The Dark Knight
starring
Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gylenhaal, Morgan
Freeman, Eric Roberts, and Michael Caine
directed by
Christopher Nolan
screenplay by
Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Warner Bros.
(2008)
Brian Singer's X-Men showed us that a superhero movie in the
21st century could be good. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man showed us
what a great one looks like. But Christopher Nolan showed us
something truly iconic. The Dark Knight became the stuff of
legend.
Batman Begins
is a really good origin story,
but that's about all it is, and a movie I have never felt the need to
revisit. Bruce Wayne is showed at his most vulnerable and flawed, and
his rise to becoming Batman is one of the better origin stories in
the superhero genre. The Dark Knight,
however, is where we all knew the story was going to get good.
The movie picks up a couple years after the first one, and Batman has
put the fear of God into every mob boss in Gotham. That's got them
scared--and desperate. Things are so bad that when a maniacal
newcomer calling himself the Joker offers to kill Batman for a hefty
price, they agree. And so begins one of DC's most fabled battles
between good and evil. After seeing this movie three or four times,
I'm convinced that this movie would still be considered a benchmark
in the genre even if Heath Ledger hadn't tragically died in the prime
of his life. Some folks might dismiss the success of this film to
movie-goers wanting to see Ledger's last movie, which I highly
doubt--besides, Doctor Parnassus was his final film.
Christian Bale actually feels like the weak link, if there must be
one in this movie. That exaggerated gruff voice he uses when parading
around as Batman is just ridiculous. I didn't really notice it in the
first film, and didn't mind it the first time I saw this one, but
every time I sit down to re-watch it that voice gets more and more
insufferable. Despite my annoyance with his voice, Bale does a great
job showing the dichotomy Bruce Wayne strives for with the playboy
image and the caped crusader. And Michael Caine as Alfred to play a
foil is about pitch perfect.
I'm sure if I really wanted to, I could dissect this movie and find a
whole bunch of things to find fault in, but I won't. It's just too
much fun to get wrapped up in the story, and unlike too many
superhero movies there is a strong story in The Dark Knight.
Bruce Wayne doesn't want to be Batman anymore; he wants to marry his
sweetheart, and D.A. Harvey Dent looks like a perfect replacement to
take on Gotham's crime bosses. The tragedy of having to stay at arm's
length from the ones you love most so you can protect them is a
poignant bit of storytelling, and Christopher Nolan finds a brilliant
way to tell that story and still keep people enthralled with fights,
chases, and explosions.
I'll let the supergeeks quibble over which superhero movie is the
greatest one of all time. I'm only saying here that The Dark
Knight is one of my favorites.
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