The Dark Knight (2008)
Genre: Action
Format: Theatrical Release
Director: Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan has revolutionized the superhero movies with his two Batman outings just like what Ang Lee has done to the Chinese kung fu films with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Visionary directors have tremendous control and impact on the genres they tackle while others normally get crushed by the weight of conventionalisms. That is why it is always exciting to see them jump genres and mix things up to show Hollywood, and the world, how it should be done.
Gotham is becoming safer with the help of Batman's vigilante form of justice. Things get a bit more hairy for the criminal underworld when a new district attorney, Harvey Dent, begins collaborating with the caped crusader in cleaning up the city's streets. The crime lords' only hope against the dynamic duo is in the hands of a rising criminal by the name of The Joker as he is tasked to eliminate Batman once and for all. If there was a flaw to Nolan's Batman Begins, it would be the lack of a truly effective villain. That problem doesn't exist in The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger's Joker is disgustingly sinister and entertainingly repulsive. He completely transformed what could be a hammy and cheesy performance - remember Jack Nicholson? - into something more psychological and genuine. The Joker's plans and the way he execute them are completely psychotic even though some of them make you feel like he had stumbled into Jigsaw's (from the Saw movies) forgotten notebook.
Don't let the PG-13 rating of the movie fool you. The Dark Knight is pitch black and a lot of the set pieces are cringe-worthy. The main theme is the conflict between order and chaos as well as the thin line between them that are normally walked upon by heroes AND villains. Heath Ledger definitely stole the show but he normally did the same in his other films. The fact that he was able to act convincingly as the gruffly, in-the-closet gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain was a testament to his mastery over the art of acting. This guy could bring any character to life and he will surely be missed. The ever-dashing Christian Bale is as effective as ever playing Batman though his fake Batman voice/grunt did get on my nerves during his longer speeches. I am glad that they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal to play the role of Batman's love interest. Maggie did a better job with adding an adult flair to the whole occasion.
We should all thank Nolan for saving Batman from that foul ditch where Joel Schumacher left him in - Batman & Robin was an abomination: you would think that no one would dare touch the franchise after that. As it stands, The Dark Knight is the greatest Batman movie yet, which also made it the best superhero movie ever made.
Gotham is becoming safer with the help of Batman's vigilante form of justice. Things get a bit more hairy for the criminal underworld when a new district attorney, Harvey Dent, begins collaborating with the caped crusader in cleaning up the city's streets. The crime lords' only hope against the dynamic duo is in the hands of a rising criminal by the name of The Joker as he is tasked to eliminate Batman once and for all. If there was a flaw to Nolan's Batman Begins, it would be the lack of a truly effective villain. That problem doesn't exist in The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger's Joker is disgustingly sinister and entertainingly repulsive. He completely transformed what could be a hammy and cheesy performance - remember Jack Nicholson? - into something more psychological and genuine. The Joker's plans and the way he execute them are completely psychotic even though some of them make you feel like he had stumbled into Jigsaw's (from the Saw movies) forgotten notebook.
Don't let the PG-13 rating of the movie fool you. The Dark Knight is pitch black and a lot of the set pieces are cringe-worthy. The main theme is the conflict between order and chaos as well as the thin line between them that are normally walked upon by heroes AND villains. Heath Ledger definitely stole the show but he normally did the same in his other films. The fact that he was able to act convincingly as the gruffly, in-the-closet gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain was a testament to his mastery over the art of acting. This guy could bring any character to life and he will surely be missed. The ever-dashing Christian Bale is as effective as ever playing Batman though his fake Batman voice/grunt did get on my nerves during his longer speeches. I am glad that they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal to play the role of Batman's love interest. Maggie did a better job with adding an adult flair to the whole occasion.
We should all thank Nolan for saving Batman from that foul ditch where Joel Schumacher left him in - Batman & Robin was an abomination: you would think that no one would dare touch the franchise after that. As it stands, The Dark Knight is the greatest Batman movie yet, which also made it the best superhero movie ever made.
RATING: 5 out of 5
1 comment:
I agree with what you wrote - I went to go see the Dark Knight on release, and I think it's one of the best films I've seen. As so many other people have mentioned, Ledger's performance is simply mesmerising - and I'm not just saying that because of his tragic death. His entry scene (with the pencil) is one of the most effective I've seen, shocking and funny at the same time - just as the Joker is meant to be. He's sort of like a psychotic version of Captain Jack Sparrow, but Nolan and Ledger combine brilliantly to make him believable despite this.
But the reason why the film is so effective is that it's no longer just about Batman or even about the Joker. It's about the city, about Gotham itself. Batman and the Joker are the main players in the piece, sure, but watching the Joker bring the city to its knees and fail at the last moment is what makes it such a special viewing experience.
Well, in my view at least.
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