A Knight is Rising

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2009)

Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' is a big and bold production. The great special-effects, sharp editing and affecting score sweep the film into a high-entertainment package. It is a vast improvement on Batman Begins reaching a higher level of storytelling. Although there are self-evident inadequacies in the script this is a breakthrough film.
The Dark Knight is a long film, and in this respect it surprisingly fails somewhat to provide enough depth. Instead we do get scenes where the obvious ineptitude of the police enable the plot to continue as it wishes. For example, why is a police officer in the same cell as The Joker when it was entirely unnecessary? It therefore sometimes falls more into a comic book experience conflicting unfortunately with the superior film elements. However,if this can be forgiven (as I have) Nolan has produced a successful cross-over from his somewhat comic book feature of Batman Begins.
Heath Ledger is stunning as The Joker providing the emotional context and thrills. The set-pieces are as grand as they are gripping.
A minor point, which I could not get away from was a particular moment when Bale is discussing gadgets with Freeman, was this just me or did anyone else feel like we were watching a James Bond and Q moment?
The Dark Knight is a breakthrough film it is more majestic and gripping than any of its Batman predecessors. It is a superior film of entertainment only hampered by its over long-running time but ultimately it is a triumph.