The Dark Knight (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  One of the best superhero movies ever. Christian Bale continues to shine in this role. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are superb.

• Phil H

  
  Batman Batman Batman, thats all I've been hearing for weeks, Heath Ledger this and Heath Ledger that, well now I've seen the film event of the year and I can say it is a good film but as suspected its not as GREAT as I have been lead to believe. Sure its probably one of the… More
  Batman Batman Batman, thats all I've been hearing for weeks, Heath Ledger this and Heath Ledger that, well now I've seen the film event of the year and I can say it is a good film but as suspected its not as GREAT as I have been lead to believe. Sure its probably one of the best comicbook adaptations made apart from the Burton Batman's (my opinion) and 'The Crow' but its still not amazing in my view. First off the cast, its good, very good. With Freeman, Oldman, Bale, Ledger, Eckhart etc...this is an epic adaptation for sure. All members really do add to the film and make it far better than it deserves to be, main credit going to Ledger and Oldman really. As for Ledger...yes he is good, quite scary infact, almost abit too psychotic for the film hehe but he isn't the best thing since sliced bread thats for sure, and wether an Oscar is warranted? hmmmm lets just say if he was still alive I don't think there would be all this fanfare (no disrespect). Then there's the huge debate as to he's better than Jack Nicholson, hard to say really, Jack had some fabulously funny lines and quirks, not as mean and rough as Ledger, Ledger being much more evil looking. Its a close call but I still like Nicholson myself. As for the rest of the film its very good in places but a little off key in others, the start of the film I had no idea what was happening with the plot. Mob bosses against 'Joker' who's against 'Batman', then its of to Hong Kong for some other mob boss or informant, I dunno, I was lost to be honest haha. Another wierd thing was the small 'Scarecrow' cameo, nice yes, but pointless as you don't know what happens to him or why he and his mates are all trying to be Batman!! not much reason given there. The plot does tend to wonder a bit and if your not up on Batman's world then I think you miss it a little, the fact that the Joker has no real purpose in the film makes it hard to swallow and it does drag. BUT in the middle of the film there's an excellent chase action sequence involving bats on his Batpod, an artic and many police cars being smashed up, truly the best moment in the film and in film history for sure. The intro of 'Two Face' and his fall to evil is nice, the effects looing good after much worry haha although I don't think he would sustain THAT much disfigurement from being burnt for only a short period of time. The Bat gadgets are all super cool, the Tumbler (although not my vehicle of choice for Batman) is better than its intro in 'Begins' and shows some sexy weaponary, the bat 'hideout' is clean, slick and ice cool and 'Alfred' is nicely humorous at the right times :) Here in the UK Dark Knight is a PG-12...thats so wrong I can't begin to say, this film is not for kids, there are many strong jump outta your seat moments and some indications of nasty crimes that should have been a 15 I reckon, I think some overlooking for the money stakes comes into play there haha. I did enjoy Dark Knight, it was a good film but I just can't help feeling the real good old gothic Batman lurking on gargoyles was kinda more fun, this film is so serious, modern and hi-tech that for me it loses the classic feel of Bats. I still love those Burton Batmans, sorry but I just cant help it ;)

• Michael M

  
  You know my first response to the critical reviews of The Dark Knight was that I was absolutley shocked that a big budget, explosion diseased comic book super hero movie could possibly be as good as it was put out to be. To be honest, I hate to admit it, because of my disliking of… More
  You know my first response to the critical reviews of The Dark Knight was that I was absolutley shocked that a big budget, explosion diseased comic book super hero movie could possibly be as good as it was put out to be. To be honest, I hate to admit it, because of my disliking of comic book hero movies. Thinking that they are simple investments by studio's with outstanding returns in terms of financial suceededness was actually mind-blowing. Firstly, there's nothing new in terms of comic book adaptions effects and theres even a familiarlarity to the film that its been done before. Even the plot. It was absolutely typical. So why did I adore this particular super hero film your asking. Not because of its typical conventions like effects but the part of it thats actually phenomenally cinematic. There are lots of fantastic dark overtones, a very clever script, amazing cinematography and possibly the best acting i've ever seen in a superhero movie. The first thing I thought when I saw Heath Ledger grippingly perform as the Joker was "Oscar! Best Supporting Actor!". Something he deservedly won. The Dark Knight is quite simply memorable. It stands out from the likes of Iron Man, Spiderman, Superman and The Incredible Hulk (2008). All of the over rated super hero films. This one felt like a true piece of cinema not rehashed loser gets powers, loser becomes winner, loser gets girl, loser lives happily ever after. What I loved most of all about The Dark Knight was its cleverly buried message. I cant believe im saying this but...see this big budget comic book superhero movie.

• Joseph M

  
  Not just the best Batman film ever made, not only the best superhero film ever made but possibly one of the best films ever made. Christopher Nolan has created a modern masterpiece. I cannot stress how amazing Heath Ledger and his character the Joker are... The joker tops the best… More
  Not just the best Batman film ever made, not only the best superhero film ever made but possibly one of the best films ever made. Christopher Nolan has created a modern masterpiece. I cannot stress how amazing Heath Ledger and his character the Joker are... The joker tops the best villain in a film, Hands down. (Yes even Darth Vader!!!)

• Kevin C

  
  Christopher Nolan's and superhero cinema's best work.

