The Dark Knight

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) - July 18, 2008
Though this film has been hyped up to an almost ludicrous degree, I think it actually manages to live up to the hype; this is a really good film, maybe even a great one, and one I think I'll have to see at least once more to fully appreciate. The film does a phenomenal job of capturing what makes the character of Batman -- and the world he lives in -- great. It helps that everyone involved is pretty much at the top of their game: Christopher Nolan's direction is just as good as it has ever been (including the action, a notable weak spot in the original) and his screenplay is complex and real without ever losing sight of the fact that this is a summer action movie, and a Batman movie. The performances are all superb, including, of course, the much-ballyhooed Heath Ledger, who gives a pitch-perfect rendering of the Joker. The film is exciting, featuring a perfect balance between action and plot; it's long but it doesn't feel it at all. It essentially takes everything that was good about Batman Begins and makes it better, removing all the less-effective stuff in the process. ****