The Dark Knight - Film Review

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Before discussing The Dark Knight as you would ‘any old movie’, it’s important to recognize its place in the Superhero movie genre. Like the western, the musical, the film noir, and horror genres in their respective turns, superhero movies, both comic-based and non, have climbed into the spotlight and are currently basking in the glow of almost certain box office success. Even after trilogies of X-Men and Spiderman, a pair of Fantastic Four movies, a couple of films with Elektra, and twin Punisher films (the second one coming this December), the comic book movie trend has only continued to swell. Most recently, Marvel Comics has given birth to its own film studio and released its first two efforts this summer, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, both to big bucks and above-average reviews. As it gains legitimacy and respectability, star Hollywood players, as well as coveted artistic talents, are being drawn to the genre. Enter Christopher Nolan. The 38 year old mastermind director behind 2000 indie darling Memento, as well as 2002’s deplorably-underrated Insomnia, was given the keys to the Batman franchise and knocked not only comic fans, but general moviegoers alike on their collective ass with Batman Begins in 2005, empowering the still-growing comic book genre in the process. Nolan, along with Christian Bale as Batman and flanked by legends like Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman, delivered the tortured, darkly introspective Batman that fans didn’t-quite-realize they craved, and put their stamp on the now-trite phrase “reboot” by blowing up a bloated, self-serving franchise and rebuilding from the ground up with genuine craft, gut, and emotion. It was such a massive success on every front that industry types have gotten away with a legion of crappy remakes on the coattails of Begins’ landslide buzz. Fast forward to 2008. Nolan has returned with his follow-up: The Dark Knight. I have no qualms stating that it was almost certainly the most anticipated movie, across a broad range of people, I have ever personally witnessed. And yes, I was there opening week for The Phantom Menace. I was at the midnight showings of all three Lord of the Rings films. My sixth sense is that of movie buzz, and The Dark Knight had my senses tingling. But it doesn’t take a genius: look at the earth-shattering box office achievements it accomplished within its first week, fueled by good memories of Batman Begins along with the death of Heath Ledger. But is the movie actually any good? Absolutely! Nolan and Christian Bale both repeatedly expressed an almost-apprehension heading into the filming of The Dark Knight, and both stated in no uncertain terms that there was absolutely no reason for them, as filmmakers, to revisit Batman unless it was to really take it to a new place. And when they said it, you believed them. That is at the very heart of why The Dark Knight is so good. It was made by true artistic threats, proof that sometimes, the good guy does win in the world of big budget Hollywood. You may have already read about the plot; you likely have already seen the movie. And if you haven’t, I’d prefer not to spoil. The Joker, in an electric performance by Heath Ledger, an iconic performance that absolutely should be recognized no matter what one thinks of Ledger’s untimely death, descends upon Gotham City and drags it into a world of violent chaos and terror. The movie floats on the wings of his performance and never lands until you’ve left the theater, processing the sad realization that Ledger can never reprise his take on the most famous of Batman villains. In many ways, The Joker is the central character of the film, as Batman and Aaron Eckhart, joining the fray as District Attorney Harvey Dent, spend most of the film reacting to his psychotic shenanigans. Eckhart’s performance is at times overshadowed by Ledger, but is no less riveting as Dent’s storyline, good enough for its own movie, takes the drama to another level down the stretch. The supporting cast is all there again. Gary Oldman, in particular, has a lot more to do as Jim Gordon this time around, and I’m thankful for it, as Oldman notches another vintage performance in his belt. It remains to be seen if there will be a third Batman film including Nolan and Bale as Batman. And you know what? I’m okay with that, because The Dark Knight isn’t about priming audiences for yet another sequel. It’s about creating a moving portrait of characters. It truly transcends the comic book movie genre. It’s a very real, disturbing tale about a tragic group of people, set in a city like yours. Nolan has propped up a movie based on historically hollow characters, removed the superpowers and blandly shallow nature of “evil”, and replaced them a world full of psychoses, conflicted natures and very plausible, social and economical reasons for crimes and terror. He has liberated a beloved franchise from the gaud and shameless profiteering of its predecessors, culminating in a moving, haunting film that can be taken seriously as not just a “great comic book movie”, but truly “a great movie”. Go see it! C. Patton - ShopForHalloween