"I think you and I are destined to do this forever."

Rating: 10/10 (21 July 2008)

So it finally happened, a DC Comics movie adaptation that out-marveled the Marvel folks, and to such a degree that it might be quite a while before anything comes close to topping "The Dark Knight". This was the severely grim and gritty version of the Batman, ushered in by Frank Miller's initial treatment in the landmark graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns" in 1986. Miller's portrayal of the iconic super hero took the gloves off as far as politically correct behavior goes. The movie explores this theme at many levels, and would have served up enough of a plot to keep this viewer interested even without the explosions, chases and general mayhem that modern day audiences need to get their fix on. Actually, the Joker summed it all up quite brilliantly hanging upside down from one of Batman's cables over the streets of Gotham, as noted in my summary line above. In the comic book world, they HAVE been fighting each other forever, or as long as forever exists since the creation of Batman back in 1939; the Joker came on the scene in 1940 in the comic, Batman #1.
I don't think this could have been the same picture without Heath Ledger in the role of Batman's all time greatest nemesis. His portrayal blows away Jack Nicholson's performance in 1989's "Batman", and that's through no fault of Nicholson's. Today's films are a product of harsher and deadlier times, and it's striking that Ledger's characterization would define the Joker as an extremist, perhaps even a terrorist. More than once I found myself questioning what was going on during the opening bank robbery scene. The bad guys were offing each other based on instructions delivered by the Joker, and you suddenly come to the realization that this domino game had to end with one man standing. It's how we're introduced to Ledger's definitive Joker, a performance that won't be topped.
Another thought came to me as I watched the story unfold, and that was how similar the coin toss gimmick paralleled the one in "No Country For Old Men". Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) began using the tactic following the death of Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and I began picturing Javier Bardem in the role of The Joker. Hard to imagine who might have been the more evil character, Bardem's Anton Chigurh in a more realistic setting, or The Joker in a fictional Gotham City. Fortunately, not a choice one would normally have to consider.
I'm a little bit on the fence as to Christian Bale's portrayal of The Batman. He's more than adequate as Bruce Wayne, but the voice he gives to the Dark Knight seems a bit melodramatic. Granted, he couldn't use the same voice as his alter ego, but there were times that it sounded so forced as to come across as parody, and other times just goofy, almost a throwback to the Adam West days of the TV Batman. Strange, but have you considered that no one ever calls him the Caped Crusader anymore either?
All in all, great performances all around. Gary Oldman's portrayal of the new Commissioner Gordon was excellent, while Michael Caine as Alfred, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox were solid even with limited screen time. I thought about Katie Holmes just once while making a mental comparison when Maggie Gyllenhaal first appeared on screen. Truthfully, they looked similar enough to effect the transition smoothly to the point where it wasn't distracting for me in the least.
Obviously, the set up for the next sequel was firmly set in place with the creation of Two Face, the now alter ego of District Attorney Harvey Dent. The rendering of Dent's burned face was boldly executed and quite marvelous in it's own grotesque way. I'll be looking forward to the next installment.
And NOW, for a personal rant. I probably should put this in parentheses because it doesn't have anything to do with the movie, but for this picture to be #1 on the IMDb list of all time best movies after 4 days of release is incomprehensible, if not downright laughable (and I did rate it a 10 myself). I think there should be a moratorium of at least a couple of years before a film qualifies for IMDb ranking, giving the dust some time to settle from all the grand opening hoopla that surrounds a picture like this. I feel the same way about other recent movies like "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood", both of which garnered numerous awards and fan approval. But if they're to be considered among the best films of all time, they'll be considered that way a decade from now without the need for multiple votes from over zealous fan boys.