The Dark Knight
Batman (Christian Bale) teams with Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to continue dismantling Gotham City's criminal organizations in this sequel to Batman Begins. But a psychotic new villain known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) threatens to undo all their good work. The star-studded cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Caine and Eric Roberts.
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Just saw the movie in the theater. I think it is darker than the previous one and even better. All the twists are amazing. When seeing the Joker I didn't even think of Heath Ledger the actor, his portrayal was so good. It's full of action and wit. The Joker kind of reminded me of Saw.- BriGy86
This is not a comic book movie. This is a crime thriller. It's every bit as engaging as Heat or The Departed, and every bit as fun as Spider-Man. THis film is gritty, dark and sinister. There's no hero in this film. Batman is just a man trying to deal with the epic chaotic force that is the Joker. Featuring tour de force performances by the late Heath Ledger, this film is everything fans and regular movie goers alike wanted this movie to be. Aaron Eckhart should not be ignored either, with pure raw emotion pouring his deformed character's face. If you don't like the Dark Knight, I don't think you should like movies.
- Bad Oman Ltd
Heath Ledger is very good, it's true, but neither the story nor the characters in this film are as interesting as those of its predecessor. Lots of fighting, shooting, explosions, and general mayhem but not much else. Bale over-emotes annoyingly through the mask, and a second villain introduced late in the film is wasted and unnecessary. A loud, noisy production, and even a little boring.
- SP 1249797
Lofty comparisons are being thrown around for this film. The Godfather II of superhero movies. The Empire Strikes Back of comic book films. But really, theres no need to qualify such statements. You could legitimately say that this is the Godfather II of 2008, in ANY genre. Yes, its that good. The Nolan brothers came off of writing one of the most accomplished screenplays of the last few years, The Prestige, and it seems like the intricate structuring of that film has remained in their minds while writing this film. The underwhelming trailer is no fault of the marketing company this is just a story that is almost impossible to summarize in 2 minutes. It breaks the paradigm of what is traditionally considered a superhero movie, and simply tells a brutal, human crime drama in a socially deteriorated world not far removed from our own. Some men just want to watch the world burn, says Morgan Freeman during this film. But thats too simple to describe a character like the Joker. Damaged in some unspeakable way during his youth, he needs confirmation that any good human being in the world, when faced with similar trauma, will abandon their righteousness and revert to animalistic, vengeful creatures. Two-Face is a testament to Jokers theory, and his characters journey is as masterful as it is bleak. I cant wait to see how the mainstream crowd responds to this film there are millions of children going to this film looking to buy toys and action figures. They are in for a shock, as this is as far removed from pop entertainment as any big-budget superhero movie Ive ever seen. It is two plus hours of wallowing in the absolute worst aspects of humanity, all wrapped in a package that happens to be endlessly thrilling as well. I thoroughly enjoyed Batman Begins and gave it 4 1/2 stars. But although only a half-star separates the two movies, its almost immeasurable how vastly superior this film is. A masterpiece on every level.
- Topaz420 in CA
First off, somebody get Batman a crazy-loud dog whistle or something...are you kidding me? Anyways, it's impossible not to jump right on the Ledger bandwagon after seeing this. It was nice seeing him in his second movie with a Gyllenhaal, though I really would've preferred Maggie to have been in them both. Two words: Magic Trick. Oh, and if you're still not convinced, let me remind you about that one time when Morgan Freeman wasn't awesome -- oh wait...that's never happened.
