The Dark Knight (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)

It's nice to know that a film with such high expectations has finally met them. It's record-breaking box office sales certainly do serve to highlight this very thing, having raked in $66.4 million on its opening day and accruing a whopping total of $155 million its opening weekend, breaking both records set by 2007's "Spider-Man 3". With five scenes filmed with IMAX cameras, the untimely death of one of its lead actors and talk of the film being THE summer blockbuster of 2008, it makes one want to buy that extra-large tub of popcorn because it's worth the experience. And experience it you will. "The Dark Knight" has set a new precedent for comic book movies and fan boys everywhere will be gushing praise for Christopher Nolan's artsy and dignified portrayal of one of the oldest and most classic hero-villain combos of all time. The movie kicks off with, appropriately enough, a bank heist, Nolan gearing his audience up for the ride of their lives. The perps are donning ghoulish clown masks as they spray gunfire about the building and load up cash from the vault. As they scramble to make their getaway, one by one they systematically kill each other, their group impregnated with a sinister paranoia. Ultimately there is just one left standing at the end of it all and he makes a grand exit in a school bus, disappearing into the traffic-riddled metropolis whilst law enforcement arrives moments too late. Meanwhile, under the assumption that Gotham's most serious threats are now subdued and/or gone (Ra Al Ghul and the Scarecrow from "Batman Begins"), Batman seeks to share the load by joining forces with Lt. Jim Gordon (Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart), the man whom Bruce Wayne would most like to appoint as Gotham's new and legitimate savior. Gordon's and Dent's staunch approach to upholding the law is just what the city needs in order to dismantle its organized crime, but their dynamic triumvirate proves to be no match for the machinations of a criminal mastermind known only to the public as The Joker. In the instant that the Joker appears, he makes his demands known to the criminal underworld and then proceeds to swoop in and take what he wants by force, despite their refusal to collaborate. Unlike the parasitic monsters that had plagued Gotham in the past, The Joker is after a much bigger prize: the capitulation of Batman and the subsequent surrender of Gotham's citizens to his inconstant wiles. In his fight to stop him, Batman will come face to face with good and evil and in the end has to choose between maintaining the delicate equilibrium of Gotham or romancing the unattainable. Director Christopher Nolan (who co-wrote the script with his brother Jonathan, the man responsible for the story behind 2000's "Memento") strayed from Burton's gothic surrealism and instead created a brooding and subdued metropolis in the previous film (Batman Begins); he continues this sultry but perilous landscape in "The Dark Knight" and this is the feel that "Batman" was meant to have all along. An original score by James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense) and Hans Zimmer (Gladiator) breathes even more life into the enthralling action, and with Wally Pfister's superb cinematography and effective editing from Lee Smith, Nolan and crew have created a perfectly-paced, heart-stopping thriller that will have you completely oblivious to its 2 hour and 30 minute time frame. Christian Bale is the best of the caped crusaders yet, his personification of Bruce Wayne the enigmatic and somber soul that has always been portrayed within the pages of DC Comics. Where Burton never dared to venture, Nolan has Bruce Wayne savoring his elite businessman lifestyle by cavorting around with beautiful women (at one point, Wayne is aboard a yacht with the entire female entourage of the Russian ballet). I'm sorry to say however that Bale, despite being a great actor, is overshadowed not only by Ledger's spectacular turn as the Joker but also all the mystic buzz that Ledger's death inspired. Despite it all, he gives Batman/Bruce Wayne grace and dignity, along with an emotional wound that serves to once again spur his waning battle against terror. Maggie Gyllenhaal, as said by many critics, is an improvement over the bland Katie Holmes (though I'm sure some would've loved to see Holmes sitting in the proverbial "hot seat" near the end of the film); she shows a bit more spunk and tenacity and the chemistry between herself and Bale is certainly more believable. Caine is dignified and sentimental as Alfred (the best Alfred yet) and Morgan Freeman gives another stately performance as Lucius Fox, Batman's highly skilled supplier of all his "wonderful toys". Who really gets a chance to show some diabolical skills is Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, the man who would ultimately become Two-Face. Eckhart's make-up job combined with additional CGI is grotesque and awesome in all its glory, combined with a spellbinding portrayal of a man who becomes as cold-blooded as the psychotic who disfigured him. Credit must also be given for a superb and subtle Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, the man who would be Gotham's future Commissioner. Though Jack Nicholson was a real hoot as the Joker in Tim Burton's 1989 adaptation, 28-year-old Ledger blows him off the map with an exceedingly strange, devilish and frightening portrayal of madness personified. This Joker is not someone to be trifled with - his "magic trick" involving a pencil will induce shock and disgust, and this is in only the first thirty seconds that he is introduced face-to-face with the audience. Upon further introduction, none will be able to turn their eye from the haphazardly applied make-up which only serves to highlight his disfigurement rather than conceal it, the nasally and freakish intonations, the queer lip-licking and the unpredictability of his reflexive malice. Heather Ledger is, quite simply, marvelous. This will no doubt earn him a posthumous nomination for Best Actor come 2009's Oscars, possibly even a posthumous win (co-star Michael Caine has made a similar statement). That makes watching Ledger cause his audience to shiver that much more bittersweet - it evokes the same "what might've been" sadness that River Phoenix, another young promising talent, did with fans when he died suddenly from a drug overdose on Halloween in 1993. I didn't want the movie to end because I knew that there would never be a reprise from this actor so young yet so adept at his craft, let alone a repeat performance of the maniacal Joker in a potential sequel. Bottom Line: A tour-de-force on all levels. Though you be an action fan, a comic book nerd, a movie-goer or simply a fan of the many talented actors and actresses within "The Dark Knight", all elements of the film will have you lying in wait eagerly for a sequel. It just can't get here soon enough.

After leaving the theater in 2005 nearly wiping tears from my eyes after watching the genius of Batman Begins, I said "part of me wishes they would never make another film because there's no way they could come close to the perfection of this movie". I was wrong. For the past 2 years I have been awaiting The Dark Knight with more excitement than any other movie in my life. Searching the net daily for new information, watching the trailers around 500 times (no exaggeration) and following the genius viral marketing plan online, I knew that The Dark Knight would be an amazing effort and my expectations were through the roof. I expected a nearly perfect movie and my expectations were EXCEEDED. To avoid spoiling this work of genius, a short recap is all I will provide. After the events of Batman Begins the city is in chaos and a new threat emerges in the form of the psychotic Joker. Wanting to inflict anarchy and disorder, the Joker has no real ulterior motives other than to cause trouble and misery for the residents of Gotham. With the help of Lt. Gordon and newly elected DA Harvey Dent, the Batman faces his toughest nemesis ever as he tries to saved his beloved city so he can one day take off his mask for good and Bruce Wayne can be with his true love Rachel. Cast/Production Opinions ------------------------ GENIUS Heath Ledger - Ledger's performance as The Joker quite simply is THE definitive take on the clown prince of crazy and a genius display of acting. All the hype that has been directed at Ledger is not without merit. Not only does Ledger give the greatest villain performance I have ever seen, he LIVES The Joker. The little nuances, walks, grunts, etc. is absolute CANDY for the viewing audience. If you have wanted a menacing Joker that cares about nothing and just wants to cause mayhem, this Joker will become THE Joker forever. So much more than just a character, Ledger gives one of the great performances in film history. PERFECTION Gary Oldman - The 2nd best performance in the TDK and another amazing performance as Lt. James Gordon. For anyone that is a fan of Batman Year One and the comics, you will appreciate Oldmans work nearly as much as Ledger. Quiet, subdued, and wonderful, you CARE for Lt. Gordon and you are happy when things go his way. This is an amazing work and can't be ignored. Location - Chicago really was a perfect place to film these movies. The city looks amazing and you really feel like you are in Gotham. NEAR PERFECTION Christian Bale - Fantastic Bruce Wayne, perfect as Batman, obv the movies don't work if he doesn't. On par with the greatness of his work in Batman Begins. I don't think it's better work here, I think in both movies he is amazing equally. Michael Caine - Wonderful as Alfred as per usual. Christopher Nolan - Another wonderful job directing. The IMAX shots really add to the film and the opening shots in IMAX make you go WOW. Is Nolan capable of making a bad movie? Writing - Great script which is very dense. This might not be for everyone but having a dense story done right only adds to the longevity of the film over time. Gadgets - The new Batpod and other cool stuff are still realistic and not over the top. Any technology that is introduced in the movie serves a good purpose and makes sense. GREAT Aaron Eckhart - Great performance that makes you CARE about Harvey Dent and what he is trying to do for the city of Gotham. At the end of the movie when he's not the same person that he was at the beginning he still gives a great performance Morgan Freeman - Such a great actor and he builds on his character from Batman Begins, very solid GOOD Maggie Gyllenhaal - This is one of the only weak parts of the movie. I never criticized Katie Holmes in Batman Begins because I thought she did a fine job acting and her baby faced innocence I thought was a good match for Bruce Wayne. I just thought she was too young. I think Gyllenhaal was in a tough spot with this role. She comes into TDK with a character already created and she doesn't seem sure how to act accordingly. Does she be Dawes as Katie Holmes or a new version? I think she's good in the movie but I would have rather had Holmes return. She could have done so much more but I felt she was lazy in this role. The Dark Knight is THE definitive "super hero" movie but it is so much more. You don't have to like Batman or super heroes to enjoy this film and it will be the quickest 2 1/2 hours of your life. Any time Ledger is on the screen it's pure candy and he's on the screen just enough, making you yearn for more. Great story, incredible directing, amazing/great performances and the genius of Heath Ledger make this not only the best film of 2008 but one of the great movies of all time. In terms of sequels it might BE the greatest sequel ever (I would put Godfather Part II and Aliens right up there as well) and it DOES live up to the hype. See The Dark Knight in IMAX if you can to enjoy the scenes filmed in this format, but make sure you see this movie over and over again. A masterpiece. ***** NEAR PERFECTION

Audiences of all kinds flock to theaters on the opening day of super hero movies. These movies have the potential to appeal to both younger and older audience members, each gender, and families. Usually, the hero is what draws the crowds. The general public loves an inherently good and well- developed super hero who triumphs over evil. Of course, some over budget chase scenes never hurt either. However, when it comes to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, it is the villain that truly makes the movie. The Joker, who was developed in a way he had never been before this movie, drives the plot and the central meaning of the movie by acting as a foil to the hero, Batman. Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker was incredibly different than anything ever done before. In the 1960 Batman television series, Cesar Romero was the actor behind The Joker. His character was dubbed, “The Crown Prince of Crime”. This Joker was seen as a psychotic, yet harmless killer. At this time, The Joker was thought of as amusing. The audience would have been able to better sympathize with him because he just could not seem to be the villain he wanted to be, no matter how hard he tried. In the 1989 Batman movie, Jack Nicholson was The Joker. At this time, the character began to become a little bit darker. His appearance was less clown like and was said to be a result of a chemical accident. Nicholson was still able to stay true to the comic portrayal of The Joker, which was more of a goofy prankster while starting to exploit the more short-tempered and murderous side of the villain. In contrast, Mark Hammil’s portrayal of the Joker in 1990 was incredibly cold and authoritative. In 2008, Heath Ledger created a Joker that