My Favorite Movie Of All Time. Period.

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2012)

After the success of "Batman Begins", when I heard that Christopher Nolan was making another Batman movie, I didn't think it could surpass the first movie. But I was wrong. Dead wrong. "The Dark Knight" truly is Nolan's masterpiece. I know that a lot of people didn't enjoy "Batman Begins" because, even though it took a more realistic approach, it still felt a little bit like a comic book movie. That is not the case with "The Dark Knight". It works as many different types of movie. Whether it be viewed as an action movie, a thriller, or even a romance, I think that it's safe to say that any viewer can find something that they like about "The Dark Knight".
Christian Bale is back as the Batman, and he's still got it. I hear some gripes about his growling voice, but I still stand by what I said about him in "Batman Begins": this guy knows how to portray the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. He's methodical, intense, and courageous, like all aspiring heroes, but he's not perfect. In the movie, when something happens to a certain character, you see his vulnerable side. Sure, he's learned how to control his fear and prey on criminal's weaknesses, but he's still young and has a lot to learn. I like that about Bale's Batman; it makes him seems so much more relatable.
The supporting cast from "Batman Begins" return, along with a few new faces. Maggie Gyllenhaal replace Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. I didn't mind Katie Holmes in the first movie, but Gyllenhaal plays her with much more confidence and fire. Aaron Eckhart plays the D.A.- turned-psychopath Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Eckhart undeniably plays a great Harvey Dent, but this is really illustrated when he has to flip it 180 and become the psychotic Two-Face. All his ideals are replaced with anarchy and misery, making him just as evil as The Joker. And then you've got all the other supporting characters from the first movie, who are excellent.
But the performance that everyone raves about is Heath Ledger's Joker. In the 1989 "Batman", Joker was played by Jack Nicholson, who, at first, planned to make Gotham City kneel before him. But, about 30 minutes into the movie, Jack's Joker falls in love with Vicki Vale. This made Jack's Joker look really materialistic and envious, which is not the case with Ledger's Joker. The Joker here acts very much like an unstoppable hurricane that came into Gotham City at the worst possible time for the heroes. He's like a demon that can't be destroyed, but the most disturbing part is that he acts like her shouldn't be destroyed because it's part of the bigger picture. This is also attributed to his dark reality and twisted nature. Needless to say, this was a great performance.
Even the minor gripes I expressed in "Batman Begins" are fixed in "The Dark Knight". The action is a lot bigger and edgier, but it abandons the shaky cam that was so distracting in the first movie. The bat suit looks a lot slimmer and easier to move around in.
Final Verdict: "The Dark Knight" is undeniably my favorite movie of all time. Not only does it work as a comic book movie, but as a film in general. the underlying themes and Gothic setting are fantastic, the performances are stellar, and the story is flawlessly told. It embodies everything I love about cinema and much, much more. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it on the highest quality T.V. you can find; I promise you that it won't disappoint.