Almost Perfect

Rating: 10/10 (22 July 2008)

I have always been a fan of Batman. Though I never really read many of the comics I liked the fact that Batman was not supernatural; he was just a man; the danger is real to him. With other superheros like Superman or Spiderman; they can endure a lot of punishment because they have superpowers but Batman is just like us, he's just decided to do something about the injustice of the world.
With that in mind, I was blown away by "Batman Begins" because it wasn't just another Batman sequel; it completely reinvented the hero. Whats more, the movie was good and aside from the obvious aspects, it could have passed for a regular action movie instead of a superhero movie. So I greatly anticipated the next film.
"The Dark Knight" did not disappoint. The storyline was complex and captivating. The special effects were great and better yet, they weren't all CGI. The acting was superb.
Christian Bale, in my opinion is the best Batman and he continues to portray a Bruce Wayne/Batman who is still conflicted about his role in society.
Heath Ledger gave perhaps his best performance as The Joker and I say that as a skeptic when I first heard he was going to be playing The Joker. Yes, there may be a lot of hype about him due to his passing but don't let that fool you, his performance is amazing. The Joker is scary...scary in that you don't know what he's capable of doing. He's a true psychopath. His jokes have you laughing one minute and his actions will have you cringing the next. He's a bit like Hannibal Lecter in that aspect and that's what makes Ledger's portrayal so great.
Aaron Eckhart gives a great performance as Harvey Dent/Two Face. He inspires you as the brave DA and then inspires sympathy for his fall. All the rest of the cast is just as good as these three main actors.
Spoilers below:
The Nolan brothers do a great job in this film, they really do. One example is that I truly believed that they had killed LT Gordon off and I couldn't believe it. The audience clapped when he revealed himself in the trap to catch The Joker and when we see Gordon show up at his home and see his wife and son react to his still being alive; that's the type of drama that just wasn't there for the earlier Batman films.
I will say that I wanted a better ending. I wanted The Joker to die; instead he was left hanging there, presumably for the SWAT team to take into custody and presumably to bring him back in another film. Of course Ledger passed on and I have no clue how they could possibly replace him in the role. I also thought the last fight between Batman and The Joker should have been longer with more combat though I understand the real fight was more of a spiritual fight; for the soul of Gotham and whether or not the citizens had given in to the fear that The Joker inspired. When The Joker said "you and me could do this forever" to Batman, I agreed and I would still be watching them!
All that said, I do intend to see it again and yes that means I'll drop another $10-15 at the theater but I think this movie is worth it and it's hard to say that these days.