I have finally seen the film that everyone has been talking about for months. I have read into the hype and fell into it hard core and what did I think about the finished product? Well for starters it was a little long, but other than that ---it was Effing awesome!!!
As most people know I am a big fan of comics and especially Batman. I love the graphic novels by Writer, Jeph Loeb and artist, Tim Sale and I was thrilled to see director Chris Nolan use their material as reference in the new movie. As you know from the trailers that the Dark Knight revolves around the trinity of Gotham's favorite sons; Batman/Bruce Wayne, (Christian Bale) Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and new D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). They have hit hard against the Mob bosses and criminals in Gotham and have received a hard hit back from one of the city's most bizarre, dangerous and psychotic villains ever, the Joker (Heath Ledger). For every action there is an opposite, even more powerful reaction, as the Joker's terror fueled rampage over the city can attest. Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) add their experience to the film as they try to assist Batman in keeping the balance as he finds frustration in the random malicious acts of the Joker. The Joker doesn't want money, he doesn't want power, he is a true anarchist. Throw in a love triangle between Dent, Bruce and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and you've got yourself an epic action adventure. One of my two favorite sequences had to be the kick ass Batman extradition plan to bring a Mob boss back to Gotham and the explosive chase sequence with the Batpod. I also loved that they allowed Batman to do some real detective work as well. (They kind of dropped that element in the first film.)
What more can you really say about Heath Ledger's next to last performance as the Clown Prince of Crime, I would say even if he had not passed away I would still be advocating for an Oscar nomination. He truly embodied the nature of the Joker and I truly believe that had Jack Nicholson's Joker been in this film he would have shit his pants in fear at least once. I would also say that Aaron Eckhart also deserves a notice for his heartbreaking turn as Harvey Dent/Two Face. Chris Nolan has truly put together a great adventure dealing with various hero/villain archetypes and then breaking them down. I know people are saying it's the best superhero movie ever but it's just so different from any of them it may have to go in a different category. I loved Iron Man earlier in the year but I find it hard to compare the two films they truly are as different as night and day.
I really hope they can make a successful trilogy of Batman films with Chris Nolan and Christian Bale and I am looking forward to number 3--maybe they should use the title from Jeph Loeb's and Tim Sale's sequel to The Long Halloween and call the next film Dark Victory. I think it could work. If you haven't seen the movie, what the hell are you waiting for go now! I still want to see it in IMAX and you should want to see it in IMAX, I hear it is mind blowing on the super big screen.
Grade 5 Buckets
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