Darker than Burton's?

Rating: 9/10 (2 August 2008)

I would have to say that Nolan has done something that no other Batman film director could ever do - make a darker film than Tim Burton. Tim's over-the-top circus-like direction, while albeit dark, isn't anywhere near as dark and gritty as this film is.
Let's start with the Joker first off. Ledger has outclassed Nicholson in this role. This isn't the prim and proper Joker that Nicholson displayed - this Joker is a force of nature that plays by absolutely no rules except his own twisted moral code. He cares more about chaos and mayhem more than he would ever care about money or fame. He lives off the fear of the populace. Nicholson's obsession with the Batman had more to do with him creating the Joker, versus a twisted and depraved fascination with Batman being the symbol of hope for a doomed city. Turning the Joker into a bona fide terrorist fits today's post-911 world like a glove in terms of creating a visceral reaction within the audience. Nicholson's Joker was more preoccupied with settling personal vendettas than being a terrorist, which means that his Joker isn't near as fascinating.
Likewise, Two-Face in this film is more in line with Nicholson's Joker this time around. His existence in this film is purely about personal vendettas, but if there is one complaint I have about this film, is that he's largely overshadowed by the Joker. Again, someone who has personal vendettas unfortunately isn't near as interesting or compelling as someone who's unpredictable and destroys things just for the hell of it. While I do agree that having Harvey Dent in the film was a good idea to move Batman's story along, I would be loathe to say that Two-Face is the star attraction here.
All the stars here seem to know what's at stake with this film, so they give it their all. Even with Heath Ledger out of the equation, the performances are fine. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman really do take advantage of their supporting roles in the film, and use the limited screen time they have to make an impact. Christian Bale does another fine job as the freewheeling playboy as well.
Lastly, one cannot say enough about the special effects. The effects in this film rival all other superhero films. An IMAX camera was even used for certain scenes, heightening the impact even more.
Even if you like the 1989 Batman film, I highly recommend you see this one. It out-Burtons Burton.