The Dark Knight One Of The Best Films Of 2008

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2009)

The Dark Knight is one of the best films that came out during the summer of 2008. It has a great ensemble cast, an intricate story, suspense, thrills, exhilarating action, and some humor. Director Christopher Nolan gives us a worthy follow up to his 2005 blockbuster hit Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman and he continues to be the perfect choice for the character. He portrays him with intensity as Batman and at times vulnerability as Bruce Wayne. The voice Bale came up with is fitting for the character and didn't bother me like it did for some other people. In The Dark Knight Batman finds himself in a battle for Gotham's soul against his arch nemesis a mysterious rising anarchist criminal mastermind known only as The Joker played with psychotic menace by the late Heath Ledger. Ledger's Joker is a mass murdering psychopathic clown with zero empathy and that's exactly how he portrays him. Ledger owns the role from his very first scene and gets some of the best lines in the movie. In fact the rest of the cast (Bale, Eckhart, Caine, etc.) also get some great lines like Ledger. This Joker isn't given an origin story and I think that was a wise move from Nolan. He's unpredictable a man with nothing to lose which makes him that much more dangerous. His character is an absolute a self prescribed "agent of chaos." Ledger gave this role his all and it shows in the movie. He definitely deserved that posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. Returning from Batman Begins are Michael Caine as Bruce's most trusted butler Alfred and Morgan Freeman as scientific genius Lucius Fox. Caine and Freeman aren't in it all that much but they make the best of the short screen time. They both provide some comic relief and the two veteran actors have great chemistry with Bale. Their characters are there for Bruce when he needs someone the most. Gary Oldman's also back as incorruptible Lieutenat Jim Gordon and is given more screen time. Oldman inhabits the role of Gordon and like Bale he continues to be the perfect choice for the character. Joining the cast are Aaron Eckhart as crusading District Attorney Harvey Dent. Eckhart is equally impressive as Dent the "White Knight" of Gotham City and later the crazed psychotic revenge driven vigilante Two-Face. Eckhart gets the role of the character down and his transformation perfectly. The special effects used to create the burned part of his face are fantastic. Maggie Gyllenhall is good as Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes replacing Katie Holmes. She's a woman torn between two men and Gyllenhall makes the best of her limited screen time. The rest of the supporting cast also turn in good performances. Scarecrow fans however maybe a bit disappointed since Cillian Murphy's character only makes a very brief appearance in the beginning. I read some reviews complaining about Christian Bale's performance, his screen time, and that he played second fiddle making him feel more like a supporting character. I for one thought Bale was excellent as the character and he does get less screen time in this sequel than he did in Begins but he's still the main character. Bale turns in a solid performance and he gets a lot more screen time than some who make cameos while others show up for extended appearances through the film. Batman Begins was all about Bruce and his journey into Batman. The Dark Knight centers on four stories; Bruce Wayne longing for a normal life with Rachel while continuing his war to end crime in Gotham as Batman, The Joker's quest to bring chaos and anarchy to the city, the rise and fall of crusading District Attorney Harvey Dent, and Police Lieutenat Jim Gordons struggle to stay on the right side of the law who like many other characters finds his own morals tested. The Dark Knight more than lived up to the hype. There are many scenes worth mentioning that stood out including a daring bank heist that opens the movie with the Joker, Batman's introduction with the nefarious Scarecrow, The Joker's magic trick with the mob bosses, a snatch and grab with Batman taking on corrupt business men in a Hong Kong skyscraper, the interrogation between the Joker and Batman, the hospital scene with the Joker and Harvey "Two Face" Dent, and an edge of your seat intense Tumbler/Batpod chase with Batman desperately trying to stop the Joker that results in the flipping of a semi. This film also has a great soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard who collaborated on Batman Begins too. It suits the movie and tone perfectly. Batman's new vehicle The Batpod is a perfect vehicle just like the Tumbler for Batman to get from one place to another. What I enjoyed most about this film was that after a few opening action sequences Nolan takes the time for the story and to develop the characters. The rousing action is well executed making it intense because it felt for the most part realistic and not something made up in a computer. Overall The Dark Knight is an exceptional sequel thats also a thrilling crime drama with plenty of action especially the second half which moves at a steady pace even with a 153 minute running time. If you're a big fan of Batman Begins or the character than chances are you'll enjoy the Dark Knight just as much. Go see it. You won't be disappointed this is one of those rare sequels not to be missed.