Swan Song of Heath Ledger - Dark Clown could teach Pennywise new jokes

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2008)

How can you fight an evil that is purely psychotic for sheer randomness? This film could easily be a commentary on USA's War Against Terror, and how the hunters are not so different from the prey...
If it was not said Heath Ledger was playing the Joker in all of his satanic glory then I would not have known who it was at all! The man finds the nastiest way to make sure he has no dividends to share for a successful heist and makes the robbery look like part of an innocent field trip; he uses a pencil in ways most of us would never even dream of in our wildest nightmares...
Two new catchphrases have now evolved from the Joker - "Why So Serious?" and "Let's put a smile on that face!" How can you catch a man like that? Fetch another man who knows no boundaries nor jurisdictions, has immense funds to source his projects, his conscience is so passionate he appears cruel yet he wants to save lives - Batman, the avenging hero who walks in shadow, the Dark Knight! Christian Bale as the vigilante saviour who seeks to right the Joker's wrongs is an excellent reflection of how too far right is left in the War Against Terror. I feel for his voice when he grated it as Batman and used a normal register as Bruce Wayne.
Seeing Aaron Eckhart play a Two-Face who did not care for his looks was a refreshing change for once, I did like that departure from the comics. Having him play a character that was an unmasked version of the Bat is rather intriguing, pity more could not have been played off of that aspect. I was annoyed that they chose in the end to kill off Two-Face/Harvey Dent, apart from the fact he did not die in the comics, he was also a thorn in Batman's conscience as the Dark Knight felt responsible for Harvey's recreation into the coin-flipping redresser of injustices via corruption.
Gordon's rise to Commissioner was understandable yet a bit rapid, Gary Oldman playing a man far younger than he really is shows his talent for acting.
Well-choreographed acting from a talented ensemble cast, near seamless directing from Christopher Nolan, the film is a bit long (nearly 3 hours) yet very much worth it - hard to believe they had even more planned for the late Heath ledger in this same flick... His replacement has a deep dark clown-nose to refill, if possible. In fact, can there be any more without him?