Rating:
4.5 out of 5
Short version: The Dark Knight has raised the bar for the comic book superhero genre – it’s a Batman movie for grown-ups.
Screen Rant reviews The Dark Knight
It’s a funny thing about watching a movie you’ve been anticipating so much and for so long – you walk in with preconceived notions of what it should be like. This happened for me with Iron Man, and as it turned out that film nailed my expectations of what an Iron Man movie should be like.
However that very same sense of anticipation hurt my first viewing of The Dark Knight.
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Going in, while I was expecting an excellent film, I was also expecting something along the lines of Batman Begins – a superhero movie with more of a real world feel than your typical film based on a comic book character. That was actually one of the thithengs I really liked about Nolan’s previous movie – it was close enough to reality that I could really imagine a guy dressing up in a bat-suit to fight crime as shown in the film.
But The Dark Knight takes that concept and multiplies it. You’re not watching a superhero movie based in the real world here – you’re watching the real world and it just happens to contain a psychopathic criminal and a modern day samurai.
The film opens with a bank heist perpetrated by a bunch of guys wearing clown masks, and what seems to be the Joker’s initial arrival in Gotham City. The opening scene is brilliant and seems like it could have come right out of one of the “Bourne” movies. We also get insight into just how ruthless the Joker is as his henchmen have been instructed to kill each other after their particular tasks are complete (of course, they don’t know that they’ve ALL been given this instruction).
In a further demonstration of how much the Joker doesn’t care about or fear anything, the bank in question is where every mobster in Gotham City keeps their illegal cash – and that’s what the Joker is stealing.
Batman and Lieutenant Gordon are more concerned with shutting down the gangsters by choking off their funds than dealing with “just one man.” But oh, how wrong they are…
The Joker makes on offer to the heads of the crime families to kill Batman in exchange for HALF of their combined funds of $68 million. They scoff of course at first but soon enough they learn that they’ve gotten far more than they bargained for with our pasty-faced villain, who unleashes a reign of terror upon the city never before seen.
The Dark Knight is the closest of all the Batman films to one of the more mature reading level Batman graphic novels. This world is dead serious, and the Joker is no clown – he’s a deadly, dangerous, semi-suicidal psychopath who also happens to be brilliant. Now there’s a scary combination. Speaking of the Joker… Heath Ledger’s death was tragic, but if there was a role to leave as a legacy – damn, this one is it.
(Continued…)
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117 Comments
I agree John but just think how great Daredevil could have been with this kind of treatment and this kind of writing. If it had been properly adapted it could have been Marvels answer to TDK franchise.
@ Gary…Does the 60 million Friday estimate (I can’t believe 60 million freakin dollars) include the early screenings that started at midnight or just Friday nights numbers?
Cheers
Greenknight,I assume its from the start of the 1201 screenings on.
It was just a headline on Nikki Finkes website that said TDK:60 million Friday
TYVM Gary..
i went back to Nikki Finkes website website the 60 million figure is from Warner Bros.
its not an official estimate, but they are privately saying they beat Spider-Man 3s 59.5 debut.
i just wanted to be clear.
the only offically released estimate is
the 18.5 million for the previews .
Nikke Finke is saying the estimate for TDK is between 64-65 million for Friday,
and yes that does include the 18.5 million from the midnight showings .
The estimate over at Fantasy Moguls Is 66 million.
say, since this is a review thread
Who else has seen this thing?
This is my last prediction,,,,, sports fans,,,,
60+ for Friday.
57+ for Saturday..
63+ mil on Sunday…
=180mil beating Spiderman 3……
It should break 200mil by Wednesday beating another record.
Just saw it today, and frankly I was pretty much blown away. You’re right. Ledger disappears into the role. His presence has real gravity, it carries an oppressiveness at times that is alternately chill inducing and humorous. Completely self-assured, but not arrogant, the Joker is always the smartest man in the room and he knows it. I haven’t seen an actor truly inhabit a role so thoroughly in a very long time. Ledger never, even for a split second, gave off the impression he was acting. I’ve seen others perform roles where they achieve this level in fits and spurts, but rarely for an entire film. It is as complete a performance as I am ever likely to witness in my lifetime.