had never been seen before. The Dark Knight’s antagonist was completely psychotic, with absolutely no trace of human reasoning or logic. The character was demonic and frightening. The humorous or jokester aspects of the character were not implemented for any sort of comedic enjoyment, but rather to highlight the exceedingly deranged mind of someone who could never be human. The Joker shows his disgustingly psychotic side many times throughout the film. In his introductory scene, the Joker crashes a mob meeting. We may think that The Joker would want to work with the mob since they are both considered “bad guys” however, the mob mocks the Joker for being a “freak” and The Joker proceeds to kill one of the members with a “disappearing pencil trick” that involves a pencil through the brain. Not only does this act show the audience that The Joker is on a whole other level of evil than the typical bank robber, it is also has a symbolic meaning. The pencil represents education and order, which the Joker uses to kill the man by stabbing it into the most logical part of the human body, the brain. By doing this, the Joker is showing the audience that he believes order and logical thought will never overcome chaos. The Joker is not one to take part in organized crime because he personifies anything but organization. The Joker embodies chaos and disorder. We see this in the scene where The Joker blows up the hospital. He has no reason to blow up that building other than the fact that it contains innocent individuals, and causing a havoc on that specific place will upset the general public. He has no internal motivation to destroy the hospital specifically because he does not possess any form of logical thought. When the camera pans back to show The Joker walking away from the burning hospital in a nurse uniform, it allows us to see that the Joker shows absolutely no remorse when blowing up the building. The camera angle allows us to see the accomplished look in his face and the nurse’s costume adds to the sardonic nature of The Joker. While a nurse can be seen as a figure of health and security, the Joker exemplifies contrasting qualities such as traumatization and danger. The Joker’s characteristics of evil, chaos, and disorder allow him to be a foil to Christian Bales’s character, Batman. Batman embodies a high moral standard and the goodness of people while The Joker is the exact opposite. Batman explains that his one rule is that he will never kill anyone. The Joker explains to him, while dangling from a building in one of the concluding scenes, that he would never kill Batman either. The Joker’s purpose was not to kill Batman, like a typical villain, but rather to de-mask, humanize, and criminalize him, making this movie much more dark, yet incredibly more interesting and unpredictable than others of its kind. The Joker acknowledges that if he were to kill Batman, he would no longer have a purpose. This means that the two characters are destined to fight forever, which drives the conflict of the plot. As The Joker says, “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.” The Joker is also able to be a juxtaposition to Batman through appearance. Batman is a very large and muscular man whereas The Joker has a very skinny and long frame. While Batman dresses in dark clothing, and prefers to stay in the shadows (like a bat), the Joker dawns bright clothing and makeup that draws attention to his face and scars. While Batman may try to hide his past, The Joker embraces it, telling many different stories of the origins of his scars throughout the movie in order to intimidate people before he harms them. The Joker’s high voice and screeching cackle also contrasts with Batman’s incredibly deep and mysterious voice. Batman is a man of very little words and only speaks when absolutely necessary, while The Joker loves to speak just to be heard. Even when the audience cannot visibly see the Joker in the scene, we can usually hear him or his laugh. In order to know that Batman is in the scene, the audience has to see him first. The Joker enjoys calling attention to himself through his clothing and voice. He does this in order to make a statement. The Joker is trying to force people to see evil as an inevitable and omnipresent human quality which is why he allows himself to be so noticeable through clothing and television advertisements. Batman acts as a more humble juxtaposition who does not want to be seen. The Joker’s laugh also acts as an omnipresent presence which allows that theme of evil to be obvious throughout the entire movie. The overall message of the film is that all humans have the potential to be good in nature and that good will always triumph evil, although the battle is constant. These ideas are constantly challenged by The Joker which drives the plot. The Joker is constantly putting people in places where they have to make impossible ethical decisions in the hopes that they will inevitably make a wrong decision that showcases the evil nature of humanity and make an example of them to the rest of the world. He does this multiple times throughout the film, but his efforts culminate at the finale of the movie when he attempts to pull off his largest scheme. When he forces the two different groups of people onto two different boats, one group of innocent civilians, and the other a group of convicts, to either kill the other ship or die, he expects the evil and selfish nature of humanity to take control of their decisions and blow up the other ship. The ships act as an isolated community, away from the city. The Joker uses the ships as a motivation for the people to leave their human nature behind, in the city, and make and evil decision. Although there is some heated debate on the ships as to whether or not they should push the button that destroys the other ship, both groups decided not to do it. They would rather die themselves than be responsible for killing others. This shows that good overcomes evil and the people on the ship had an inherently good nature. Batman explains this to the joker in one of the final scenes which provides a nice conclusion to the over two hour long movie. There was much competition for the deranged role of “the Joker” in the 2008 Blockbuster, The Dark Knight. However, director, Christopher Nolan, had always had Heath Ledger in mind for the role. It was Ledger’s ability to completely embrace the Joker’s psychotic qualities that contrasted so well with his nemesis, Batman, that drove the plot and highlighted the central meaning of the movie. Without the Joker, there would be no reason for the citizens of Gotham to question their good nature. Thanks to one of the most malicious and immoral villains of all time, the world can rest assured that good will always conquer evil.