• Manu G

  
  Why So Serious? Saw it again!!! Probably the best Batman movie ever made hands down and for me the best film i've seeing this year and probably the best i'll see!. The director and actors reached a new level i've never seen before and I was hooked from beginning to the… More
  Why So Serious? Saw it again!!! Probably the best Batman movie ever made hands down and for me the best film i've seeing this year and probably the best i'll see!. The director and actors reached a new level i've never seen before and I was hooked from beginning to the end, i was totally blown away. Heath Ledger's perfomance is simply describe as uncomparable, the guy just took it where no man has ever took Joker before( yes even beating Jack Nicholson's) and more much more. Heath portrayal will be remember as one of the best villains ever created and put on film ever in movie history. The movie begins with a gang of men with clown masks breaking into the bank where the mob has a large portion of their money stashed. It begins with five clowns, each getting a cut of the spoils. They suggest that a sixth member of the gang - nicknamed 'The Joker' - who did the planning, but sat out the robbery, doesn't deserve a cut. As the robbery goes on, the clowns begin to kill each other in order to get a larger cut, until a school bus crashes through the wall of the bank, killing another clown. A mob bank manager, who was himself shot with an automatic weapon after he tried to take out the clowns with a shotgun, tells the remaining clown that he doesn't know who he is dealing with. The clown kneels down and tells the banker, "Whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you...stranger..." then removes his mask to reveal that he himself is The Joker. Joker puts a grenade into the banker's mouth and boards the bus, leaving a string attached to the pin. The bus pulls out with all of the bank's cash and the pin pops out. It is just a gas grenade. The Joker joins a long line of school buses leaving the scene as the police arrive. Gotham is then seen at night with criminals afraid to commit crimes under the watchful sign of the batsignal projected onto the clouds. We see Lt. James Gordon manning the batsignal, waiting for Batman with Det. Anna Ramirez, who asks if he's coming. Gordon explains that it is okay if he is not, hoping that he is busy elsewhere. Meanwhile, in a parking garage, the Scarecrow is negotiating with the Russian mob members over the sale of some of his fear-inducing drugs. The sale is interrupted when some of Gotham's citizens dressed as Batmen wanna-be's begin shooting at the men. As he gases one of the fake Batmen with his mind-altering drugs from his cuff, the Scarecrow notes that they are not the real Batman, because Batman would never use a gun. Suddenly the Batmobile/Tumbler crashes through a barricade and Scarecrow notes, "That's more like it!" The Batmobile fires rockets into a nearby office, causing the remaining mobsters to begin to flee. The real Batman arrives on the scene and bends the rifle of one of the wanna-be Batmen before knocking him out. The Chechen sends his rottweilers to attack the Batmen, and as Batman saves them he takes the dogs out after being badly bitten in the arm. The Scarecrow attempts to flee in a white van but Batman jumps onto the van and begins cutting into the side with his device called the mangler. Scarecrow swerves into a support which sends Batman to the ground. As Scarecrow gets away down a spiraling passageway, Batman leaps onto the roof of his van, smashing it to a halt. He leaves the fake Batmen and the Scarecrow along with some of the mobsters tied up together for the police to eventually round up. Gordon arrives at the bank the Joker held up earlier with Ramirez who shows him the Joker's picture from a security camera. Batman arrives to inspect the scene, noting that they have irradiated the drug money to make it easier to trace. When Gordon asks him if the Joker is a threat, Batman informs him that he cannot worry about one man when there is an entire mob to bring down. The next day, as Bruce Wayne stitches himself up from the dog bite, Alfred offers his concerns, warning Bruce to 'know his limits'. He notices Bruce keeping a close watch on newly appointed district attorney Harvey Dent via some computer screens, as Bruce is trying to decide whether or not Dent can be trusted. Alfred wonders if he is really spying on the relationship that Rachel Dawes has developed with Harvey Dent. Harvey Dent arrives in court to join Rachel Dawes in prosecuting mobster Salvatore Maroni, the alleged new leader of the Falcone crime family. One of Maroni's men takes the fall in court, and attempts to shoot Dent from the witness stand. The gun doesn't go off and Dent punches the man before he is hauled off to jail. Maroni is eventually set free, to the dismay of Dent. Dent meets Lt. Gordon, and after a short exchange of words, they both express their distrust for those that are working in each other's offices. Harvey interrogates Gordon over his involvement with the Batman and Harvey tells him he wants to meet him. Gordon requests search warrants for five banks that are believed to be holding the remainder of the mobs money. Dent agrees to back Gordon's search warrants, forming a tenuous trust with the honest Gordon, who in turn hails Dent as Gotham's "White Knight" while Dent questions Gordon about another nickname they had for him when he was at I.A.D., a nickname Gordon claims to have no knowledge of. Lucius Fox holds a board meeting at Wayne Enterprises, negotiating an joint venture with Lau, the head of Lau Security Investments, based in Hong Kong. After the meeting with Lau, Wayne expresses his reservations with Lucius Fox about Lau's business operation, apparently illegal based on their profits. After agreeing to cancel the deal, Wayne asks Fox for a new suit. He explains that he needs to be lighter, and faster, in case he runs into any more guard dogs. That night, Harvey dines out with Rachel. Harvey tells Rachel he had to make a reservation weeks earlier, and even then needed to exercised his influence to get a table at the very fashionable restaurant. Bruce and his date, the prima ballerina for the Russian ballet, encounter Rachel and Harvey. Bruce has them pull a table together so they can dine together, informing Harvey that he owns the restaurant. At first, Bruce seems jealous and threatened by Harvey, based on the fact that he is dating his own love interest, but Harvey explains how he supports the work of Batman and appreciates his help. Bruce changes his tune and informs Harvey that he intends to throw a massive fund-raiser for him. Meanwhile, all of the top mob members are having a meeting. Because of their inside sources in the police, they were aware that the banks that their money was stashed in were going to be searched. Lau appears to them on a television monitor from his plane on his way back to Hong Kong. He informs the mob that all of their money has already been moved to a single secure location, just as Lt. Gordon and company are searching the banks, finding nothing but the irradiated trace money. When the Chechen expresses concern over the man with the clown makeup stealing $68 million from one of their banks, Maroni dismisses him as nothing but a nobody. The Joker enters in the room, and after killing a hostile mob member's crony by way of a 'magic trick', sits down and talks with the mob about how pathetic they've become since Batman came around. He tells them their one solution is to 'Kill the Batman', and offers to do so for half the mob's money. He warns them about Lau, saying he knows a squealer when he sees one, causing Lau to promptly turn off his monitor. The mob laughs, and as one of the mobsters, Gambol, rises from his seat and threatens the Joker, the Joker opens his coat, exposing grenades. Gambol tells the Joker that he's putting a price out on his head. The Joker tells the mob that when they plan to take things a little more seriously, give him a call, and presents them with 'his card', a joker playing card. And with that, he exits. But not before warning that Batman will come for Lau. Harvey Dent, with Gordon, lights the batsignal to meet with Batman, who appears. As Dent and Gordon blame one another for the money's disappearance due to leaks from corrupt officers in the other's departments, they explain to Batman that they need Lau back, realizing that Batman is under no one's jurisdiction. They want to make him talk, and give up all the mob members' names. Batman agrees and disappears. Fox shows Wayne his new suit, and Wayne begins planning an impromptu trip to Hong Kong. Fox will accompany him, making it look like the only reason for his visit was to cancel the negotiations with Lau's company. Gambol is playing pool with some of his associates until one of them informs him that a group of hoodlums havd killed the Joker, and has the body. The body is brought in covered in a bag, and as Gambol is about to pay, the Joker rises up and holds a knife to his face while his men hold guns to his associates' heads. The Joker tells a story about how he got his scars from his father, and then kills Gambol. He offers the three surviving associates an opportunity to join his team, but he has only one opening. He leave the three with the halves