I would like to see it again, as some of the line readings came off as relatively low compared to sound effects and score making it difficult at times to hear somewhat important information. Now to the film’s credit, events are sometimes very well portrayed so that even if you missed some dialog, you can fill in the important parts yourself, but other times I was stymied. Is this a theater issue, or did anyone else have trouble hearing the dialog?
The final scenes with Dent seemed to be a little bit too monologue-y (they seemed a bit forced considering the situation) whereas in earlier monologues, I felt they flowed naturally from the situations and tone of the scenes.
All in all, I am reserving my final rating on this one ’till I get the opportunity to see it a few more times because quite simply it is a very challenging piece of work (much as Wall-E was for very different reasons) that made you really have to put the puzzle together without having it spelled out for you. That’s not a criticism either. I wish more movies made audiences use their heads a little. I think the over-reliance on exposition in recent years has led to something of a ‘dumbing down’ of our expectations. Hopefully “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E” will help reverse the trend.
Well I just got back from the theatre, and after months and months of anticipation I have to say I was a little disappointed. Maybe because the last film was so great it’s hard to live up to Begins. The film was good don’t get me wrong but there were a few things that stood out. Heath was great as the Joker, Bale comes through again as well. The downside, the movie was on the long side, we could have done with Maggie G as Rachel, story is a little undeveloped, the transition that Two Face makes to become a villian doesn’t fit. All in all, good movie but I was expecting more.
I couldn’t disagree with you more Darthbalo. I thought this movie far surpassed Begins and my expectations.
I just got home from the matinee showing and I have to say that it was a great movie. I did, however, think it was a bit too long. Between the previews and the movie, it was almost 3 hours sitting in the theater. I had to go to the bathroom at the 2 hr mark and couldn’t leave because I didn’t want to miss anything!! I thought the movie started out kinda slow, but it definitely picked up at the end. I normally don’t care for Heath Ledger, but I have to say that he was awesome as the Joker. Bale is simply the best Batman ever. I’m only going to give it 4/5 stars because it WAS too long; parts in the beginning seemed to drag. Maybe if I watch it again without the thought of my bladder bursting open I will change my mind. I still like Begins better, though.
Wow!Did TDK deliver or what,an absolutely awesome movie from start to finish,I loved it.Everyone seems to be complaining that it was to long,but the time never bothered me,I was to busy enjoying the film.Some say it started out slow,I thought it just jumped right into the story and began to take us on a great ride.
Vic,I will say your right in giving it 4.5 stars as opposed to the full 5 stars,though.I thought Nolan could have done a better job in explaining how Harvey Dent goes from a man that’s disfigured to Harvey 2 Face a homicidal pschoypath.Also theirs a scene(I wont spoil it for someone who hasn’t seen it)where their is no explanation as to how it came to happen.
Heath Ledger should get the Oscar for his performance as the Joker,he nailed it.TDK should be nominated for best picture,along with Chris Nolan for best director.
BTW,I thought Nolan did a good job with the trailers in not giving the whole story line.
Selah
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this movie for too long. After seeing it tonight (non-IMAX this time, but next weekend…), I have to say I’d go with a 4 out of 5. I am taking Vic’s advice and seeing it a second time before judging.
My favorite scenes were almost all Ledger scenes, except for the Hong Kong capture. Heath is the man IMO, sad he won’t be able to reprise the role
Much more Killing Joke than I anticipated
BTW
Don’t know why sound editing is what I always focus on, but the bank heist and the convoy / car chase were brilliantly edited. Little to no score during those scenes added so much tension, I was glued. It reminded me of the Nepal saloon scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, a scene I have commended a few times on Screenrant. I cannot wait to see that on IMAX
My only problem with the film was how it all ended up with Two Face/Harvey. I won’t spoil it but I suspect most people know what I’m talking about at the end of the movie.
IMO the plot with Dent/2face ssemed rushed and not played out as they should gave been due to them trying to fit in as many , if not all, of the Ledger/Joker scenes. i think once they saw how great ledger was…they decided to go in a little different direction which caused the 2 face plot to almost seem incomplete…but great movie….great, great movie!! But the question is , where do they go from here?
