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Rating: 5 out of 5
It would be an understatement to not call The Dark Knight one of if not the BEST superhero movies of all time. It is that good. Along with that being said, The Dark Knight is one of the best sequels of all time. There is a history of superhero movies and sequels not living up to the original. The Dark Knight not only flies past the original, but it also makes you forget that you’re actually watching a superhero movie altogether. It is one of the most intense driven, edge of your seat, thrilling film. The film set the standard for a superhero movie not only in terms of story but also acting, pace and tone. Nolan ups the ante by making the Dark Knight darker, complex, and disturbing by showcasing the real terrors a person can have on a city. Nolan keeps his realism aspect alive by drawing on what people fear the most in terms of terrorism. That fear is a virus and will spread. Nolan shows the effects of trying to protect a city can ultimately have on the hero how their psyche and be crushed. Nolan holds nothing back as the Cape Crusader returns to face his biggest challenge in one of the greatest artistic achievements for a comic book movie. Truly strap in for a ride like no other. In the words of the Joker, “And Here We Go!”
Batman has spent the past year fighting crime and cleaning up the city. Lucius Fox handles the day to day operations of Wayne Enterprises while also giving Bruce everything he needs to combat corruption. Batman has become the symbol that he wanted to be for the people. District Attorney, Harvey Dent, intends to crush the Mob once and for all. He wants to challenge the Mob by hitting it where it hurts the most, the all mighty dollar, but while doing it through the proper legal channels. He wants to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. While learning about Dent, Bruce sees an opportunity to finally get out of his Batman lifestyle and have Harvey take the mantle as the citizen Gotham really needs. Bruce sees Harvey as the White Knight.
Batman’s success as a crime fighter has pushed the Mob to its absolute limits and last stand. The crime lords of Gotham decide to get together and put their differences aside to figure out a way to get rid of their Batman problem. Little does everyone know a new villain named The Joker is starting to build momentum in the underworld. Something that people thought was minor smoke is about to become a raging flame that no one can handle. The Joker wants to advance in the underworld but on his terms while promoting terror and anarchy. He wants to destroy the very foundation of society and liberty. As the Joker becomes more of a problem, Bruce will be put to his ultimate test in an adversary that might be greater than himself.
Director Nolan’s most celebrated work is his ability to make things real. The realism of the film is beyond exceptional in this movie. Nolan takes a comic book and makes it into the real world. Not only does he make it the real world, but he also shows the effects of what happens when someone straps on a costume to fight crime. We all think it might be great to be a superhero, but with all choices, are we really ready to deal with the consequences of that choice. Nolan expertly showcases that with Bruce Wayne and everyone involved with his world, whether they want it or not. Nolan presents this real-world aspect and dealing with consequences in several ways.
The first way is the effects it has on Gotham and its people. We all have someone we want to look up to. We all admire people who protect us from evil. Our military defends us from the evils of the world so we can feel safe. They are our symbol of power and safety. Gotham feels safe whenever the bat symbol is displayed in the sky. They feel secure knowing someone is cleaning up the city. Nolan just takes a concept and runs with it. While Batman is the symbol of hope and justice, the Joker wants to destroy that symbol and throw the world into chaos and mayhem.
Another way Nolan presented real-world aspects is the effect it has on the main character and others. When everything is going right, nothing seems to get to anyone. Bruce and everyone is feeling great as they have the Mob on the run. Life is good. When Gotham is thrown into chaos, and many people become in the crosshairs, everyone’s spirit and self-doubt become explored to the fullest. As the deaths mount, the pressure of saving the city weighs heavily on Bruce. It’s is not until a tragedy where Bruce thoroughly questions what he is doing. Whether it is right or wrong. Jim Gordon is another example. As the deaths of the police mount and he becomes in charge, he feels powerless to stop the very man that is destroying the city he wants to protect. He truly feels like he is just a man against unspeakable odds. Finally, Harvey Dent isn’t safe from anything. He comes in as a White Knight. Wanting to clean Gotham to the fullest. Willing to do anything in the proper legal terms to make it happen. When he literally and figuratively gets too close to the fire, he loses his mind and way. One where he can’t come back from. Nolan perfectly attacks the aspect of the character’s internal emotions and how it is hard to keep their spirit up in a time of distress.
What makes The Dark Knight so great is Nolan’s ability to honestly tell the story with excellent direction, cinematography, editing, and music. Nolan keeps the audience engaged with his story and movie. In the first two scenes, you knew you were going to be on a ride. Nolan perfectly sets the tone of the film with a bank robbery by the Joker. As the bank robbery progresses, the feel is intense when the Joker unveils himself while saying, “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you….stranger!” Nolan follows the Joker appearance with an intense fight scene where Batman breaks up a drug deal before jumping off a building and landing on a van, crushing it. Nolan presents Batman with a superhero landing. Nolan keeps his pace up by letting the tone/tension down before ramping it back up again and again. Every time the Joker is on screen, he has a menacing present where you know bad things are going to happen. Whether it’s crashing a fundraiser party, blowing up a hospital, trying to kill Harvey Dent, where a helicopter gets destroyed or the famous truck scene. The truck scene literally made me hold my breath. Nolan never lets his pace and tension of the film up until the very end, where you can take one collective breath. Nolan also builds a truly haunting atmosphere. When things are really falling apart from the Joker wicked ways, they really fall apart. Nolan presents an atmosphere of hopelessness as people try to figure out how to stop a criminal that doesn’t play by the rules. The Joker believes there are no rules to follow and simply wants chaos.
