Answers the question "Why So Serious?"

Rating: 8/10 (19 July 2008)

Remember how all that political talk about the Senate and the Republic in Star Wars: Episodes I, II & III really dragged down that series, and added nothing? Well, in The Dark Knight there is a similar amount of esoteric, difficult-to-follow dialogue - only in this case, it is about social responsibility, tenuous morality and the dangers of vigilantism. But this time, it is a central theme of the movie and - by design - it practically overshadows the characters themselves. Oh yeah, one other difference - this time it works. In fact, in The Dark Knight you really have to keep your thinking cap on - it will warrant a second viewing just so you can absorb all the deep ideas and difficult decisions it throws at you.
The film opens with a very original bank robbery. Think how many times you've seen a bank robbery in movies. You've never seen one like this. Then we find the situation complicated by wanna-be Batmen. The action grows from there as Batman goes international. That's about all the detail I'm gonna give.
There are some really amazing action sequences in this movie and more than a few surprises. I've checked the Spoiler box but don't really want to put any in the review - this is a movie that is best viewed "fresh". To the marketers' credit, this is one film that doesn't seem to have been ruined or spoiled by its trailers.
It's true that The Dark Knight feels more like a crime epic than a superhero movie - but it's the better film for it.
Heath Ledger's performance is very memorable, and certainly worthy of at least an Oscar nomination. While there may be the most minor traces of Jack Nicholson's portrayal, Heath goes in a different direction and really makes the Joker his own, and it's easy to see how the character affected his sleep patterns. Heath's Joker may be laughing, but he's definitely not joking.
The movie is not perfect - it drags a bit in the second half. But at least you won't have to check your watch to know when the second half starts: the turning point of this movie elicits visceral emotion and that's a sign of great movie-making.
And there are some parts that are highly implausible, even for a superhero epic, but they have more to do with the behavior of everyday citizens than with larger-than-life heroes and villains.
Probably the hardest conceit to accept is the idea that Batman would prefer an ordinary citizen to do his job. It's almost as if his motto is "With great power, comes great responsibility - for somebody else". But again, nothing in this film is black and white - all of the heavy themes are presented from multiple perspectives and nobody, not even the filmmakers, claim to have easy answers.
Oh yeah, there are certain scenes where Batman's voice is very strange, almost as if he's shouting with laryngitis. It seems apparent that he is trying to disguise his voice in front of those most likely to recognize Bruce Wayne's. Realistic? Maybe. Annoying? Definitely. Fortunately, "rasp voice" comes and goes.
When all is said and done, there are just too many original scenes, memorable characterizations, deep ideas, and big action sequences in this movie to dismiss it. Let the haters hate, let the fanboys rate it an 11, no matter. I and others in my theater found ourselves cheering spontaneously more than once without embarrassment.
It is the ultimate irony that the Joker's catchphrase is "Why So Serious?" This movie takes some big ideas very seriously, something very few mass-marketed films of any genre have done in a long time. By doing so, the filmmakers have achieved a milestone in storytelling: they made the superhero movie not just entertaining, but important.
Rest in Peace, Heath Ledger. Your final work will not be soon forgotten.