The Dark Knight

Sorry folks, I know it's been a painful and trying few days without the update of your favourite blog. Unfortunately, my incredibly shitty junk of metal some people choose to call a computer has died on me. Since then, I've gone and try to type this up on my backup laptop. Trying Windows Live Writer with this review so if nothing looks right, bare with me. So, I'm sure most of you have already watched The Dark Knight and been pretty blown away by it? I watched it again on Saturday and here is my rundown on me experience even after the 2nd time.

What the movie is about.
Set within a year after the ending of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight begins with a bang, Being a full out action movie with small hints of other genres such as Romance peppered in throughout the movie. Batman, along with Lt. Gordon and new District Attorney Harvey Dent continue the never-ending job of cleaning up the streets of Gotham City. Along comes a psychopathic criminal with nothing to lose, namely The Joker. With ties going deep into the crime-fighting force and a reputation which nobody dares to cross, The Joker appears to be the ultimate Villain, hitting Batman and Gotham City hard and wanting nothing but Batman's surrender in return.

Who is in the Movie.
The Dark Knight definitely does not lack it's starpower. It's all-star cast is spearheaded by Christian Bale who once again returns as Bruce Wayne and Batman. Heath Ledger, plays the Joker in his swansong, his last complete project and boy does he leave us with something to remember. Aaron Eckhart of Thank You for Smoking fame plays Harvey Dent, The "White Knight" of Gotham. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman both return as Alfred and Lucius Fox providing us with comical relief. Maggie Gyllenhaal comes in as a replacement for Rachel Dawes after Katie Holmes decided to turn down the job even after they offered to double her pay.

Why I think the Movie is Superb.
I'm going to start this section by getting something out of the way. Did the passing of Heath Ledger make this movie even bigger than it already was? Yes, no doubt it did. People flocked to see him in his last complete appearance and the media built up the hype, saying he did an excellent job. Did his passing appear to make his role better than it deserved to be? No. Not one single bit. If he were alive now I would've thought the same thing. Jawdroppingly awesome.

The movie will no doubt go down as one of the classic comic adaptation greats, heck maybe even as one of the great movies of this generation. Why? Because Heath Ledger leaves us with a performance that seems so memorable, we'll be comparing every villain in every other show to him now and I feel sorry for them, because they have their work cut out. His performance, no, masterpiece, seems so real, so unique, so out-of-place that combined with his death, leaves us with chills and a bitterness at losing such a talented person at the peak of his career.

If you were wondering how he got there, he spent a whole month, locked up alone in a hotel room, formulating the Joker's posture, psychology and voice, writing in a diary daily about the Joker's thoughts, as a guide to himself during his performance. Just how good was he? Michael Caine, an accomplished and respected actor himself, was so blown away by his performance that in their first scene together, at the Wayne Manor, when The Joker enters and performs, he got such a fright that he forgot his lines.

But, let's move away from Heath Ledger and more onto the plot. And here it is truly unique. I can't remember the last film I watched in which the plot twisted this much. With the movie running at two and a half hours, there was plenty of time to formulate something special and special is what Christopher Nolan gives us. Unlike normal movies where there are 3 acts, the build-up, the conflict and the resolution, The Dark Knight has 5 or even 6 acts. While watching the movie, you will never know where it's going to go next and this is what keeps you on the edge of you seat the entire time. There is hardly any time for a breather, with action action action in every other scene.

Why I like this version of Batman more than any other is first and foremost, the cast. They opted to go for an acting cast rather than a bunch of overpaid "superstars" such as Ahem, the govenator? Every member of the cast pulls his and her weight here, giving us a satisfying performance. Secondly, this version of Batman shows us a different side to superheroes, it shows us the flipside, the vulnerable side to Batman. Where Superman or Ironman live happily ever after, getting the girl and being the darling of the town, this version of Batman does not. He struggles with his own demons and constantly questions his own motives. As Bruce Wayne he shows vulnerability and regret and as the Dark Knight, he morphs into an sort of alter-ego which is able to take the blame and be the bigger man, for the city.

This is getting long so I'll try to wrap it up here. Basically put, if you had to watch a movie this year make it this one. I can't see any other movie which is coming out coming close to touching this. The simple fact that it created history with the biggest weekend ever, beating Spiderman 3 should tell you that. If you haven't watched this, make some time and go for it because it will not disappoint. You will know you have witnessed something truly great, something that leaves you walking out of the theater satisfied. But how will you know? What will prove that to you? It's simple, you will walk out of there knowing, and regretting that Hollywood and humanity in general has lost something special, something irreplaceable, and that is, the Joker himself, Heath Ledger.

9.5/10

I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger.