THE DARK KNIGHT is the latest installment in the reboot of the Batman film franchise. Many people are calling it the best superhero/comic-book-to-screen movie ever made. Some others have stated that THE DARK KNIGHT is a crowning achievement in the genre of crime drama. All this on the backs of massive hype, brought upon by an intense viral marketing campaign and the mystery surrounding the death of Heath Ledger (who plays The Joker in the film).
You want my opinion? THE DARK KNIGHT is damn fucking good.
By now, I do believe there would have been a million people who have published their thoughts of THE DARK KNIGHT — the majority of whom would have acclaimed the film as an experience never to be forgotten. By this time, I’m also pretty sure that THE DARK KNIGHT has broken ton of box office records and is well on its way to smashing several more in the days to come. THE DARK KNIGHT deserves every bit of success it’s getting. On the heels of the first movie in the rebooted franchise, where Batman comes to prominence after battling his inner-demons and villains such as Ra’s Al Ghul and The Scarecrow, THE DARK KNIGHT sets the stage for an epic struggle between three players. Good, evil, and the gray matter in between all of it.
There are so many things I could say about the story of the movie, but I don’t want to spoil it for those who happen to come here and haven’t seen it. Also, I’m not sure I can organise all of them properly because I’m still going nuts over how ridiculously awesome the movie was. But anyways, the premise is simple: Batman’s slowly cleaning up Gotham with his vigilante ways, which actually has its pros and its cons. Many within the government think Batman’s acting above the law. Meanwhile, corruption is still rampant with heavy mob influence, despite the best efforts of Gotham’s new saviour — District Attorney Harvey Dent. Unflappable, Harvey is promising to dish out justice on every last criminal in Gotham. And while all of this is going on, a sadistic criminal mastermind by the name of The Joker is literally sending Gotham straight to HELL with his antics.
First, let’s get it out of the way: The Joker as potrayed by the late Heath Ledger is completely incredible. So brilliant and creepy and frightening and mesmerising. Heath absolutely gave the performance of his shortlived career. He brought The Joker to a whole new level, and made his actions relevant in an environment where terrorism is always lurking underneath the surface. Make no mistake about it — The Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT is brilliantly psychotic and terroristic.
Harvey Dent, played by the wonderful Aaron Eckhart, is actually the lynchpin of the fight between Batman and The Joker. Considered the saviour of Gotham, The Joker’s ultimate plan is to take what many call the White Knight and send him over the edge… thereby sending the message that even the best of the good guys can also go bad. The purity Eckhart brought to Dent contrasted so sharply with the despair he brought to Two Face as the story progressed that it hurt immensely to see his fall from grace. And the transformation of Harvey into Two Face was all along the key element of the story.
Finally, Batman himself. Christian Bale reprises his role as the crusader of Gotham, and manages to deliver Bruce Wayne’s and Batman’s development in the story with just the right touches to ensure that Batman is never upstaged by Harvey Dent and The Joker. The decisions Batman makes throughout the story’s race to the climax are one only Batman can make, despite the ramifications. Just an enthralling character arc to be witness to.
The rest of the characters do their part incredibly well, and every actor involves brings their top game to the table. Just a fascinating epic on the whole, and a really monumental hallmark in the superhero genre. THE DARK KNIGHT, as a summary, can be considered an engrossing tragedy because it shows you what can happen when the duality of man is fully explored.
To finish, THE DARK KNIGHT is excellent. Believe the hype. Or else, risk missing out on a masterpiece.