The Dark Knight is the most realistic thus far of any movie based on a comic book. Not surprisingly, this realistic portrayal (along with good writing and acting, of course) has produced an amazing film--for both casual movie-goers and fans of the Batman character alike. This is no surprise because, unlike what many movie producers erroneously think, people who go watch a movie based on a comic book aren't doing so hoping to see a bunch of unrealistic people running around in strange costumes, saying weird lines, and doing cartoony things, such as in Batman and Robin. People want to see comic books adapted to film because they want to see what these comic book pages would look like when put into the real world. So, to make cartoony live-action adaptations defeats the purpose of putting them into a live-action world in the first place. Christopher Nolan, however, has got it right in his direction of the movie. And the reason why this Batman film feels realistic isn't because of the visuals or the effects. After all, when comparing Schumacher's Batman and Robin to the 90s animated series of Batman, it is the animated series that is more realistic, even though it exists in a 2-D world. What Nolan has done to instill this film with realism is to give just about every action a consequence. This movie is, after all, about consequences--the consequence of Batman's existence in Gotham. A year removed from the first Batman film in the series, Gotham has been cleaned up. A new district attorney, Harvey Dent, has arrived and has won the love of Bruce Wayne's love interest, Rachel Dawes--a consequence of Dawe's not being able to live with Bruce Wayne's crime-fighting ways. Batman's existence also produces copycat vigilantes who respond to the bat signal, and they try to help fight crime, but without the proper training, equipment, or philosophy that makes Batman who he is. But, the biggest consequence the existence of Batman has produced is the escalation (hinted at the end of the first film) in the type of criminals that terrorize the city. And in this installment, that escalation is the Joker. The plot involves the Joker's trying to unmask the Batman, holding Gotham hostage until Batman reveals his true identity. A lot of subplots are involved, including one that requires Batman to go to Hong Kong to bring back a business mogul. This scene does little for the plot of the film, except it shows that Batman is not limited by jurisdiction. He can do what cops and judges, who must obey laws and rules, cannot. Batman can bend the rules in his crusade. But bending the rules is not breaking them. And the Joker is all about breaking rules, and he challenges Batman to win his war on crime without breaking his own rules. Like in Batman Begins, the plot is convoluted and almost unimportant, really, since it's not the plot that brings out the catharsis. Christopher Nolan is much more interested in posing questions about a character as extreme as Batman is, and he uses character and plot as a combined vehicle to pose these questions. He poses questions about the nature of good and evil (which Bruce Wayne admits to learning about in the beginning of Batman Begins). A scene where people are trying to kill one person to save a hospital focuses this question. Is it bad to kill someone in order to save potentially thousands? Some of the questions may seem self-serious, but then again, without them, the character development of Batman would be flat, just like the Burton and Schumacher attempts that always relied on villains to carry their campy movies. This is not to say that the Joker in this movie isn't a fascinating character to watch. Heath Ledger has created one of the scariest villains put on film. You don't know where he'll show up. You don't know when he'll kill or how he'll kill. He may not be the Joker of the comics in the physical sense (his grin is merely make-up and not acid-bath-induced), but he is the Joker of the comics in the psychopathic sense. Still, he is physically no match for Batman and his suits and gadgets. So he challenges Batman by creating dilemmas. It is not the villain that carries the movie. It is the problems, questions, and dilemmas that they pose. In trying to solve these dilemmas, Batman, the cops, and the people of Gotham reveal to us the film's emphasis of consequences. These consequences are felt by the audience in the sense of mood throughout the movie. If anything is missing from this film, it is downtime. There is no time to relax, to think about what has just happened. It's one terror to the next. The sense of fear in this movie works so well because it surprises people who expect comic book movies and action movies to not care about consequences. Many action movies have a hero save one character at the peril of hundreds of others without blinking an eye. We can see this even with Burton's Batman, where Batman goes around killing everyone without questioning the nature of good or evil. You kill that person because he's a bad guy (you know, he gets up in the morning and proclaims himself a villain, so he goes out and does villainous deeds). No questions asked. But lately, movies such as Spider-Man and Iron Man began showing consequences, and The Dark Knight puts it out there on the table for all to see. The police march on the city, the attempt to save a guy who was trying to out Bruce Wayne as Batman, the question posed by characters in the movie, "How many people had to die?" and the revelation spoken by the Joker--that police officers and military men die, and no one really worries because it's expected. Bad guys die, and no one cares, because it's all part of the plan. You watch those action movies, and the hero saves that one person, but hundreds die--yet no one cares about those strangers, the bystanders, because it's all part of the plan. But if you kill someone--like the mayor--suddenly, everything is in chaos. Nowhere else have these questions really been posed in a movie of this genre, even though the so-called superhero genre, by its nature, deals with the idea of good and evil constantly. The closest we have ever gotten was the teen angst of a wimpy Spider-Man, and his questions are delivered on a dish of self-exploration whininess uttered by a nerd with little sense of identity. Here, the questions are put forth not through adolescent deliberations, but through consequences shown by all players involved. In a sense, it's the least heavy-handed of the movies to pose such self-serious questions. But it is by far the scariest.

