Well worth staying up

Rating: 9/10 (18 July 2008)

The Dark Knight became the third movie I've gone to a midnight showing for (the other two being Revenge of the Sith and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and it was by far the best of those films. The energy in the auditorium was palpable. There were times when we collectively gasped, laughed, and cheered.
For fans of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight is grittier, funnier, and more complicated. As a matter of fact, the film's only drawback is the complicated storytelling. It made the film two and half hours long, and, moreover, it felt two and a half hours long. Also, the PG-13 rating in America, is quite serious. There are some truly gruesome images and Heath Ledger's Joker is one of the most menacing villains ever to appear on the screen. One villain in the host of supporting baddies who got the short end of the stick in the last film and in this one, was Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow. I almost wish they'd left him out entirely, instead of giving the boy a lousy send-off twice, because Murphy could be a fantastic villain in the third film, in my opinion, anyway.
The rest of the returning cast is fantastic, as expected. Christian Bale is perfect as Gotham's self-sacrificing Dark Knight, and he also did a great job with the billionaire playboy side of Bruce Wayne. The banter between Bale and Michael Caine is pitch perfect and is responsible for one of the funniest scenes in the film. Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman are also given a chance to shine in this film. Oldman was especially fantastic as Jim Gordon. Aaron Eckhart is a great Harvey Dent, and I have an easier time with the chemistry between him and Maggie Gyllenhaal than between Gyllenhaal and Bale. While Maggie Gyllenhaal is her usual great self, it's difficult to pretend that she's Rachel Dawes, not only because she's not physically Katie Holmes, but she's practically playing a different character. Suspension of disbelief only goes so far.
Overall, it was a fantastic film and a great second installment. My only question is, how will they top themselves for the third one?