is also amazing. Christian Bale is still the best Batman and Bruce Wayne. He is intimidating and charming. Gary Oldman is given more to do this time and he owns it. Amazing to watch as Jim Gordon, one of the only good cops in town. Morgan Freeman is still good as Lucius Fox, Bruce's source of gadgets. Michael Caine still works as Alfred. Maggie Gyllenhall is a step up from Katie Holmes but Rachel is still an annoying character.
The most under rated performance is definitely Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. He is really great in the role. He owns Harvey Dent. He starts out as the White Knight of Gotham, a really admirable man. But he slowly becomes a ruined man, culminating into his change into Two Face. It's really fantastic.
One of the best things about this movie is it managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. I thought I knew what was gonna happen, but I was always pleasantly surprised. The twists and turns in this movie never felt forced or gimmicky. It was all a natural progression of the story. Same goes with the action scenes. There aren't many, but the ones there are amazing. Nolan really knows what he's doing. The action was all natural progression.
This movie is a lot darker than every other comic book movie before, excluding "Sin City". It really kept it's promise about escalation and how things are gonna get worse before they better. It is "The Empire Strikes Back" of this generation. It really is amazing how Nolan and company made such a groundbreaking movie. This movie transcends the genre of comic book movie. It's the second movie to transcend the genre, the first being "Batman Begins". It is an epic crime drama. It really ranks as one of the best of all time. It managed to be better than the hype which was out of this world. It's my fourth favorite movie ever. Nolan is now my second favorite director ever, Heath Ledger is my second favorite actor. Oldman and Eckhart move up in my list after this flick. A once in a lifer time event. It is truly a challenge to make a third movie that lives up to the hype. Absolutely amazing.