Best of a bad bunch

Rating: 7/10 (31 December 2008)

Among the relentless Hollywood onslaught of mediocre comic book hero adaptations, The Dark Knight ranks as one of the best, a cut above the usual over-CGIed fare of recent years with real entertainment value and an edginess lacking in nearly all contemporary films of the same genre. But it still doesn't compare to the benchmark by which any rendition of Batman must be judged: the hardboiled, gritty, razor-keen vision of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. A commendable effort, but at the end of the day Nolan's Magnum Opus is still about a guy with pointy ears, a cape and re-enforced tights beating up baddies with hair-days from hell. A perfect 10? No wonder they call you the Joker :)