It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2008)

No words can quite aptly describe the dark, sinuous genius of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight". A sequel to the 2005 "Batman Begins", the film defies the industry cliché of being a shameless exploitation of a franchise.
Much has already been said about Heath Ledger's electric performance as the demented Joker and little else can really be said. It's a performance that displays every psychological tic with sadistic glee and Ledger, virtually unrecognisable behind both the makeup and the mannerisms, imbues his character with terrifying insanity.
Of course, Ledger is just one of the many gems in a fine cast. Christian Bale is predictably good in the titular role but he's overshadowed by some other key players. Maggie Gyllenhaal is good as are Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman but it's Aaron Eckhart who gives a truly amazing performance as Harvey Dent, Gotham's idealistic DA and the city's moral centre. Eckhart's innocuous golden boy looks belie his dramatic finesse and he conveys the duality of Harvey's character and ideals with great deft.
The high calibre of the cast is reason enough to go see the movie but it's the screenplay, written by the Nolan Brothers, that allows "The Dark Knight" to become more than just an adequate sequel. For all the cartoonish connotations of its comic book origins, the movie is a rich and fascinating study into the machinations of justice and humanity. In a genre of such formulaic conventions where "doomed romance" and "final showdown" are automatically entrenched in the storyline to inspire the same old message and emotions, it's hard to find some new ground. "The Dark Knight" succeeds, however, in toying with these very conventions and while the message that it sends is as subtle as an anvil crashing on your head, it's surprisingly powerful.
Say what you will about the hype and about the free publicity that Ledger's death has earned this film but to credit it's commercial or critical success so cynically would do both the actor and this film an injustice. At the end of the day, "The Dark Knight" is brilliant entertainment with some phenomenal performances.
It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.