The DARK Knight indeed...

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2008)

Forget Spider-Man or Iron Man, the best superhero movie of this decade doesn't even have the word 'man' it it. The Dark Knight doesn't just provide a title for this movie, it encapsulates the entire mood of the film. 'Dark'? 'Moody'? These words only begin to to summarise what the overall atmosphere when watching this film is. You can add 'depressing' and 'morbid' to the list. It had been stated previously that the theme for this movie was "things having to get worse before they get better" (a character even utters as much in the film) - and that's exactly what we are presented with. The story has grown, gotten more complex and matured even further than the already mature-themed Batman Begins. As the themes get darker, so do the characters, and the actors who portray them all bring their A game.
He may be sporting a "improved" Bat-suit, riding atop a new vehicle called the 'Batpod', but Christian Bale continues to cement his reputation as the best Bruce Wayne/Batman there's ever been. He plays both characters exceedingly well. None of the previous actors who've portrayed the dual roles have seemed to be able to balance between both characters. Bale succeeds where they failed, and makes for an extremely intimidating Batman (who you can understand strikes fear into the hearts of civilians and criminals alike), whilst at the same time managing to keep Bruce Wayne very human and sympathetic. If there's one negative comment to be made about Bruce/Batman in this film, it's that both their characters are not explored nearly as much this time around as they were in the first film.
They say a film is only as good as its villain, and with Heath Ledger, Christopher Nolan has found the perfect "fearless" actor to properly realise such a psychopathic character as the Joker. Yes, believe all the hype, believe what the other people involved in the film have said. It's 100% true. The Joker promises to give us a "better class of criminal", and - boy howdy - does he EVER. This is one performance that will in NO WAY disappoint. Where Jack Nicholson played a laughable clown character, Ledger's Joker is something truly terrifying and magnificent to behold. NOT ONCE does he cross the line into "over-the-top", but instead keeps the villain grounded in reality (albeit, a heightened reality). It's for this reason that Ledger's Joker exceeds expectations. His sense of humour is extremely morbid and sick, he never offers a clear origin as to how he became who/what he is, and he keeps you at the edge of your seat every time he appears on screen. His streaked make-up, his maniacal voice, even his WALK all contribute to making this a performance that'll go down in history as one of THE BEST performances of a screen villain to date. Ledger, who obviously had plenty of talent to burn, brings this film to a whole new level. His final completed performance is bittersweet and displays just how much he had going for him.
Taking over from Katie Holmes (in the role of Bruce's childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes) is Maggie Gyllenhaal...and I couldn't have been happier. She's a VAST improvement on the previous actress who portrayed the role, and it's befuddling as to why Gyllenhaal wasn't cast originally. Everything that was wrong about the way Holmes played the character is corrected this time around. It then comes as a major disappointment to discover that this is the only time we'll get to see such a layered performance of what is - essentially - a pretty thankless role. In a limited amount of screen time, Gyllenhaal manages to make up for what was lacking in the character all throughout the last movie. It's sad that such a talented actress was severely underused and written out far too early in this film. The characters' reactions to her demise (most important among them being Bruce's) feel empty and are pretty lacking, I'm sad to say. In some respects, it was such a waste (bringing in a far superior actress to fix what a lesser actress had done with the part, only to get rid of the actress who manages to salvage the role within this film).
As the Harvey Dent, Aaron Eckhart shows what an outstanding performance he is capable of giving. He plays a likable guy, doing what Batman's trying to do, but going about it in a different manner (one that keeps to the law). While he and Bruce are the two most important men in Rachel's life (and, in a certain respect, are rivals when it comes to this woman who they both love), it never degenerates into a clichéd love triangle. Bruce/Batman respects Harvey ("Gotham's White Knight" as he's referred to as) and, above all else, he wants to maintain Harvey's beliefs and preserve what they both stand for. This adds many more layers to what could have been a forgettable role. Though, towards the end of the movie, the last thing you'll be doing is forgetting the tragic Harvey Dent, as he is transformed into the twisted split personality of Two-Face. Just as Heath Ledger has eclipsed all previous incarnations of the Joker, Eckhart puts Tommy Lee Jones' laughable performance as Two-Face (in Batman Forever) to shame. This time around, Two-Face is every bit as menacing and unpredictable as he should have always been. The scarred half of his face is truly horrifying and will indeed sicken everyone (except the idiot sitting behind me, who snickered whenever the grotesque visage was shown).
Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman have not been forgotten. They reprise their roles as Alfred, Lt. Gordon and Lucius Fox, and are given a decent amount of screen time to develop their characters fully (Gary Oldman, especially, is a standout).
Summing up, this movie is everything a sequel should be...and then some.