- Big Erv
The Dark Knight is a lot of things, but it is barely a superhero movie. Which is exactly how it should be. The emphasis is on crime and the moral ambiguity that comes with fighting it. We are made familiar to the three characters that will have their very fiber challenged: Lt. Jim Gordon, District Attorney, Harvey Dent and Industrialist, Bruce Wayne (superhero capitalist are so in this summer). Together they initiate a seemingly losing battle against a corrupt police force, a backended corporate entity, an over-anxious mob underbelly, and, a new player in town, The Joker. Joker is a mystery shrouded in a face-painted mystery. He lies frequently about his past, has a back up plan for every back up plan and he?s an anarchist through and through. Dark Knight deserves a lot of the praise it has been receiving. It's bleakness is unprecedented for a summer movie of this scope (BatMan goes to Hong Kong!), and Heath Ledger is definitely better than Jack Nicholson?s overrated role in BatMan(1989). Ledger is completely lost in the character ("If you're gonna go --- go with a smile"). Virtually unrecognizable, he's funny in a "should-I-laugh-a-that?" way. He's a greasy, asexual, mad man, licking his make-up from his lips as he drives pencils into people's eyes. It is the performance of a lifetime and I feel sorry for anyone who has to play the heavy in the 3rd BatMan film. Director Christopher Nolan still manages to keep the plot organized, in spite of juggling many of them (there is no subplot in Dark Knight. It's all the main story). He plays the exposition quick. Too quick at times. But with actors like these, scenes always carry gravity no matter how brief. My only real complaint is still with Bale as BatMan (ironically, the title character). Bale is perfect but his costume is awkward-looking and his lispy growl sometimes comes off comical. Yet, it's a quibble that can wait for a less incendiary movie.
- TroyJ15
This movie was amazing. Pure and simple. The script and story were well done, Ledger was superb in this role and it will serve to be a tribute to him.
- Travalier
I loved Batman Begins, so my expectations for this movie were pretty high. Batman Begins was an excellent example of an action movie that made you think about social issues and human psychology...and it was based on a comic book no less. This movie takes that to another level entirely. The conflicts between the characters are real and engaging. I'll probably go see this twice in the theater, which I never do.
- LA Joe
This is an excellent movie pushed to its full potential, and is so much more than just another comic book adaptation. Heath Ledger couldn't have picked a better role to end his career (not trying to be funny), and everybody did a tremendous job and contributed so much to their characters and the overall feel of the movie.
- Danny McVey
Gripping, complex, and uneasy, Dark Knight layers all the damage and virtue that defines humanity over this comic world that is wondrous. This film makes previous Batmans look like SNL skits
- simplygreg
Is it wrong to cheer on a villain? When the villain is as good as the joker, you can't help but want him to win. Every time I suspect a movie has found the perfect blend of action and story, I am proved wrong. I think The Dark Knight is as near to perfect as a comic book based movie will get. Certainly the best in the Batman series. It is so because of Ledger's simply insane performance. The way he says "Kill The Batman" will send chills down your spine. Christian Bale is fittingly just as dark in this movie... the line between good and evil is shown to be very blurred in TDK. You're going to love this whether you are a comic book (Slash comic book Movie) fan or not. See it for Ledger's finest moment, at the very least.
- MCWHAMMER
Oh boy, I'm going to be in the minority on this one. The acting was fine. The special effects and explosions were fine. But the story was too long. It should have ended a couple of times before it actually did. The music was great - that Batman theme gets your blood moving. And the Batmotorcycle coming out of the Batcar was a highlight. My chief complaints: 1. Choose a plot and go with it, not a dozen plots all swirling around one another. 2. Get back to the basics of the original Batman. A little genuine campiness and well-executed comic relief never hurt anything. Anyway, on the multiple plots: We had the girlfriend, the D.A., the Commissioner, the Commissioner's family, the gangsters as a group, one gangster singled out, the Asian guy, the Joker, the white collar would-be blackmailer, and the TV commentator (maybe I even forgot some). Heath Ledger was amazing, but did we really need such a sadistic Joker? Christian Bale was good as usual, but came off a little whimpy this time. Overall, there were some spectacular moments, but this had the potential of being much better. I'm looking forward to next time.
- Southern Belle 1
With the amount of hype surrounding this film, I wasn't sure it could ever live up to it. Surprisingly, for the most part it does. Heath Ledger is amazing as The Joker. He is absolutely unrecognizable in the part, and really makes it his own. Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman also turn in great performances. The action is a lot better than in Batman Begins and there is actually some mystery here, which has been missing from superhero films lately. At 150 minutes, it is a little long, but it never really drags. Overall, Christopher Nolan has crafted a dense and exciting superhero movie that will hopefully raise the bar for future films.
