The Dark Knight: Setting the New Standard in Cinema- It's a masterpiece!

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2008)

While you may not easily give into the hype of THE biggest viral marketing scheme seen in recent memory, I urge you to. For a cinematic experience like no other, The Dark Knight MUST be seen in cinemas (or IMAX if you're lucky enough) at least once before it's DVD release.
First, I must mention Christopher Nolan, the genius director behind such instant-mega hits like Memento and The Prestige. He truly has reinvented the comic book genre, his pacing and authentic style can really be felt throughout the entire film. The man can construct a narrative for the big screen like no one else - I am able to confidently say that he is the Stanley Kubrick of the new generation.
Heath Ledger, of course, has perfected the role of the Joker into making a truly iconic villain and his performance will be referred to as possibly the best movie villain portrayed in a film.
As for Christian Bale, as Bruce Wayne he was able to convince the people of Gotham that he was a rich snob who threw party's every once in a while - the American accent, along with the personality he portrays reminds me of Patrick Bateman from "American Psycho." As Batman, he overdid the role just a bit. The deep voice was a bit too much - but I still believe no one has been able to pull off a better Batman than him. But, if we count Adam West, he may have some competition.
For me - it was the music that sent this film from action blockbuster to an epic, though-provoking masterpiece. The crescendo score used when building up suspense was terrifying. But the best part of all was that the score was not over-used, the loud drum beat was used very rarely and when it was, the rush of excitement will plunge through you, instantly.
The storyline was clearly very well though out, it asks questions about abandoning codes and ethics, subtle undertones of terrorism in modern society. At many points of the film, many different time lines are occurring at once, this adds to the excitement and suspense of the film and you'll realize only once you leave the cinema that you have been on the edge of your seat in a constant feeling of anticipation - and for a near 3 hour movie to do that, you can truly appreciate this film for what it is and has done.
It has set a new standard in not just superhero movies, not just action blockbusters, but for cinema across the board - Chris Nolan has created a masterpiece and if he does decide to make a third Batman, we can only hope he makes it even better: a task that seems almost impossible.