The Dark Knight. One of the most, if not the most, highly anticipated comic movies since the first Spider-Man. The countless and meticulously detailed viral campaign had us in a frenzy for months. We all looked forward to seeing Heath tear the house down as Joker, and his untimely passing added to the 'must see performance' allure of the movie. After the mild success of Superman Returns, the horrid excuse of a JLA movie production, and the success of Iron Man and subsequent 'one universe' Avengers build up movies in the works - it's safe to say DC had a lot... a whole lot riding on TDK. With all this hype and pressure, could the movie possibly live up to its lofty expectations? Well, it did. It did in spades.
The RightChristopher NolanThis man deserves to be on the top of this column. The man took a franchise scarred by bat-nipples, hokey dialogue, and Ahnuld, and turned it into something smart, real, and took our hero places where only Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and Jeph Loeb dare take us. Dark Knight is simply a masterpiece crafted with utmost precision - at two hours and a half, absolutely no scene is wasted, every bit of dialogue has meaning, every shot with a purpose. If I were DC, I'd entrust this man to carry the franchise and do whatever he freaking wants with it.
The CastChrsitian Bale is solid here, but he is absolutely trounced by the stellar supporting cast and a breathtaking performance by his villainous counterpart. I mean seriously, this cast could rival any Oscar contender out there - Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman? That's Hollywood royalty right there shining their magic. But of the new blood in the movie, Aaron Eckhart (as Harvey Dent) is the breakout star. His role is wonderful - Gotham's saviour with a face. Whereas Batman lowers himself to the criminal's levels to rid them, Dent uses his stature as Gotham's D.A. to send mobsters and gangsters behind bars the judicial way. He's Shakespearian-ly broken down and you should feel his tragedy, if not for a certain actress to be mentioned later.
The Joker/LedgerThis man deserves his own section in this column. This was a performance for the ages... not just for comic movies or blockbuster movies, but in the history of movies. EVER. The Oscar buzz surrounding his otherworldly portrayal of Batman's most iconic and best villain is much substantiated here. You'll memorize his dialogue (Some favorites: "LOOK AT ME!!!!", "Why would I want to kill you? You complete me!", and many more). You'll cringe when he 'tells' his story of how he got his scars. You'll be awed by his cleverness. You know, for a guy who proclaims he doesn't scheme or plan things, he sure knows how to outsmart Dent, Gordon, and even Bats himself. He's right when he says "I'm not a monster, I'm just ahead of the curve". By the end of the movie, you won't believe in Harvey Dent or even Batman... you'll root for the Joker like you rooted for Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow.
The StoryThis is not your father's Batman. Deep, complex, and mature, this one's definitely not for the kiddos. Heck, even I needed two viewings to soak up all the nitty-gritty details of the story. The Dark Knight treats it's audience with respect and acknowledges their hunger for a smart crime movies the likes of Heat or the Untouchables. No other comic movie shows us such different views on society - from Joker's agent of chaos and anarchy philosophy, the contrast of Dent and Batman's methods to abolish crime in Gotham and their dynamic to work together, and even the latter's symbolic meaning to Gotham being tested. The tone of Nolan's Batman movies sets itself apart so much from your typical superhero movie, that I can't possibly fathom a JLA movie in the same universe as our hero.
The WrongMaggie GyllenhaalWhen Katie Holmes was going to be replaced by Maggie, I kept an open mind. Katie was the cuter one, but Maggie the better actress. Plus, the latter had a certain charm... as I saw in Stranger Than Fiction, even though she's not stunning, she can get you to fall for her. Sadly... not so here. She played her role all right, but nothing substantial that you'd actually care when tragedy befalls her. This weakened the impact on both Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent, which was crucial to understanding both characters.
The Bullet-Fingerprint Recreation DeviceContrived attempt at making this version of Batman 'The World's Greatest Detective'... This device was just silly. It even gave Bruce the location of where Joker's false sniper would be. A minor nitpick that really broke the flow on 2nd viewing, but a storytelling detail that seemed more 'convenient' than 'smart'.
The VeRdictRecently, The Dark Knight broke box office records for best opening weekend with $158 million, topping the previous king Spider-Man 3. It's also one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year. This success is much deserved, so hats off to everyone who worked on the movie. For the longest time, Spider-Man 2 for me was the best comic movie ever. I'm still torn between the two, but TDK is right up there sharing the mantle. The Dark Knight is a cinematic masterpiece with a gritty story, solid cast, and will be remembered forever for the simply otherworldly and iconic performance of Heath Ledger as Joker. For DC Comics, the night has been pretty dark, but this movie hopefully marks the milestone that it's own dawn of great franchise movies has finally arrived.
