An honest review

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2008)

I must preface this by saying I am not a Batman super fan. I can't agree with those who think that everything Christopher Nolan touches is gold. Memento and Batman Begins were great films, but I despised Insomnia and the Prestige was just okay. To his credit however his movies always feature some great acting performances.
The first thing that must be mentioned when discussing The Dark Knight is Heath Ledger as The Joker. In my eyes, this is hands down the best villain I have ever seen on film. He is every bit deserving of any attention and accolades received from this role, and only now do I see the potential lost by his passing.
That said, the next most interesting thing about this film was Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. While the motives and plausibility of the transition from Dent to Two-Face were questionable at best; the anticipation and dread derived from knowing that this noble and just character would transform into such a monster was one of the more interesting aspects of the movie.
I enjoyed the dark tone of the movie overall. It was suspenseful, impeccably acted, thought provoking and immensely entertaining. There is just one flaw as far as I'm concerned...the final 15 minutes of the movie just doesn't do it for me.
****MINOR SPOILER ALERT***** The Joker is such an evil character that I couldn't help but to root for his demise in a gruesome and climactic manner. The last shot we see of the Joker is him dangling from a rooftop. I feel like the audience deserved a better, more precise resolution. Perhaps knowing that we won't get the chance to see Ledger reprise this role was instrumental in my disappointment.
Conversely, I was upset to see the Two-Face character dispensed with so quickly, but it did fit in well with the story I suppose.
Lastly, I like the concept of Batman as a fugitive, but the idea that it was necessary for this to happen, and the reasoning used to justify him framing himself was...well stupid.
Overall, these are not that important to the grand experience, as in the end the acting was what really made this movie stand out. I just can't help feeling a little cheated by the ending.