Probably a variation on Frank Millar’s “The Dark Knight Returns” minus the older Batman angle. He’ll be considered an outlaw and will have to defeat some bad guy with both the police and public sentiment against him.
Vic
I liked the movie and all the performances, that being said I preferred Nicholson’s Joker. I know I am in the minority but when I look at the Joker, I think he is a good character because he is the polar opposite of Batman, I felt Ledger’s Joker was too dark. He was twisted and psychotic but I also liked the randomness of Nicholson’s Joker a little more. Plus, I read the comics alot, I am used to seeing the more traditional Joker. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Ledger’s performance and how he disappeared in the role, I just prefer the more traditional Joker. Try not to let me have it too much.
LOL, Shane, I actually think that Heath was much closer to the Joker as seen in the graphic novels (where they can push the envelope more) instead of the monthly comic.
To me Jack Nicholson as the Joker was… Jack Nicholson. On the other hand Ledger disappeared into the role.
Vic
I agree with Vic. Heath I thought matched the Graphic novel pretty well. Hell I thought he was a lot like the comics even a lot more than Jack. I thought Jack did an ok job but nothing spectacular.
Best Comic Film ever and ya I think Heath already wins in the supporting actor category. I’d like to see Bale and Nolan accept for him.
There were extremely minor things for me that were not bad but could of been different in my mind. However I think the length of the film was perfect. I don’t know how the content and story could have been cut to fit a shorter length.
Speaking of length, would you prefer a shorter Watchmen movie, or the 3 hour cut Zack Snyder wants? I think if its not 3 hours the story will be screwed and incomplete. Maybe they should of done the entire thing properly then cut it into two volumes separated by a few months (Kill Bill/Matrix 2-3 style).
this is unrelated to this thread ,
But i think he should just cut the film.
there are always DVDS.
5/5 stars a true masterpiece the best comic related FILM ever Ledger was insane,cute,clever,funny at different times during the film. He became the Joker and I wonder if that performance had anything to do with his passing?? He was truly unbelievable and his performance goes down as one of the greatest in cinema history. He will be sorely missed in the next movie. The plot was phenomenal and the rest of the cast was stellar. Eckhart was excellent as Two-Face and Bale is and always will be THE BEST BATMAN. That look the Joker gave Two-Face in the hospital was priceless. This movie could make $400 million by next weekend and I encourage all to go see it again especially in IMAX as I and many of my friends and family are going to do.
Right on Dave, this film IS the NEW Star Wars. Here we come Titanic !!!
I went to see X-Files today and there were lines of people still waiting to see TDK.
X-Files was half full at a 5pm PCT viewing… I fully expect TDK to be 1st , 2 weeks in a row , possibly 4.
X-Files was awesome, btw! Stay for the end credits !!!
The Dark Knight is great! Only beef- I wish that would have ended the Two-Face story when he walks into the bar and picked it up in part 3. If he did that this film would have been as great as any sequel ever made. Including The Empire Strikes Back. As is, it’s just a tiny bit to long. Still it’s the best comic book movie ever made! It deserves repeat viewings!
I saw this movie TWICE, and I’m dying to see it again! I agree, Ledger’s performance as The Joker was mind blowing. I must admit, when I had first heard Heath was going to play The Joker, I was BEYOND pissed since he hadn’t done the best work (IMO) and I wasn’t a huge fan of his films but after seeing The Dark Knight, I don’t think anyone could do a better job.
I liked how the movie was a lot darker than the earlier Batman films, and I personally think that Bale makes a better Batman than any of the other actors who portrayed him. Although, I do wish Dent as Two Face had gotten more screen time – it felt too short and I have mixed feelings about Maggie Gyllenhaal playing Rachel Dawes. I both did, and didn’t like her performance.
A part of me wishes that they either should have given Cillian more screen time or not have him in there at all. It felt incredibly random and short lived.
I want to see it in IMAX SO bad!
KEL’s review [b]is[/b] coming…
Brace youselves heheh.
Oh, BTW, good review, Vic.
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