One of the best movies ever made. See it to believe it!

Rating: 10/10 (7 August 2008)

This Joker will put a smile on your face!
Batman History: Gone are the days when Adam West's campy Batman T.V series used to be the only source of "Bat Entertainment" for the audience. The Batman movies of the 90s did not do justice to the great comic book icon. They all made the caped crusader appear as a happy-go-lucky masked vigilante who saved the day at the end with his "Bat Gadgets". Where was the character development? A real plot? (Oh please, not the penguin-stole-candy-from-a-baby plot). The superficial storyline and lack of commitment catalysed the fiasco of the Batman franchise. All in all, much to the dismay of fans, a costly costume party was all that we ever saw!
A Knight was born: 'Batman Begins" at last delved into the dark and troubled past of Bruce Wayne. A man trying to find his identity, conquer his worst fears and overcome the grief of the unjust murder of his parents. A man who becomes invincible as a symbol. The magic of this movie lies in the fact that although it is not real, it makes you want to believe that it is!
The Dark Knight: The success of Batman Begins opened the flood gates of great expectations and surreal anticipation for perhaps one of the most awaited movie sequels, let alone a Batman sequel. With expectations and speculations running wild, the overzealous promotion and media hype knew no bounds. The Dark Knight was put under microscope long before its scheduled release. The tragic loss of Heath Hedger, especially after whispers of his alleged over-the-top performance, added fuel to the fire. With fans and critics eagerly waiting to sing praise or eviscerate the movie alike, Dark Knight made a smashing entry! The question is, did this movie deliver? Did it live up to the unrealistic expectations of the fans? No. It surpassed it! This movie is not just for fans of Batman, but for all those who love to see a masterpiece. It certainly stretched the limitations of a typical comic book movie. The Joker is not just the avergae psychotic villain who blows things up and deliver jabs and witty retorts. No no no no no! He is more than that. A lot more than that. His every word has a deep psychological connotation to it. He poses moral dilemmas that play with the boundaries of normal ethical conduct and human psyche. Simply put, he puts people under the microscope and test their reaction under extreme situations. And he does it with flair! That's the beauty of it. He creates ingenious situations and traps that tricks everybody into believing something, while something else is happening. Bruce Wayne is pushed to such extremes that he thinks that his days as the caped crusader are coming to an end... As Rachel puts it, "Bruce don't make me your only hope for a normal life". We also find that The Joker and Batman have a lot in common. Joker pretty much sums up the entire comic book history between him and Batman as "You and I are destined to do this forever"... Although they are portrayed as freaks with troubed childhood, it all comes down to the choices that people make at testing times. Harvey and Bruce are both influenced by The Joker's brilliant yet fiendish schemes and the outcome is colossal... You've gotta see it for yourself! This so much more than an action movie. A psychological thriller? Perhaps. The way Joker manipulates human nature is simply "mind blowing". Believe me, he is more than what you expect him to be in every single moment of the movie. His influence on Harvey Dent is even more intriguing than it is on the rest. And the fact that special effects are less prominent compared to character development and storyline goes to show that drama and theatrics impacts people on a personal level that all the CGI in the world cannot conjure up. It simply makes you care for the character rather than being a mute spectator of a violent showdown. This movie revolves around deep forgotten fears, traumas, hope, faith and courage. This is poetry in movie making!
Rating: 10/10 No questions asked!