FILM REVIEW: The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT
[Directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Christian Bale, Heath Leger, Michael Caine, Morgan Freemen, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Gary Oldman.]

Don't worry I won't give anything away.

Let's begin with: Fantastic. What an amazing film, not a movie, but a film. I was impressed by what Nolan did with Batman Begins and well, they surpassed even that. I agree with a few other reviewers who have said that this film is not really a superhero movie but a crime drama. And it is. The Dark Knight is stripped down and raw. Though PG-13, it is an inch away from an R rating and I'm good with that. Gone is all the camp (which Burton briefly swept away and Schumacher resurrected) and even the quips and silliness that lingered here and there are gone. There is humor to lighten the mood at times but full throttle mayhem (smart mayhem mind you) is almost constant. There is a creepiness and a brutality to the film that raises the bar.

Leger is unforgettable as the Joker. You forget it is even him playing the role. He is more sinister than Nicholson's performance--scarier. He will haunt you, which is how the Joker should be played. Truly a brilliant casting decision by Nolan and an Oscar-worthy turn by Leger.

The film is so good that I'd be okay without another one. It bookends Batman Begins very well.

Also if you can see it in IMAX, see it in IMAX--wow. I need to see it again to say The Dark Knight is a masterpiece but it is darn close.

Rating 9 out of 10