Movie
description
|
-Christian
Bale
-Heath
Ledger
To
say
that
Christopher
Nolan's
THE
DARK
KNIGHT
is
the
best
comic
book
adaptation
does
the
film
a
bit
of a
disservice.
It
may
be a
Batman
film,
but
this
isn't
a
kid-friendly
action
movie
full
of
the bams
and
pows
of
the
original
series.
This
is a
pitch-black
thriller
with
enough
drama
and
tragedy
to
please
even
William
Shakespeare,
but
it
will
certainly
keep
both
comics
fans
and
uninitiated
audiences
equally
happy.
THE
DARK
KNIGHT
starts
in
the
wake
of
BATMAN
BEGINS:
with
the
appearance
of
Batman
(Christian
Bale), Gotham
City's
criminal
underworld
is
unnerved.
They're
also
plagued
by
the
new
D.A.,
Harvey
Dent
(Aaron Eckhart),
who,
in
his
quest
for
justice,
remains
above
the
city's
corruption.
Enter
a
new
villain,
the
Joker
(Heath
Ledger),
who
wants
to
unite
the
criminals
for
a
common
purpose:
to
kill
Batman.
THE
DARK
KNIGHT
is
one
of
the
most
hyped
movies
to
date,
and
a
lesser
film
would
be
crushed
under
the
weight
of
all
that
expectation.
Some
of
the
publicity
stems
from
the
early
death
of
Ledger,
who
turns
in
an
excellent
performance.
He
provides
moments
of
humor,
but
this
Joker
is
terrifying,
sharing
more
with
classic
villains
such
as
Hannibal Lechter
than
with
his
comic
book
predecessors.
Eckhart
is
equally
good
as
Dent,
and
Maggie
Gyllenhaal
deserves
praise
for
taking
over
the
role
of
Rachel
Dawes
from
Katie
Holmes.
Though
there's
more
emphasis
on
plot
and
character
development
than
in
most
comic
book
adaptations,
that
doesn't
mean
Nolan
has
skimped
on
any
of
the
action
sequences.
Each
set
piece
is
done
perfectly,
leaving
the
audience
breathless.
THE
DARK
KNIGHT
is
filmmaking
at
its
best;
its
subject
matter
may
be
dark
and
depressing,
but
it's
tough
not
to
feel
exhilarated
by
its
artistry
when
the
credits
begin
to
roll.
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