of a broken, sharp pool stick and no choice but to fight each other for their lives. Meanwhile, Fox arrives in Hong Kong to meet with Lau. He checks in his mobile phone at the front desk at Lau's building, as there are no cell phones allowed on the premises. Fox meets with Lau, and informs him of Wayne Enterprises' plans to cancel negotiations with his company. However, he secretly keeps one cell phone in his pocket, which has been adapted to produce a sonar map of the surrounding area. Upon leaving the building, he does not pick up the phone he dropped off, and he produces the map of the building to Bruce Wayne. That night, the phone that Fox left at the front desk emits a high frequency that shuts down all power in the building. Batman crashes in through a window in Lau's office, and after disabling some guards, grabs Lau and escapes by sending a balloon attached to a cable to a plane he has chartered flying over Lau's building. Back in Gotham, Lau is interrogated by Rachel with Dent and Gordon looking on. Rachel presses him to give them the money Lau has taken, but Lau will not give in. After she threatens to have him moved to the County lock-up, Lau tells her that he can give them the names of the mobsters and their pooled investments. Dent then realizes that they will have the leverage they need in a RICO case of conspiracy to link all of the mob members together. Gordon decides to keep Lau in his holding cell at the Major Case Unit building and Lau agrees to cooperate with the police, and give the names of the mob members. Gordon appears at Maroni's restaurant as the police rush in to arrest all of the mob members in attendance. As all of the mob members that Lau informed the police are rounded up for arraignment, Judge Janet Surrillo finds a Joker card in the middle of the stack of conviction papers. Dent gives a televised impromptu interview denying Batman's involvement while expressing gratitude for the police work in bringing the mob members to justice. Dent, Gordon, and Commissioner Loeb meet with the mayor to tell him that Dent's rash indictment of the mob members will give the mayor clean streets for 18 months. The mayor informs Dent that his brash actions will bring down the full might of Gotham's underworld and corrupt citizens solely upon him. When the mayor asks if Dent is ready to be the city's target the dead body of a Batman wanna-be hanging by a noose slams against the mayor's window dressed up in a Batman suit, with makeup on his face like the Joker's - complete with the sides of the mouth sliced into a grin - and with a Joker card pinned to him reading 'Will the real Batman please stand up?'. Bruce and Alfred watch on as a video tape is played on the news of the Joker tormenting the wanna-be before killing him. He then promises that until Batman takes off his mask and shows everyone who he really is, people will die every day. As Harvey Dent's fund-raiser at Wayne's penthouse gets underway, Rachel and a nervous Dent arrive and mingle. Wayne arrives with three models via helicopter and seeks out Harvey, whom he applauds and throws his full support behind claiming, "I believe in Harvey Dent." Minutes later, Rachel meets with Bruce on the balcony upset that Bruce is making fun at Dent but Bruce tells her that he truly believes in Harvey and that he could be the White Knight that will allow him to hang up his mantle as Batman so they can be together. Dent joins them to thank Bruce and retrieve Rachel. Meanwhile Gordon discovers that there are 3 traces of DNA on the Joker card, from Commissioner Loeb, Harvey Dent, and Judge Surrillo, the Judge that is trying all of the mob members and found the card among the paperwork. Gordon takes this as a threat on their lives, and begins preparations to protect them. In the case of the Judge and Commissioner Loeb, however, this fails. The Judge's car blows up when the police arrive to take her into protective custody and Commissioner Loeb dies of severe poisoning from his liquor bottle before Gordon can stop him from drinking. Dent takes Rachel aside to ask her to marry him, but she is torn and cannot give him an answer. Bruce subdues Dent and locks him in a closet while Rachel watches in shock. Bruce tells Rachel that they (the Joker and his goons) have come for Harvey and to stay hidden from sight. The Joker and his goons burst in telling the guests that they are tonight's 'entertainment." The Joker scans the room seeking out Harvey Dent when Rachel steps forward. He grabs her and pulls a knife on her telling her a different version of the story about how he got his scars, claiming that his wife was scarred by loan sharks and that he took a razor to himself to "make her smile," but that she left him over it. Rachel kicks him away and he comes after her saying that he likes that "little fight" in her, when Batman shows up and sends him reeling. A fight breaks out between Batman, the Joker, and his goons with the Joker and the goons beating on Batman pretty well. When Batman gains the upper hand he sees the Joker holding a gun at Rachel's head as he dangles her out of a shot out window. Batman demands he let her go, to which the Joker replies "Very poor choice of words" and lets her fall. Batman dives out the window and saves her using his cape to slow their fall as they crash into the roof of a car on the street. The Joker apparently vanishes from the scene. The next day, Wayne tries to figure out what the Joker is after. Alfred relates a story of when he was in Burma with friends attempting to nullify the local criminals by bribing them with jewels. One thief however, tossed these bribes away and continued to raid the local convoys. When Bruce seems confused over this behavior Alfred informs him that some men can't be reasoned with, they don't want anything in particular, that they kill for sport. Alfred observes that they just want to watch the world burn, as Bruce fixates on the Joker's face on a monitor. Batman is seen on the edge of a rooftop listening in to cell phone frequencies when he overhears a plot against Harvey Dent. Gordon rushes to the apartment with Ramirez and Batman to find two policemen murdered, with the last names "Harvey" and "Dent." Ramirez begins to blame Batman, but Gordon cuts her off. As Batman removes a piece of concrete wall that contains a bullet used in the murders in hopes of finding evidence, Gordon notes that the Joker has left an advance copy of tomorrow's newspaper indicating the death of the mayor. At Wayne Enterprises, Fox meets with Wayne's accountant Coleman Reese, who claims to know about certain problems with Wayne's funding in research and development, claiming that Wayne has some sort of government project with cell phones for the army underway. He also uncovers Fox's designs for the Batmobile/Tumbler. He tells Fox that he wants $10 million per year for the rest of his life to keep this a secret. Fox smiles and says, "Let me get this straight. You think that your client, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world is a secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands, and your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck." Fox helps Wayne reconstruct the bullet taken from the murder scene and produces a fingerprint. Fox asks him if he has reassigned the R&D department. Bruce acknowledges that he has, claiming he is playing this one "close to the chest." Wayne traces the bullet fingerprint's owner to an apartment overlooking the funeral speeches for Commissioner Loeb and takes off on motorcycle. As the ceremony continues on the street below, Wayne inspects a room where he believes the Joker might be, and he finds several men tied up. They tell Wayne that their guns and uniforms were stolen. Wayne inspects binoculars pointed out of a blinded window. The window blind is connected to a timer. As the timer reaches zero, the blinds quickly raise, and the police snipers positioned around the area all shoot in that direction. At the same time, the Joker, who had removed his makeup and played himself off as a member of the honor guard for the ceremony, turns and takes a shot at the mayor, but Lt. Gordon dives in the way, getting shot in the back and falling. Everyone panics and runs, but the police shoot one member of the honor guard in the leg and haul him into a truck. Dent himself climbs in the truck, and upon inspecting the criminal, sees that the name-tag on his uniform reads 'Officer Rachel Dawes'. He calls Rachel and informs her that she's been targeted, and to get to the safest place she can, which in her case is Bruce's penthouse. He tells her he loves her, but there is no answer from Rachel. Gordon's family is visited at home, to inform them of the death of Gordon at the funeral ceremony. Gordon's wife, Barbara, shouts out at the empty sky to Batman that he has brought this craziness upon Gotham. Gordon's young son catches a brief glimpse of Batman mournfully watching the scene. Meanwhile, Batman enters a club and grabs Maroni after beating on his men. He interrogates Maroni on the Joker's whereabouts, who claims that he should have held him from a higher location. Batman drops him off the ledge, injuring his legs and learns that Maroni has no idea where the Joker is. Maroni explains that the Joker has no friends and no one will give him up because unlike Batman, he