Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 12/09/2008 Run time: 151 minutes Rating: Pg13
The Dark Knight arrives with tremendous hype (best superhero movie ever? posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger?), and incredibly, it lives up to all of it. But calling it the best superhero movie ever seems like faint praise, since part of what makes the movie great--in addition to pitch-perfect casting, outstanding writing, and a compelling vision--is that it bypasses the normal fantasy element of the superhero genre and makes it all terrifyingly real. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's new district attorney, charged with cleaning up the crime rings that have paralyzed the city. He enters an uneasy alliance with the young police lieutenant, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale), the caped vigilante who seems to trust only Gordon--and whom only Gordon seems to trust. They make progress until a psychotic and deadly new player enters the game: the Joker (Heath Ledger), who offers the crime bosses a solution--kill the Batman. Further complicating matters is that Dent is now dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, after Katie Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role), the longtime love of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
In his last completed role before his tragic death, Ledger is fantastic as the Joker, a volcanic, truly frightening force of evil. And he sets the tone of the movie: the world is a dark, dangerous place where there are no easy choices. Eckhart and Oldman also shine, but as good as Bale is, his character turns out rather bland in comparison (not uncommon for heroes facing more colorful villains). Director-cowriter Christopher Nolan (Memento) follows his critically acclaimed Batman Begins with an even better sequel that sets itself apart from notable superhero movies like Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man because of its sheer emotional impact and striking sense of realism--there are no suspension-of-disbelief superpowers here. At 152 minutes, it's a shade too long, and it's much too intense for kids. But for most movie fans--and not just superhero fans--The Dark Knight is a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
The Joker:
I dont have to tell you how great this movie is, but it arrived on time and i was satisfied
The Dark Knight:
I saw this movie at the theater and knew that when it came out on DVD that I was going to buy it. This movie tops all the Batman movies that I ever saw. You will sit on the edge of your seat and won't even want to blink your eyes while watching it. It's excellent to the very end and I was sad to see it end.
Overrated, overplayed, and just simply overdone in every way.:
So, I finally saw The Dark Knight. This film attempts to do a lot. On some fronts it utterly succeeds. On several, though, it is blithely simple minded. The action is spectacular enough, but I don't really buy into the nearly perfect timing of everything, particularly around the character of the Joker. For those who don't know this film the Joker is deftly painted as Satan incarnate, and his resulting efforts at destruction are fully befitting the Evil One himself. But, the puzzle is a little... more info
Perfect!:
It has to be one of my favorite movies. The acting was the best. Everyone told me it was really dark, but I really liked it. I felt like it explained a lot of things that the regular series never touched on. I don't think it is for young kids esp. if they are the types to get scared, but for teens and adults...I give it a thumbs up!
