darkest blockbuster so far

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2008)

Dark Knight is the first of the comic book films to go for the psychology depths that the Spiderman franchise started. This film is exceptional in many respects but probably still suffers from problems that many have ignored by being blown away at the IMAX cinemas. The action scenes are outstanding using real stunts and pyrotechnics. A crew member died during stunt scenes last September. Christopher Nolan 's script is sharp and taut with the nice idea that Bruce Wayne wants give up the crime hunting and have a relationship with Rachel Daws ( Maggie Gyllenhaal) a welcome replacement to Katie Holmes except she's with Aaron Eckheart, the only real moral character of the film.
The film's strongest point is the confrontation with Heath Ledger's fanatical Joker that only seeks chaos and forces Batman to take immoral actions to fight him. If everyones corrupt what is there left to fight for. Michael Caine's butler confronts Wayne on this issue. Things have been quiet over Christian Bale's performance. It does the job nothing more. Its Heath Ledger's Joker that grabs every scene. Ledger became the character everything about his performance is convincing.
There are some fine actors in smaller roles that should have been used more. Sarah Jayne Dunn takes a small role of a mistress who is well known in the UK for appearing in Hollyoaks. In complete contrast the stage actor Stephen Armourae appears in a blink of an eye. I already knew of him from stage and the buzz that surrounds his other work on parapsychology as well as being an engineer. I was hoping to see far more of him as there had been a theory on some sites as to his role in the movie.