The Dark Knight

Last night I FINALLY was able to watch the much-anticipated batman movie at AMC River East 21 near Navy Pier. Even after the first weekend, tickets for shows have been sold out and people have been queueing up for shows a full hour before the movie actually starts. Truly, I have never seen this response to a movie AFTER opening weekend; it's crazy. Luckily, thanks to a great friend of mine I was able to get seats and watch the movie from a good vantage point in the back of the theatre.

The final verdict? This movie just may be the best superhero film I've ever seen. There are moments where it excels beyond the original Tim Burton film, but I hesitate to make direct comparisons because they are so different stylistically (more on that later).

The first thing that separates this movie from its direct predecessor and other superhero films is its scope. Batman's origins have already been established so now this movie can completely focus on Batman fighting crime against his ultimate arch-enemy, the Joker. This inherently makes the movie more of a thrill ride in comparison to Batman Begins, where lengthy flashbacks and slow-paced dialogue in the beginning were necessary to establish the Nolan franchise of Batman movies.

Second, the storywriting is very solid and always leaves you second-guessing yourself. There were so many scenes, including several huge shockers, that I didn't see coming at all. No-one in the movie, except for maybe Batman himself, is safe and thus the tension built in the film is palpable. I could nitpick by saying a few scenes dragged for far too long, but in the end the two-and-a-half hour running time flew by. I especially enjoyed the mass panic scene at the end of the film; it presents an interesting conundrum.

Third, you can't have a great movie without great performances and here is where The Dark Knight really separates itself from other superhero movies. Christian Bale, as always, is a joy to watch. He's the perfect actor to portray Batman and that's really all I can say. My only gripe is that his choice to voice Batman with that gravelly voice started to grate on me towards the end of the film. I had to strain to hear what the hell he was saying during some of his longer monologues. Morgan Freeman as Lucius and Michael Caine as Alfred are solid again, and Alfred shows himself to be a bit of a Machiavellian. Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over for Katie Holmes as Bruce's love interest, Rachel Dawes. Not a lot to say, she's ok in her somewhat limited role. Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face finally clears our minds of the awful Tommy Lee Jones Two-Face from Batman Forever. To watch his rise and fall is one of the best subplots in the film because of its tragic quality.

Of course, everyone's talking about Heath Ledger as Joker. Let me say this upfront: it will be a shame if he is not nominated for an Oscar. Screw sentimentality over his untimely passing, this was a masterful performance by a great actor. He makes the Joker character entirely his own. Heath makes this Joker a man with a brooding psychosis coupled with the abject mania we associate with the comic book character. It laid to rest any doubts I had about Heath Ledger being Joker. Who would have thought after that awful teen film he did in the late 90s that he would blossom into this? It's depressing to think that an actor so talented is gone, but this is one hell of a swan song. RIP Heath Ledger.

This transitions into another topic of interest actually: Is this movie better than the original 1989 Batman film (where the Joker was also the primary antagonist)? To me, it's like comparing apples and oranges and it really depends on how you think Batman should be portrayed. If you prefer a realistic, grittier version where it seems plausible that a billionaire guy can dress up as a bat and fight bizzarre villains, then you will say Dark Knight is better. The Burton film is fantastical at its core and one could argue it captures the spirit of the comics better than the Nolan movies. It has its own unique cinematography and mood, and in this way I prefer it to Dark Knight. Also, comparing Nicholson and Ledger is pointless. As per the mood of "Batman", Nicholson's Joker is more comic. Ledger's is more savagely, brutally mad (he doesn't even do that trademark laugh very often). Each portrayal fits the respective moods of the films and one is not better than the other.

Nevertheless, The Dark Knight is firmly nestled at the top echelon of the summer action movie blockbuster. This is how it's done. It's a complex, dark adrenaline rush from beginning to end and I can't wait to see it again in IMAX.



As an addendum, Chicago has never looked so magnificent onscreen. It's really surreal to see the River, Lower Wacker, the skyline, Navy Pier, and, rather appropriately, corrupt cops and politicians used to stand-in for Gotham. Plenty of films have been filmed in this city, but the fact that they used Chicago as Batman's hometown gives the city a cool factor that The Untouchables or The Sting could never equal.