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The second film in Christopher Nolan's Batman film trilogy released in 2008.
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Christopher Nolan has somehow found a way to trump his previous success with Batman Begins and remakes the super-hero genre in the process, changing it from a simple battle between men in tights to something deeper, darker, and oh so much more interesting, which is saying quite a bit, because Batman Begins was an excellent film.
+5
The plot of The Dark Knight, one of the best-reviewed films of the decade, centers around the Joker, and his various games. Throughout he puts Batman and the rest of Gotham through a series of moral quandries and situations to test their ethics (and not incidentally provide some amusement for himself). Along the way, major characters die and one is horribly scarred.
This film is unlike any previous super-hero movie. While things like Batman Begins, Superman, Superman II, Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2 and this summer's other great super-hero film, Iron Man (movies which are generally regarded by many, including myself, as being the best super-hero films to date), were excellent super-hero films, none of them have been exceptional artistic achievements.
This film is. It tears apart the conventions of the super-hero world and peers, darkly, into our own world, showing a post-9/11 super-hero enviroment unlike any we've seen before. It's a world with a terrorist dressed in clown makeup, where the savior of the city is a man in a mask who monitors everyone's cell phone calls, and where even the whitest of knights can have the steepest of falls.
There are serious layers to this movie, and a depth absent in most films, let alone "genre" pieces like this one. The film has received favorable comparisons to crime dramas like Heat, and LA Confidential, and though I've only seen the latter of the two, I can say that yes, it holds up favorably.
Are there any real flaws to this movie? Some have criticized its 2 1/2 hour run time. I had no problem with that. Some thought Aaron Eckhart didn't make for a very convincing Harvey Dent. I mostly disagree there, though I would've liked to have seen more hints at a darker side. Though the only real complaint I have does center around his character in that I really wish his eventual fate would've been a little different.
On a different note, all the praise you've heard for Heath Legder's performance is not exaggerated. Here's a man who has created a character every bit as memorable and twisted as Hannibal Lecter, but while Lecter at least had some rules, this fellow has none. You'll laugh at some of what he does, but a lot of that will be nervous laughter. If he doesn't get the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor next year, something is seriously wrong with the system. He deserves it completely. In fact, don't be surprised to see the film be nominated for Best Picture. It won't win, but it should, and probably will be, nominated.
One final note, do NOT take your children to this movie. Not if they're younger than ten or so. This is an adult film with adult themes to it. The Joker alone is likely to give kids nightmares, as is what becomes of Harvey Dent. How the film escaped an R-rating, I'll never know, except that the MPAA is less likely to give one for violence than they are for sex. If there'd been some tits in this movie, now, that might've been a different story!
So not for kids, but for everyone else? Go see this movie. Even if you don't like super-hero movies. See it.
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More The Dark Knight reviews
review by Stephanie_Smith19.
November 29, 2010
This is one of the best comic book movies ever made. I like the 1989 Batman film better and I always will, but I can't really compare the two because this is great in its own way and will go down as its own creation, and defnitely as a great one. This is a comic book movie for everyone, and marketing to children had little to nothing to do with anything. This is a movie strictly for adults, and even people who don't like comic book movies can find something they … more
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Compliments (37)
I love it when a filmmaker takes a well-known character and gives him a reinventing makeover. Director Martin Campbell found success twice giving James Bond the badly-needed breath of new life, first in Goldeneye and again in 2005's outstanding Casino Royale. It was also in 2005 that Christopher Nolan, best known for his cult indie film Memento, accomplished this same feat with Batman. Batman needed it. I admit I've always been fascinated with the Caped Crusader. But the movies tore him from his … more
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review by Mike_Bracken.
September 12, 2008
Finally, after what seems like an eternity of buzz, waiting, hype, and tragedy, what could easily be the biggest movie of 2008 is upon us: Christopher Nolan's second installment in his re-imagining of DC Comics' Batman, The Dark Knight. Does this mammoth two-and-a-half-hour superhero magnum opus live up to expectations? The simple answer is yes. With The Dark Knight Nolan has crafted what may be the greatest superhero film to date. In a summer where Marvel blew the doors wide open with the … more
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review by Husher315.
August 29, 2009
By now, The Dark Knight is known to be the best of the best when it comes to super hero movies as well as Heath Ledger's final Oscar winning performance. What some people fail to realize about Christopher Nolan's masterpiece is that it is also the best crime drama of the decade. Forget that Batman is in this movie for a second. Without him you have a movie that focuses on the Mob, dirty cops, inner city politics and a mad man watching all of this unravel as he adds his own breed … more
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review by A1CJonathanLane.
January 31, 2010
Wow, what a summer. Its only halfway over and already I've been treated to two incredible super hero films, The Incredible Hulk [Theatrical Release] and the masterpiece Iron Man (Special Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray] which, to me, is one of the top three super hero films of all time along side the likes of Spider-Man 2 (Widescreen Special Edition) and Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition). From deeper then expected films like Wall-E [Theatrical Release] to the resurrection of the Indiana Jones franchise … more
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Quick Tip by paulkmcginniss.
June 19, 2010
despite the darkness of the dark knight, i like the remakes...
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Quick Tip by qteepie.
June 15, 2010
Action packed and fun!
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Quick Tip by stacie12.
June 07, 2010
Not my typical type of movie, but I LOVED IT. Heath Ledger made this movie what it was.
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Quick Tip by Lexie_Darr.
June 04, 2010
One of the best movies of all times, if you havn't seen go forth and do so!!
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review by Hojonny.
April 24, 2009
We've all been there. Sitting in the theater regretting spending $9 on a movie based on a childhood superhero. Thankfully, The Dark Knight is not one of those superhero movies. Christopher Nolan, the man behind movies like Memento and Batman Begins, took Batman and Gotham city to a place that most superhero movies dare to go. Reality. Nolan made The Dark Knight gritty, realistic, and... well dark. This wasn't just a popcorn movie, this wasn't just a superhero movie, this was … more
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About the reviewer
C R Swanson (CRSwanson)
Ranked #18
Ranked #18
I'm an aspiring writer and reviewer. I run a blog, I'm working on a novel and spend my free time reading and playing video games. I also spend waaaaay too much time and money on movies. … more
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About this movie
The Dark Knight is a 2008 American superhero film co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role. Batman's primary conflicts in the film include his fight against his arch-nemesis the Joker and his strained friendship with district attorney Harvey Dent. For his conception of the film, Nolan was inspired by the Joker's first two appearances in the comics and Batman: The Long Halloween. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The director used an IMAX camera to film six major action sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film. The Batsuit was redesigned, with a cowl allowing Bale to move his head.
The film was released on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 21, 2008 in the United Kingdom. During its opening weekend, the movie brought in over $155 million, breaking nearly every box office record.
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The film was released on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 21, 2008 in the United Kingdom. During its opening weekend, the movie brought in over $155 million, breaking nearly every box office record.
Cast:
Christian Bale,
Heath Ledger,
Aaron Eckhart,
Gary Oldman,
Cillian Murphy,
Anthony Michael Hall,
Eric Roberts,
Michael Caine,
Michael Jai White,
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director:
Christopher Nolan
Genre:
Action,
Crime,
Drama
Release Date:
July 18, 2008
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
DVD Release Date:
December 9, 2008
Runtime:
152 minutes
Studio:
Syncopy Films,
Legendary Pictures,
Warner Bros. Pictures,
DC Studios
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