The Dark Knight ( Movie )
B +
The Dark Knight has so many problems that I can’t in good faith give it anything in the ‘A’ range. I apologize to all the fanboys and bloggers who think this is one of the best movies of all time. While I did enjoy myself, and I am a huge Batman fan, this movie failed on too many levels. As one of the two superhero trilogy’s that are based on my life, I have a little vested interest in the success of this movie.
First things first, Heath Ledger turns in one of the all time best performances of all time. An Oscar nod is a guarantee, and a win is within reach. He takes this movie, lifts it up on his shoulders, and carries it from the first minute to the last. Every scene he is in has either exlusively close ups of him or shots of him and whoever else is in the scene. Almost never does the camera leave him. When he is off screen, the movie slows and we miss him. Maybe sub-consiously it’s because of his tragic death, but there is something magical about his presence in this film. Every line is delivered with passion and brilliance. His mannerisms, his body language, his voice. It all works. It more than works. It makes this movie border on greatness. This movie could be more aptly titled “The Joker”.
More good stuff in this film? Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman play themselves, but do it well. They don’t trip over any lines, but they aren’t changing my life. The action sequences, particularly the hand to hand combat scenes, feel new somehow. The punches have a bit more force behind them, and Ledger’s fighting style as the Joker is exactly what you would expect. The “Batpod” (re: Batman Motorcycle) is WAY cooler than they make it on the posters. It seems like a gimicky toy seller in all the ads, which it is, but it actually works really well in the film. It puts the original Batpod to shame, for sure. Eckard deserves some good press too. He plays both Harvey Dent and Two-Face really well. Granted, Two-Face looks like the Terminator, but that’s another story. Dent is the White Knight and then he isn’t. The transition was nice. The effects look good, if out of place.
So why isn’t this movie an instant classic? Because of Christian Bale and Maggie Gylenhaal. Bale is terrible. Just awful. He is an average Bruce Wayne, and a horrible Batman. His voice is comical. It sounds like one of the Nosgoth in The Lord of the Rings. I understand that he is trying to be “scary” and dark when he talks, but it’s ridiculous. He isn’t either. He sounds sickly and absurd. He also has the weirdest lip movements when he talks and sort of a fat lower half to his face - not your typical superhero jawline. He almost ruins the movie. Gylenhall is serviceable, but her presence is just emtpy. She does the exact same things that Katie Holmes did. Katie Holmes actually did sort of a better job actually. They both have zero chemistry with Bale (who would?), and fluff through their scenes. I don’t care about her scenes and was just waiting for Ledger to come back on when she started talking.
The movie is also incredibly talky. I’m fine with talky superhero movies, but even Ledger gets a little verbose in one particular scene at the Gotham City Hospital. He literally describes his ethos in full detail. What he is, what he’s about, what people are like him, what people aren’t. It’s like a Joker resume that he reads out loud. We already knew all those things about him from his actions, we don’t need him telling us. That sort of dumbing down for the audience almost loses the movie alot of respect. Nonetheless, Ledger does save the show with his charm and quirks.
All in all, the movie is a blast. The action looks really great. The fight scenes and chase scenes are well done. There are several iconic shots of Ledger. There are laughs to be had, even a few tears as you watch Ledger dominate acting in the last half hour. The 2.5 hours goes by FAIRLY quickly, even if it lags a little here and there. With a better lead and a better romantic interest, this movie could’ve been perfect. Unfortunately, the actors in this film, with the possible exception of Eckart, can’t play at the same level as Ledger. I’ll see it once more and then hope for Keaton to reprise his role in the trilogy’s conclusion.
