"The Dark Knight" Is Not For Kids, and That's Why It's So Good!

Rating: 10/10 (22 July 2008)

It is dark and disturbing and worth every penny. A great movie should be about the characters and the story, not the special effects, stunts and other tricks.
Christian Bale: a good performance given the script. After the evolution into Batman in the first movie, he seems a little too willing to just give up the alter ego because he doesn't understand the Joker. In the first movie, Alfred warned him that he was getting lost in this "monster" he had created - that angle would be far more interesting than throwing his hands in the air over him. Still, there is some interesting philosophy here regarding Wayne's unwillingness to cross the line into being the executioner - and the extraordinary attempts to rescue hostages while also not permanently damaging police officers towards the end is the apparent result. But I would like to see Batman revert to the behaviors more like an animal of "Batman Begins" like crouching in the dark as if waiting to pounce, and more fist-fighting and jumping off rooftops.
Bruce, Alfred and Lucius Fox: I enjoyed watching the development of their relationship. Alfred continues his reluctant role as the dutiful butler who really is companion to Bruce because of the prior relationship with his father. And Morgan Freeman was awesome in a scene where he calls the bluff of a Wayne Enterprises employee who thinks he's going to bribe Bruce Wayne. But why they allow someone outside the inner circle access to the books of the front for Batman's technical needs is never explained, never really corrected and is a major error in the story. As carefully contrived as this grand plan was in "Batman Begins," one would think the secret would have been more secure than this.
OK, next: Rachel Dawes. I DESPISED her character in "Begins." She was such a b****, bossy, presumptuous, sanctimonious, condescending. I was so disappointed at the end of "Begins" when she rejected Bruce instead of him telling her to take a flying leap. After all he had been through, he should have dumped her like a bad habit. At least her character was nicer in "The Dark Knight." A flatter performance, but she did not annoy me. They did a good job finding a decent actress who looked a lot like a little older Katie Holmes to maintain some continuity between movies.
And finally, just like everybody else I have to say Heath Ledger as the Joker made the movie. Far and away better than Nicholson. Not just the silly sort of crazy from "Batman" of '89, but truly demented psychosis. My 16-year-old niece wanted to see this because of him for 16-year-old girl reasons; I was never a fan of Heath Ledger. His performance here was incredible. I don't think it crossed my mind once who the actor was; I believed every bit of his chaos-loving creepiness. I don't think anybody will ever be able to top this performance. The "Dark Knight" ends with an opening for a return of the Joker in a future film, but since Mr. Ledger is no longer able to fill that role, they should let it rest in peace with him. There were plenty of other villains from the comics that could make appearances without having to try to force someone else to fill Ledger's shoes.
I am pleasantly surprised by the depth of philosophy presented. Most action movies these days are just eye-candy. Wow everybody with special effects and fight scenes, and morons flock to the movies without any further thought given to story. Reasons for the violence are seldom fully explained and typically are not expected, just shut off the brain and watch the carnage. So I'm impressed that although a character like the Joker almost would not need a reason, he explains his demented self nonetheless. One could argue, of course, that his explanation was a lie. But it still goes further than most in contemplating something deeper than you're seeing an explosion because explosions sell tickets.
I'm all for riveting action, but some of these fight scenes were actually too quick. But the motorcycle was awesome, and how it came into being was better still. Not just a contraption Fox is requested to create, it demonstrated a weakness in the Batman toolbox that emphasized the human side of the hero: Batman's gadgets can fail. The will to act supersedes training or technology. Definitely should show that more often. The scene in Asia involved a "Mission Impossible"-style stunt, and I hope to see more of that in future installments. After all, part of the Batman mystique involves his ability to "fly." This one was more cerebral than muscular, and a delicate balance is to be achieved.
My wife tells me someone on a news or talk show commented that she didn't "get it." LOL There's a surprise! Morons and bimbos can expect to enjoy this for the action, intense hostage situation, and even some brief comedy without noticing too much logic and reasoning - just tune out some of the dialog and they'll be OK.
All you parents who are upset this thing wasn't made for kids, get over it. Just because it started as a comic doesn't mean the director should have to make it kid-friendly. Leave them with grandma for a night and go see it on a date with your spouse. This is not for the kids, and that's WHY IT'S SO GOOD.