Simply Magnificent

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2008)

Right from the riveting first moment to the bleak last moment The Dark Knight had me one hundred percent. The story was sound, the acting top notch, and the cinematography wonderfully done. The movie picks up just about where Batman Begins left off and we see Christian Bale masterfully guiding Bruce Wayne/Batman through a moral conflict of sorts. Though definitely not the same level of regret and bitterness that Peter Parker experiences in Spider-Man 2, Batman is experiencing some of the pitfalls and less savory effects of his heroic efforts. Troublesome copycats are risking their lives, but a bigger problem soon manifests itself. Yep, the Joker has arrived in full force and anarchy is the name of the game. Watching Heath Ledger, it was amazingly easy to forget all of the hype and everything I had heard and see the performance for what it really was: amazing. I can truly say that he would be getting as much praise for the role if he was still alive that he is now. He runs the show in the movie. He disappears completely and creates a character that is by turns terrifying and comical. His zaniness is such that it makes you laugh at first glance, but then you realize how truly evil and disturbed the character is and then, suddenly, it's not so funny. Bravo. There are not many characters that make me unsure of whether to laugh at them or hide in fear. Christian Bale tops his Batman Begins performance, doing even better. Aaron Eckhart was fantastic as Harvey Dent. His performance is subtle, layered, nuanced, and so believable, he's a character you initially root for and ultimately feel all of his heartbreak. Maggie Gyllenhaal basically reinvents her character; it's tough because Rachel Dawes has much more screen time in this movie than BB, so watching Maggie is like seeing a whole different character entirely, but she was very good. And of course the rest of the cast was great, even the minor characters. The great triumvirate of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman was fantastic, all three men were amazing. I really liked Eric Roberts as new crime lord Maroni as well. When all is said and done, the movie is a masterpiece. Great writing, directing, acting, and visuals all combine to make the best movie I have seen this year. Bravo, bravo.