Memento director Chris Nolan saved the caped crusader franchise with 2005's Batman Begins and here's his gloomier, meaner sequel.
Playboy Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is struggling to maintain his dual identity while teaming up with District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Police Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) to do battle with disfigured terrorist The Joker (Heath Ledger).
The Dark Knight needs no more talking up. Even Bin Laden's coming out of hiding to watch it.
They say:
Variety: “A thunderbolt is about to rip into the blanket of bland we call summer movies.”
Rolling Stone: “Soars on the wings of untamed imagination.”
New Yorker: “This movie is grim and jammed together.”
We say:
After watching The Dark Knight you may find yourself flitting between two emotions. First there's triumph as you realise Chris Nolan has surpassed even your bravest expectations - finally a summer blockbuster that surpasses all the hype jammed in our faces since January. Then there's tragedy that this is the first and last time you will ever see Heath Ledger's incredible portrayal of The Joker.
Ledger has embraced the intelligence and conscience free sadism of the character like no actor before him (sorry Jack, but this is the guy). Even sporting a campy wardrobe and make up (”Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stranger”), this is a villain so terrifyingly believable he imprints a lasting fear on your psyche.
Most telling of all, Ledger’s Joker is funny. He's a laugh out loud hoot - but, and this is important, only when he wants to be.
The Joker’s unpredictable deeds shape The Dark Knight from its opening scene, yet the story is not about him as such. The central plot focuses more on Harvey Dent, the charismatic District Attorney who strides into the spotlight as the acceptable face of Batman's vigilante violence, only to suffer horribly for his idealism.
As Two Face's persona takes hold, Eckhart can't grasp the role as tightly as he could the crusading DA. The grotesqueness of his injuries could be partly to blame - he sometimes resembles the cab driving zombie from Ghostbusters. Thankfully Two Face spends much of his final moments in the shadows, allowing you to stay serious (this is a very serious film) and keep down your lunch.
For the sake of Harvey's arc, Batman himself is employed more as a metaphor than a straightforward hero figure. The Gotham citizens appreciate he has reduced crime in their city, but now realise he’s attracted an even nastier breed of foe keen to take over. First The Joker, who's next? The Penquin? The Riddler? Possibly Hugo Strange if you add up the clues in the third act.
Christian Bale is a strong enough performer not to mind taking a back seat in this one. Instead we have impeccable turns from Caine, Gyllenhaal and, in particular, Gary Oldman - fiery, yet toning down his usual incendiaries to make Gordon DK’s most human centre.
Nolan's visual approach is faultless. Scope and design are both beautifully executed, while he handles the crowded action sequences with panache. The frankly wicked Batpod could have looked like a superhero's hooligan mobile, but instead it's so cool even a six-foot bat doesn't appear daft riding it. We want one. Best of all, with Nolan's fluid direction we get to linger over all of Batman's wonderful toys - well for at least as long as it takes him to break them anyway.
So far removed from Tim Burton's Gothic histrionics and Joel Schumacher’s borderline offensive bastarisation, Nolan treats the concept of a rich socialite protecting the streets in an armour plated batsuit entirely seriously. He has, if anything, become even more sincere with Begins. His grimly enticing sequel most closely resembles the murky tone of excellent Batman animated feature Mask of the Phantasm.
Even though The Dark Knight carries considerable bulk it doesn't lag unduly (a somewhat random barge face off in the last act twitches the cheeks a tad). The plot occasionally feels like a raft of mini movies strung together, but this is less of a concern when the focus shifts back to its principal players.
Then the amount of time spent on The Joker's rise to power quickly makes sense. This is, lest we forget, the re-birth of Batman's ultimate nemesis, whether we ever get to see him again or not. Actually, following a supremely vicious trick involving a pencil and some poor fella's nose, the local mafia don't like the crazy clown much either.
Make no mistake about it, The Dark Knight is an epic crime picture - truly we're talking The Big Sleep, White Heat, Once Upon a Time in America, all the greats. Nolan has painted a richly vivid landscape of death and iniquity. The view is breathtaking.
CAST
Christian Bale
Michael Caine
Heath Ledger
Gary Oldman
Maggie Gyllenhaal
DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan
TIME
152 mins
POSTED...
Sun 20 Jul at 10:07pm