- Brody
At two and half hours youd think his film would feel long but youd be wrong. The Dark Knight is so packed with visual wizardry. The film is a true sequel in as much as it virtually picks up at the conclusion of Batman Begins but, partly because of Heath Ledgers stunningly brilliant performance, the story becomes even darker. It takes a master villain to make this kind of film a success. Ledger moved Batman from comic book to fully fleshed out thriller! Brothers, Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, collaborated on the script that just might make this the powerplay of the year.As director, Christopher Nolans control at the helm of this big budget blockbuster is flawless. Ledger may have made this film his own but we cant let that detract from the consistently outstanding performances delivered by the entire cast. Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne which is great. In my humble opinion Bales interpretation of the character has resulted in the best Batman yet. Michael Caine returns as the perfectly cast Alfred and Maggie Gyllenhaal is excellent in the role of Rachel. Aaron Eckhart turns out to be a surprise. I know hes a very good actor but I wouldnt have expected him to pull off the transformation required by this script. Eckhart nails it. Morgan Freeman is always splendid. Hes back as the technical wizard Lucius Fox and another of my favorite actors, Gary Oldman, again proves his capacity for perfection. There is subtlety in this story that reflects todays reality more than I like to admit and as Batman is forced to lean more vigilante than hero the, When good people do nothing adage highly focused. I thought Batman Begins was a phenomenon. The Dark Knight kicks the franchise up to a whole new level. I hope my thoughts are helpful 07/19/08 ~~~Wingz
- Wingz
The latest 2.5 hour long installment in the new Christian Bale/Christopher Nolan darker version of Batman. The real star of this movie is Heath Ledger. Watching him play the Joker is worth the price of admission.
- GS Chicago
What is really working in Nolan's Batman is that he takes Batman seriously; he doesn't treat the characters with the same kind of comic flare that saturates other comic book adaptations. Nolan seems to invest himself whole-heartedly in the mythology of Batman. Reinventing the classic villains as real people with histories. Much of the dissent has been that the Joker does not follow this formula, but that is the nature of Joker. Since the early years the Joker was never a character with a past, he appears as the antithesis to Batman. Batman has raised the bar in Gotham and the Joker is the underworlds answer, more symbol than anything, and this film portrays that perfectly. Ledger gives a stellar performance as the deranged Joker, filled with subtlety and nuance that is quite surprising, considering the danger of him borrowing from Nicholson's Joker performance. Even Eckhart is great as Harvey Dent, a somewhat odd choice to play the deranged Two-Face. But his solid portrayal Dent gives a fullness of character to Two-Face; it gives it a foundation to grow from. Two-Face becomes a character who truly has two sides, who has given everything to fight crime in the city, and is conflicted between his desire to continue his battle and to seek revenge against those who have destroyed his life while he tried to make the city better. Its biggest weakness is that Nolan adds too much to the story. The highly intricate plot makes the film a little too heavy to pull it's own weight at times. Subplots develop and are never fleshed out; the audience is just expected to accept that. For the most part this approach - which has become something that is standard in Christopher Nolan's films - works, there are times when it feels a little tacked on, but it functions well nonetheless. The film comes together very nicely and moves rather quickly through its lengthy run time. The Dark Knight is certainly the best comic book film to come out in a very long time.
- Dlukenelson
Christian Bale is back as Batman, but now it's the Joker (played by Heath Ledger) who is disrupting things in Gotham. Batman soon realizes that he is his most devious counterpart. Batman still has Alfred and Lucious, played by Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. He, however, doesn't have Rachel. She is now with Harvey Dent, Gotham's District Attorney. Definitely the darkest of any previous Batman movie. This mood is helped Ledger's wide-open portrayal of the Joker. Director Christopher Nolan let Ledger loose and it really shows. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face is a good added feature, but not as much of the movie as I would have thought. The movie is a little long at 152 minutes, but it is the kind of movie you want to sit with for awhile. Thoroughly entertaining and will be enjoyed by most. Great special effects and a lot of blow-em-ups. A true summer blockbuster. "I'm a guy with simple tastes. I enjoy dynamite and gunpowder and gasoline. They're all cheap."