Christopher Nolan has done it again, and this time it is with "The Dark Knight." I really thought there was no hope for Batman after the horribly brain-numbing "Batman & Robin," but I was happy to see that I was dead wrong when I saw "Batman Begins." Like that film, we are given more dimensions and character complexity to what could have been just a regular superhero movie. It turns out that Batman's new gig doesn't come without its consequences, as he sees copycats trying to take matters into their own hands. Not only that, but he's struggling with his own inner demons and doubts. Which makes this the most opportune time for The Joker to take full advantage, and boy does he ever have some big plans in the works. He may be a dangerous psychopath, but that's not to say that there isn't a reason for his actions. Chaos is his talent, and with that he will do whatever it takes to corrupt squeaky clean District Attorney, Harvey Dent; and attempt to make Batman break his one and only rule. And if he can make Gotham City tear itself to shreds, well then that's just fine with him. All of this leads to an explosive film where answers don't come easily and actions don't come without a price. "The Dark Knight" cannot be seen only once. I know for me I couldn't fully appreciate it the first time because I was so blown away by Heath Ledger's menacing performance as "The Joker" that I couldn't focus on or appreciate anything else. The more I watch this movie, the more I fall in love with almost every aspect. I love how Nolan creates a great balance between action and story. You come to know and care about the characters as if you were watching a serious drama. While the entire cast does a remarkable job, it cannot be avoided that Heath Ledger simply steals the show. I was as fascinated by his performance as I was with Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs" (and that is not a comparison that can easily be made in most cases). You want to know everything about him and you cannot wait until you see him on the screen again. Still, it must be stressed that the entire cast did a great job. "The Dark Knight" on Blu-Ray looks FANTASTIC. I actually tried to watch this on DVD (since I wasn't getting it on Blu-Ray for Christmas), and I had to stop it because I thought it was such a poor transfer, or at least that's how it looked on my TV. On Blu-Ray, it is crystal clear. What they've done specifically for the Blu-Ray version is enhance the aspect ratio during the sequences shot in IMAX and then return to it's normal theatrical aspect ratio. There's a chance that this may put some people off but to the people who have seen it on IMAX, this is the way we saw it and I welcome it with open arms. There's some nice extra features, although sadly I didn't see any deleted scenes when I was skimming the extras. I would've loved to see some deleted scenes of Ledger. Maybe it's my imagination or I need a better surround system, but I could swear that they have cleaned up Christian Bale's voice as "Batman" so it isn't as overpowering as it was when we saw it in the theatres. He's still raspy, but it seems a lot more tolerable and less distracting. That was always something that bothered me. Well, if they cleaned it up for the DVD and Blu-Ray release, then much kudos to them! "The Dark Knight" is a dark and complex tale that shows that superhero movies do not have to be without substance. You do not have to be a fan of Batman to appreciate this movie, and it's even fine to watch this without seeing "Batman Begins." I really enjoyed it and it is something that I love more and more with each viewing. Give it a chance. Just be very weary if Joker ever asks you if you want to know how he got his scars... -Michael Crane

First of all, this is a GREAT film, not just a great Batman film. Others have compared Christopher Nolan's two Batman films to the Tim Burton Batman films, so I won't repeat their observations. Let me simply say that everything about this movie, from the script to the casting to the CGI to the acting and ultimately the directing is superb. Now to Plato. The meta-message of The Dark Knight is a meditation on the nature of good and evil, the veneer of civilization, the virtues of principle and the necessity and the danger of bending principle in emergencies, the differences between evil for gain or power and evil for mere destruction and chaos, and the tension between public duty and private loyalty. Finally there is the question of the place for facts and the place for "sacred" myth. (Caution: this review refers to specific scenes and characters.) The mafia in Gotham is evil for gain and power. They want money and they want influence. They also want order. When the manager of the bank objects to the robbery he complains that the usual rules and courtesies among criminals are being violated. The corrupt police officers are evil for gain as well. They too need general acceptance of rules and procedures. The Joker is evil for evil's sake. He sows chaos and disorder and wants to expose the thin veneer of civilization. He seeks only to unmask what he sees as contradiction and hypocrisy in human nature and to demonstrate that so-called good citizens are really evil underneath. Scarecrow, who was featured in Batman Begins and has a minor role in the drug bust scene in The Dark Knight, is a deranged psychiatrist whose evil comes from desire for power over others as he uncovers the weaknesses in the minds of others. The Mayor is out for power but does not resort to evil. Police Lieutenant James Gordon represents incorruptible good. This is ultimately stressed