Shows just how Batman should be portrayed.

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2008)

When Batman last left our screens in 2005 we were left wondering/hoping that there would be a second instalment on the way. As what 'Begins' achieved which no other Batman movie had done before was to breach the gap between comic and real life. Director Christopher Nolan had given Batman a soul. He had given us someone to believe in. We began to feel for Bruce Wayne/Batman rather than wonder how he could defeat an unrealistic villain. Begins made the Batman franchise real again. And when it ended it left us hoping for more. Especially after we were shown evidence that 'The Joker' would in fact be involved.
Low and behold soon after, the working title became apparent. 'Untitled Batman Begins sequel'. All we knew really was that Christopher Nolan would once again direct and that possibly 'The Joker' would be involved. As time passed we learnt more and more about the impending sequel. Cast and crew details leaked through. The news that Heath Ledger would be playing 'The Joker'. A role which despite being so notorious to many has only been played twice before on the big screen. Cesar Romero played 'The Joker' in the 1966 movie (Batman) and Jack Nicholson famously played it in the 1989 movie (Batman). Little after the unearthing of Ledger as 'The Joker' we were given a title, 'The Dark Knight'. From then on we were told 'In Production' with no real source of knowledge until the teaser. The teaser showed us all what we were expecting. Batman just as we remembered him from 'Begins' and 'The Joker' looked terrific. From then on Ledger was propelled to stardom. People were talking about his performance possibly attracting Oscars even before the film was released. But on the 22nd January 2008 Ledger died. This caused shock throughout the world. And on a smaller note made people wonder whether 'The Dark Knight' would ever see the light of day. Without a doubt the death of Ledger bumped the publicity. The last complete film Ledger made before dying. But come July when it was release date the hype was at breaking point.
It didn't disappoint. The film certainly adds in several new characters which interact with the already present. Aaron Eckhart portrays Gotham's White Knight and soon to be 'Two Face' played by Tommy Lee Jones in 1995 movie (Batman Forever). Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over from Kate Hudson as Rachel Dawes. And of cause Heath Ledger comes in as 'The Joker'. The original faces still exist, with Michael Caine reprising his role as Alfred, Gary Oldman continuing as James Gordon, Morgan Freeman shines as Lucius Fox and Christian Bale is still Batman. All the characters have decent sized roles in the film. James Gordon gets considerably more screen time than in 'Begins' and many key decisions are reached through Alfred's calm ingenuity. However the characters who really steal the show are: Batman, Harvey Dent and The Joker. These characters interact with each other throughout the film. The actors confidence and versatility is clear to see, no more so than in Ledger himself. From the Australian Heart throb from movies such as 'A Knights Tale' or 'Brokeback Mountain' which showed him to be a sensitive actor. This time he proves he can up his performance for an eccentric and more flamboyant character. From is opening scene (The famous pencil scene) we know it will be quite a show. And the way Ledger plays the modern day Joker in a slightly camp insanity adds an element of horror to the franchise. Every little attention to every little detail has been made by Ledger to create his very own Joker. It's scary because you never know quite what he'll do when he's on the screen. The performance of Aaron Eckhart as Two Face is also very professional. An actor who until now has stayed away from the bright lights of Hollywood and gone for more cosy artistic films (The Pledge), may now break into mainstream Hollywood (If he wants to). Throughout the film he conjures up a wonderful chemistry with Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel and a certain subplot for Bruce Wayne rather than Batman. The chemistry between Harvey Dent and 'The Joker' also gets stronger as the film progresses.
However 'The Dark Knight' is certainly a 15 dressed up as a 12. No doubt to draw in the kind of audience that Batman movies are historically designed for. There is a lot in the film that could offend or frighten younger people. The Joker himself is very intimidating for young viewers. His actions could be considered to be extremely violent and aggressive. The morals of the film would not be understood by somebody under the age of 15 generally. It depicts a very dark, very realistic image of Gotham. Un-seen even in 'Begins'. The villains appear very real. The final words do in some respects set ourselves up for a possible third instalment. With possible villains being 'The Riddler' or even 'The Penguin' despite Nolan saying it's a ridiculous character.
A thrilling ride for any film fan, not just Batman fans. Crossing over many genre's this film could and more than likely would appeal to a lot of people. All in all I rate 'The Dark Knight' 10/10 and hope there to be a third.