More Than a Comic Book Film

Rating: 10/10 (1 November 2014)

The Dark Knight is much more than a comic book film, a summer blockbuster or a high-sprawling action film. It is quite simply, a masterpiece.
Story: The Dark Knight depicts a city that has gained faith for the eradication of crime under Batman's stewardship while newly introduced Harvey Dent, has given the city hope for justice. But this quickly changes with the arrival of the Joker who turns everything upside down. The story is magnificent in every way. From the mafia to the police; from the characterization of Batman to the persona of the Joker; all of the finer details in the script that are easily missed from a first viewing, become all the more apparent the more times you watch it. The story does have it's problems. At times, some sequences are left hanging with no explanation as to what happens next. Moreover, upon increased viewings, there are plot holes that take away from the overall cohesion of the story while the resolution that Batman and Gordon come to at the end leaves one questioning its necessity. Nevertheless, the story as a whole is still likely one of the best that have been told in a comic book film.
Action: The Action sequences are where this film really excels. The opening sequence that depicts a typical bank robbery is turned into a thrilling heist due to stunning cinematography, and a fantastic combination of Hans Zimmer's thrilling score, great dialogue and heart thumping action. The Swat Action Sequence in the middle of the film may be one of the best vehicle action sequences on film in recent memory and certainly one of the best action sequences ever displayed in a comic book film. Christopher Nolan's commitment to real world stunts make these sequences even more thrilling as its realism draws you in. While all of the vehicle sequences (particularly those involving the Batpod), are consistently fantastic, the combat scenes are sometime inconsistent. Indeed, while the final fight sequence that pits Batman against a Swat team and Joker's henchmen represents one of the most beautifully directed fight scenes put together in a Comic Book film, the first combat scene where Batman appears for the first time, is remarkable incoherent. Nevertheless the vast majority of the action scenes fall in line with brilliance rather than incoherence and together bring about a well- crafted action film overall.
Cinematography/Score: As noted above, the cinematography in the film is beautiful and majestic with many of the IMAX scenes bringing together jaw dropping visuals. The score is also fantastic with Zimmer adding a couple beautiful new tracks to the already great Batman Begins soundtrack, including a special Joker theme. However, the score in this film doesn't have that one theme that will ring in your ears long after you leave the theatre like ones from Star Wars, Indiana Jones or even to some extent The Avengers. Nevertheless, the score acts as an ensemble piece with each individual piece acting as a beautiful part to an overall majestic whole.
Acting Performances: It's hard to discuss Acting without giving a nod to Heath Ledger's legendary performance as the Joker. His performance in this film (so great that he received an Oscar for it), may be one of the best performances in recent memory and is certainly the best performance ever brought forth in a Comic Book film. In fact, his performance is so great that he sometimes shines the light away from the other fantastic performances in this film. Aaron Eckart in particular is incredible as Harvey Dent as we see his character take a Macbeth-like turn away from heroism. While, Christian Bale delivers a fantastic performance as Bruce Wayne, it is probably his worst in the trilogy simply because he isn't given as much to work with in this film. On the other hand, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman prove that great ensemble casts can help to push a film over the edge of greatness.
Favorite Aspects & Problems: While the action sequences (particularly the vehicle sequences), are in my opinion the best ever displayed in a comic book film, my favourite aspects are undoubtedly the long dialogue scenes of the Joker. Whether its his first appearance with the Mob, his discussion about rules with Batman in the interrogation room or his pep talk to Dent in the hospital room, every scene is enthralling and entertaining no matter how many times you watch it. As you have seen from this review I have very few negatives which can be narrowed down to two. The first being the plot holes, which as I noted in the story category, are annoying and disruptive but don't take away too much from my overall experience. And the second would be the first action sequence with Batman where he stops Scarecrow and the Mob. While the Batman stopping the minivan was rather neat, the combat bits made it look like the henchmen were going down without a fight. Better choreography would have helped in this case.
Summary and Rating: With some of the best action sequences, acting performances, dialogue, music, and cinematography, The Dark Knight is a revelation in filmmaking and a symbol for what Directors should aspire to accomplish. It's accomplishments have become a spark to the passion of many aspiring filmmakers and have left many like me in awe of its brilliance. It seems The Dark Knight has in some ways, done to this generation what Star Wars did to the last so many years ago. The film is a masterpiece, and while some poor combat choreography and plot holes may cause it to be a flawed one, it is undoubtedly a must see and the best comic book film ever made.
Story - 9.7/10 Action - 9.5/10 Cinematography/Score - 10/10 Pacing/Length - 10/10 Acting - 10/10
Overall Rating - 9.8/10
Overall Score - A+