when Gordon must make a choice between public duty and personal relationship. Batman faces that same dilemma when he must decide whether to rescue Harvey Dent or Rachel Dawes. Likewise, the passengers in the ferries must choose between what they are told will be personal survival and the deaths of others, in another of The Joker's nefarious experiments. When the Wayne Industries accountant is about to reveal the identity of Batman, The Joker announces that the accountant must die, and citizens try to assassinate him. Personal safety trumps adherence to the good sometimes, but not all times. Batman seems weaker than The Joker because he adheres to rules. The Biblical injunction, "Justice, justice shall you pursue," has been understood as demanding that justice be pursued justly. Evil, especially evil for its own sake, makes no such demand. We see this every time terrorists deliberately target innocents and hide themselves behind children knowing that those in pursuit will not purposely aim at innocent bystanders. This gives evil a huge temporary advantage. Yet sometimes the good must bend and even break the rules. Abraham Lincoln suspended the right of habeas corpus during a critical interval during the Civil War. Batman asks Lucius Fox to preside over such a broken rule to locate and catch The Joker. When and how can we know when good can break rules to catch evil? Batman answers by creating a mechanism to restore the rules as soon as the crisis is over. Alfred Pennyworth indirectly poses the question, "Knowing that evil, if attacked, will double its efforts and create even more destruction, is it really wise to go after evil?" The bad guys cause huge destruction after Batman and Gordon squeeze the mafia, creating enormous conflict and guilt in Batman. But without disturbing the hornet's nest, evil would prevail anyway. So the battle must be joined in any event. Harvey Dent is extremely complex. He berates Gordon for compromising his police unit by accepting some corrupt officers to his staff. Gordon answers by claiming that sometimes those who know corruption can be the most effective in fighting it. Dent is identified as the "White Knight" whose public persona will rally the public against evil. But Dent himself participates in an untruthful diversion to help trap The Joker. Even he compromises good for the sake of fighting evil. When Rachel and Dent are being held in danger Batman and Gordon each race to save them. Batman declares he is going to save Rachel but is tricked into going to Dent's location. Rachel dies and Dent is severely injured. In a brilliant make-up creation the right side of Dent's face remains normal and the left side is severely and dramatically changed. He has physically transformed from a White Knight into his derisive nickname, "Two Face." Reminiscent of Jekyll and Hyde, Dent's nature is now permanently divided. The death of Rachel has destroyed Dent's belief in good and has dissolved his commitment to the public's welfare. Now he only thinks of his own personal pain and loss. But he is not a creature of pure evil. His hurt and grudge turn him into a near nihilist. The lucky coin with two heads has been transformed. One side is now ruined and becomes for him the oracle of ethics. Life and death depend solely on chance; solely on the flip of a coin. Furious at Gordon for the actions of the corrupt police officers in Gordon's unit who betrayed Rachel, Dent finds Gordon's wife and children. Recognizing that Gordon's young son is dearest to him, Dent demands that Gordon reassure the son as Dent flips his coin to decide the boy's fate. Batman, for whom good and evil, life and death, are not decided by chance, intervenes. In their fight Dent and Batman both plunge to the ground from a height. Batman survives and tells Gordon that the myth of Dent's goodness must become the rallying point for the city. Dent remains the White Knight, while Batman allows himself to become The Dark Knight, spurned by the public, identified wrongly but necessarily as the source of evil, who can then secretly work for the good. Only Gordon and his son know the true story behind this myth. Gotham thus gets the hero it deserves. The Joker is captured but his fate is left hanging, literally and figuratively. We do not even know for certain whether Dent died, or unconscious, has survived his fall. All we know for sure is that the complexity of fighting evil and the compromises permitted for good are unsolved. Civilization continues but only barely. The Joker has destroyed Rachel, transformed Dent, and caused everlasting turmoil and doubt within Batman. The need to resort to myth over facts after arguing previously for the absolute value of Truth, ends Plato's Republic, with the famous story of the myth of the cave. We too are left in the dark, in the company of The Dark Knight, at the end of this superb film. We can only wonder what the sequel might have been, with The Joker and Two Face challenging Batman, had Heath Ledger survived. Speaking of Heath Ledger I want to mention a few things about his performance as The Joker. There is a small pantheon of presentations of psychiatrically deranged individuals in film. Among the best are Olivia Thailand in Snake Pit, Gregory Peck in Spellbound, Jack Nickelson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Ledger's perhaps surpasses them all. For those with a psychiatric or medical background like myself, the use of his slight head tics and the seemingly random movement of his tongue suggest that The Joker has been in a psychiatric institution and medicated with drugs that left him with a case of