- Cleve1212
Moody, darkly poetic and adult, The Dark Knight is at the very pinnacle of this blooming comic-to-movie adaptation genre. Tough and uncompromising yet still full of well-choreographed action, it effectively challenges old ideas and in many ways raises expectations for movies of this type going forward. The atmospheric and compelling story is loaded with mature themes of power and sacrifice, madness and heroism, all of which provide a deep and rich subtext typically found only in Oscar worthy pictures. And the cast presents such complementary on-screen chemistry that the experience will likely engulf, rather than merely entertain, the viewer. Bale is, of course, wonderful again in his depiction of the titular hero but Ledger is every bit as good and it's a relief to say his pre-mature award winning buzz for this role is legitimate. It's hard not to compare a sequel of this quality to other high profile releases like Empire Strikes Back or Return of the King - it's really that praise worthy. Frankly, The Dark Knight is not only an instant classic, it's a stunning achievement.
- Creeper
"The Dark Knight" is a movie so good you cannot stop admiring the intensity, action and simply formidable greatness of it. It is, without a doubt, the best Batman movie to date. Do you know that scene in the last Superman movie when Superman stops a bullet with his eye? And how impressed and excited you felt at that scene? Well, this Batman maintained that level of intensity and excitement throughout the entire film. Every scene, every twist, every single thing that happened was perfectly timed and performed to deliver us a truly exciting and well made film. In this movie, Batman must deal with the Joker who is terrorizing Gotham city. Heath Ledger steals this movie from Batman because his performance is so good, so truly evil and let's face it, fun as well, that the movie simply belonged to him. Aaron Eckhart was really good as Harvey Dent and Michael Cane is a great Alfred. Basically, the entire cast was really good, perfectly chosen. The action scenes and the direction in this movie was flawless. Every scene delivered more and more action, more excitement and more darkness. This is a truly dark Batman, Batman becomes what Gotham needs it to be: Not its hero, but its guardian. I simply cannot stop saying that this movie was phenomenal, and neither will you.
- Goddess
THE BEST BATMAN MOVIE EVER!!!!! Ledger is absolutely the MOST AMAZING character in this film. Everything about this film is SUPERB! But Ledger shines! The entire story and cast meld together so well that the 2 1/2 hours fly by so quickly. Its quickly grabs hold of you from the opening scene and NEVER lets you go. Some of the scenes are just incredible the effects are spectacular. The bits of mixed comedy is GREAT, well placed and timed perfectly. Oldman & Bale as well as everyone else is spectacular in their roles but by far there is only one who truly shines. I truly believe that this movie would have taken Heath to a whole new level. This is a VERY dark film considering past DC films, much more hard core violence. This film is just....THE BEST!!! So worth the long line and the crowded theater. RUN for this film as fast as you can. You will love EVERY second of it.
- *~*Sullivans*~*
As compelling as Batman Returns was, The Dark Knight takes us even deeper into the human psyche as it relates to grief, loss, and the redeemption of human community. One might feel from these opening words, that I would be talking about the latest Sundance darling, or foreign art piece or least some independant project. No, this is a summer blockbuster comic book movie--but a thinking person's blockbuster comic book movie. Sam Raimi might have repopularized this genre of film making, but Christopher Nolan has given it to a depth that has been unknown before. Bruce Wayne/Batman and the Joker have attained new layers of legendary depth that serve the characters well in a new world of fandom. But while that is a strength in this film, the story was the central thing that captivated me. This was a story of grief, loss, and how people struggle with the reconcilation of that grief in their relationships with others. Will revenge seeking, chaos, and anarchy destroy the graciousness imbedded within the human psyche, the human soul? The Joker becomes much more than a symbol for evil, but a symbol or agent of the destruction of goodness and mercy. Heath Ledger quite simply, deserves a posthumous oscar for his bravura performance--I was simply riveted. While Jack Nickolson was fun as the Joker, he was always Jack as the Joker--Ledger was the Joker! And for those wanting a popcorn munching actioner, DK does not disappoint, there is plenty of that there. But be prepared to go deep into human nature while you enjoy explosions, CGI effects, and awesome fight sequences. 5 stars for perhaps the best comic book movie yet or at least the deepest! 8/21/08
- TH Reviews