plays by no rules. As Dent is interrogating the captured so-called honor guard member about what he knows about the Joker, he is enraged and holds a gun to his head. He flips his father's lucky silver dollar for his life, coming up on heads. As he flips the coin again, Batman shows up and snatches the coin in midair, asking if Dent would really leave a thug's life up to chance, to which Dent answers, "Not exactly." He informs Harvey that this criminal - Thomas Schiff - is a paranoid schizophrenic patient from Arkham Asylum and that he won't learn anything from him. He also tells Harvey that if anyone saw this unjust way of interrogating someone, all that good work that Dent's done for Gotham would be lost. He tells Harvey to hold a press conference the following day, because he wants to use that opportunity to turn himself in. As Batman leaves, Harvey yells at him that he can't give in. Bruce arrives back in his penthouse to find Rachel waiting. She tells him that turning himself in will not stop the Joker's murderous rampage, but Bruce says he has enough blood on his hands already. He reminds her that she promised him that they would be together if and when he hung up the mantle of Batman. She tells Bruce not to make her his only hope for a normal life and they share a kiss. She tells Bruce that if he turns himself in as Batman that the city will never let them be together. Back at Wayne's secret base of operations for Batman, he and Alfred begin destroying everything that might tie Lucius Fox or Rachel to Batman. Alfred tries to talk Bruce out of it, asking him to endure these trying times and allow Batman to make the right choice that nobody else can for the good of the city. Bruce explains that Batman cannot endure the responsibility for innocents dying, especially where Rachel is concerned. At the press conference, Harvey attempts to reason with the assembled press and police to not give in to the fear that the Joker has unleashed upon the city. He agrees that Batman is a vigilante but that the people of Gotham should hold him accountable, and not give in to the whims of this terrorist known as the Joker. However, the people are overcome with fear, crying out "No more dead cops," to applause indicating that Harvey will not be able to sway them. Upon his failure, Harvey announces that HE is the Batman, and gets handcuffed and taken away. Bruce Wayne is shown with a look of confusion on his face. Rachel, watching the news conference at Bruce Wayne's penthouse, confronts Alfred over Bruce's seeming cowardice in allowing Harvey to take the fall when he claims to be Batman. Alfred explains to Rachel that Batman is instead allowing himself to be something else besides a hero, mainly a figure outside of the system that the people can both turn to or blame in times of need, that Batman can 'take it". Rachel gives Alfred a letter for Bruce and tells him to give it to Bruce when the time is right. When Alfred asks what it is, she tells him it is open and hugs him before departing to see Harvey as he is being transported to the County lock-up. While being taken to a convoy that will transport him to a county, Harvey explains to Rachel that this is Batman's chance. He then pulls out the coin and says "Heads: I go through with this," and flips it, landing on heads. When Rachel tells him that he can't leave something like that to chance, he tosses her the coin, revealing that it is a two-headed coin. During this transport, he's planning on getting attacked by the Joker, and he's planning on Batman to come and save him, and to capture the Joker. The convoy takes off. While transporting Harvey, the Joker and some goons start taking out the police cars in a large semi truck. He pulls out an RPG and beings firing at the armored truck carrying Dent. The Tumbler arrives and attempts to stop the Joker, and gets hit with the RPG in the process. His car takes 'catastrophic' damage, and he's forced to eject. However, the ejection in this car is a bike, that deploys out the front of the car. This bike becomes known as the 'Batpod'. Batman chases down the Joker on his Batpod, and after firing some cables at the truck and weaving them through some light poles and buildings, flips the truck completely over. The Joker emerges with a Smith & Wesson M76 Submachine gun and shoots at Batman, who speeds towards him on his Batpod, all the while screaming at Batman to hit him. Batman honors his own non-lethal code and swerves around the Joker then crashes into the flipped truck, falling to the ground. As the Joker jumps on him with a knife, one of the SWAT officers holds a gun to the back of his head, and upon removing his helmet and mask, shows that it was Lt. Gordon, who faked his death to protect his family. The Joker is hauled away to the MCU. Harvey gets out of the truck and into a cruiser, stating he is off to see a worried girlfriend. At Gordon's Major Crimes Unit building, Gordon is promoted to Commissioner by the Mayor. The Joker shares a cell with a large man who complains about his insides hurting. Commissioner Gordon, after reuniting with his family, gets a call explaining that Harvey never made it home. He returns to the prison to interrogate the Joker. During the interrogation, Batman appears and starts beating on the Joker, trying to find out where Harvey is. The Joker gets under Batman's skin telling him that they are both freaks and that when the people of Gotham no longer view Batman as a necessity, they will turn on him. Batman becomes enraged and puts a chair under the door and beats the Joker savagely, but The Joker just laughs and defiantly tells Batman that there is nothing he can do to him to hurt him and that he actually enjoys the beatings. The Joker sadistically reveals that not just Harvey, but Rachel are in separate locations, both tied up and strapped to explosives that will explode in a short amount of time. He gives the locations of the two, saying that he only has time to save one of them and that he must make a choice that will violate Batman's "code" of non-lethal means...that one of them will die since Batman cannot save them both. Batman heads off, telling Gordon that he's going after Rachel. Gordon gets some men ready and heads off after Harvey. As Batman and the police are rushing towards the two prisoners, Harvey awakens to hear Rachel's voice. Whoever captured them set up an intercom system so that the two can communicate. Harvey tells Rachel that everything will be OK, and Rachel tells Harvey that she wants to marry him. While Dent's trying to hop around in his chair trying to find something sharp to cut his ropes with, he falls over and knocks an oil drum down, and the gasoline spills all over half of his face. Meanwhile, back at the jail, the Joker tricks a cop and holds him hostage, and he tells the other cops he just wants his phone call. Upon getting a cell phone and dialing a number, the large man that was in the cell with him blows up. The Joker had cut him open and implanted a cell phone-triggered device inside of him. The Joker grabs Lau and flees the jail. Batman arrives at the address that the Joker had told him Rachel was at, but when he opens the door, he finds Harvey Dent instead, who screams in despair at having been found instead of Rachel. Gordon arrives at the supposed location for Dent but the warehouse explodes and Rachel is killed. As Batman saves Dent by carrying him out of the warehouse, the explosion ignites the gas that saturated Dent's face, horribly burning it. Dent is taken to Gotham General Hospital. Batman visits Dent in the hospital, and leaves him the two-headed coin that they found at Rachel's site of death. One side of the coin is still shiny, while the other side is scraped and burnt. Alfred reads Rachel's letter. She explains that she is going to marry Harvey Dent and that when she told him that she would be with him when he no longer need to be Batman that she meant it. However, she realizes that he will always be Batman so she will always be there as his friend. Bruce expresses to Alfred his devastation behind losing Rachel and that he feels responsible for inspiring madness and death. he tells Alfred that she was going to wait for him. Alfred chooses not to give him her letter, saying the time is not right and that with Harvey Dent hospitalized, it will be up to him alone to fight the crime in Gotham City. Meanwhile, Harvey wakes up in the hospital with a large bandage over half of his face, finds his now scarred two-headed coin, and screams out in anguish over losing the one person he loved. Commissioner Gordon visits Dent and tries to tell him how sorry he is for what has transpired, questioning why Dent refused skin grafts and how he can stand to be in unrelenting agony over his disfigurement. Harvey is filled with rage for Gordon not listening to him when he warned Gordon not to trust the corrupt officers that Dent investigated during his time in Internal Affairs which has resulted in Dent's disfigurement and ultimately Rachel's death. Dent demands Gordon tell him the nickname they had for him when he was in I.A., which Gordon ashamedly replies "Harvey Two-Face," while being forced to stare at the extensive burns and scarred tissue that have enveloped half of Harvey's face. As Gordon leaves an emotionally devastated Harvey, he runs into Maroni in