tardive dyskinesia, a rare but serious and irreversible movement disorder that can be a side effect of certain psychotropic medications. This touch, which I believe was meticulously and masterfully added to the portrayal by Ledger, makes The Joker both more convincing and more dangerous. I am told that Ledger immersed himself in The Joker's state of mind before and during the filming. It is not unknown for an actor to have difficulty extricating himself from such a wrenching and demanding role. Joaquin Phoenix and Faye Dunaway have each spoken about this as they worked to emerge from Johnny Cash and Joan Crawford. If this was so for Ledger then The Joker got an undeserved bitter laugh while we have only tears. Addendum July 23, 2008: One of The Joker's henchmen must have gotten into my spell checker to change Olivia De Havilland into Olivia Thailand. Sorry for that. I want to expand on one point distinguishing Batman from Dent. When The Joker reveals the locations of Rachel and Dent, Gordon asks Batman which location he is going to. Batman says Rachel's but I believe he is aware of The Joker's double crosses and switches, and knowingly goes to Dent's location. That Batman expresses no surprise at finding Dent rather than Rachel confirms this view. Bruce Wayne would have rescued Rachel but Batman, a true hero, puts his public duty above his private preferences. After Rachel is killed Dent loses his sense of public duty and loses faith in goodness. Batman, equally in love with Rachel and equally convinced she will marry him, retains his public duty and goodness, though he is burdened with grief and guilt. Perhaps a White Knight cannot endure crushing disappointment. Perhaps only a Dark Knight, who has already experienced the crushing loss of viewing the murders of his father and mother, and holding himself responsible for that tragedy, can make his way through darkness without losing his way. A final note, in response to a commenter who took issue with my portrayal of Gordon as incorruptibly good, I agree that Gordon made pragmatic choices, and refer to them in the essay. But as a person he is beyond bribery and never loses sight of his duty to the citizenry. So how about personally incorruptible but one who made some seemingly necessary but ultimately unwise alliances.

Chris Nolan delivers a perfect follow-up to "Batman Begins." We last saw Batman handed a Joker card from then, Lt. Gordon in the closing scene in the first of the trilogy, Batman Saga. To open "The Dark Knight" with the Joker's roots as a common criminal, with psychotic intentions, was intense. No less important than Bruce Wayne's decent into the role of the Batman, out of the pain and rage of witnessing his parents murders as a youth in the prior film. Ledger's performance as the Joker was brilliant! He is sullen, mad and drunk by the potential to bring total chaos to Gotham City. Truly sad that we lost him to substance abuse and future roles on the big screen. As the Joker unwinds his seemingly random acts of disruption to the city, the usual suspects of criminal warlord corruption are in scatter due to Batman's grip. Visions of opportunity, the Joker squeezes out the confused standards. His psychosis deepens, yet he has goals and monumental methods. Ledger offers us insight into the dark corners of the mentally disturbed mind. While he shows some underlying humor, he is spot-on as to a personality unchecked, sick and in need of those padded rooms. To try to deal with this mental monster, Bruce realizes what he must allow Batman to become. Drive himself deeper into his own darkest places he resides. The very places that he fears most that conjured the Batman initially. Fully crossing the line himself, Batman, trained by the "The League of Shadows", is now the anti-hero. Sought by the law too, Batman reaches down to the Jokers' level and plays by his rules, one who has no rules. In the middle of the struggle, is both Rachel Dawes, Bruces' lifelong friend and love, and Harvey Dent. Gotham's "White Knight." Dent, who had rounded up most of the scum Gotham spit out, did so without a cape or cowl. Batman considers folding the cape for good as he believes in Dent's honor. But this is a very dark and gritty film from the Frank Miller storyline. Nothing good lasts forever or for long. Once the Joker plays his cards on Dent, the bet is "Two-Face." Telling lies about his facial scars, the Joker is believable about every lie. Seemingly innocent as he claims, "just a dog chasing cars", he quickly turns Dent/Two-Face against all he once stood for. Loosing Rachael, both Dent and Bruce have lost love, forever. The Joker's not so planed, plans, work to his advantage. In the ultimate and proverbial battle of good over evil, the Joker and Batman duel using Gotham and it's citizens as weapons. Now Commissioner Gordon, Gary Oldman continues to maintain his belief that Batman is attempting to bring justice to Gotham. Even if the means are cruel and punishing. Oldman is a fantastic actor with a career of award winning performances! He keeps Commissioner Gordon humble, just, honorable and quirky. Most of all, faithful to the character in true form. An old fashioned cop with values and principals, he is a family man first and foremost. Uniquely acted out in the final scenes as the three, Gordon, Dent and Batman face off with a loaded gun pointed at his family. In this showdown, the revelation of what is about to transpire is like the "gunfight at the O.K. Coral." Of course Batman cannot be hurt via bullet, he takes the shot from Dent. Then the gun turns to Gordon's son. Batman leaps into action