The Dark Knight

Great. A comic-book version of Heat spiced up by a face-painted nutcase played by the breathtaking Heath Ledger. The Nolan brothers took the mythology of the Dark Knight and played with it in a way that is probably unparalleled. The psychology of the characters, their behavior and reactions are all set in a story concerning the struggle between total anarchy and greatly distorted good. Personally, I admit that before the film I wasn't thrilled about Eckhart's Harvey Dent being incorporated into a work that was supposed to belong mainly to the Joker, but I ended up captivated by the state prosecutor’s transformation (and I was especially surprised about the motive). The coin-tossing scenes were atmospheric to the point of being spine-chilling. I was also pleased that Christian Bale performed a bit of action without the Batman costume (the Lamborghini ride) and I was pleased with the greater scope of Gary Oldman's role. The Dark Knight is a clever summer blockbuster that could unleash a new wave of comic book movies. And that's good. "I thought my jokes were bad." (08/08/2008)

Endless chaos in the hands of one man, good and evil that lack boundaries, fantastic hi-tech toys, great actors, dry bon mots, one magic act, and most importantly two and a half hours of undiluted adventure where Nolan jumps from one peak to an even higher one to develop a meaningful plot, all while remembering the action that makes the weak ones wet. Since The Bourne Ultimatum, there’s now a film that resolutely rejects notions like "time-out" and "dead spot." And then there’s the oppressive music before the Joker does another number... I could go on forever. Film of the Year? Probably. (08/11/2008)

Turning a comic book adaptation into a fatal drama of almost classical proportions? Only Nolan can do that. I would consider the most problematic part of the story to be perhaps only the beginning (which is not so much the fault of the film itself as my unpreparedness for what the ride has in store for me), when the viewer is forced to jump on and swim for a while in an inflated plot that rolls forward like a tsunami, but once you tune in to the right wave, you are in for a delightful experience. The biggest plus of Nolan's film is the fact that the action on the screen is always one step ahead of your expectations and ideas, in other words, that it is constantly and continuously surprising (the Joker's stunts, the outcome of the dilemma on the ferries, etc.). And the Joker? Whenever he appeared, I would shit little bats with bliss (I would make a bedtime story out of his dialogue with Batman at the police station). Heath……And the Oscar goes to… (08/29/2008)

Yes, this is what I think an action movie should look like. Thanks a lot, Heath Ledger! The Joker character is so incredibly enjoyable and joker-like, plus he gives the film a pulse. I always watch this movie with joy and anticipation, as if I haven't seen it before. The film describes darkness with the highest caliber. Nothing, truly nothing is lacking here... 100% for the cast and especially the great direction. I really have a soft spot for this film. (10/28/2010)

Hans Zimmer spent three months searching for the right tone to express the Joker's mad, insidious and evil nature. Together with Heath Ledger’s performance, the monotonous motif, which sends chills down one’s spine, is as powerful an aspect of the film as everything else combined. A few years ago, Warners hoped to revive their half-dead comic book icon. Nolan delivered. As his success assured him that he was going in the right direction, this time he decided to push things even further, bring us to our knees and become not a king of comic book adaptations, but of noir crime dramas with comic book roots. For Warners, this film is a bandage on the financial wound inflicted by Speed Racer and will rank among the company’s most important feature movies. The Dark Night is even more dynamic, polished, dark and epic than Batman Begins. (08/18/2008)