Movie Review: The Dark Knight

We’ve been waiting for this one since “Batman Begins”, Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the “Batman” franchise, hit it big at the box office. Since then there’s been both speculation and controversy, whether it was the reusing of the Joker (earlier portrayed by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman” film), the casting of Heath Ledger in the role, or the actor’s sudden death last January. But despite all the controversy (or perhaps because of it), the latest “Batman” flick is a hit, possibly not only the best movie of the franchise, but most likely the best movie of the whole summer, if not the year.

Picking up nearly a year after “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight” (the title is a reference to Batman’s nickname of the “Dark Knight Detective”) follows Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) continuing to fight crime and clean up the streets of Gotham City as Batman, with help from James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt). But fighting the remaining mobsters such as Sal Maroni (Eric Roberts), villains like the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy in a return cameo) and Batman impersonators is only the least of his problems. As Gordon predicted, escalation to Batman’s presence has hit Gotham, courtesy of the Joker, a mysterious, clown-faced psychopath who seems to live on destruction and chaos. With the Joker threatening to kill more and more people unless Batman turns himself in, Gotham soon turns on its new protector, and even Bruce Wayne himself wonders if the city would be better off without Batman. Especially when friends and allies become casualties of the Joker’s reign of terror, to the point where one falls victim to the madness.

“The Dark Knight” makes use of all the elements that made “Batman Begins” great, and like any good sequel, cranks it up several notches. Christian Bale is still probably the best Batman to date, giving dual performances of the brooding vigilante and the seemingly aloof Wayne. And there’s plenty of chemistry to be had with the rest of the cast, whether it’s the bantering with trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine), the techno discussions with Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), or dealing with his feelings for Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, replacing Katie Holmes) and the hope they can be together when he can give up being Batman. And let’s not forget Batman’s interactions with James Gordon and Harvey Dent (played with wonder political charisma by Eckhardt, and wait’ll see his later performance, especially if you’re familiar with the comics), who still seem to be getting used to the Dark Knight’s presence and his coming and going. Add in all the action scenes, ranging from the fights to car chases to plenty of shootouts (the best one of the whole movie literally involves all three, making for one great sequence), and plenty of suspenseful moments (listing any would risk giving too much away), and you can’t deny how great this movie is.

Nolan continues his “realistic” take on the world of Batman, and continues to make an incredible movie full of incredible visuals and intense action. As you watch this film, you can’t help but wonder if a lot of the gadgets and vehicles used, such the returning Tumbler and the new souped-up motorcycle the Batpod, could exist in real life. Batman’s suit also gets an upgrade, courtesy of Lucius Fox, when Bruce realizes he needs something that not only protects him but grants him better maneuverability. And unlike previous “Batman” flicks, where he has a new suit from the start, we see the events and conversations that lead up to the new suit rather than just jump into it. It shows both Bruce’s thinking and rationality and the techno savvy of Lucius, who gives the impression that he has an idea of just what his boss is doing with this equipment but is smart enough to not say anything. Even the Joker is given the realistic treatment, with a scarred smile and poorly applied make-up as opposed to the original comics, where the villain is chemically disfigured into a permanent clown with white skin and green hair. Naturally, the more die-hard comic loyalists will bash on this, but for this film it works. More on that, later.

It’s not just the action and visuals that makes this movie great, as there’s plenty of emotional drama to go along and help build the story. Naturally, there’s Bruce’s thoughts on being Batman and whether he’s having the effect on Gotham City that he had in mind. Especially when it all it does is create guys like the Joker and results in added death and chaos (hey, Gordon did warn him). You may not like it when the people of Gotham turn on Batman, but you can’t really blame them, either. And then there’s his relationship with Rachel, with the hope they can be together one day, even though she’s now with Harvey Dent and he’s running around as Batman. Yeah, it all sounds like it would be more in-tune with Spider-Man, but that just fits in with the realistic tone Nolan is creating with the movie.

And speaking of the Joker, that has to be probably the best part of the whole film. I had my doubts along with plenty of others, but after seeing Heath Ledger in action, I was blown away. Ledger is, hands down, the best Joker to date, playing Batman’s signature arch-nemesis as the psychopath we know him to be. He’s freaky, deranged, homicidal and downright terrifying. You never know just what this guy is going to do next, as he’s never quite clear on his motives and a lot of the moves he pulls show both just how insane and how clever he is. The scar-smile and the make-up just adds to the effect, to the point where I’m sure many will think this works better than the original comics’ version. I’m as a big comic book purist as they come, and even I have to go with this one. It even makes you wonder just how they’ll pull some of the rest of Batman’s rogues gallery to fit this version of his universe.

Hands down, “The Dark Knight” is definitely the best movie of the summer, comic-based or otherwise. This is one you HAVE to see in the theater, since that’s the only way you can truly experience it. And if you’re lucky enough to be able to catch it in IMAX, that makes it even better.

Released by: Warner Bros.

Starring: Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Heath Ledger (Joker), Aaron Eckhardt (Harvey Dent/Two-Face), Gary Oldman (James Gordon), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel Dawes), Morgon Freeman (Lucius Fox), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth)

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Rating: PG-13

Score: 10 out of 10