"The Dark Knight" finally realizes the full potential of the Batman mythology

Rating: Null/10 (19 July 2008)

Cards (hardy har har) on the table: Going into "The Dark Knight" in IMAX I did not think Christopher Nolan was a great director, I was not too taken by "Batman Begins" (although it was refreshing after Burton and Schumacher reminded me of the lesser Batman comics I have read, and, bizarrely for non-comedies, of the 60's television series and the film version of that, except less fun), I did not think Heath Ledger was among the great actors of his generation, I did not think Christian Bale was the best actor alive, and I was not expecting anything more than an entertaining Batman movie, despite being reassured by everyone I trust about movies that it was much more.
Having seen it, as intended with the scenes filmed specifically for IMAX intact and covering the entire IMAX screen vertically, I can safely say that "The Dark Knight" is without question the first time the Batman character and the many great comics based in Gotham City have been done justice on film. Nolan's version of Batman is not meant to be realistic, it is meant to be plausible, and everything here including Two-Face feels plausible. Still, the film has not forsaken its comic book roots. This is not the watered-down Batman of the 50's, this is the Batman conceived in the 30's and re-born in the 80's. Moments here, thanks to Ledger's astonishingly creepy and believable performance as the Joker (this is the original Joker. Bank robber with no motive, mass-murderer with not a hint of mercy, not the ludicrous clown Jack Nicholson horribly portrayed in Burton's 1989 effort), recall the great Batman book "Arkham Asylum". Others recall "The Killing Joke". As anyone who has read those books will testify, that is just about the highest praise I can give the portrayal of the Joker here.
I do think that seeing this in IMAX enhances the experience, although it is a little annoying when the picture clarity goes from as clear as possible to clearly blown-up when the scene switches from those shot on IMAX cameras to those shot on regular film. One can really appreciate the sound design here as well, which is absolutely remarkable all the way through.
This is, as far as I'm concerned, easily Nolan's best work as director. His handling of the film's pacing is absolutely stunning, and the action here is both filmed and edited much better than in "Begins". It is Nolan's work with actors that particularly impresses, with just about every moment of acting being superb here. Of course, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are phoning it in but they don't exactly need to be brilliant here. Bale, as well, displays little depth as Wayne, but embodies all his charm and makes for an excellent Batman (unless your perception of Batman is a wisecracking fool, then you might be disappointed). No, the acting I refer to here is the extraordinary performances by Ledger, Oldman, and Eckhart. Although Ledger will surely get all the attention (and he's certainly great here), I think that both Oldman and Eckhart stole the show a bit. Eckhart is better as Dent than Two-Face but the transformation is certainly not an easy task for any actor. Maggie Gyllenhaal is unquestionably better as Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes was, and Nestor Carbonell, not an actor with much range, is really very good as the Mayor of Gotham City.
Over and over again film versions of Batman have disappointed. Has "The Dark Knight" finally got it right? No doubt some will moan and complain about it not being distinctive or stylized enough, not capturing the spirit of the comics. Guess what? You have been reading the WRONG comics. The best Batman comics may not always strive for plausibility, but they are certainly far from the 'silly fun' some might expect from "The Dark Knight". What you will get here is a tense, dramatic crime thriller with some breathtaking action set-pieces, remarkable characterization. The Joker being given such a complex psychological profile is a stunning achievement, and Ledger is terrifying in the role. You really believe that he is dangerous and his sick social experiments are nerve-wracking to witness.
I have one or two misgivings about "The Dark Knight". I don't know if I would have handled Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent/Two-Face the way the Nolan brothers do in this screenplay, but virtually the rest of the film is pitch-perfect. The pace is astonishing (I could hardly believe the film was as long as it actually was), the acting is phenomenal, the visual look of the film is right, especially given the subtext Nolan is going for here (which you'll see when you've seen the film), the characters are rich, the drama is real, the action is spectacular, and finally- The Joker is given a definitive portrayal.
Tim Burton once said, "Anyone who knows me knows I would never read a comic book". For shame, Mr. Burton. Maybe if you had you could have made something this good. "The Dark Knight" does the character of Batman justice, it does The Joker justice, and it does the great Batman comics justice. In two and a half hours "The Dark Knight" makes up for all the silly, offensive garbage adapted from comic books and graphic novels, and reveals just how much can be done with the characters and ideas in those books. This is finally a film that does justice to the Batman universe.