Action, action, action, and Heath Ledger's Oscar-worthy final performance

Rating: 9/10 (17 July 2008)

I attended a screening of "The Dark Knight" last night. Indies are really my preference and, at $150 million+, this Warner Brothers movie is about as Hollywood as it gets. But it's impossible not to discuss this film, especially in the light of the untimely passing of one of our most gifted actors. The Joker was Heath Ledger's final role.
Pluses: Action, action, action, and more action. Did I say action? Good Lord. Guns, bombs, explosions, knives, fistfights, various other weapons, car chases, more explosions, more bombs, and more car chases.
You know how in most action movies there's one great bomb/explosion scene? Something big is blown up towards the end? Well, in director/co-writer Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" it happens time and time again, all throughout the film. Not only do you not have to wait until the third act to see something huge blown to smithereens but, every time you think, "ah, that's the big explosion of the movie," there's another. And another.
Best of all, though, are the chases. This movie has some of the best chase scenes I've ever seen. And there's not just one. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even helicopters are involved in some fantastic action sequences. Crashes galore. And, just like with the explosions, just when you think you've seen "the" big chase scene, there's another. And another.
The action is relentless.
There's even a love story thrown in for the ladies. And not one F-bomb. Not even an S-word. No sex. No skin. The kids will love it. Men, women, teens, all will find something to like here.
Minuses: The storyline is a bit confusing. There's Batman/Bruce Wayne, the Joker, the district attorney, police commissioner, mayor, the Hong Kong businessman, the Mafia, and various other public officials and thugs. All play a role in the plot at some point, more or less, and it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard.
Someone said to me, "a comic book story and it's hard to follow?" Well, frankly, yes. I actually wished it was a bit more mindless so that I could focus on the action. I would have preferred to use my brain less in this case, to tell you the truth. But it didn't lessen the film's impact.
Christian Bale is a capable Batman. But "The Dark Knight" is, most of all, a tribute to Heath Ledger. His Joker and intense, maniacal portrait of him is, supposedly, what drove him to his death. As the story goes, he couldn't leave the character at the set. It haunted him day and night. It's not hard to see why. His performance is so chilling that it was hard to see him on screen and not imagine what it must have been like for him when he went home at the end of the day. Ideally, one is not supposed to be taken out of a movie -- the audience should never think about the actor instead of the character. But it was hard not to, knowing that this was the final role of his life, and one which may have contributed to ending it. That made it even more frightening.
The curiosity factor will probably get people into the theaters who might not otherwise have gone. But it's just as well. It will be his legacy, or part of it, and must be seen to be believed.
Is "The Dark Knight" the best film of the year? I don't think so. Will it make a gazillion dollars and turn out to be the #1 movie of the year? I wouldn't be surprised. Is it worth seeing? Yes, I'd recommend it to just about anyone. Does Heath Ledger deserve an Oscar? I'd say yes. His performance IS all that the hype has led you to believe it is.