The sequel to the celebrated revamping of the Batman franchise, "Batman Begins," is Christopher Nolan's equally brilliant, "The Dark Knight," which turns the disrespected superhero film genre upside down.
Despite this difference, the film never loses sight of the characters that comic book fans have come to know so well. Additionally, the film weaves a tight-knit, complex story into 150 minutes of pure adrenaline and dark psychology. "The Dark Knight" may have become one of the best superhero films of all-time.
In the film, the Joker (Heath Ledger) targets a bank in Gotham, where he manages to steal a tidy sum from a group of mobster and gangster investors who want to take him out. The Joker has other plans, as he becomes directly involved with them and offers to help them take out their collective enemy - Batman (Christian Bale). As Batman begins to capture them all, the Joker's plan turns to killing. As the Joker's plan becomes more dangerous and hits closer to home with Batman, he must work to take out the crazed killer clown before he takes out all of Gotham.
Written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight" is a work of genius. Nolan's script, written with his brother, is brilliant. The Joker presents several ethical dilemmas that force good guys and bad guys alike to make a choice, usually on who should live or die. It is clever that his presentation of choice rivals his protege Harvey Two-Face's style of using chance. I am certain Nolan considered this when he wrote "The Dark Knight," because every character from the Batman comic books is ingeniously adapted here. Because Nolan is consistent and has a clear vision for this film, his screenplay and direction are mature and flawless.
The character of the Joker is well-developed, and when played by a talented actor like the late Ledger, he becomes perfect. Ledger modifies the Joker from the killer clown we all know so well to make him less of a laughing madman and more of an unrelenting evildoer. (Take that, Jack Nicholson!) His darting eyes and the occasional flick of his tongue over his gooey red lips establish recognizably serpentine (read: evil) qualities for the Joker. In this way, Ledger transforms one of the most brilliantly-written characters in comic book history and offers him tangibly realistic qualities. Ledger's Joker is the Joker that diehard Batman fans will adore, as his complex psychology, killer instinct and creepy laugh prove unchanging in this film.
Meanwhile, Aaron Eckhart steps out as the other great actor in "The Dark Knight." Though I am wholly unfamiliar with his work, he strongly proves himself as brave Harvey Dent, a respectable district attorney, and later, Harvey Two-Face, a vengeful villain with a story that flows right into the film (and what makeup!). His performance is more subtle than that of Ledger, but he still surprises me with the vigor of his acting. Supporting actors like Michael Caine (Alfred) and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) are evergreen, while Batman newcomer (and Katie Holmes' replacement) Maggie Gyllenhaal proves herself equally formidable. Bale is still great here in "The Dark Knight," although I have to assert the same complaint some film critics make against the Tim Burton "Batman" films - Batman takes too much of a supporting role. For a movie about the Dark Knight, it could have been re-titled "Harvey Dent and the Joker, featuring Batman."
Though runtime is my complaint against the film (a whopping 150 minutes), it is still tolerable, as the film grabs viewers and never lets go on one pulse-pounding, action-packed thrill ride. It climaxes over and over and does not finally release until the last second of the film. And when it does release, viewers discover that it has totally been worth the ride. The tried and true blockbuster of the summer, "The Dark Knight" is still playing in theaters.
