Want to see Dark Knight AGAIN and again and again and again!

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2008)

The Dark Knight is a spectacular Oscar worthy movie in every aspect. It is not merely your run of the mill Super Hero/ comic book movie. First of all the script is smart, full of action, and insightful into human nature, making this fantasy world ground in a believable world. Not only does the hero not have any "super powers" but neither do the villains, they just have a very warped psychosis. The story is one of morality and deals with every ones inner struggles. This helps the audience connect with all the characters, good or bad.
Second, the Directing of Nolan is GREAT. He makes the nearly 3 hour movie flow in such a way that you don't realize it's that long till you step out of the theater. It is packed with creative camera shots, colors, and edits. He also did a great job of getting amazing performances from his actors; which leads me to my next point.
I absolutely loved all of the acting in this movie. Of course everyone is going to notice Heath Ledgers performance as the Joker (and rightly so). I was enthralled by it. I fell in love with his psychotic behavior. He made you almost empathize with his delusions of chaos. He killed with absolutely no remorse or afterthought. His craziness almost seems sane through his logic. Though much of this was in the script, Ledger made it believable and also likable. All the little quirks, his mannerisms, his laugh, and so much more made you love to hate the Joker. I could see how a Harley Quinn would fall in love with the man that is that Joker.
Everyone else in the movie did a wonderful job as well. Notably Aaron Eckhart did an amazing job as Harvey Dent. Admittedly, I did not know who Eckhart was before this movie. Now I will not forget. He gave such a strong performance. I completely sympathized with his character and could totally see how easy it would be to fall from "White Knight" to villain.
Gary Oldman gave another wonderful performance. He is a master chameleon of an actor with each role being completely different. Where he's played over the top as Sirius Black in Harry Potter, in this his subtlety won me over. In the first movie you didn't notice him too much and wondered why they gave such a seemingly small role to such a great actor. In this movie you understand. His range of emotion was staggering. I can't wait to see how Commissioner Gordon grows in this world.
Maggie Gyllenhaal did not disappoint. In fact she greatly surpassed her predecessor in this role. I found her to be much more sympathetic and memorable.
Of course there is Christian Bale giving yet another great performance as Bruce Wayne/ Batman. I love the contrast between his two personas: Wayne being the ultimate trust fund playboy and Batman almost lacking emotion all together. It 's as his world starts crumbling that you get to see the lines being crossed and the subtle inner turmoil of the character.
The supporting cast of Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were also perfect for the movie. And a cameo from Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow from the first movie is like candy to the geeks.
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes great acting, action, or fun. It is dark and makes you think, but also just a great ride of adrenaline. Every viewing proves to reveal a little more of the carefully plotted scenes which make this an incredible movie. I can't wait to see it again and again and again! I hope you feel the same. Let me know!