Wow!

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2008)

There's been a huge amount of hyperbole in terms of this movie. While some of the OTT geekyness just needs to be seen to be believed (it's at Number 1 on IMDb's top 250, i mean c'mon), a lot of it is entirely justified. The Dark Knight isn't just a great movies, it's a super-hero masterpiece and quite possibly one of the best films of the decade let alone the year. OK, so i've fallen into the same hyperbole trap but a movie that is gathering THIS much praise (i've counted only two negative reviews so far) must have something going for it.
Now there has been much praise over Heath Ledger's performance so let's get that out of the way first. Calls for Oscar nominations are totally justified. He is utterly terrifying as the Joker. The catalyst for many of the major events of the film, he is the soul purpose for the escalation of the downfall of Gotham City and stands to make Batman question everything he has fought for. As Alfred says "some men just wanna watch the world burn". That's Ledger's Joker: a clown with a mass murdering, remorseless, pychopathic side who will most likely kill your mother just to laugh at the horrified expression on your face (watch his magic trick with a pencil, funny yet pretty nasty too).
But that's not to say he steals the show. While most will remember this film for Ledger, this is primarily a film about the rise and fall of Harvey Dent. A far more engaging character (and villain) than the Joker, Dent's fall from grace is actually pretty tragic. I liked Harvey, whilst a little up his own ass he is, at heart, a man with very similar morals to Batman. He's not afraid to take down the mob and it ain't for the publicity either. But, essencially, this eagerness to be Gotham's "White Knight" is ultimately his undoing, his actions (and Batman's, and Gordon's for that matter) cause the Joker to push things further until everything descends into utter chaos.
The main theme of the movie is that of escalation, as mentioned at the end of the still excellent Batman Begins. My only beef with this movie is that it takes a little while to hit its stride. Whilst the first half hour is certainly still very good, there is nothing (bar the genius heist that kicks off the film) that can justify outstanding reviews across the board. But after the Joker make a surprise appearance at a top notch party ("Goooood evening ladiiiees and gentllllemen!") does the movie really kick off. There is little in the way of full on action sequences (but when there are, they are HUGE) but literally every scene from here on in builds to something bigger, with the climaxes only kick starting something else that's even bigger and infinitely more frightening, and all the time, Hans Zimmer's score pounds in the background. In terms of narrative structure, it really is flawless. Even at 2 1/2 hours long, there is very little, if anything that can be cut from this movie, the plot is THAT tight.
Now let's talk about the length. One of the chief complaints of this movie is that it goes on for too long. I call bullshit on that! personally, i could've quite happily sat there for a good while longer i was THAT into the movie. If you notice that the movie is running a little too long for your taste then you're obviously not enjoying the movie as much as you should be. There is never a dull moment in this movie and it's certainly the fastest 2 1/2 hours i've ever spent at the cinema.
And speaking of cinemas, this movie really needs to be experienced in IMAX. I'm glad i spent the extra cash to get to London because the experience was just staggering. Not just because the screen was so damn big but the scenes filmed in the IMAX format just looked perfect, filling the entire screen (and that's 20m of screen to fill) the pictures are crystal clear. A screen that size certainly helps to get you into things. No matter where you look, there's just the movie. There's definitely a tinge of disappointment in knowing that when i see this movie again it wont be in IMAX. It just wont seem, well, emersive.
But this really is a powerhouse of a movie. I've never shaken so bad leaving a movie before, the adrenalin was pumping that much. I was also glad to see i wasn't the only one. It is a stagering achievement in film-making and also begs the question: do we really want a third one? Nothing can ever top this in terms of sheer bravado and excitement. It expertly manages to make a superhero movie that feels more like and epic crime saga without losing any of the spectacle that makes a superhero movie what it is. Comparisons to Heat are not far off the mark. Further proof that Chris Nolan is one of the best filmmakers working today. As for me, i'm off to book tickets for my second viewing on the biggest damn screen i can find. I feel a trip to Basingstoke coming on.
5/5