the hallway who tells him that the Joker has gone too far and that if Gordon wants the clown, he knows where he will be. Wayne's accountant Reese appears on a news show claiming to be able to tell the world who Batman is. He tells Gotham that he is going to reveal Batman's identity, but before he can, the Joker calls in to the show saying that he doesn't want this lawyer to ruin his fun. He says that if the lawyer is not killed within 60 minutes, he is going to blow up a hospital. This triggers the police to rush in and protect the lawyer, and try to carry him to safety. At the same time, other police are evacuating all of the hospitals in Gotham City. When they get to Gotham General, a police officer attempts to evacuate a nurse in Harvey Dent's room, which then turns out to be the Joker, and he kills the cop. He then explains to Two-Face how he needs to introduce a little anarchy and chaos, how easy it is to bring down all the good people in the world and how it's all fair. Joker unties Two-Face and hands him a pistol. Two-Face, bent on revenge and now believing everything in the world should be decided by chance, flips the double-headed coin to decide whether or not to shoot Joker which Joker agrees is only fair. Though we don't see it, the coin obviously lands on the clean side since the next scene shows Joker leaving Gotham General Hospital as it blows up in the background. Afterwards, the Joker appears on TV again, forcing kidnapped GCN reporter Mike Engle to read out his plans. He reads that Gotham City now belongs to the Joker, starting that very evening. Anyone that doesn't want to be a part of his game should leave now, but they are going to have a hard time leaving the city by the bridges. He alludes to the fact that something big was going to happen that very night. During which, Two-Face enters a local bar where Detective Wuertz - the 'dirty' cop that had picked him up after the Joker was captured - hangs out. After questioning him, he flips the coin which lands on the dirty side and he kills Wuertz. At the same time, Batman uses Fox's 'cell phone sonar' technology to somehow turn every single cell phone in Gotham into a sonar device, giving him the opportunity to spy on everyone in Gotham. He calls Fox in, and tells him to monitor the screens, and give him updates on the Joker's location when he sees him. Fox is appalled that Batman would use his technology to spy on the citizens of Gotham and reluctantly agrees to help, stating that the machine must be destroyed after the Joker is captured or he will have to retire. Two-Face continues to question mob members, trying to uncover the identity of the dirty cop that kidnapped Rachel. When confronting Maroni in Maroni's car, he learns that the other cop is Ramirez. He then flips the coin for Maroni, which lands on the clean side. "Lucky Man," he remarks before he flips it again. It lands on the dirty side and he buckles up and states, "But he's not" as he shoots Maroni's driver, causing the car to veer off the road and crash into the dockyards. Meanwhile, two large ferries leave Gotham due to the Joker's threats. One is inhabited by criminals that Harvey and Gordon helped put away, the other is packed with innocent citizens - the city's bridges apparently being wired with explosives. While sailing off, the two boats completely lose all power and their engines die. Both ships eventually realize that there are explosives strewn all about the boat, and they both find detonators. It is at this time that the Joker's voice is heard over the loudspeaker of both ferries, and he informs them that they are part of a social experiment. The detonator on each boat is for the other boat. One ferry must press the button and destroy the other boat by midnight, or else the Joker will destroy both boats. This brings about much chaos in both boats, and a lot of soul searching about morality and about if anyone could actually do such a thing. Fox finds the Joker, who is holed up in a building still being constructed with many clown guards. Batman notifies Gordon of the location, and speeds off towards the building. Meanwhile, Two-Face forces a frightened Ramirez to call Gordon's family and tell his wife and children to meet her at the exact spot where Rachel was killed. They believe her because they trust her. Afterwards, Two-Face, angered with Ramirez's pleas to spare her life for the sake of her sick mother, flips for Ramirez's life. The coin lands on heads, so he just knocks her out, telling her that she "lives to fight another day." As Gordon arrives at the building where the Joker is, he gets a call from his family telling him they are being held captive by Two-Face in the place where Rachel was killed. Gordon rushes off to save his family as Batman breaks in to the building. After realizing that the clown guards are the actual hostages and the doctors/hostages are the Joker's goons, he beats down some SWAT members in order to prevent them from killing the clown guards, and he disables the goons as he makes his way up to the Joker's location. When he finally confronts the Joker, the Joker sends the Chechen's rottweilers after him, and while Batman fights them off, the Joker beats him brutally with a blunt metal object, and eventually throws him close to the edge of the building, trapping him under a metal beam. At the same time, the two boats are still debating what to do with the detonators. On the 'criminal ferry', one of the largest and meanest-looking convicts makes a speech about the warden holding the trigger not knowing how to take life, then goes up to the warden and asks to take the trigger so he himself can do what the warden should have done ten minutes ago. The warden hands the convict the trigger and the convict promptly throws it out of the ferry, making it impossible for anyone on the convict ferry to blow up the 'innocent' ferry. On the innocent ferry, after having voted to use their detonator, the officials can't bring themselves to act out the decision. A man stands up, takes the detonator but is unable to press the button. The Joker, on top of Batman while holding him down, shows signs of disappointment when neither of the ferries' passengers will stoop to his level. As he's about to destroy the two boats, Batman fires his gauntlet darts at him, knocking the detonator out of his hands, and throws him over the edge of the building. Before he can hit the ground, however, Batman fires one of his grappling gun tools at him and saves him. While hanging in front of Batman, the Joker tells him that the two of them are destined to fight forever, and how Batman really IS incorruptible. The Joker reveals to him, however, that his real plan was to engineer the fall of Gotham's White Knight, Harvey Dent, since that would introduce much more chaos when a good man like Dent is shown descending into chaos and evil. Batman heads off to find Harvey, while the SWAT team captures the Joker. At 250 52nd St, Gordon arrives to see Two-Face holding his family hostage. Two-Face knocks him to the ground and tells him that he's going to make him suffer just as he did, as he grabs his young son Jimmy and prepares to flip the coin for his fate. Batman arrives and tells him to stop, and to blame the people responsible for Rachel's death. So then Two-Face flips the coin for Batman, which lands on the dirty, scarred side, and Two-Face shoots him. He then flips the coin for himself and it lands on the clean side. As he's flipping the coin for Gordon's son, he tells Gordon to lie to the boy and tell him that everything will be alright, just as Dent himself had to tell Rachel earlier, seconds before she was killed. Batman gets up and tackles him and they fall off of the building together. Unseen by them, the coin lands on the clean side. Batman hands Jimmy up to Gordon as Batman himself falls to the ground next to Two-Face, who lies motionless. As Gordon climbs down to check on Batman, Batman laments that, in the end, the Joker won. By corrupting Harvey Dent and turning him evil, he tore down the best of them. If Gotham were to find out about Dent's murders, then the symbol of hope and faith he had given Gotham would diminish and all the prisoners he helped put back in jail would be let out, thus creating chaos. Batman explains that Gotham can never find out about the murders, and takes the blame of them on himself, so that the Joker wouldn't win and the city's peace would remain. We see a montage of Commissioner Gordon and other members of the Gotham City Police Department gathered at a memorial to Harvey Dent. It is unclear whether he was killed or not. Gordon then smashes the Bat Signal above the MCU Building, while Alfred burns Rachel's note and Lucius shuts down the sonar machine with a pleased look. Batman, in the background, continues to explain that by taking the blame of the killings, the faith that the people of Gotham had in Harvey Dent can be rewarded, and they can feel justified. Batman then runs from Gordon as the cops begin to chase him, and Gordon tells his son that while Harvey Dent was the hero Gotham needed, Batman is the hero that Gotham deserved. The bat-signal is destroyed and a manhunt is issued for Batman. Batman gets on his Batpod and speeds away, while Gordon declares: "He's a silent Guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight."

