Film Review
The Dark Knight
Sure the hype has passed, and being bombarded with reviews from left right and centre isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I assure
you, this movie is no where near peaking it’s fanboy status of legen…wait for it… dary.
Everywhere you look, newspapers, TV, MySpace, even Burger King; The Dark Knight is plastered to it’s surface. The fact that the image of Christian Bale in a bat suit is burnt into the back of my retinas is in no way homoerotic or strange in any way.
Now why is there so much need for this hype? Why does everyone feel the need to blog, film or voice their opinions toward this movie? Well, it’s simple really; because it was a fantastic movie. Well it was either that, or “kill the Batman”.
Now I know what I’d be thinking by now. When are you going to shut up and talk about the movie! Well, my friends, this is your lucky day.
Video
Now I didn’t have the privilege of seeing this movie at IMAX, so i’m just going by the regular filmstrip. I don’t know what there is to be said that everyone else hasn’t already. It’s simply stunning. From the bustling streets of Gotham City to the dark grimy pits of the criminal underworld, everything is shot superbly. Unlike most other superhero movies you really get a feel that this is a living, breathing city. There is no nonsense dealing with he city’s vast overpopulation of criminals, it just feels like any other city. Director, Christopher Nolan, has created such a realistic tone for his revival Batman series that it feels like it’d be a shame to tarnish the fantastic dark depiction of Gotham. 9/10
Audio
Again, this is unlike many other superhero movies, as it hardly feels like one at all. Gone are the days when the only thing you hear is a heroic soundtrack accompanying the hero’s every move. Instead the movie takes a much more natural approach relying on the typical sounds of an urban jungle as stated by the composers themselves.
The “Batman” theme is heard only twice in the film, as Composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard decided that a heroic theme that a viewer could hum would ignore the complexity and darkness of the character. Hearing the tune only twice would create what Zimmer calls “a musical foreshadowing.”
I do have a couple of nitpicks however with the audio. In the opening sequences of the movie, the audio seems too loud and confused. I could hardly hear anything that any of the characters were saying until about 15 minutes in. At first I thought this may have just been me, but after further consultation with other people, I found that this was a common problem that other people shared. 7/10
Cast
Now I think we all know what my first criticisms are when it comes to Christian Bale, so I’ll spare you the hassle of listening to me moan by giving you these words: no, more, stupid, batman, voices.
I think we can all safely say that the star of this show however is the late Heath Ledger. Ledger plays the formidable role as the Joker, and completely captivates the audience by really displaying the antics of a true psychopath. His performance is hauntingly beautiful as Ledgers “nice boy image” will forever be replaced by this dark, sinister character. His smeared makeup and unexplainable scars add to the mystery of the character and considering Ledger sadly passed away before the press could interview and reveal his concept behind the character, it just adds to the eerie sensation that Ledger gave the Joker. Harvey Dent/Two Face (Aaron Eckhart), is a prime example of versatile acting. For a character to go from being a saint to a killer requires real talent, and both villains are fantastically pulled off. 9/10
Plot
Obviously I’m not going to go too in depth about the plot, as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. All I can say is that, despite the movie being a bit too long, the plot ties up nicely, and leaving it open for a sequel was very well executed. Nolan leaves enough time to develop the new characters introduced, but also manages to continue the theme from Batman Begins in which Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has to find out who he is. Even thought it may not have been the most enthralling plot of all time, there is enough chemistry between the characters (especially the Joker and Batman) and action to fill the places. 9/10
Overall
The Dark Knight, has truly lived up to it’s expectations, scoring a 9.3 on IMDB and being the first movie to reach the #1 position in it’s opening week. Batman fanboys are pleased and so are the skeptics, which not many movies can say the same for. Overall this movie gets:
9/10
