It's The Godfather of comic book & superhero films

Come here. Hey! Look at me. So I had a wife, beautiful, like you, who tells me I worry too much. Who tells me I ought to smile more. Who gambles and gets in deep with the sharks... look at me! One day, they carve her face. And we have no money for surgeries. She can't take it. I just want to see her smile again, hmm? I just want her to know that I don't care about the scars. So . . . I stick a razor in my mouth and do this . . . to myself. And you know what? She can't stand the sight of me! She leaves. Now I see the funny side. Now I'm always smiling!

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller

Running time: 152 minutes

My review:

Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent are forced to deal with the chaos unleashed by an anarchist mastermind known only as the Joker, as it drives each of them to their limits.

The Dark Knight is an absolutely phenomenal film. It is a film that I am sure that everybody loves or likes. Everyone I have spoken to so far have said its awesome. It is a masterpiece of comic book films. It is stated to be The Godfather: Part II of comic book adaptations and I agree with that 100%. The Dark Knight is an exciting action packed thrill ride that every single scene in the whole film is just amazing. I knew that this film was going to be one of my favourite films ever because I was deeply fascinated by everything about it like watching videos like trailers, interviews etc. I also looked on how they filmed it. Not many films have ever brought that to my attention before. I can only think of The Dark Knight, Sweeney Todd, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King and Forrest Gump. To me, those three films are the perfect films. I loved the characters within The Dark Knight and how well it was filmed. There will never be any better Batman film and maybe not even better comic book film neither. It is the intense action that kept me glued to this film from start to finish. It was action that looked so realistic and made me feel really great because that sort of action has never really been seen properly in a Batman film before. It did in Batman Begins but not as much intense action as The Dark Knight. This film was slightly like a remake of Tim Burtons Batman (1989) not only because of Batman vs. the Joker but because it involves Harvey Dent again and also because of the similar technology used but The Dark Knight is better and better adapted together.

The acting was awesome from the whole cast. Christian Bale delivers a better performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman because Christian made a slightly newer Batman because it is more of a darker one because of how he saves people and gets rid of the criminals. Christian is a really good example for Batman in this film because he is still a young Batman whereas Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney have been slightly older Batmans. Christian is still the best Batman actor so far because as I have said that he makes Bruce a really personal and troubled character more than the other three actors have in the previous films. The performance from the late Heath Ledger was absolutely phenomenal because Ledger makes the Joker his very own character and makes Jacks Joker worth a Razzie nomination than an Oscar one. But Ledgers Joker is a completely different Joker. Jacks is more comical and is more suitable for Tim Burton and comic book adaptations. But Heaths is more of a serious Joker because Heaths Joker is a very mysterious character that nobody knows why he is the way he is. Heath makes the Joker a twisted character that is ruthless and doesnt care who or what he kills. Jacks Joker was to kill people for like revenge because of what happened to him but Heaths is like he does it for pleasure which is why I find both Heaths performance and Heaths Joker character better. It is quite bizarre at the start because Heath was only 27 or 28 years old during filming of The Dark Knight and he was underestimated at first because he was so young and he had never portrayed a villain before in his young career neither. He is the youngest actor to have portrayed the Joker after Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson. Heaths make-up, costume and voice is very different compared to the previous Jokers. At first, I thought how can Heath produce a voice with a soft yet psychotic voice when he has a very very deep booming voice himself. But I underestimated myself and proved myself wrong. I was fascinated by Heaths ambition for the Joker because he wanted to make the Joker a powerful character in which he did. It was a damn shame that he passed away before this film was released because I know how proud he would have been of himself as the Joker. His death was because of an accidental drug overdose. I think it was sleeping pills because he couldnt sleep because the Joker was a dark character. It sort of seemed like the Joker killed Heath Ledger. I dont mean that in a nasty way but it just seems like that because of the drugs he was using. Heaths performance is definitely on the list for greatest film villains of all time and most importantly he will probably be a nominee and will probably win an Academy Award for his portrayal of the Joker. I really hope he does win the Oscar because he deserves it! I have to call Heath Ledgers Joker my all-time favourite movie character not because of Heath Ledgers passing but because I just thought the character was so powerful and new from the original Jokers. The Joker is one of the reasons why I think that villain characters are more powerful than hero characters. I basically loved everything about it: voice, appearance, personality and what he does because it is such a powerful character than is a fearful character that not many actors can do with characters. Others are Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs, Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men, Norman Bates in Psycho and Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Heath Ledgers performance as the Joker is in my opinion the best performance by a supporting actor. Also, Heath Ledger is one of my all-time favourite actors not because he died and have to feel sympathy for him but because he was an extremely rare talent who can portray all sorts of different types of characters. I didnt just like his performance in this film but I loved his performance as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain too. Heath will earn Oscar and Golden Globe in this film as the Joker I can guarantee. I think it is because of Heath Ledger, this film is so successful and is more sucessful than it probably would have been if Heath Ledger was still alive. Because of this film, I do find it overrated but a damn good reason though. This is Heaths film and he deserves pretty much all the credit for the acting. This is one of his films that we were all waiting a very long time for. R.I.P. Heath Ledger. Who can hate Michael Caine? He is really good again as Alfred with a great supporting performance. I liked Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman in this film as Gordon and Lucius Fox. Aaron Eckharts performance as District Attorney Harvey Dent is absolutely brilliant. His performance is second best after Heath Ledger obviously. He made Harvey a true hero who then becomes tortured and becomes Two-Face after something happens. His performance is probably far better than Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever. Maggie Gyllenhaal was a better choice for Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes because it felt like Maggie really tried as Rachel but like Katie didnt try at all.

