A lackluster Batman flick

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2009)

It seems that movie makers have lost the art of creating a good, scary batman flick. The last such film to grace the screen was probably batman, and that was a decade ago. Since then, the "sensitive" batman has come into vogue -- a creature tortured by its own inhumanity and appetites. While these existential night stalkers have an appeal as character studies, they aren't all that frightening. True evil, of the absolute, soulless kind, is what makes for a terrifying bloodsucker. Unfortunately, that's not exactly what The Dark Knight offers.
To be fair, Christian Bale does a better-than-average job as Bruce Wayne, the last Batman on Earth. There are moments when Bale is positively chilling, and he doesn't ham it up too much. Comedy is mixed in effectively, but it's what the humor is mingled with that doesn't work. As a horror film, The Dark knight is a failure. MY COMMENT: THis is true, but its more comedic than horror. Bale can not be taken seriously given his previous roles so why would you review a movie expecting it to be a horror??? END COMMENT Aside from Bale's creature, there's nothing compelling in this picture. The script is dull, the characters are flat, and the direction is rather ordinary. (This is especially surprising considering that horror master Chris Nolan, who did the first and last Nightmare on Elm Streets, is at the helm.) Bruce Wayne makes his entrance to Gotham by crashing a ship into the docks. On board are numerous corpses, all drained of blood. A huge wolf is seen disembarking, but no one believes the eyewitness. Next thing, there's a Batman roaming the streets, feeding on gangsters and recruiting a young thief/con man (Morgan Freeman) as his ghoulish servant. But Bruce is in New York for a reason -- he's on the trail of the only other member of his kind, the offspring of a Batman/human mating, a woman whose "other half still sleepwalks in humanity." He intends to bring out her true nature and introduce her to immortality. The person in question happens to be Rita Veder (Maggie Gyllenhal), a police officer assigned to investigate the murders on the ship that brought Bruce to the United States. And the batman isn't the only one interested in her. Her partner, Justice (Aaron Ekhart), is equally smitten.
The hero is supposed to be Justice, but Aaron Ekhart's portrayal lacks energy. The result is a bland and unsympathetic character. Why should we care about this guy? Instead, our attention gravitates to Bale, the only performer attacking his role with relish. Thus, as in all recent batman movies, it's the villain, not the good guy, who keeps us interested. And Bruce isn't really such a bad seed -- he's just lonely and misunderstood. The centuries can turn tedious without a mate to share them with. There's some chemistry between Bale and Gyllenhal, but absolutely none in the Gyllenhal/Ekhart pairing. Yet both relationships get equal screen time.
There are a few comic highlights. One occurs when Bruce shape-shifts into an Al Sharpton-type preacher who gives a sermon on how "evil is good." Here, as the script ventures into pure satire, it acquires an edge that is absent most of the rest of the time. Also, some of the interplay between the Joker (Heath Ledger) and his older buddy Silas (also, Heath Ledger) is witty, and worthy of a few laughs. This pair does a great "Two Stooges" act.
Overall, however, The Dark Knight doesn't live up to its promise or premise. The humor is hit-and-miss and the horror just isn't all that frightening. Christian Bale proves that he still has screen presence, but he needs a better showcase. The problem here isn't as much the talent in front of the camera as it is the weak and hackneyed script. The Dark Knight is in need of an infusion (or should that be transfusion?) of originality and creativity -- two qualities that are blatantly absent.