one last time and both he and Dent fall to Dents' death. With Gordon's son watching, Batman makes his final moral choice. So as to not allow the scum back onto Gotham's streets, letting Dent's "Two-Face" half come to light, both Bruce and Batman decide to become the hunted. He can be the "bad guy" for now. Because he and Gordon know Batman stand for something greater. Morality, ethical values and a stance for justice. For the time being, Gotham will see Batman as the "Ultimate Outsider." I understand that many didn't appreciate the direction that Chris Nolan took the Batman and Joker characters. Saying they were too dark and disconnected. I disagree. I rather like the Frank Miller stories. A darker Batman, a Dark Knight is exactly what we were ready for. The time for the campy versions had been done time and again. This is a grown-up Batman. A man with serious, unresolved issues, who seeks shelter and comfort under a cowl. He has the wealth to hide himself away and use it to do what the present law force cannot or will not. The Joker symbolized, with stylized elegance, how little attention is paid to mentally disturbed. Given the slimmest opportunity, a patient slips out of Ayrkham and creates a monster of devastating proportions. An equally devastating monster under the guise of a Bat is born to reel him in. Maybe some felt uncomfortable with this film because it wasn't "comic-booky" enough. Sure, there were many plot loop-holes and storyline drop offs. Much was left to the imagination and strictly movie magic. An adaptation based on some hard-core Dark Knight graphic novels that were best sellers! By far, these first two films (and The Dark Knight Rises) are the best trilogy of any Superhero or anti-hero, hands down! Be it from DC or Marvel. I think those who give this film 5 Stars DID get it!

The Dark Knight is really an overwhelming experience. For a two and a half hour movie, it really goes by fast. The film's plot is simple: While Harvey Dent, Commissioner Gordon, and Batman try to bring down the Mob, the Joker outsmarts them at every turn. The fight to stop the Joker becomes more than a fight to stop crime, however. The Joker attempts to bring out the worst in everybody, to prove that we are all as mad as him. He targets the people that everybody holds most dear: hospital patients, civilians, politicians, cops, and the woman Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent love, Rachel Dawes. Batman and Harvey Dent have to struggle to prove they are better men than the Joker. Bruce Wayne has hope the Dent will be able to clean up the city, and plans on settling down with Rachel Dawes. I felt this part of the plot was a little rushed and somewhat predictable. Does every superhero have to try to give up being a superhero? This is only a minor quibble though. Heath Ledger gives an outstanding performance. He slips into the role like a glove, something Jack Nicholson really could not do because his personality was too strong. They utilized Ledger perfectly. He steals the show whenever he is on screen but it never feels like this is a Joker movie. His "humor" is so sick I think audiences laugh only because they are uncomfortable. As many critics have noted, The Dark Knight works as a legitimate crime drama as well as a superhero movie. All of the Joker's schemes would fit right into a movie like Silence of the Lambs or Seven. They are so intense I was at the edge of my seat whenever he was on screen. I particularly liked his announcement to Gotham City that if a certain individual (can't recall his name) was not dead within 60 minutes, he would blow up a hospital. It was the perfect type of scheme for the Joker. With every scheme, explosion, and every person killed, the Joker pushes Batman to his limits. The entire cast gives an all around good job. Aaron Eckhart gives a good performance as Harvey Dent. The combination of make-up and CGI for his face was perfect. Christian Bale was even more intense this time around, although his voice is sometimes grating. The scene where he interrogates the Joker is the most suspenseful scene in the movie. I should also note that the action scene editing was a major improvement over Batman Begins. Sometimes Nolan cuts a little too quickly but it is not as distracting this time. I only have a few minor criticisms (Big time SPOILERS). I still do not like Christopher Nolan's Gotham City. I understand he went for the modern look to give it a more realistic, serious feel, but Gotham has never looked modern in the comics. I just think Gotham should have a distinctive look. Maggie Gyllenhall, while better than Katie Holmes, sometimes acted a little out of character for an assistant D.A. Finally, I think they should have saved Two-Face for the third movie. Killing him off in this movie made his story feel rushed. I can't really think of another Batman bad guy whose story can really compare to Harvey Dent's. They are going to have a tough time coming up with a bad guy for the third film. Nevertheless Harvey Dent's story arc is tragic and effective. Harvey Dent represented the hope and strength Gotham needed to overcome evil. He was written and portrayed a million times better than he was in Batman Forever. His fall from grace gives Joker the last laugh, and Batman has to cover up everything Two-Face did so as not to hurt Gotham's morale or release the prisoners Dent put in jail. I look forward to seeing where they will take the Batman character in the next movie. The Dark Knight stands towards the top of the list of best Superhero movies for its perfect portrayal of the characters and all around intensity.