Batman: The Dark Knight

***Batman: The Dark Knight*** is a 2009 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The film is the second installment of the DC Cinematic Universe and of Volume One, and a sequel to *The Batman*. It was written and directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Yvonne Strahovski, Ben Kingsley, Josh Duhamel, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Strong, Emma Stone, Brenton Thwaites, Sylvester Stallone, Jeremy Irons, Robert De Niro, and Heath Ledger. The film grossed $866.4 million on a $200 million budget, and received positive reviews from critics. *Batman: The Dark Knight* was released on July 3, 2009.

## Plot

Two years after Batman became a public figure in Gotham City, Wayne Enterprises publicly sponsors the hero. The Police Department still views him as a criminal, though they take no action due to the public's adoration of him. Bruce Wayne is now dating Vicki Vale, though he still harbors feelings for Selina Kyle. Jim Gordon's uneasy alliance with Batman is further tested when his daughter Barbara is caught in the crossfire of Batman's fight with the Maroni crime family. Wayne announces his intent to mend the Maroni and Falcone war by inviting them both to a charity gala. At the event, Wayne reunites with his cousin, Kate Kane, who has returned to Gotham to run Wayne Enterprises's media division, after her father's death. Also at the event are socialites Oswald Cobblepot and Amelia Crowne, and mayoral candidate Lincoln March, with his campaign manager Michael Washington Lane. The event is disrupted when Crowne is mysteriously poisoned.

Wayne becomes annoyed when a "Batwoman" begins showing up around Gotham. Vale, however, is encouraged to see a female hero. Batman visits Tommy Elliot in Arkham after suspecting he may be behind Crowne's death. These suspicions are put to rest when Elliot is nearly assassinated by a prison guard. Wayne and Kane connect the dots and realize someone is targeting the heirs to the Five Founding Families of Gotham: the Waynes (Bruce), the Kanes (Kate), the Cobblepots (Oswald), the Elliot (Tommy), and the Crownes (Amelia). They decide to have Elliot be taken into protective custody, and seek out Cobblepot, though he wants nothing to do with them. Wayne tries to get his mind off of recent events by taking Vale to the circus, which is ruined when "The Flying Graysons" fall from their trapeze act, orphaning their teenage son Dick. Things are further complicated when the Maroni family are convicted of the murder, causing Sal Maroni to be taken into custody.

As Batwoman continues to marvel the press, Wayne and Kane investigate whoever is attempting to kill off the rich heirs. Gordon learns Barbara is also enamored with the recent wave of heroes and is disappointed. Meanwhile, March continues to go ahead in the polls, which bugs Wayne. Wayne and Kane interview Cobblepot at their behest and learn that both he and Crowne were in contact with March recently. Before he can finish, a masked assassin appears and nearly kills Cobblepot, before Kane disappears and Batwoman shows up. Wayne is able to unmask the assassin and is surprised to see Lane. He also deduces that Batwoman is Kane and they agree to begin working together publicly. At the Maroni trial, which Kyle attends, the prosecutor Harvey Dent is disfigured when a Maroni assailant throws acid on his face, hospitalizing him and causing a mistrial. Throughout the process, Maroni is able to get out, but Kyle goes after him and kills him, which sparks the media's return of "Catwoman".

Cobblepot believes someone is stalking him and finally gives in to going into protective custody. Wayne and Kane accompany him on his way, but the armored truck is stopped and the drivers are killed. Soldiers appearing the same as Lane open the back, but Batman and Batwoman take them on, revealing their identities to Cobblepot in the process. Meanwhile, Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth secretly adopts the orphaned Dick Grayson, under Wayne's name. Batman interrogates March and is able to get him to confess to being behind the assassination attempts. March also reveals that he is a part of the Court of Owls, a secret organization in Gotham attempting to take down the rich. Before he can arrest March, Lane shows up and stops Batman, unmasking him in front of March. March also threatens to kill Vale unless Wayne makes him a technologically enhanced suit like Batman.

Alfred forcibly brings Vale, Kane, and Gordon to Wayne Manor after Wayne was kidnapped. Vale learns of Wayne's true identity as Batman, as does Dick, who overhears their conversation. Kyle also shows up and reveals March's confession, having been in the building during the fight. Catwoman, Batwoman, and Gordon are able to find Wayne, but March's "Owlman" suit has already been finished and he escapes. When they return to Wayne Manor, they find an injured Alfred, who reveals Vale was kidnapped by March. Dent awakens in the hospital heavily scarred on one side of his face and also seems insane. He escapes custody and goes after Batman, viewing him as the main problem of the new world. Wayne, Kyle, Gordon, and Kane make it to the March property, and the main base of the Court of Owls. Cobblepot has already been killed, while Vale has been tortured. The Court is revealed to have connections to a mysterious middle-eastern organization, which Wayne seems to be familiar with. They manage to stop March, but when Dent shows up, he helps March survive and they take on the heroes. Dent shoots Vale, causing Wayne to beat him nearly to death, but Gordon stops him. March is also defeated and his confession is leaked, allowing the police to arrest him and Dent for murder. However, March confuses Wayne when stating that they are more closely related than he thinks.

Wayne plans to investigate the League of Shadows, the invisible organization tied to the Court, while Kyle decides to stick around permanently. Gordon has a better view of the heroes, and allows Barbara to look up to them, while Dick hides his knowledge from Wayne. In a mid-credits scene, Dent is in Arkham and flips a coin while watching the news name him Two-Face. In a post-credits scene, Amanda Waller meets with Wayne, introducing herself as the leader of an important organization.

## Cast

* Jake Gyllenhaal as Bruce Wayne/Batman
* Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon
* Orlando Bloom as Harvey Dent/Two-Face
* Eva Green as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
* Yvonne Strahovski as Kate Kane/Batwoman
* Ben Kingsley as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin
* Josh Duhamel as Lincoln March/Owlman
* Reese Witherspoon as Vicki Vale
* Mark Strong as Michael Washington Lane
* Emma Stone as Barbara Gordon
* Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson
* Sylvester Stallone as Sal Maroni
* Heath Ledger as Tommy Elliot
* Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
* Robert De Niro as Carmine Falcone

## Reception

### **Box office**

*Batman: The Dark Knight* grossed $231.2 million in North America and $635.2 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $866.4 million. The film had a domestic opening weekend of $65.1 million, making it the forty-seventh highest opening weekend at the time.

### **Critical reception**

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, *Batman: The Dark Knight* has a rating of 93% based on 312 reviews and an average rating of 7.48/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "*Batman: The Dark Knight* continues the franchise's thrilling resurgence -- and proves that Jake Gyllenhaal remains a Batman without equal." Metacritic gives the film a score of 75 out of 100 based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film a grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.