The Dark Knight

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. (08/17/2008)

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… (08/28/2008)

The Dark Knight is a great film, but great doesn’t mean the best ever or the best in the last few years, and personally I have serious doubts it’ll be the best film of the year (it already has one competitor in In Bruges). Heath Ledger’s performance is clearly the one that has received the highest praise, his is the role that attracts most of the attention, but Aaron Eckhart is head-to-head with him and actually his character might be a lot stronger as a result. The plot moves forward very (sometimes excessively) fast, to the point that I wouldn’t have minded a longer runtime. (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. (08/10/2008)

What Nolan sketched in Batman Begins leads to absolute perfection in this film. The scheme of the struggle between good and evil is dissolved, and Batman definitely loses his mythical essence and becomes a truly dark figure of a cursed outcast. Definitely the darkest comic book film ever, mainly thanks to Ledger, whose Joker is a brilliant materialization of elusive and indestructible evil. The only weakness is the somewhat overwhelming plot, which loses a bit of pace between the two climaxes. I salute the way Nolan was able to turn a comic book film into a captivating and raw thriller in the best tradition of M. Mann, Coppola or De Palma. In my opinion, The Dark Knight is truly one of the best Hollywood movies. Edit 2012: after my "obligatory enthusiasm" subsided, The Dark Knight lost a bit of its gloss - nothing has changed for me about its qualities, but there is something about its coldness, brilliant calculation and bulletproof planning that prevents me from losing myself in the film... The character of Harvey Dent also still seems as wooden and flexible to me as is required for the perfect trick at the end. Ta-da! I’m giving it one star less. (08/07/2008)

Far too obviously, a remake of Heat, in a dark comic book-type vein with numerous freaks in latex suit like in a cheap sex shop. Not that I want to dampen the mania about Ledger’s performance, but he doesn’t outshine Bale, Oldman, and especially not Eckhart. In fact they work like spotlights that make it possible for him to cast a shadow. Proof of this can be seen in all scenes where they appear on screen together. That said, after seeing Heath’s Joker, Nicholson’s would hang his head in shame, going home in tears to take off his makeup knowing that he isn’t anything more than a ridiculous clown. The changes as against the last movie are for the better. Maggie is just wonderful, the action easier to follow, stylization (of the city and the secret monastery in the mountains) has gone and even the duo of composers no longer seem as if they are pulling from opposite ends of the same saw. But while certain aspects of the first Joker have been overcome, this does not apply to the movie as a whole. It just doesn’t come near Nolan’s best ever movie because the departure from the psychological and a full focus on characters toward “eye-candy" action (of course, I mean in terms of Nolan’s movies) is rather a disappointment. Why sideline the central character of The Dark Knight? The born-again Batman stood and still stands on intimate scenes like the one in the interrogation room. And not how delightfully he eliminates dozens of gangsters using sonar. Almost as if the authors were rejecting everything that set them apart from similar genre movies. ♫ OST score: 5/5 (07/31/2008)

Powerful puppeteer Nolan unleashes a tragedy of unknown proportions, from robbery to fateful resolution, not allowing the heroes to catch their breath, shattering the boundaries of the characters' psyche, and yet, comic book enthusiasts all over the world scream with excitement, staring wide-eyed at the screen and slowly suffocating by the black thread of the story. Gotham is engulfed in darkness, perhaps less venomous than when the bat man began, but all the more unpredictable, treacherous, and chilling. The mad laughter can be heard not only from Arkham Asylum but also from banks, mafia hideouts, and all other places where it is not advisable to be heard. And it brings confusion and fear. Therefore, rise again, Dark Knight, spread your wings and fly to the aid of those who may succumb to disbelief and confront your eternal enemy. (08/17/2008)

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)

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." (08/07/2008)

The Dark Knight continues the "neorealist" style and offers the classic familiar villains, the Joker and Two-Face, in a new light. While Scarecrow in the first film was downright disgusting, the Joker is completely original, and Two-Face’s birth is a big surprise. The characters are outright interesting, making dark style even darker, which is also influenced by the recasting of Rachel. I understand the accolades at the time, yet it's ultimately a film I don't want to revisit because the experience itself is too negative. (05/04/2022)

