First off, all I have to say is wow. I had the opportunity to see the film in Imax and it was amazing. Upon seeing the opening shots I found myself literally saying ‘wow’. The film is great in all aspects including story, visuals, and performances.
The Dark Knight is easily the best superhero film made and is definitely one of the best crime thrillers in a long time. To me, it almost doesn’t even seem like a comic book film. It appeals to all audiences and not just those who love the comics. I don’t think I need to go into the story too much except say that you won’t be disappointed. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan have created something so dark and fascinating that once the credits come up, you’ll want to watch it again.
Now regarding performances. If Heath Ledger doesn’t win an Oscar, then I have lost all hope in humanity. Ledger’s performance is remarkable and his dark and psychotic portrayal will haunt you. He finds the perfect balance between everything within the character and the comedic timing is impeccable. It is safe to say that he made this movie what it is. Without him, the film would be lacking greatly.
Christian Bale did a good job as well of reprising his role of Bruce Wayne. My only complaint is the hoarse voice he chose to use while sporting the batman costume. It’s understandable that he wants to hide his identity but in my opinion it’s a bit too harsh.
Aaron Eckhart looks like a promising (possible) villain for the next (probable) film. I was a bit skeptical upon first hearing he would be portraying Harvey Dent but was pleasantly surprised when I saw the film.
Gary Oldman and Michael Caine reprise their roles as Lt. James Gordon and Alfred and both perform well. Thankfully Nolan replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is clearly a much better actress.
Overall The Dark Knight is a great film with great performances and will appeal to audiences of all ages. It is hard to say how the film would hold up without Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker but it is safe to say that the a lot of the greatness of the film is a result of Ledger’s spectacular performance.
(Opens everywhere July 18th, 2008)
-Matt Simko
RSS Feed