It has been years since I have been writing a movie review until someone told me to get myself back into writing months ago. I had lots of movies I enjoyed so much that I can actually write a review in an instant but I couldn't just get the enthusiasm for it until I've seen THE DARK KNIGHT yesterday. I actually had my ticket a week before the scheduled play date...that's how excited I was (and still am for another TDK).
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is relentlessly violent, visionary and intense. I think this is the best superhero movie ever created to date. It even surpasses its predecessor in 2005, the Batman Begins. In many ways the movie in itself shines as a commendable flick.
You can actually tell that TDK is really dark not just from the title itself, which is obvious, but also from the OBB. Nolan deserves much credit for rendering Gotham City (Chicago) in darker hues with a splash of blue tone to complete the feel. Gotham here has a pulse, you can actually sense that something gone wrong inside it. The musical scoring by Hans Zimmer is absolutely stunning as well. His music carries the visual along and makes it more unforgettable. Personally, I think there is something in his music that is really beautiful on its own merit. It blends well with the movie where every note is nerve-cracking as it intensifies whatever feelings you are into at a particular scene. It is brilliant in its usage and witty in its timing.
The casting is great except for choosing Maggie Gyllenhaal as replacement for Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes (personally, I don't think neither of them encapsulates Rachel Dawes' character). Nonetheless, everyone does a great job with his /her role and no single one of them brings the show down. I think it all comes down to how well-written the script is. TDK's actually defines every character in the movie -- Batman/Bruce Wayne, Joker, Harvey Dent and Commissioner Gordon. Without a doubt, the script is well-written, unblemished, masterful and drives the movie throughout. It doesn't even have to depend on the action scenes or special effects to carry it forward.
Another thing you can look forward to in this film is the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of Batman's archenemy, the Joker. He is intoxicating as he delivers his lines in unnerving midwestern twang, frightening through his expressions, and hilarious in his body language. He owns Joker, or shall I say Joker owns him because you simply cannot fathom where Ledger is in the character but only the villain, twisted...hideous behind his smile. For me, Ledger deserves to win Oscars posthumously not just out of sympathy for his passing but simply because of his outstanding performance...it is really way over the top. Moreover, it has been years since we have such great acting in line with Hannibal Lecter. (Kudos to Heath!) 
Overshadowed by the Joker but still showed breathtaking performance is Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. He was the new Distirct Attorney of Gotham and considered as their White Knight. Dent brings another dimension to the conflict between Batman and Joker.... the good and evil. His transformation is horrible but I applaud how he turned out to be Two-face....the prosthetics and effects are just awesome.
There are also lots of lines that I really like from this movie. One of which is Joker's as he goes "I don't want to kill you; you complete me." From here, you can actually reflect on what is the truest nature of evil?
Over-all, The Dark Knight has everything going for it from the deep character development to impressive Bat-gadgets and vehicles; best acting performances to astonishing action sequences and special effects; great clothing and design to superb musical scoring what else could you ask for more? This is one of the best directions I've ever seen in a long time. In fact, this movie moved me into reading comic books.
A must-see movie!
Posts