I can’t say which of the new episodes is better, but it is clear that in The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan successfully applied and deepened the elements with which he relaunched the entire Batman franchise: maximum realism, intense characters, darkness, a cold setting, and a minimum of colors. Although Batman Begins seems more compact and polished at first glance (despite its existential beginning), there is something emanating from The Dark Knight that is difficult to define. Every frame is perfectly thought out, fantastically executed, and presented on a silver platter. Heath Ledger is brilliant, the action is great, and the cinematography is of high quality, but the director's main trump card are the several pivotal scenes and, above all, the undeniable fact that you can never predict what will happen in ten seconds, which is truly unprecedented in a comic book movie. Equally unprecedented is the assertion that The Dark Knight is indeed a comic book movie through and through, but with its dramatic and existential transcendence, it becomes a full-fledged dramatic experience, and it is impossible to disagree with that. It cannot be seen just once. (11/30/2008)

The best comic book movie for me remains X-Men along with Burton's Batman Returns, followed by Donner's Superman and then Hellboy, but The Dark Knight, like its younger sibling, is great, no doubt about it. Actually not, it’s better. The best moment, the magic trick with the pencil. (05/09/2009)

The first time I saw The Dark Knight when I was 16, my chin dropped to somewhere below my knees, and for many nights before going to bed I didn't think about how the prettiest girl in our class looked with no clothes on and a lustful look in her eyes, but about the giggling, psychopathic Joker, who, with the perpetually angry Batman, had just created the most riveting and appealing comic book flick of all time. But as I got a little older, of course, I got wiser and found the film to be so much more perfect and so much sexier that, if I could, it would be the only thing I would imagine without clothes for eternity. From the first to the last second, an absolutely impressive adrenaline ride that keeps the tension by cleverly developing new deadlines, a precise psychological layout of the main players, who under no circumstances overlap in character, and the ultimate Zimmer soundtrack, which simply could not be better given the epic fateful development. Nolan is a genious, and his Dark Knight is a comic book crammed with orgiastic visual ideas, smart twists, and unexpected conflicts to the point that all of Marvel, as much as I love it, can go wipe the windscreen of Bruce Wayne's Lamborghini. The Joker is not only the highlight of the film and a brilliantly written character, but in Ledger's phenomenal performance he becomes the most iconic and charismatic villain ever; and Christian Bale, his lesser counterpart, is definitely and forever the best Batman – and so is The Dark Knight. (08/10/2011)

I'm more than sure that whatever I write in my review can never fully capture everything that makes this film original, relentless, incredibly dramatic, more than brilliantly written and directed, scored, and thought out to the smallest detail. The role of Heath Ledger's life (ironically, literally) and his embodiment of the character of the Joker is damn near perfect, chilling, and in every way eclipses Bale's efforts at Batman. I've seen it many times and will see it many more.) (12/28/2010)

Although I'm not exactly rhapsodic about this, I'm willing to admit that it's a pretty good movie. Its main strengths are undoubtedly the superb cast and performances. I must say that the script is also quite good. However, the film would definitely benefit from a shorter running time, some passages are, in my opinion, unnecessarily long and boring. I don't want to offend anyone, everyone has different tastes, but there are certainly much better comic book adaptations than the much-praised The Dark Knight. (70%) (06/17/2022)

The Dark Knight is really unique, exceptional, and perfect beyond doubt. After having seen it at least fifteen times, it is still as captivating, and it will remain one of my lifetime favorites. When Christopher Nolan took over the nearly ruined DC Comics legend from Schumacher, the Warner Bros. probably had no idea what Nolan would do for the Batman franchise. In 2005, he established a solid basis in Batman Begins, and used its potential to the fullest in TDK. With a bigger budget, he created a thriller where action gets going in the very first minute and doesn’t let up until the final credits roll. The plot is uncompromising, without any dull moments, with Zimmer’s breathtaking music, Heath Ledger's iconic acting performance, excellent one-liners, great stories (“We burned the forest down.”) and especially the Nolan brothers' screenplay, which, for a commercial blockbuster, is incredibly sophisticated. What to add at the end? Perhaps my favorite scenes: Joker’s interrogation at the police station (with absolutely brilliant music), Joker meeting the Mob (“And I thought my jokes were bad.”) and Joker’s departure from the hospital. Now that I think about it, there’s no point highlighting particular scenes, because TDK just doesn’t have a single weak moment that would allow me to take my eyes off the movie. A lifetime favorite! (01/10/2012)