• Tim S

  
  Here's a review I wrote on July 18, 2008, only a few hours after I had seen the midnight screening of The Dark Knight: "We got there at 7:30 pm. We got our tickets. We were the first people in line. We got into the theatre at about 10:00 pm. The movie started at 12:02 am.… More
  Here's a review I wrote on July 18, 2008, only a few hours after I had seen the midnight screening of The Dark Knight: "We got there at 7:30 pm. We got our tickets. We were the first people in line. We got into the theatre at about 10:00 pm. The movie started at 12:02 am. We saw...The Dark Knight. I sit here, rather speechless, about the masterpiece that was just handed over to me and my friends this evening. This is the definitive Batman film and most importantly, the definitive comic book film, but it goes beyond even that. The film is intense, violent, scary, dramatic and just flat-out entertaining; it belongs in a category all its own. First of all, The Joker is here in spades. It's an all-time classic performance from a lost artist. He paints the film brilliantly with the psychotic, twisted and always conniving nature that the character should be, and is, played. For the fans who wanted an absolutely insane Joker with no moral compass, you got your wish. Second, this film is all about the villains. The total opposite of The Joker is Harvey Two-Face. The creation, summation and declination of this man is heartbreaking and intense. A commanding performance. Third, direction. This film is absolutely splattered with beautiful imagery, incredible dialogue and stunning performances. They're calling it "The Godfather Part II" of comic book movies. Well, if ever a comic book-based film deserved an Oscar, then this is it. It's that good. Actually, Oscars all around, for Ledger, Nolan and most importantly, the film. I have a feeling I won't be seeing a film this good for quite a while. Neither will any of us." As the upcoming Awards Ceremony date approaches, I still feel this way. I am immensely disappointed that this film DID NOT receive nominations for Picture, Directing and Cinematography. However, I am relieved that Heath got his posthumous nomination and I dearly hope he receives it. If it happens, it will be an emotional moment for all of his fans, friends and colleagues in Hollywood. Regardless, this film will be a landmark AND a benchmark in the history of comic books translated to film. After seeing it again in high definition over and over again, I'm still convinced of its power.

• Paulo G

  
  The Dark Knight truly saved the declining quality of super hero movies in the past years. The Dark Knight sends shivers and thrills down your spine while at the same time, leaves you thinking about the complex characters and plot it holds. Leaves you speechless and rather breath… More
  The Dark Knight truly saved the declining quality of super hero movies in the past years. The Dark Knight sends shivers and thrills down your spine while at the same time, leaves you thinking about the complex characters and plot it holds. Leaves you speechless and rather breath taken.

• Raymond W

  
  A combination of incredible acting from the whole cast, especially Heath Ledger as the Joker, a powerful score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, amazing direction and writing from Christopher Nolan, and a fantastic story make The Dark Knight a wild, dark, complex, jaw-dropping,… More
  A combination of incredible acting from the whole cast, especially Heath Ledger as the Joker, a powerful score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, amazing direction and writing from Christopher Nolan, and a fantastic story make The Dark Knight a wild, dark, complex, jaw-dropping, and unforgettable film.

• zach l

  
  Best super hero movie to date. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight is an epic masterpiece. The mixture of a great screenplay, great acting, and great music, this movie is on the top of my all time list!

• Colin M

  
  It's amazing how well made this superhero movie could be. Batman could still have been taken as a comic, Freudian, campy joke like in the infamous 60s TV series or in the horrid "Batman and Robin", but rather, Christopher Nolan truly adapts the spirit of its earliest… More
  It's amazing how well made this superhero movie could be. Batman could still have been taken as a comic, Freudian, campy joke like in the infamous 60s TV series or in the horrid "Batman and Robin", but rather, Christopher Nolan truly adapts the spirit of its earliest and most recent eras in its comics/graphic novels and has rendered Batman as great as he could ever have been, if not better. The Dark Knight defies all previous misconceptions of the Caped Crusader and grants a deep and intricate plot, AMAZING acting by Bale, Freeman, Oldman, Caine, and Eckhart, and truly dark and gothic imagery to go with it. Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker will forever live as a part of cinematic mythology and one will always wonder if the man perhaps took his role a bit too...seriously. The Dark Knight Rises will have a hard, hard time beating this one to the punch as this did to Batman Begins, if not failing to even live up to its extraordinary legacy. The Dark Knight is BY FAR the GREATEST superhero film ever made.

• Graham J

  
  Perfect casting and a perfect director match up to create THE best comic book film of all time.

• Daniel L

  
  Immensely overrated, but still a great film, The Dark Knight is even better than its predecessor mostly in part to Heath Ledger's disturbingly lurid and vivid performance as the nihilistic Joker.

• Brad W

  
  The Dark Knight is the best superhero movie ever, the cast was incredible, and the film may be about batman, but it says a lot about our real world, thank you Christopher Nolan for being a master Director. The Dark Knight is a sequel to Batman Begins, and it continues Bruce Waynes… More
  The Dark Knight is the best superhero movie ever, the cast was incredible, and the film may be about batman, but it says a lot about our real world, thank you Christopher Nolan for being a master Director. The Dark Knight is a sequel to Batman Begins, and it continues Bruce Waynes story of his first years as Batman. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is under pressure because of his constant fighting, his crush on long time friend Racheal (Maggie Gyllenhal) when she falls for DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and the crime still coming from the mob. Lietenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) is trying to fight the mob and keep a trust with Harvey. Batman, Harvey, and Gordon would never be prepared for the greatest threat to Gotham they've ever faced, the Joker (Heath Ledger). They must fight a genius murdering psychopath who is always one step ahead. Batman has met his match. First of all im gonna talk about the acting, and Chris Nolan sure knows how to find a cast, he brings back Christain Bale, Micheal Caine, and Gary Oldman but he also adds many other actors including Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Eckhart. Christain Bale is cool in this, I know people make fun of his voice in it but I still think he's really a great version of Batman. Heath Ledger is brilliant first of all, he is like 50% of what made this movie perfect, and I haven't said that since The Silence of the Lambs, and whoever thinks different needs to go jump in a ditch. The plot is terrific and I think they are trying to show what would happen if they put Batman in our world today instead of the comic books, and I love it. I watch this movie a lot and is in my Top 10. Christopher Nolan is a just a genius director and I he made my favorite film Inception, and this masterpiece of movie, and its safe to call this the greatest superhero film ever.

• Matt G

  
  A flawless, memorable, and immensely entertaining work of art. As a big fan of 'Batman Begins', I had no idea how Christopher Nolan would be able to top that, and now I know. 'The Dark Knight' is better then all of Nolan's previous films, and I bet that… More
  A flawless, memorable, and immensely entertaining work of art. As a big fan of 'Batman Begins', I had no idea how Christopher Nolan would be able to top that, and now I know. 'The Dark Knight' is better then all of Nolan's previous films, and I bet that 'The Dark Knight Rises' will top this one. Lets start with the acting. Christian Bale is stunning in his superb portrayal of Bruce Wayne aka Batman (except for his creepy Batman voice). Aaron Eckhart is very solid in his role as Harvey Dent, that is really impressive, most notably toward the end of the film, where he is transformed into Two-Face. Maggie Gyllenhaal was pretty terrific as the replacement for Rachel Dawes, previously portrayed lazily by Katie Holmes in a somewhat laughable role. Gyllenhaal was superb and really gave her character a very easy likable one. Gary Oldman was perfect, I always expect great from him, and he always delivers. He's great as Gordon, but that goes without saying. Michael Caine is perfect as Alfred, and is the character most faithful to the character in the comics. Morgan Freeman does great again reprising his role of Lucius Fox, and is quite well in this. Hmm... it seems that I'm forgetting someone. Nope, just saving the best for last. The late Heath Ledger is the standout in this film as Joker, Gotham's most mentally deranged criminal mastermind. Ledger is absolutely flawless in his role, and it is so unbelievable that you won't even realize that it's Heath playing him, but it is its own character. Ledger's performance was so great that even the academy recognized it when they gave the best supporting actor award to him. Alright, let's talk about Nolan. There are two type of directors in the movie business; you are either a director, or an artist. Christopher Nolan is an artist. He creates films like none other, and for some odd reason that gives the audience what they want. He'll take a simple premise (short-term memory loss, detectives) and make it his own, or he'll just make up something completely brilliant and original. On a side note, the Blu-ray is fucking fantastic. Not only does it have the best picture and audio quality for any Blu-ray released, but it is packed with mind-blowingly phenomenal special features that are a real mind-fuck to anyone who dares watch them. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of deleted scenes, as well as no worthwhile commentary track, but the behind the scenes; making of featurette's are spectacular like no other. I loved so much about this film. I couldn't believe that the truck flip was CGI-free, as that was one of the most mind blowing experiences that I've ever had in cinematic history, which is saying something because there have been countless spectacular scenes in various films, but this beats them out by a very long shot. Him, along with the fantastic acting and writing make 'The Dark Knight' one of the best, if not the best film ever made.

