I hate going into a film with this much hype. It always raises my expectations to a level where I find myself disappointed at the conclusion of the film. The Dark Knight proves to be an exception to this general fact, in strong fashion.
 
Christian Bale returns as the caped-crusader to continue his quest to rid Gotham City of its infestation of crime. Enter Heath Ledger as the Joker and Gotham is on a course of chaotic destruction where no one is safe.
 
The story begins dark and takes a steady slide toward evil and chaos. It builds to a frantic pace near the end, bent to the devious designs of the Joker.
 
Much has been made of Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, and rightly so. The subtle inflections in his voice, the peculiar facial ticks and his stiff, jerky movements communicate a calculating, yet psychotic, menace. With his outstanding performance, we tend to overlook how well this character is scripted. There is a saying that “genius borders on insanity.” The Joker is written to be as brilliant as he is crazy. His plans are not those of a logical person and thus makes him incredibly dangerous and unpredictable keeping him one step ahead of everyone throughout the film.
 
There is a focus on relationships that is very interesting and complex. Bruce Wayne, Rachel Doss, Harvey Dent, Alfred, Batman, Luscious Fox, Joker, The Mob, Commissioner Gordon, Two-Face… the links that cross all of these individuals create a dynamic tension most films try to achieve using more generic themes of either romantic drama or family conflicts. This movie manages to create a bond between all of these characters with the glue holding their relationships together being the city itself and their attempts to either make it better or reduce it to rubble. Truly a magnificent achievement.
 
There is very little to gripe about in this movie. I still don’t like the baleful voice used for Batman. Yes, pun intended. Granted, this is probably to help protect his identity but the raspy gravel was a bit much at times. I was concerned with the makeup for Two-Face but that was handled with amazing care reflecting the comics perfectly. Length could have been an issue also. Is the two and a half hours that is The Dark Knight too long? Not at all. Filmmakers should take the time they need to tell the story the way it needs to be told, be it 90 minutes or three hours. Just be mindful of how much soda you drink when you go see it.
 
If you miss this film in the theater, you should be slapped silly and have a room reserved for you in Arkham.

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