Nolan and Bale Do It Again

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2008)

The internal struggle of a man who wants to do what is right but also wants to do what needs to be done. That is the premise in the new Batman move The Dark Knight. Gary Oldman's character, Lt. Gordon, sums it up at the end of the movie "..he is not a hero. He is whatever Gotham needs him to be at the time.. he is a Dark Knight." Christian Bale. Almost indisputably the greatest Batman/Bruce combination sine the film version of this series started in 1966. He is able to be charismatic as Bruce and tough as Batman. He has opened the doors to the mind of a man who is faced with his own demons as he tries to combat the demons that trouble the people of his city. This internal struggle is evident in and out of the Bat suite and is never more pronounced than in this new movie. Bale is, as he was in Batman Begins, a joy to watch.
Maggie Gyllenhaal takes the place of Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes and owns the role. She brings an air of maturity that was missing from the character in Batman Begins. There is something stronger and more convincing in the way Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the role and I think she would have been better than Holmes in the first movie.
Gary Oldman once again comes to us as LT. Gordon. A man torn between what is right for the city of Gotham and what is right under the laws he is sworn to uphold. Great acting as usual from Oldman as his character works on striking a happy medium with the government and Batman.
Michael Caine again picks up the mantle as Alfred. His performance as the wizened ever watchful eye over Master Bruce is once again above par and deserves props for bringing the character to life.
Aaron Eckhart is a young charismatic, self assured, tough on crime district attorney named Harvey Dent. Batman fans will recognize the name and know what he is destined to become. Eckhart does a great job as the D.A., but it is not until Two-Face is born that he truly brings brilliance to the screen.
I have five words for you: Heath Ledger broke the Joker. The Joker, as played by Ledger in the Dark Knight, will go down as one of the greatest screen villains of all times. Not because Ledger left this earth, but because of the brilliance in the way he played the role. A maniac, a warped visionary, and a bringer of chaos. That is the Joker. Ledger brings to life a scary, unpredictable rendition of a classic adversary. The small nuances of his character from the odd laugh to the way he licked his lips when talking passed his yellowed teeth and smeared makeup are nothing more than scary. From the delivery of dialog to his body language Ledger stole every scene he was in and made the Joker his own. It makes me sad that he will never again don the garb of the Joker. I don't believe anyone could ever play the Joker in this series of Batman movies.
Overall The Dark Knight was a pleasantly paced, well scripted movie from start to finish. About two hours and thirty minutes long there is allot packed into this dark and stormy tale of Gotham's woes. Each and every character was brought to life by outstanding acting by all the actors. The cinematography and set design will blow you away. Everyone who worked on this film deserves praise, but it is the director, Christopher Nolan, who deserves the most. His vision over the last two films has been brought practically flawlessly to the big screen. From casting to editing Nolan knows what he wants and knows what the audience wants -- he has brought it yet again.
I give this film 5 out of 5. The only thing that spoils any of the joy of watching is knowing that the greatest nemesis Batman has will not be played by the late Heath Ledger ever again. You did an outstanding job as the Joker and you will always be the greatest in this reviewers book.