• John H

  
  New Review <i>Coming Soon...</i> <i>Old Review:</i> July 29, 2008 OR: August 4, 2010 This was a huge let down with a disappointing outcome. I can't say that this movie was entirely bad, but it was shameful to see how it turned out. I had very high… More
  New Review <i>Coming Soon...</i> <i>Old Review:</i> July 29, 2008 OR: August 4, 2010 This was a huge let down with a disappointing outcome. I can't say that this movie was entirely bad, but it was shameful to see how it turned out. I had very high expectations for this to even except it for what it is. I anticipated - much like many others - <i>The Dark Knight</i> for quite some time; feeling that it'd be the most astonishing film I'd see in years. Boy, do I feel sorry for myself. The story was slightly unstable and care free. The first half was a serious problem for me to enjoy. I didn't like it all too much. It was too random and had little excitement. Lau was useless to begin with, Coleman Reese was a meaningless threat, Bruce Wayne and the Russian ballet, especially his date, Natasha, added up to being just too much glass I had to shallow [if you know what I mean]. The Dark Knight didn't have much of a plot, story, or purpose. To quote Heath Ledger, "I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it. I just do things". This centers on the film's "plot" as well, but just one part of it. This half is The Joker being completely destructive unexpectedly. This other half is Harvey Dent, later known as Two-Face. Harvey Dent's story revolves around yet another quote from the film, "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain". That's what <i>The Dark Knight</i> is all about. It's the adjective for Dent, Wayne, and Joker. They all have that going for them. Heath Ledger: a brilliant actor with no limits in this thrill ride. He displayed one of the greatest and most honorable performances in any film I've seen. I'd say that he was better than the hype declared. I enjoyed every scene he had and I wish he could've been in more. When you watch this, you don't see Heath Ledger at all. You see what Heath was able to bring us. He brought something much more than I could have ever hoped for. He ended his career with no such flaw. I will never forget what I saw. I will never forget him. Believe me when I say this, if it weren't for Heath Ledger, this movie would have no impact on me. No one should compare Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger in any way by their performances as The Joker. Honestly, they're both great and unique in their own way. Jack was outgoing, fresh, comedic, crazy. Heath was strong, demented, clever, witty. They're both fantastic. Personally, Ledger was more enjoyable to me. He put a smile on my face and he didn't even have use a knife. He gave the performance of the decade, in the movie event of the decade. That doesn't mean he's better than Nicholson. I respect them both as The Joker. I know many find Jack to be the true definition of The Joker. Others would disagree and say Heath was much better in his figure and presentation. It really doesn't matter what the contrast between the two are. Heath and Jack are two different Jokers. Deal with it. Oh no! This is the point where I pile on the negativity. It seems pointless to evolve this into a huge rant, so I'll just squeeze it all into one paragraph. Christian Bale was far away from his usual acting. He had a lazier way of being Wayne. He added no emotion or drama to it; just another stiff. I'm sure his action figure is more active than he was. But his worst feature was without doubt his deep, scuffed voice in the bat-suit. Everyone can agree that it was annoying and didn't get any better. I wouldn't be surprised he got laryngitis from it. Anyway, Maggie Gyllenhaal was nothing special. She was quite a change from Katie Holmes. More screen time for her and a whole lot of unnecessary smiling. She was just as annoying as Katie was. Aaron Eckhart brought it down a whole notch. He exaggerated every aspect of Harvey Dent from the comics. He brought shame to the character and overacted the entire time he was on screen. He had some decency, but he went just beyond what he should've. All in all, Ledger gave the only acting that went on. What did Nolan do? I was so pumped to see this since he did such a great job on <i>Batman Begins</i>, and especially his other films as well. <i>Memento</i>, <i>The Prestige</i>: unique, dark thrillers unlike any other. He had the experience to pull off another Batman movie. The direction he went in was off balance. No flow or rhythm was seen anywhere in here. It had too many distractions from the plot. It seemed more like a series of segments, rather than a whole movie, which is some what of a drag to endure. It had it moments and still had a dark theme with loads of action, I'll give it that much. The degenerate of it all is that it was different from the previous film in the franchise. If it was more careful on the plot, acting, and dialog, it would be a true masterpiece. It's just mediocre with entertaining activity, but no real clause. The visuals however, were very respectable to me. Hardly any CGI was used. Two-Face took up the biggest portion of it. The film didn't need any special effects to change any bit of it's appearance. It was more of a bonus. But if anyone is really big on the visuals in films, then see it in IMAX. It enhances the realism. Make sure to get a good seat or it'll ruin everything. At times, I actually felt like I was apart of it. It almost seemed like I was flying over Gotham when the camera had those eagle-eyed shots of Chicago, Hong Kong, and many other areas. So, the visuals were wonderful and get a round of applause from me. Overall, I was disappointed with this movie. Heath Ledger was the glue they kept this film from falling apart. So, if anyone plans on seeing this, just savor every second of screen time Ledger has. His final completed role was his masterpiece and was more worth while than the movie itself. Oscar for Heath, anyone?

