Very well made, moody and gripping with a brilliant Heath Ledger, if a tad bloated

Rating: 8/10 (3 April 2010)

I grew up on the animated series, loved the first two Batman films, sort of liked Batman Forever but disappointed in Batman and Robin. I have yet to re-watch Batman Begins, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film on re-watch having really liked it first time. It is very well made and gripping with some great performances, but personally I would put Casablanca, Wizard of Oz, Amadeus and It's a Wonderful Life over this.
The film does suffer from being a little too talky, and the plot on occasions can be hard to follow due to a lot going on. Nevertheless it is extremely good, and not only one of the better Batman movies but also one of the better superhero movies. Visually and technically, the film cannot be faulted. The cinematography is superb and the spectacle of Gotham City is dazzling. Christopher Nolan's direction is taut, and ensures that the action is explosive.
The plot is a little bloated, with the Joker bent on destroying organised crime for good and making Batman cross between hero and vigilante, and subplots about Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes, and Hong Kong. But there are some truly effective scenes that are tightly structured, and the screenplay in general while a little too talky in the first twenty minutes is intelligent and sophisticated. The Joker especially has some very sinister lines that stay with you for a long while afterwards.
The music by none other than maestro Hans Zimmer, who also composed music for The Lion King, Gladiator and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, is outstanding. Rousing, beautiful, haunting, it is definitely memorable and doesn't become forgettable or generic like the music in The Hurt Locker for example. And I have to say the sound engineering here is phenomenal, particularly on very high volume the explosions sound very authentic as if they are coming from outside rather than from in the film.
And I have to mention the acting, as that was terrific. Christian Bale manages to be dark, brooding and charismatic like Batman should be. Though if I did have a complaint, he does speak in a very hoarse voice as if he's got a sore throat and I somehow did not know what to make of it. It wasn't irritating or anything, just...odd. Anyway, Aaron Eckhart is terrific as Harvey Dent/Two-Face even if his storyline was a tad too rushed, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is very sensitive and caring as Rachel. Morgan Freeman does well in a smaller role, as does the excellent Gary Oldman, and Michael Caine is perfect as the loyal butler Alfred.
There is no doubt in my mind that Heath Ledger gave the best performance of the film. He wasn't just brilliant, he was phenomenal, unpredictable, insane, extremely sinister and corrupt not to mention chillingly psychotic. I am torn on who I prefer over Jack Nicolson or Heath Ledger; it is a very close call. I admit I am more familiar with Nicolson's portrayal and liked his mix of the scary and comical and even tragic Joker, but the Joker here in The Dark Knight is truly sinister and even more of a threat to Batman and in my opinion this Joker has lines that linger longer into the memory.
Overall, not absolutely perfect but it is extremely good thanks to primarily Ledger's performance and the dazzling visual spectacle. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox