Oh, we got trouble in Gotham City

Rating: 9/10 (18 July 2008)

Difficult to assess, this film has ambition--big ambition--beyond an action film. Midway, I thought, "Oh. This is a serious movie." That was welcome, but that's not why I got in line. Expecting a slam-bam big summer action film (and it is partially that), the film reaches very far into the American and International psyche on the role of evil, the fragility of good, the ambivalence of governments on the subject of right/wrong.... It's a longer list than that, but Nolan strives for something very deep here. It's close to "The French Connection" in the intricate plot and reversals of the protagonist who is pushed to abandon his fight for right and seek revenge OR...to find personal happiness OR...to continue the battle he's begun....
About 3/4 of the way through the film, the weight of all of this begins to strain the interest of the audience. However, it never sells itself short like it does the audience. We're "told" what the film is about, and I think the screenplay would have been stronger had the audience been left to piece that together for themselves. Catharsis is taken over by the characters and not the audience.
Still, there's gobs to enjoy: I found the soundtrack (Zimmer/Newton Howard)splendid. They use a similar device that John Williams used in "Jaws," alerting us that either there's a man in a bat suit about to appear or a fellow with a painted smile is about to do something really, really awful.
The performances can't be faulted. Christian Bale is suitably brooding in all of this without once appealing to our sentiment. And then there's Heath Ledger. After all the build up, you wouldn't think he could live up to the hype. It's not a stunt but the embodiment of madness that we see laid out (sometimes to our delight). Finally, though, he's a force that we dread, and that's one of the accomplishments of this film: a cartoon character is fully realized as not just a villain, but all the psychotic terror we see in today's news.
Before the film, the projectionist announced that several of the scenes were filmed in Imax, and the screen frame ratio would change. I thought, "That's going to be stupid." It's not. When the Imax camera flies through various locations, it's breathtaking. The largest action set piece (roughly 2/3rd's into the film) ups the ante for every action film to follow. It's absolutely stunning. If you think you've seen all the car chases you care to, wait until you see this one (well, it's trucks, but the same idea).
Brilliantly edited, the film never gives us spectacle for it's own sake. The cinematography is dark, many of the scenes are done in close up, but when the action opens up, we're aware this is epic film-making at its best.
I would have welcomed 15 minutes cut from the film. While all of the many plots (deviously set up by The Joker) are fine, some went on just a few minutes too long. Otherwise, don't hesitate to see this. While the audience I was with was mostly male, 18-50 years of age, the issues it raises are worth the price of admission for anyone. However, the level of violence (some of it implied) would make me leave the kids (13 and under) at home. This is a worthy sequel to "Batman Begins."