Movie Review

The Dark Knight

“The Dark Knight” finally comes to theaters this Friday, amid the death of a promising young actor and lofty expectations of die-hard fans. Heath Ledger’s untimely death is one of the year’s biggest stories and a subject that has divided moviegoers in half. Some have wasted no time buying the new Joker collectibles and proclaiming his performance as un-missable Oscar-worthy portrayal and others who still feel a little apprehensive about watching the performance that killed him. So now the real question will be answered: Is this new “Batman” super or will it be eclipsed by tragedy?

Christian Bale steps back into the body-armor and cape of the Gotham Crusader/ Bruce Wayne. The city is still overrun with criminals but there is some real hope on the horizon. District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), boyfriend of Bruce’s childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), has vowed to clean up this city and Bruce has thrown his millions behind him, feeling that Dent is the real thing, a chance for real justice in Gotham so that he can stop running around like some vigilante. There are those in Gotham, like Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman), who feel “Batman” is necessary and those who feel he is nothing but another criminal. Then there are others, mainly the criminals, who are just plain sick of him. That’s where The Joker (Heath Ledger) comes in. During a meeting with the heads of the mob, the Joker offers his services in keeping Batman busy so that they can conduct their business dealings, an offer they reluctantly accept after some persuasion.

The “Batman” franchise has needed a rebirth for some time now and I would be lying if I said director Christopher Nolan’s first movie was the fresh blood this series needed. I re-watched it recently and still think the action was quick and incoherent, the story convoluted, and a really good villain was nowhere to be found. What a difference a sequel can make though! His second “Batman” is nothing short of a masterpiece. And not only that, but it shows you just how in-depth and ingenious a “Batman” movie can be. And not only that, but I feel it’s arguably one of the best and most riveting movies of the past decade.

What surprised me most about this movie was how it tries to mirror gritty crime thrillers like “Heat” and “The Departed," and what really got me was how successfully it manages to leave those movies in the dust. This is nothing short of awe-inspiring, edge of your seat stuff. I loved the gun battles, the explosions, and the car chases but that stuff can’t beat the simmering tension of the story, the outstanding plot twists or the back and forth dialogue between…well just about every character. This movie has such a great feel for the characters. They always know what to say and how to say it, whether it’s Batman (inspiring and forcefully dreaded), Harvey Dent (an idealist with strong convictions), Alfred and Lucious Fox (both smart, wisdom filled men), Gordon (a good man who knows he needs to get the job done, by any means necessary) and of course the Joker (a gung-ho burn-it-all-down-psychopath). All these personalities coming together create fantastic, un-mistakably brilliant encounters.

And I haven’t even gotten to the heart of the story, the concept of power without control. Sure that story has been told many times before but never with this much zeal. Making The Joker the villain here was ingenious. He’s a character who believes in nothing, he has ties to nothing, he’s soulless and empty and he seems to be having a great time with that. He’s the ultimate terrorist, but in general, he’s the anti-Batman. Nolan’s writing can sometimes be preachy but it’s the good, really engulfing sort of preachy. He hammers home the fact that “Batman” is not the cuddly, loved superhero, but a public servant willing to do and even be whatever the public needs him to be. This is great contrast to the Joker, a man whose great love is his own indulgence, and that indulgence is usually chaos. He’s a three-year old with a sadistic grin and an unlimited supply of destructive appliances, and he sees Batman as something of a potential playmate and in that Nolan has created an ultimate power struggle between what is responsible and righteous and what is the end of civilization.

This is an actors showcase and every one of them knocks this movie clear past the park. Ledger is so great in this movie it will give you nightmares. To think that I thought he could never do what Nicholson did makes me never want to make a pre-judgment on anything again. He owns this role and I’m not just saying that. You can’t take your eyes off him. Sounding a bit like Andy Rooney, Ledger gives an uncomfortably funny and maniacally giddy sadism to The Joker that lets us know just how deep he was willing to go in order to play him. In a way his death reminds us just how empty and soulless this villain is. Watching him is like taking a journey to hell and back.

When I first saw Bale take on the role of “Batman," I thought he overdid it a little but I’ve come to correct that statement. He is by far the best and most terrifying and forceful actor to ever play the role. He also has the billionaire playboy thing down. Aaron Eckhart makes a perfect Harvey Dent, capturing his nobility and strong resolve. I only wish that when he did become Two-Face (and what a fantastically gruesome make-up job that is) the character would be carried over to “Batman 3." Unfortunately that doesn’t happen and we don’t get to spend as much time with Harvey “Two-Face” Dent as I would have liked. I can’t remember a single actor who has added this much humanity to Commissioner Gordon in the past but Gary Oldman completely owns this role and Maggie Gyllenhaal makes a far better DA Rachel Dawes than the still teen-y Katie Holmes. And who can deny the talents of Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, both offering up comedy and moments of great wisdom that no other actors could do with such profound delivery.

“The Dark Knight” is just a great film, the best of the year by far. I could go on and on about how good the costume design, set design, the make-up on The Joker are, or how this movie makes a couple really good analogies to the war on terror but this has already gone on far too long and kudos to you for sticking with it and letting me vent my overwhelming admiration. Now go buy a ticket or see it again, I know that I will.

Craig's Grade: A

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%