Flawless and thrilling, deserves Best Picture.

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2008)

This gets a 10 for now simply because I cannot think of a SINGLE thing I didn't enjoy about 'The Dark Knight'. After months of speculation, a massive viral campaign, huge hype and the tragedy of Heath Ledger's passing, the follow up 'Batman Begins' is here.
Does it live up to the huge expectations I had going in? It did and more.
After months of cleaning up Gotham's streets, Batman sees a chance to live a normal life by passing the reins of crimefighting hero to brave District Attorney Harvey Dent. But when Dent, Batman and Lt. Jim Gordon cut off the mob's funding, the criminal community turns to the unpredictable and dangerous 'Joker'. Essentially one huge social experiment for the Joker, the city of Gotham becomes the battleground for the 'unstoppable force' Joker and the 'immovable object' Batman.
I loved the fact that 'The Dark Knight' plays like a high-powered crime thriller for the most part, and the comparisons to 'Heat' and 'The Untouchables' are pretty spot on (especially the latter, with a great partnership between Dent/Batman/Gordon). When the Joker's reign of terror starts to tear Gotham apart, the film becomes relentless and unpredictable.
There are strong themes throughout 'The Dark Knight' - a rare blockbuster with more substance than many past Oscar winners. How do you fight a terrorist, without stooping to their own brutality? How do you maintain order, hope and morals in a world gradually falling apart? Questions that are more than relevant in today's climate but also universal themes of integrity and sacrifice. I thoroughly respect Nolan and co. for trading in a traditional plot device of destruction for a more real and natural threat. While 'Begins' had a handy microwave emitter and a hallucinogenic to spread panic, here it's the impossible dilemmas and choices that Joker imposes on the whole city, as well as Batman.
One thing I wasn't expecting to like was the third act. I heard that it was rushed and incomplete. I was pleasantly surprised then. Without giving too much away, I can say that the change that occurs and the motives that drive that certain character are perfectly plausible.
In this battle of wills, the character development is crucial. Ledger's Joker has no arc, but serves more as a 'plot device' in itself to change the other characters. Dent (played by Aaron Eckhart, who was excellent) gets the best development his inevitable fall from grace is magnificent to watch.
While everyone talks about Ledger's performance, I want to talk about Bale. I wasn't expecting much for Batman/Bruce Wayne because the focus has shifted to the villains again. But it was nice to see that Bruce still has some issues to deal with and not break his 'one rule' in the face of a new type of villain. Bale's gruff Batman voice was grating at first, but I'm already used to it and understand why it's used, so even that didn't spoil my enjoyment.
Gary Oldman gets much more to do this time around, and even Lt. Gordon gets some tough decisions to make. Gordon is brought to life by the excellent Oldman, bringing both courage and fear to the role, making it more realistic. Maggie Gyllenghaal was much more lively and likable than Katie Holmes' preachy, moany Rachel Dawes and becomes a major factor in the storyline later on.
Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman don't undergo a HUGE change but rather serve to deliver a shred of hope thanks to some wise words. These scenes REALLY help to balance the tone and stop 'The Dark Knight' from becoming depressing.
OK, so NOW let's talk about Ledger. Three years ago when Batman Begins first signalled the Joker's arrival, I was gutted. But that was then... this is now and you know what, and this ISN'T because of his death, he does an Oscar-worthy job! He doesn't PLAY the Joker, he becomes the Joker. It's accomplished through a plethora of mannerisms and habits which make the Joker seem so real and threatening. While Nicholson did a great job in 89 (and I'm not one of these people who's going to turn against that film when I still enjoy it), it was a different type of film. This is much more grounded in reality and the Joker has to be scary... and he bloody is! His 'gags' consist of the classic 'chop into pieces' routine as well as the old 'pencil through eye' howler... hilarious eh? Nolan and Ledger understand that ONLY the Joker should find his gags funny and that's why his performance blows away any other. The energy and conviction which Ledger throws at the role deserves an Oscar and that's all that needs to be said.
I haven't even got on to the action yet in a review of a Batman film! The major set-piece in the middle is a technical marvel and had me on the edge of my seat. But apart from a death defying glide through Hong Kong, the action is mainly a series of brief but brutal punch-ups. Batman takes out his enemies with efficiency rather than showmanship. This time, however, Nolan actually allows the audience to see what the hell is going on. Here's the best part though - for two and a half hours I wasn't missing the action! Not only that, but the action serves the story in EVERY case.
While writing this review I've still been unable to think of a single thing I didn't like, love about 'The Dark Knight'. It's a fantastic balance of thrills, horror and drama, with a small touch of humour (which goes a long way). It's bleak and unsettling yes, but profound and substantial and easily transcends it's genre to become something much greater. It's not just the best film of 2008, not just the best superhero film ever made - it truly is one of the best films I've ever seen - no joke.