Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight has been touted as the best superhero movie ever made, but I have my doubts. For one, it is as dark as Tim Burton's Batman and it has too many plot holes - like the ease by which the Joker can plant bombs under the police noses. This movie tries hard to depict the mood of post-911 where vigilantes are encouraged but not respected. People of action are needed but not appreciated. The Joker is depicted as a terrorist in the mold of Osama bin Laden.

In this movie, Batman seems to have taken the backseat for Heath Ledger's career defining performance of the Joker and the newly elected District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). With his makeup, Heath looks eerily like Jack Nicholson in the Joker makeup. Due to Ledger's commanding performance, the Dark Knight is a dark, bleak movie - absent of the lighter moments that can make or break movies of this genre. The few jokes there are in the Dark Knight are obscure, in-jokes only a true fan can appreciate. Quite frankly, I prefer superheroes to be strong and capable. In this movie, Batman seems to be weak and helpless most of the time. If this trend continues, such downbeat superhero movies will lose its mass appeal and cater to only for a small section of the market.

Storyline:
After the fall of arch criminal, Carmine Falcone, DC Comics Superhero, Batman (Christian Bale) joins forces with Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldham) to break up the remaining crime lords of Gotham City. However, someone is killing the heads of the criminal organizations one by one. Enter the Dark Knight's greatest nemesis, the Joker (Heath Ledger). Australian actor, Heath Ledger who did extensive research and preparation for the role in which he described the Joker as a "psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy".
Unlike the earlier Batman vs the Joker movies, this time there is no pool of chemicals to explain how the Joker became this rising wisecracking fiend with an eerie grin whose often quoted tag line is the disturbing poser: "Why So Serious?" The Joker's idea of fun is seeing heads roll in Gotham City with the ensuing chaos and ruin.

Cast Performance:
Christian Bale reprises his role as the Dark Knight, reportedly doing all his stunts this time. Heath Ledger does his big screen swan song as the equally ill-fated deeply disturbed Joker. Expect sparks to fly as the the Dark Knight confronts on the maniacal Joker. Oscar nominee of Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, anti-anxiety pills and sleeping pills on 23 January 2008.

Production Values: The Dark Knight movie is based on Frank Miller's comic book "Batman, The Long Halloween" with Christopher Nolan retaining his Director's chair.

What can you expect from the Dark Knight?

• New batsuit redesigned to allow better head and body movement
• New bat mobile and bat bike for Bruce Wayne
• Lots of magnificent action sequences many of which are filmed with the IMAX camera for the IMAX super big screen experience.
• magnificent sets particularly the Gotham cityscape
  

The Dark Knight - Not Suitable for Children under 13 years:

The Dark Knight is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace.

Although rated PG-13, this movie has all the elements of an R-rated movie particularly issues of justice vs. revenge and murder and therefore not really suitable for children under 13 years old. The Dark Knight may be too intense for children as it is much like the graphic comic book - violent, and often times, just too dark and scary. While there is no gore, you have scenes of torture and strong violence like a man stitching his own wound, thrusting a pencil into another person's eye, stabbing peoples' faces with knives, animal cruelty etc. The menacing look and behavior of the Joker himself (with his self-mutilated mouth wound) will scare many young kids. In addition, there is lots of cursing and bad language.

Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenwriter: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Runtime: 2 hrs 32 mins
Studio: Warner Brothers

© http://goingtomovies.blogspot - the dark knight (2008)