Making up for the embarrassment of the likes of the 1997 flop “Batman and Robin,” director Christopher Nolan set the stage with his 2005 smash “Batman Begins,” and then he blew it up with “The Dark Knight,” which broke a single-day record at the box office its opening weekend.
It the being heralded as the best Batman movie ever, and that is not just a bunch of talk.
“Dark Knight” pits the caped crusader up against one of the most infamous villains he has ever had – the Joker.
The deceased Heath Ledger played the maniacal clown wrecking havoc on Gotham City, but don’t let Ledger’s death be the reason to praise his performance.
Doing so would be insulting.
Ledger played the role phenomenally.
One could easily get lost in the character and forget it was even him, which should be hard to do due to the publicity of his untimely death.
That’s not the case at all, though.
Ledger’s performance was most definitely Oscar worthy, so all the speculation about him getting an Oscar posthumously is no surprise.
The same discussion would be going of if he were still alive.
Ledger had the Joker character down to an art. With every eyebrow raise or tongue wag, Ledger made the audience believe he was in fact a crazed made man bent on causing mayhem.
However, Ledger isn’t the only actor worth noting, especially since nearly all the cast members from “Batman Begins” return with the exception of Katie Holmes.
Replacing Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal to play the role of Rachel Dawes was an intelligent move.
Though Gyllenhaal is attractive, Holmes beats her in the looks category.
That’s all fine and well, but Holmes couldn’t act anywhere near as well as Gyllenhaal.
The casting switch was a positive move.
Christian Bale once again took command of his character and took delivered a flawless performance as both Bruce Wayne and Batman.
Not since Michael Keaton in 1989 has an actor played the role so well.
Bale has the charisma to play the billionaire playboy and the physique to be a vigilante determined to rid the city of evildoers.
Michael Caine, as Bruce Wayne butler Alfred Pennyworth, and Morgan Freeman, as Batman gadget guru Lucius Fox, as are worth noting.
Their roles aren’t as prominent, but without them and their acting prowess, the story would have considerable holes.
One such problem with the story was the brief existence of Aaron Eckhart’s character, Harvey Dent, who becomes bad-guy Two-Face.
His run was much shorter than anticipated, but that invariably plays back to the goal of the entire movie – to be truer to the original comic-book depictions.
Nolan nailed it.
The film is dark, but not as dark as it is hyped.
It simply tells the story in the tone such a tale merits.
The production runs for almost two-and-a-half hours, but it doesn’t seem like it.
Nolan’s movie is so captivating, one forgets it isn’t real and the next group of patrons is waiting outside to see the flick.
Fans of the Batman legacy are sure to be pleased with this film.
It helps to revitalize a franchise that was crippled by the 1997 mess that saw Batman in a suit with nipples.
One of best parts of Nolan’s production, besides the fact that he masterfully crafted a story that drew audience members in deep, was the cinematography.
He shot the entire movie on Imax film, which means it is ready to be shown on the largest of screens.
How does this translate to traditional movie screens?
It’s great.
The depth that can be seen in every shot is incredible. Every scene has such rich details that it looks as though a person could jump onto the screen and land next to Batman as he interrogates the Joker.
No one will be disappointed with this film.
It is not just for males seeking an action movie.
There is a love triangle for everyone to enjoy, as well as cunning plot lines and acting that probably won’t be rivaled for sometime to come.
You have to see this movie.
It is on track to be the biggest movie of the year, if not ever.
Don’t be the one person who hasn’t seen it.
Spend the extra money and head to the theater right away.
Do not wait for this to come on DVD.
If you do, you will be as embarrassed as Joel Schumacher should be after directing “Batman and Robin.”