Several new gadgets make their grand appearance. The Tumbler makes a triumphant return as Batman’s go-to vehicle. During the fight with the Joker, Batman ditches his tank of a vehicle for a more moveable motorcycle called the Batpod. It’s literally a motorcycle on steroids. Nolan ventures out just a tab bit into the fantasy world with the Batpod. The Batpod is a beast of a machine where the rider rides on its belly. It is armed with grappling hooks, cannons, and machine guns. It makes one of the best appearances in the film.
While the movie is intense, Nolan expertly adds in simple one-liners that will relieve some of the tension off the audience. Nolan knows that sometimes you need a break, and he adds one-liners to help the audience. Whether its Lucius Fox talking to Bruce about the Bat-suit and dogs or Alfred talking about applying suntan lotion to a Russian model. The comedy never takes away from the film or tension but makes it a simple breather. Another significant aspect of the film is the music. Hans Zimmer expertly adds in music based off of the characters and feel of the city based on the situation. For Batman, his theme plays when he is about to save the city or a person. It makes you feel good that he is going out and risking his life to save the city. His music is intense but upbeat. On the other hand, the Joker’s music is intense and quite frankly creepy and scary. Straight out of a horror movie.
With a fantastic story and feel, what truly makes this movie go is the characters and the performances that the actors did. Bale once again embodies what Bruce Wayne and Batman should be. As Bruce Wayne, Bale presents a man who simply wants to leave crime-fighting behind. He wants to start a life outside of fighting crime. Bale adds more emotion and depth to his character. When tragedy hit Bruce on a personal level, Bale shows the emotion of that lost to Bruce. Now, as Batman, he is excellent. He knows what he is and the standard he must present himself to the criminal world. The one minor problem is the deep voice. I know you don’t want anyone to know who you are but still, need a new way of portraying it.
The rest of the original cast does a fantastic job in this film. Oldman, for example, does his mastery with Gordon. Oldman shows the wear and tear of trying to protect the city and his officers. He is willing to do anything, but when he is thrust into the role of commissioner, you genuinely see the weight of the world fall on him. Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over for Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. Gyllenhaal adds more depth and seems more in place than Katie Holmes. Eckhart was a great fit for Harvey Dent. Eckhart displays that charming district attorney who wants to fight for justice. He presents him as a determined person willing to do what’s right. When tragedy hits him, Eckhart’s performance changes to one of a mad man bent on revenge. Truly displaying what Two-Face should be like.
The performance that set them all apart was Ledger’s performance as The Joker. To give you how excellent Ledger’s performance was, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Something not done for any superhero movie. Ledger literally gave his life to this role and gave a villain and performance of a lifetime. What Ledger did with The Joker is nothing but exceptional and what acting is all about. Jack Nicholson’s version in Tim Burton’s Batman was a standard. From the laugh to the way he played the character was like looking at the Joker from a comic book. Nicholson truly embodied the comic book version of the Joker. Ledger’s Joker quite frankly makes Nicholson’s version look like child’s play. You can’t help but be drawn to the character. Ledger, like with the story of Batman Begins, strips down the Joker to his very core. Ledger’s version keeps up with the tone of Nolan’s realism.
Gone was the bleached skin which was replaced with white makeup and grungy green hair. Out was the bright red smile which was replaced with the character making scars on his face to show a smile. Out was the story of the Joker killing Bruce Wayne’s parents, which was replaced with having no idea who the Joker really is. Ledger fully embodies the Joker as a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy. He shows that the Joker loves chaos and will do anything for it. Ledger proves that we never know anything about the Joker. When he discusses his scars, he first states that it was his father who gave them to him. The next time he explains his scars and how he got them, the story changes to his wife and how he did it for her. The final time he discusses his scars, you pretty much know it’s going to be a different story. Ledger produced a laugh that would send a chill down your spine. Ledger also adds subtle little things to make the character memorable. Whether it’s painting an “S” on a truck, his reaction to blowing up a hospital, burning a tower of money, or his way of thinking, Ledger brings forth the best explanation of the Joker in the entire film. Alfred tells his story from the past and talks about the bandit who stole jewels and threw them away. Alfred simply states that the bandit, “Because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” Ledger significantly shows this and then some.
Overall, the Dark Knight is a must-watch for all Batman fans. The film not only continues the story of Batman Begins but takes it to a new level with a great pace and unwavering tone. This is one of the greatest sequels ever made. The movie takes its place amongst the greats like The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather Part II, Terminator 2, and others. Nolan perfectly presents this movie, making you fall in love with the title, but most of all, it makes you see superhero movies in a new light. Besides all the flashiness, Nolan keeps true with his realism theme to make a movie that will stand the test of time and hard to top.
