Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures					The Dark Knight
In 2005, Christopher Nolan rejuvenated the entire Batman franchise with his tale of the Caped Crusader’s origins in Batman Begins.  It was dark.  It was gritty.  It exposed Burton’s 1989 film as the farce it was.  Batman fans ate it up.  Nolan’s version left us wanting more.  Three years later, Nolan is finally ready to satiate our appetites with his sequel, The Dark Knight, at an IMAX theater near you.  Without question, this is a dark film.  It’s the darkest Batman film ever made.  Morals are challenged.  Characters die.  No one is left with a happy ending.  Even though the film delves into the philosophy of Batman’s ambiguity as he protects his beloved crime-laden city (and a few copycat vigilantes) from Gotham’s usual assortment of thugs, don’t let the title fool you.  The Dark Knight isn’t about Batman.  It never will be.  Forget Two-face.  Forget the Bat-pod.  Forget IMAX.  Forget every other role Heath Ledger has ever played.  Every aspect of this film is overshadowed by Batman’s biggest enemy and the actor who portrayed him.  The minute Ledger died of a drug overdose (two months after filming was completed), The Dark Knight became his movie.  It was Ledger’s next to last performance (the last being The Imaginarium of Doctor Parmassus), and we were obsessed.
The Dark Knight opens with the Joker double-crossing his own clown posse of henchmen during their heist of a mob owned bank.  Pissed about the Joker’s little stunt, the mobsters retaliate by wreaking havoc on Gotham City.  So much so in fact that Batman (Christian Bale) and Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) team up with District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to help them get the gangsters back under control.			Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The Joker quickly offers to redeem himself to the mobsters by offering to “kill the Batman” in return for half their money.  For some reason, the mobsters agree.  That’s when the Joker initiates a series of insanely elaborate games in which he taunts gangsters, murders do-gooders, plays God with passenger boats, and burns stacks of money for his own amusement.  Of course, the most tragic of the Joker’s games ends with the transformation of Harvey Dent into Two-Face, and the death of another character.  For the first time in the cinematic history of the franchise, Batman’s most iconic enemy finally becomes the villain he was meant to be.  The Joker in The Dark Knight is as far removed from Cesar Romero’s campy prankster in the 1966 Batman TV series as you can possibly get.  Nor, is he anything like the smarmy chucklehead played by Jack Nicholson in the 1989 Batman film.  Ledger’s version will make you forget either one of those two clowns ever existed.  Gotham definitely needed a better class of criminal, and Heath Ledger gave it to them.  The Joker in The Dark Knight is evil, twisted, and extremely methodical.  He doesn’t just teeter between genius and insanity.  This Joker has one foot firmly planted in each realm.  He isn’t satisfied with sitting back and watching the world burn.  He wants to be the one who lights the match so he can dance in the flames.  This Joker’s only goal is chaos…and lots of it.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures		Ledger’s portrayal of Gotham’s whimsical madman is nothing short of brilliant.  He owns this role.  Every cackle, every swagger, every smack of the lips, every vocal inflection Heath Ledger delivers onscreen as the Joker leaves you wanting more.  His performance is so compelling because he breathes new life into this old familiar character and gives the Joker a depth that audiences have never seen before.
As for the rest of the film, it has its good and bad points.  What’s good is the visual impact of the action sequences in The Dark Knight, especially if you view it in IMAX.  The enlarged image and closer proximity to the screen that an IMAX theater offers is more likely to engage audiences than the rinky-dink screen of the local Cineplex, whose comfortable distance had me nodding off when the action hit a lull.  Another problem is how the plot seems to be overshadowed by all the philosophical conflicts in the movie.  Usually, I’m all for contemplation and character depth; but, there were times when it seemed like Nolan allowed the film to wallow in the depths of Bruce Wayne’s personal turmoil a little too long.  One minute you’re bottoming out with the Caped Crusader in one of his personal dilemmas, the next minute you’re in the middle of a chase scene wondering how in the hell you became as lost as the conflicted characters themselves.  Overall, The Dark Knight won’t disappoint its core audience of fans.  If you liked Batman Begins, you’ll love the sequel.  The characters are well developed, the acting is fantastic, and the cinematography is stunning.  Just prepare yourself for one hell of a gloomy return trip to the darkness of Batman’s world.  There’s a reason why Gotham City is drenched in noir shadows.  It’s the ambiguity lurking in the noir shadows that defines its inhabitants, be it a bat, a clown, or a two-faced attorney.
Sadly, the film’s biggest asset is also its greatest downfall.  Heath Ledger is by far the best Joker to ever hit the big screen; yet, it’s a role he will never reprise.  No matter how many internal struggles Batman faces, The Dark Knight will never be about him.  This is Ledger’s film.  He’s the one who died a tragic hero before he could see the ultimate villain he became.  The last maniacal laugh is his, and it’s enough to make you cry.				Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
© Kelly Bartley 2008
Release Date:	July 18, 2008 (wide)
Running Time:	2 hours 30 minutes
MPAA Rating:	PG-13 (violence)
Distributor:	Warner Bros. Pictures