Throughout cinematic history an exclusive number of films have set the "gold standard" for their particular genres. They break new ground and draw the blueprints for the next decade of films. "Citizen Kane" redesigned the American drama in 1941, and "Rocky" winning the 1976 Best Picture Academy Award forever uped the ante for sports films. The Old Testament for special effects and science fiction was produced in 1977 with "Star Wars" followed 22 years later by the New Testement, "The Matrix."
As for the birth of the comic book genre, it began in 1978 with "Superman: The Movie" directed by Richard Donner. Of course comic book films had been produced before 1978, but the "Star Wars" revolution made it possible to bring the characters to life, super powers fully in-tact. Flash forward to 1989, "Batman" directed by Tim Burton redefined the genre again by giving a legendary character a more real-world look and orchestrated a more serious tone for how future comic book films would be approached.
The summer of 2008 has introduced the latest mile marker for the genre with "The Dark Knight," sequel to the 2005 reboot "Batman Begins." Not only does "The Dark Knight" triumph over its series originator, which many critics and fans already believe to be the pinnacle for comic book movies, but it now also stands alone in a brazen and unprecedented category.
As for the birth of the comic book genre, it began in 1978 with "Superman: The Movie" directed by Richard Donner. Of course comic book films had been produced before 1978, but the "Star Wars" revolution made it possible to bring the characters to life, super powers fully in-tact. Flash forward to 1989, "Batman" directed by Tim Burton redefined the genre again by giving a legendary character a more real-world look and orchestrated a more serious tone for how future comic book films would be approached.
The summer of 2008 has introduced the latest mile marker for the genre with "The Dark Knight," sequel to the 2005 reboot "Batman Begins." Not only does "The Dark Knight" triumph over its series originator, which many critics and fans already believe to be the pinnacle for comic book movies, but it now also stands alone in a brazen and unprecedented category.
"The Dark Knight" picks up just about were "Batman Begins" left off. Batman’s (Christian Bale, "Batman Begins") vigilante acts have not only inspired copycat heroes with shotguns, but also a new and horrific class of criminal. Enter The Joker (Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"). The Joker is unlike any villain Gotham City has ever seen. He commits heinous crimes more for their sheer pleasure than for a monetary reward. In trying to combat the Joker, Batman teams up with Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman, "Batman Begins") and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart, "Thank You for Smoking"). Dent, who is looked at as Gotham’s "white knight," has made it his life's work trying to rid Gotham of organized crime. Batman sees Dent as his chance to hand over the reigns to Gotham and possibly have a normal life as Bruce Wayne. However, the Joker has other plans for Batman, as he does not like the prospect of his “most fun” adversary retiring.
Great acting usually stems from great writing, however with "The Dark Knight" it's the script that takes a back seat in the tremendous shadow caste by the actors’ incredible performances. First and foremost is the absolute and encompassing genius portrayal of The Joker by Heath Ledger. The insurmountable hype of this performance did not even begin to scrape the surface of just how amazing Ledger was in this film. Even more impressive was that the late actor had to first overcome the legendary Jack Nicholson, whose 1989 vision of The Joker in "Batman" was the industry standard for the past 19 years. The most important and powerful difference between Nicholson's and Ledger's work with the character is that in 1989 audiences watched Jack Nicholson as The Joker. In 2008, the presentation is The Joker played by Heath Ledger. No doubt that Nicholson was great in the role, however the viewer never lost site that it was indeed Jack Nicholson on screen. Not just due to his fame, but because Nicholson naturally adds a part of his personality into all of his roles. Conversely, when The Joker appears in "The Dark Knight," there is absolutely no sign of Heath Ledger. The Joker is all consuming, not a trace of Ledger’s personality or past performances can be identified. It’s obvious Ledger went to a very deep and dark place for this character. Everything from his mannerisms to his voice and facial expressions were unbelievably captivating. No viewer’s eyes were capable of leaving the screen for even a nanosecond when Ledger’s Joker was in action. He was sadistic, psychopathic, cunning and even funny all at the same time. If the late Heath Ledger does not receive at least an Oscar nomination for this role, it will be a greater injustice than even The Joker himself could commit.
All of the other performances, including Christian Bale’s Batman, are somewhat overshadowed by Ledger. However they are nowhere near forgettable. Bale does a fantastic job showing the duality of Bruce Wayne and Batman even more so than in the previous film. Gary Oldman and Michael Caine are once again perfect fits as Lieutenant/Commissioner Gordon and Alfred. And maybe a little lost in the shuffle is Aaron Eckhart’s disturbing role as Harvey “Two Face” Dent. Eckhart, already critically acclaimed for his roles in "Thank You For Smoking" and "In the Company of Men," realistically portrays a champion of justice systematically broken down, plummeting into a pit of madness.
And it’s not just the main characters, or even the secondary characters who excel in this film. "The Dark Knight" has an unusual amount of extraordinary bit parts, which are sprayed like gunfire throughout the film. Actors like Michael Jai White ("Spawn"), Eric Roberts ("Heroes"), and Tommy Lister ("Friday") are usually part of supporting casts, however they may have achieved some of the best work of their careers in these diminutive, but memorable roles.
If "The Dark Knight" were scored as an SAT test it would probably score a 1590. Unfortunately the only thing keeping it from perfection was suppose to be an upgrade from "Batman Begins." Maggie Gyllenhaal took over the part of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes. Gyllenhaal received much praise for roles in films like "Secretary" and "SherryBaby," but for some reason she fell extremely flat in "The Dark Knight." Gyllenhaal was like an out-of-tune instrument in a Beethoven symphony. Her lines sounded as if she was reading them off a prompter, and not for a second was she ever “believable” in Batman’s world.
"The Dark Knight" is the closest 1:1 version of a mainstream comic book ever turned into a movie. It’s also the first comic book film that is being talked about in the same breath with the Best Picture Academy Award. Not because of its special effects, big action sequences or great costumes, but simply because of the unmatched performances that outlined the third dimension of these immortal characters.
Acting: 9.5
Writing: 9.5
Directing/Editing: 9.5
Captivation: 10
Replay Value: 9.0
Total Score: 9.5
Acting: 9.5
Writing: 9.5
Directing/Editing: 9.5
Captivation: 10
Replay Value: 9.0
Total Score: 9.5
