Film Review: The Dark Knight

I know I may be a little behind the reviewing bandwagon, limping along after it picking up shreds of comics as I am, but as an avid Batman geek and a film-fan with standards too high for my own good, I was surprised to notice that I hadn’t yet submitted a review for Christopher Nolan’s deliciously dark pop-culture smash, so this piece aims to rectify that heinous error. First things first, I adored “Batman Begins”, I thought it finally brought the film franchise up to date with the gritty but often surreal tone set by the modern comics. It was well paced, it had an intelligent script, it had some fine performances from most of the cast, and, satisfying my geeky side, it did some interesting things with some otherwise hit-and-miss villains. Naturally I had high hopes for the sequel, especially since the Joker is one of my all time favourite characters in any medium ever, as readers of my comic book character article may have gathered.

So, did “The Dark Knight” live up to the hype? In a word, yes. The gritty tone of the first film remains, as do the believable but fun gadgets (with the exception of one rather daft sonar contraption, which is extraordinarily unbelievable but allows Batman to finally have those white eyes so familiar in the comics) and the emphasis on Gotham city’s notorious crime rings rather than fanciful villains in silly costumes. Of course, the action scenes are riveting, with one particularly fun car-chase-with-a-difference sequence stands out in the memory, while the fight scenes brutal but not overtly gory, as with the first film again. The special effects are competent, plenty of impressive explosions and restrained use of CGI, always a good thing. Of course, Christian Bale is marvellous, as are Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, while Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a nice turn as love interest Rachael Dawes (replacing the decidedly lacklustre Katie Holmes) and Aaron Eckhart does a nice job as Harvey Dent, a character which could have caused problems with his radical change of… shall we say face? And then of course there’s Heath Ledger. Now, I have to admit, I was doubtful when he was first cast. I was aware that he was a good actor, but I just couldn’t see him as the gaunt, maniacal lunatic we comic-readers love so dearly. I was even more perturbed by the make-up when it was finally revealed; sure it fitted in with the world of Batman Begins, but it certainly didn’t look like the Joker. Having seen the film, I’m still not sold on the make-up or the costume, I would have preferred something more akin to the portrayal of the character in “Arkham Asylum” or perhaps “Batman Confidential”. However, I cannot say a bad thing about Ledger’s performance in the film. He steals every scene; no matter how well the other actors perform, if Ledger so much as breathes the audience is drawn to him. He’s twitchy, with a unnerving nervous tic constantly tugging at his mouth; he’s bizarre, turning even the most clichéd lines on their head; and, amazingly, he manages to combine a sense of the Joker as both a terrifying and unpredictable character but also a devilishly funny one, every audience I’ve seen the film with has roared with laughter at certain cleverly played lines. He is, quite simply, magnificent, and will be sorely missed as an actor clearly never reaching his full potential.

A moment must also be spent on the film’s script, cleverly combining aspects of established comic-book portrayals with believable gritty aspects. I was particularly impressed with the relationship between Batman and the Joker, managing to add in what has become established over decades of comics in one two-hour film.

Of course, the film is not perfect. Some of the special effects, in particular Eckhart’s makeup towards the end, are a little unrealistic, and as already mentioned there are some gadgets which are a little too Adam West for all the grit of this new franchise. However, the biggest problem the film has is its rating. I’ve heard many people complain that it’s all just too dark for a 12a, and although I agree there are more reasons it ought to be a 15. First of all, no matter how dark and “real” it tries to be, a world where mob criminals do not swear and knife-wielding maniacs never actually cut anyone seems just a little too safe, taking away the teeth of this otherwise sinister piece. Not only that, but the 12a certificate also spoils some of the tension of the film, the audience is aware of the certificate and thus is aware that certain threatened events are not going to happen. Had the film makers had the courage of their convictions and actually allowed a little more gore and bad language, it would probably be a stronger film, but I suppose a less profitable one. Which is a real shame, because it’s rare enough as it is to see a blockbuster Hollywood movie with the nerve to be nasty.

All things said, it’s still a very good film. It may be a little too dark for some tastes, but it’s an exhilarating ride, peppered with clever, quotable dialogue and some interesting comments on morality, not to mention that unmissable performance from Heath Ledger. This is one Hollywood action movie that comes highly recommended.