• Daniel M

  
  The word 'masterpiece' is batted around far too often these days, and with The Dark Knight it's sadly inappropriate. Most of what makes Christopher Nolan a great modern filmmaker is up there on screen, and you cannot fault it for being a blockbuster which is attempting… More
  The word 'masterpiece' is batted around far too often these days, and with The Dark Knight it's sadly inappropriate. Most of what makes Christopher Nolan a great modern filmmaker is up there on screen, and you cannot fault it for being a blockbuster which is attempting to address such relevant and complicated ideas. But while it is a general success, it is not as disciplined or focussed as Batman Begins and does not reward repeat viewing like The Prestige. It deserves to be celebrated and admired for its intelligence, but one must inevitably acknowledge that it isn't flawless. Having barely put a foot wrong in his previous films, The Dark Knight is the first glimpse of Christopher Nolan ever so slightly losing control. Like Batman Begins the film is a little too long, but it also feels slightly bloated, with much of the dialogue being rushed or mumbled in order to cram in all the ideas. It's almost as though there was enough plot and themes in here for two films, but rather than shoot back-to-back sequels, like The Matrix, Nolan decided to compress them down into one. Considering how mediocre The Matrix sequels were, this was not in itself a bad idea, but we still have to live with the fact that there are too many stories going on. Moreover, the film is edited and structured in a peculiar way. Where Batman Begins progressed in a defined direction, The Dark Knight feels more like a series of philosophical vignettes rather than something more progressive and incremental. The set-pieces are undeniably brilliant, but with the exception of the final sequence with the ships, you could put these set-pieces in almost any order and the film would feel the same. It's not terrible because of it, but it does mean that there is less cumulative tension than there could have been. This feeling of disorder is bolstered by the increased spectacle. Of course, being a blockbuster we don't expect things to be quiet, but there is a feeling watching all the explosions of Nolan pandering to the popcorn crowd just a little too much. In Batman Begins there were two hours of substance and character development, followed by 20 minutes of explosions to make up the trailer. In The Dark Knight, with its themes of escalation and chaos, it seems right that there should be more carnage, up to a point. But the carnage Nolan puts on screen eventually becomes repetitive, and his decision to film some of it in IMAX adds to the impression that he is overcompensating. These criticisms make it seem that Nolan's film is a failure, and when compared to the rest of his output, it is disappointing. But it remains head and shoulders above your average superhero blockbuster. The discipline of the first film has been compromised, but the film retains a desire to explore characters rather than just blow everything up. If nothing else, you have to admire Nolan for being able to take such an ideas-heavy film and sell it to such a wide audience. Thematically, this picks up the reins of the first film, dealing with the idea of understanding one's enemy as the means to defeating them. The difference is that the Joker is not a Nietzschean figure like Ra's al Ghul, someone who becomes evil by believing so strongly that he is doing good. In fighting him Batman still risks becoming like his enemies, but this lack of morality means that the cost to him will be greater. Killing the Joker seems necessary, but it would destroy Batman's moral code and undermine the belief that good can overcome evil in a non-Nietzschean way. The film is quite nihilistic in suggesting that even at its weakest, evil can triumph over good. The Joker's fate at the end remains uncertain, but the revelations surrounding Harvey Dent give a sense of him winning even though his direct influence is curtailed. The Joker's evil is allegorical to terrorism, in that his influence is fragmented and disparate. He does not take power by marching in with an army; he infiltrates, twisting, turning and double-crossing. Dent and Batman are the dove and the hawk trying to uphold rules in the face of chaos, and both are essentially destroyed in the process. The thing which marks out The Dark Knight from Nolan's previous work is that it is relatively conventional in its storytelling. It's ridiculous to call it 'dumbing down', but there is none of the jumping back and forth in time which made The Prestige so gripping. The themes are presented in a much more upfront way, both in the dialogue and the precise mechanics of the moral dilemmas. You could almost accuse Nolan of ramming ideas down the audience's throats, but thankfully the script and the characters are good enough to prevent this. The film has similar character development to Batman Returns, which was criticised for sidelining Batman in favour of the svillains. But that's always been the point. Since Batman is a superhero who uses cunning rather than powers, there has to be a section of the film in which he is the underdog; if nothing else it makes his eventual triumph more powerful and palatable. What makes The Dark Knight clever is that it does all this while withholding the Joker for a long time. Apart from the opening bank raid, the first act largely concerns itself with Lau and the Mob. As with all Nolan films, the performances are really great. Heath Ledger was generally a lightweight, but as the Joker he manages to channel Malcolm McDowell and make him truly terrifying. It's easily his best performance, although like the film it has become a victim of its own hype. Like the Scream killer, it has been so widely parodied that it isn't quite as scary anymore. Christian Bale remains convincing, and as before it is right that he should be a little sidelined so that the great evil is acknowledged. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are both warm and affable, and the script does allow for more humour this time round -- for instance, when Rachel Dawes and Batman land on the car, she turns to him and says, "Let's not do that again". Interestingly enough, the film glosses over the most interesting character development: the individuals closest to Bruce Wayne finding out his identity. This was explored in Batman Returns in some detail, but here there are several conversations between Bruce and Rachel in which she knows he is Batman, which somewhat undercuts the drama. The Dark Knight contains many promising performances, along with stunning visuals from Wally Pfister who gives Gotham a grungy and decaying edge. In the end it struggles to completely control all the rogue elements, but at least Nolan doesn't fall into the same trap as Sam Raimi on Spiderman 3, namely throwing everything at the screen in the hope that some of it will work. If Batman Begins was Nolan's equivalent of Alien, then this is his Aliens: more action-packed and slightly less compelling, but still weighty, intelligent and interesting. One only hopes that Inception will not be his Alien 3.

• Adam K

  
  A very good film. Although you expect non-stop explosive action, a bore of an action movie, Christopher Nolan balances the action with an interesting storyline and backdrop of Gotham City's mob underworld. Excellent script with good acting by Bale but the real success of the film… More
  A very good film. Although you expect non-stop explosive action, a bore of an action movie, Christopher Nolan balances the action with an interesting storyline and backdrop of Gotham City's mob underworld. Excellent script with good acting by Bale but the real success of the film goes to Heath Ledger portraying "The Joker", who really deserved his Suppourting actor Oscar. Despite the incredible audience pleasing truck flip and action sequence after action sequence, the film "slows down" with scenes in-between with the mob, the joker, and Bruce Wayne's friends and servants portrayed by Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. Overall the film is a great success, in the box office, but in the creative, and technical world of film too. Nolan opens the film introducing the state of crime filled city of Gotham and "The Joker." Suspense fills the film, making it more a thriller than an action. The Dark Knight is one of the first films to be mainly filmed using IMAX and RED cameras. RED cameras are filmed on celluloid film but can be adapted and edited digitally. Heath Ledger steals the film with his Oscar winning role as well as using shady mob underworld and double and triple crossing on both sides. Some scenes stand out from the rest, the mayor, hospital and boat crossing scene. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman have excellent roles and both good acting. But there are pit falls. Sometimes Nolan gives the film too much and the plot and storyline can be confusing. Bale's acting is also sometimes a bit straw like when Batman and over the top action hero when Bruce Wayne. Many fans are crying out for a third film reuniting the cast and a new baddie, saying that Ledger's portrayal is the ultimate. An excellent motion picture, for multiple viewings. **** 4 Star

• Eric A

  
  There aren't many movies I would give 5 stars to, but here's one. There wasn't one thing I didn't appreciate about this movie: Ledger, Eckhart, and Bale all delivered in their roles, with Ledger leading the way. Such a shame he couldn't witness all the… More
  There aren't many movies I would give 5 stars to, but here's one. There wasn't one thing I didn't appreciate about this movie: Ledger, Eckhart, and Bale all delivered in their roles, with Ledger leading the way. Such a shame he couldn't witness all the positive responses garnered from such a spectacular film of his.

• Alexander D

  
  Batman is back and better than ever. THE DARK KNIGHT truly should be your ideal superhero film, even though no other superhero film is even nearly as good as this one--sorry, SPIDER-MAN 2! It even has the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, who actually won a posthumous Academy Award for… More
  Batman is back and better than ever. THE DARK KNIGHT truly should be your ideal superhero film, even though no other superhero film is even nearly as good as this one--sorry, SPIDER-MAN 2! It even has the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, who actually won a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his amazing role as this creepy, somewhat asinine villain. That said, THE DARK KNIGHT is a must-see: it has great acting, great action, and it never gets boring.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings