Judging from the trailer alone, expect a posthumous Oscar nomination for Heath Ledger as maniacal one-man crime wave, The Joker, in Christopher Nolan's edgy adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel that introduced a newer, darker Batman into the superhero universe. In this sequel to Nolan's Batman Begins, Christian Bale returns as the Caped Crusader, struggling not to be drawn to deeply into his nemesis' psychological web. Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine co-star.
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Director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to 2005's "Batman Begins" is a haunting jewel; a lush, big-screen adventure rife with believable characters, eye-popping special effects and, most importantly, a perfectly executed story filled with moral dilemmas that shake you to the core. Much like "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" illuminated the relentless, unstoppable trajectory of evil, "The Dark Knight" is an effective portrait of fractured souls, their broken moral compass, and the havoc they ultimately wreak.
Nolan, who also serves as producer and writer, can be commended for many things in this outing. His writing is sharp and his attention to details is noteworthy. But it's his ability to so beautifully cast a creative line out into deeper psychological waters--and keep his audience hooked in his story's powerful current--that becomes his crowning achievement.
There is much to relish in "The Dark Knight." At the top of the list: Heath Ledger.
In an Oscar-worthy performance that will certainly be remembered as one of if not the best roles the late actor ever took on, Ledger simply commands the screen. He so embodies the role of The Joker, Batman's arch villain, you forget you're watching an actor. (He'll have you at "Why so serious?") It's a stunning testament to Ledger's brilliance and, at times, when you're able to remember you're watching a movie, it's downright bittersweet--you can't help but wonder what more was simmering beneath the surface; what more could have come to life had the actor not met his untimely death earlier this year.
Ledger's Joker is a mischievous beast here, but the role is never played over the top. To Nolan's credit, he steers away from exposing The Joker's backstory--things are only hinted at through dialogue. Instead, he focuses on the rise of The Joker and the effects it has on Batman and Gotham City. It's one of the only things readers really need to know before going into this adventure except, perhaps, that The Joker is responsible for roping in some of Gotham's fiercest mob forces. Their collective mission: Bring down "the Batman."
Christian Bale, who so believingly morphed into billionaire Bruce Wayne/Batman in 2005's revival film, surpasses expectations here, offering a grounded performance filled with brooding intensity.
Overall, there's more at stake in "The Dark Knight"--for Batman, for Gotham, for everybody. The final scenes of "Batman Begins" hint at this. If Batman were to really go after the city's crime cartels, annihilating their interests, it would certainly provoke even greater response from the criminal community. That certainly has transpired since we last tuned in and Nolan shows us how Batman's very existence has altered Gotham---and sometimes not for the better.
With all this going on, there are some bright lights in Gotham, most notably District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart in a powerful turn), who is bent on saving the city from crime. Dent also happens to be in a relationship with Rachel Dawes, Bruce Wayne's long-time friend and former lover--Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over the role from Katie Holmes and plays it to winning ends. Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), now the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, return as Batman's allies.
As the film unfolds, most players hit a moral fork in the road. Some go the right way, others, particularly Eckhart's Harvey Dent, drown in darker waters--in the film's third act, Dent has transformed into the villain, Two-Face. (Eckhart shines in this transformation.)
Nolan's film may be a sumptuous, mindbending opera that never lets up, but behind the scenes, there's quite a bit that registers high on the Geek Meter, too.
For starters, it marks the first time that a major feature film has been even partially shot using IMAX cameras--the IMAX Experience appears in IMAX DMR (letterbox), and scenes shot with IMAX cameras on 15/70mm film will expand vertically to fill the entire IMAX screen. That certainly won't hurt ticket sales on opening weekend.
There's also a new Batsuit--don't worry, no nipples. It's comprised of 110 separate pieces. The base layer of the suit was created with a polyester mesh material. Several individually
molded pieces of flexible urethane were attached to the mesh for offer some armor plating. And, while the Batmobile is back, fans of the franchise may get a real kick out of the Bat-Pod in this outing--it boasts 40mm blast cannons, 50-caliber machine guns, and grappling hook launchers.
Expect to be impressed by many of the action sequences in "The Dark Knight" as well--Nolan creates some of most exquisite eye candy of the year.
And while it's the believable interplay between all players in "The Dark Knight" that create a rich, emotional tapestry worthy of our investment, Nolan gives his audience something else to walk away with. It's a moral headscratcher, and one that finds us looking within; something that makes us question what we would really do should evil's seamless, unstoppable path of destruction ever came knocking on our door.
Cool, formidable Christian Bale returns as conflicted superhero Batman in Christopher Nolan's violent, intense urban melodrama. An ambiguous figure praised by some, as a hero and deterrent to crime, but reviled by others as an amok vigilante whose high profile coaxes ever crazier whack-jobs out of the woodwork, this is a Batman is at war with his own methods. Nolan's complicated narrative is burdened with some incomprehensible action sequences, and too full of noisy battles, roaring engines and swelling music that all drown out the dialogue. None of which matters when the irreplaceable Heath Ledger shows up as The Joker. Ledger is pure rampaging id, perversion personified. Every frame he's onscreen is breathtaking, a free-fall plunge into a turbulent psyche as compelling as it is repellent. It's also an insanely funny performance, not to be missed. See it now. See it big.
The most thrilling, cogent, and impressive treatise on the War on Terror to be released yet. While the James Bondishness of Nolan's Batman is a treat to watch, it's really the thematic underbelly of his series, with its notions of how to deal with fear, and the seductive (and effective) quality totalitarian control offers, that makes these movies such powerful zeitgeist.
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