Movie Review - The Dark Knight

"Why so serious?"

Intro:

The Batman franchise was rekindled with a vengeance in 2005 with Batman Begins, a whole new take on Batman and his origins which was a hit and took out all of the elements of campy, cheesy, Tim Burton feel of the older ones and put in a dark, gritty and more true to life story. Then in 2008 we are treated to one of the most complex, exciting, dark superhero movie to ever cross the big screen.

Story:

Under the increased presence of Batman, Gotham City is a different place with the city's criminal element fearfully avoiding him whenever possible, creating a void that's filled by the new menace called The Joker (Heath Ledger) who targets both the gangsters and the city's law officials alike. When the Joker challenges Batman, threatening to kill a person a day unless he unmasks and gives himself up, the caped crusader and Gotham's new D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) must find a way to deal with this violent new form of killer each in their own way. At the same time, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) must contend with Dent's interest in his childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and his own feelings for her.

What Worked:

Ok, lets get one thing straight, this movie rocks! The cast is perfect. The Joker will get into your mind and scare you, Batman is still the protector of the city, Lt. Gordon has a bigger role this time and is another hero to root for, and the D.A. Harvey Dent is well played in his transformation (we all know who he becomes). The director, Christopher Nolan did well also because he went for character and story over big explosions.

The movie may be call "The Dark Knight" referring to Batman, but this story will leave you remembering The Joker character above all else. As soon as he comes on the screen he will leave an imprint on your mind with his scary laugh, his freaky voice, his scars and make-up. Ledger deserves a Oscar for his complete transformation into the character of The Joker.

Pretty much everything worked which include the story, action, suspense, acting, and score. This movie will require multiple views because the story is long and complex and very interesting.

What Didn't Work:

The only problem I had with the movie was that is got kind of long toward the end, but I still enjoyed it. I mean 150 minutes is a long time to sit down, but it is worth it. Also you might think this is going to be a light superhero movie, but it is not. This is a very dark and grim story filled with scary parts and is not a light movie. I enjoyed it, but leave the kids home.

Conclusion:

Go see the movie and pay attention.

4 stars out of 4

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