Dark Knight
Well, right off the bat, Chris Nolan has certainly improved on Batman Begins. What was a long, sometimes ponderous buildup to a handful of cool Bat-moments in the first one, is now a fire-on-all-cylinders right off the bat action epic. One thing that struck me watching it was just how COMPLEX the story is, how it’s not just good vs. evil but has all kinds of morality issues at different points for different characters. This is both a fault and a benefit: It’s NOT better than Burton’s 89 Batman because Burton kept things focused and simple and let Batman and Joker carry the show with their multitude of psychotic quirks. On the other hand, it IS more intelligent and mature than most of the Marvel Movie drivel we’ve endured over the last few years, while not forgetting to include the cool stuff as well. However, there are times where the editing is not up to snuff and the pacing is overdone, choosing not to show us and follow up on things that have been set up in a scene (why CAN’T we see Joker overpower that cop in the interrogation room? Or what happens after Batman rescues Rachel at the fundraiser?? Did Joker mess with any of the other high society types or did he just turn around and leave???). And then there are the performances: Bale still refuses to play the part of Wayne/Batman showing the instability one would suffer to live such a life as Keaton did, but still has the presence to pull it off nicely; Caine brings his acting chops to the table yet again, despite how seemingly useless Alfred comes across at times, barely lifting a finger to help in his crusade but always there to lend a sympathetic ear; Oldman is vastly improved from his glorified sidekick role in Begins, giving us a Gordon for the ages that is smart, tough, cool, and sympathetic, easily the biggest surprise of the film; Gyllenhaal tries her best to replace the more attractive Katie Holmes, and serves her plot functions well; and Freeman brings some levity to the affair as the real brains behind Wayne’s mission, bringing smoothness and good humor to the film when it needs it most. The top-notch supporting cast features everyone from Eric Roberts to Michael Jai White to Anthony Michael Hall to Tiny “Zeus” Lister (best one-scene bit in the film), and it’s a good thing to see. Finally there are the main villains, who in essence make the film: Eckhart as Two-Face / Harvey Dent gives the performance of his career, taking me off-guard with the depth and decency he brings to Dent, then making me shudder and wince as Two-Face without ever making me lose any empathy for him as a character. Truly a work of beauty from a guy mostly known for pretty-boy roles; FINALLY, there is Ledger, owning the screen every time he’s on and burying almost all memories of Nicholson for eternity. The Joker is smartly portrayed as a crazed anarchist who knows how to manipulate people, whether they be mob bosses or paranoid schizos, and Ledger brings the heat like never before in his cut-short career. In closing, let me just say that the most succinct thing that Nolan brings to the table is in showing the absolute HELL that someone even with the resources of Bruce Wayne must go thru on a daily basis to maintain the lifestyle of being Batman, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual, and that level of intelligence certainly makes it better (and more realistic) than a “fun” film like say, Iron Man…
10/10