Review:
Forget the simplistic tag of this being a "superhero flick" -
The Dark Knight is a full fledged assault on audiences, an epic crime drama of mythical proportions, where costumed characters take part in a brilliant, Shakespearean-level tale full of daring-do, surprises, and tragedy. As fresh and appealing as the reboot
Batman Begins was, that previous installment was only setting up a second chapter that is far better in all respects, making it the
Godfather II of the comic-book world.
Make no mistake, it has all the summer blockbuster requirements: cool gadgets, dastardly villains, explosive action sequences, style to burn, superb production values and lots of spectacle. Where it quickly differs from the mainstream entertainment we've come to expect from summer fare is in the actual script. Sure, it starts off as a simple enough tale of Good vs. Evil, but it's an intelligent, mature revamping of the Batman franchise that's more akin to
The Heart of Darkness than
a Saturday morning cartoon.
In the hands of returning co-writer / director Nolan
(Memento, The
Prestige) the film takes on a life of its own and quickly hits on all cylinders, taking chances and going beyond a mere comic-book adaptation while still respecting those sensibilities that made Batman so intriguing in the first place. Don't be fooled by the story's comic-book origins; this is deep stuff where the palpable tension is barely
eased by the few touches of humor, or the bevy of gunfire and explosions. The psychological, almost
existential, exploration of its main characters and themes of Evil - and the limits even good people will go to when pushed to extremes - is richly defined. And the film isn't just dark, it's positively black, with a bleakness, a viciousness and a moral complexity that clearly define it for adults only -
really, don't bring the kids.
The performances are excellent across the board from the likes of such thespians as Caine, Oldman and Freeman, but the late Ledger's final performance is the obvious standout. Indeed, under minimal but effective makeup and in character as a force of anarchy, Ledger is completely unrecognizable; his Joker isn't a clown but a demented, unpredictable psychopath and his performance is absolutely electrifying - and bloody scary. The Joker has always been the ultimate Batman villain and their battle is a stand of Order vs. Chaos, and there's a superb interrogation scene where both Bale and Ledger let it all on the line. Aaron Eckhart is a new addition to the cast, and he's bang-on as the fierce district attorney who tragically becomes the villain Two-Face.
Even at over 2.5 hours, the film is so dense with ideas, characters and plots, and so assured in its pacing and
the way it revs up the tension that one feels the whole affair simply zips by. A tour de force of comic book adaptations,
The Dark Knight is the new standard against which all superhero films will be compared.
Entertainment / Drama: 9/10
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