The best Batman movie too date...until next one--hopefully,

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 2008)

I saw this flick twice in the theaters and managed to snag an early copy of the DVD last Thursday. Since then, I have watched the film four times and have yet to grow sick of it. So, where do I begin with a review of the Dark Knight? There really isn't anyway I could describe how good this movie is that hasn't already been stated 10,000 times. So this is why I'm going to take a different route and vent a little over four minor snags I noticed with repeated viewings of this stellar production.
I've been following Christian Bales' career since American Psycho, and I knew he would be the perfect Batman once I saw him in 2002's Equilibrium. However, there is a problemhis Batman voice. Towards the end of the film, when Batman has the Joker trussed up and ready to go, the dialogue was laughable. The Joker's voice, as provided by Heath Ledger, was different, yet cool and authentic. Batman's voice, as provided by Bale, felt strained and absurdalmost too the point of comedy. Maybe Bale should take a cue from veteran voice actor Kevin Conroy, who has voiced Batman/Bruce Wayne for sixteen years. Bruce Wayne's voice should be upbeat, perky, and conversant. However, when he is alone, talking shop with either Alfred or Lucius, or in costume, his voice should be lower, driving, and powerful. Batman doesn't scream at people, because he's the best at what he does and is fully aware of this. He simply tells folks the way it's going to be, and they have no choice in the matter but to comply or suffer.
In Batman Begins, the fight scenes were hard too make out. You could see a fist there, a foot here, but I was never able to discern more than that. The Dark Knight rectified this and has much steadier and greatly appreciated camera work for the fight scenes. However, after seeing it multiple times on DVD, Batman's fighting style is all wrong. He comes off like a blunt instrument that depends too heavily on his suit and on the fact that no one is bigger or physically stronger than he is. In short, this Batman possesses none of the precision, speed, or agility his four color counterpart does. Bruce Wayne is supposed to be a peak level, multi disciplined martial artistthink Chuck Norris crossed with Frank Dux. This is a character that has no problem snap kicking one guy in the chest, while elbowing another guy in the jaw. The Keysi fighting method, while distinctive, holds the flow of combat back by limiting his range of motion. In a future film, I'd very much like to see an agile and fast on his feet Dark Knight who just cannot be touched in a fight.
But, standing in the way of this is the costume he wears. More so than any other actor to portray the character thus far, Christian Bale's physique is dead on for Bruce Wayne's. Despite this, he's kept in a suit that seriously hinders his mobility. I like how this film acknowledged the shortcomings of the first costume, but the second one doesn't seem to be all too much of an improvement. Since Wayne is a billionaire, can't he afford a more streamlined disguise that has Kevlar sewn right into the material, instead of relying so heavily on armor? Yeah, he could still have the armor over his chest, his forearms, and his shins, but that should pretty much be it. Since the police are now going to be on Batman's butt 24/7, it only makes sense for him, in a future film, to adapt a lighter and more flexible suit of arms to move around in.
Finally, there is the score. I remember Danny Elfman's score for both Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). His themes for Batman, the Joker, the Penguin, and Catwoman are all so distinctive that, to this day, if I hear them on the tube, I know what movie it is without having to see or hear anything else. That being said, this score is woefully unremarkable. The only track that comes close to competing against any of Elfman's is "Like a Dog Chasing Cars". Warner Bros. knows this. That is why this one track is used to advertise the DVD and is also looped over the main menu. The rest of the tracks, literally, aren't worth mentioning. Never mind the fact that, two movies in, we still don't have a defining theme for the title character. This needs to be changed, especially if the studio insists on making such a big deal over the soundtrack. Hey, maybe one composer is better than two? Then again, maybe both Zimmer and Howard need to go so that another composer can be brought in who will hopefully make some real headway with this powerful medium that can either heighten or trash a scene.
Besides these four issues, the Dark Knight is highly watchable. The action is compelling. The acting, all across the board, is superb. The cinematography allows you to take in far more of this interpretation of Gotham City and it's nocturnal guardian than the previous effort. The writing is tight, moving, dark, and will make you forget all about the two and a half hour run time. I say buy the DVD, turn the lights off, kick your feet up, and prepare to lose 154 minutes of your life over and over.