The direction was absolutely superb from the great Christopher Nolan. He brings together a film that has become very different compared to the other Batman films but has made a big difference in comic book adaptations. His camera angles were outstanding in this film. My favourite direction scene from Nolan is when Joker crashes the party and he walks towards Rachel and walks around her. It is like the camera is following the Joker around but then spins around in circles. When the Joker is telling Rachel the story of how he got the scars on his face, the camera goes round in circles but unexpectedly stops at a great moment. It is like Nolan wants us to feel the chemistry and tension between all of the characters. The script was really awesome. It was cleverly adapted and was very new for a Batman film and was very creative.

This film was different compared to every other Batman film because it reveals Batmans true colours and what his main purpose is and also how he might be only used in Gotham to get rid of crime within the city. It followed at the exact end of Batman Begins but I have to say that I dont think the Scarecrow reappearance was that revelant because we all knew that it was going to be the Joker in this one so werent expecting the Scarecrow in it again. It is darker than Batman Begins which is why I liked The Dark Knight.

The chemistry between Batman and the Joker was absolutely fantastic in this film which is why I have to say that Christian Bale and Heath Ledgers partnership in this film is one of my favourite partnerships of all time. It is quite strange really because both Bale and Ledger are young hunky men and it is a very powerful and quality ensemble of acting when they are in scenes together which makes it very different compared to Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton. I liked Harvey Dents relationship with Rachel because I found that they were partners with a good combination but I have to say I couldnt really feel the love between them as I didnt between Rachel and Bruce neither. I liked the chemistry between the Joker and Harvey Dent too because they form a rivalry really cleverly even though they dont appear in many scenes together. Especially when Harvey becomes Two-Face.

This film was quite violent because of the Jokers threatening attitudes with his knife and how he kills his victims. It is all realistic violence. It was mostly blood violence that was involved in this masterpiece.

The sound effects were absolutely brilliant. It was very loud in the cinema and was exactly accurate as far as getting the sound at the correct moments is concerned. The costumes were really good. It seemed like Batman had a new suit in this one because the suit aswell as the Batman voice seemed very different compared to Batman Begins. The best costume is obviously the Jokers. The make-up is absolutely outstanding too. The Jokers make-up is superb aswell as Batmans but the best is the make-up on Two-Face because it looked like a real face that is half missing so to speak. It is partly computer aswell but it is make up too because of the colorful injuries that Harvey had.

The Academy Awards havent come yet but I think that it will be nominated for either Best Leading Actor or Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger as the Joker, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Adapted Screenplay for Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, Best Sound Mixing and Editing, Best Make-Up and Best Music Score. It may be lucky if it earns Best Picture.

This is my favourite Nolan film. He hasnt done one bad film yet. I do love Batman Begins and The Prestige but I do really like Memento and Insomnia. Its my favourite film from everyone in the cast. It is in my opinion the best action film ever made. The Dark Knight isnt a superhero film, it is THE superhero film which makes it the greatest superhero film ever made. It is the Godfather of comic book films. It is the best film of 2008 so far. It will probably be my favourite film of 2008. It is one of my all-time favourite films and one of the three perfect films for me which are The Dark Knight, Forrest Gump and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street which are and hopefull always will be my top 3 films of all time. There will never be any better superhero film than The Dark Knight and there wont be any better Christopher Nolan film neither than The Dark Knight. Masterpiece!!!

10/10

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Added by SJMJ 11 months ago on 29 November 2008 08:00