Bruce Wayne is back!

Rating: 7/10 (25 July 2008)

Batman ranks along the likes of Superman and Spider-Man as one of the most popular superheroes ever. In his brand new film, Batman has given us a satisfying sequel that's filled to the brim with action, drama and suspense.
The Dark Knight places Batman (Christian Bale) in a struggle against the dreaded Joker (Heath Ledger) and his dastardly minions as the Joker attempts to dose Gotham City with large amounts of fear. In fact, The Joker is not so much interested in money as he is in bringing the city to it's knees! Bruce Wayne and Batman are played incredibly well by British actor Christian Bale who did a fine job in the previous movie. He makes the two identities of Wayne and Batman very different and gives a distinctive flavour to each one. Michael Cain does a great job as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler, who is against Bruce's desire for justice.
What can I say? There are great special effects and the good thing is, there is hardly any CG - most of the fights and dangerous sequences are performed by humans making these fights extremely realistic. The film is - in most cases - extremely dark and this fits snugly into the tone of Batman. I don't mean 'I can't see!' dark, but dark as in night-time or dark streets with flickering lights etc.
There are some bad things though; Batman's pretend 'dark voice' is comedic and there are times when it is impossible to take him seriously. Near the film's ending, Batman gives a speech that you can't understand at all because of his stupid voice. Looks like there's more than one Joker in town... Secondly, the plot can be quite confusing at first as it develops, but this isn't a major thing; you'll get it as it progresses even further.
In conclusion, Batman has come to us in good form. Apart from some slightly boring moments and some other niggles, the film is generally amusing and incredibly entertaining.