Reviewed by Max Foizey.

Release Date: July 18, 2008
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
Rating: PG-13

Easily the most ambitions superhero film in both tone and scope, The Dark Knight is not your typical summer blockbuster. Complex, depressing, and sometimes hard to watch, Director Christopher Nolan improves upon his 2005 film Batman Begins in every way. If Nolan's goal is to bring Batman into the real world (a decision I feel is unnecessary, I prefer Tim Burton's nightmarish Gotham), at least this time he ups the ante with real world problems.

While most of Gotham's criminals try to curtail their wrongdoings once night falls to steer clear of the Batman, at least one takes the appearance of a masked vigilante as a personal challenge. Right off the bat it's clear the Joker (Ledger) is a Great White Shark swimming in a sea of guppies. (Special mention must be made of one of those guppies: Eric Robert's awesome work as Salvatore Maroni. His laissez-faire attitude is a perfect contrast to Ledger's go for broke performance.)

As Batman cleans up the streets with his fists, District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart) has a plan to clean up Gotham in a more traditional way. Billionaire playboy-with-a-secret Bruce Wayne (Bale) is so impressed with Dent's success, he sees a time coming when he won't have to dress up in pointy ears and run around at night. Of course, half the reason Bruce is keen to hang up the cowl is his ex-flame Rachael Dawes (Gyllenhaal), who left Bruce to play with his 'wonderful toys' while she makes time for a more lawful crime fighter, none other than Harvey Dent.

I was surprised the film goes as far as it does with Harvey Dent's storyline. If you're familiar with the character, you know he suffers a fall from grace. Aaron Eckhart's gift to the film is making this fall truly tragic.  As Dent is Gotham's best hope for positive change, you don't want him to fail. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal steps into the high heels of Katie Holmes as Bats' BFF Rachael Dawes. I think Holmes is a good actress given the right part (Pieces of April, Abandon) but the role of Rachael Dawes in Batman Begins was such a poorly written part I doubt anyone would have made a memorable impression, and Homes certainly didn't. The Dawes of Dark Knight is a much better written, fully realized character you actually care about, and yes, Mags is a better actress than Mrs. Cruise anyway.

In these films Bruce Wayne is hardly anything more than a womanizing playboy, and as such Christian Bale makes a better Batman than Bruce Wayne. I miss the menace and madness that Michael Keaton's performance hinted at. Still, he's a great Batman, and even his I NEED A COUGH DROP voice as the Caped Crusader doesn't bother me.

Michael Caine enjoys making up back stories for each of the characters he plays, and in Caine's mind Alfred Pennyworth is an ex military man who became a Butler for the Wayne family after getting hurt. This informs an excellent scene between Caine and Bale that features a story from Alfred's past as he tries to explain to Bruce that 'some men just want to watch the world burn.' Chilling stuff.

This time around Morgan Freeman has more to do as Wayne Enterprises' Lucius Fox. Bruce puts him in charge of a top secret sonar device that Bats uses to spy on Gotham's citizens in order to track down the Joker. Fox is uncomfortable with the whole idea, which obviously brings allusions to the Patriot Act. Freeman is note perfect, but it's well known he is incapable of giving a bad performance. (Even when he's asked to be Sam Jackson, ala the dreadful Wanted.)

I didn't fully appreciate Gary Oldman's work in Begins but his reserved performance is one of the best things about this movie. Oldman underplays Lieutenant Jim Gordon so well it's easy to forget he made his career playing wackos. But there is only one outright wacko on display here, and he belongs dark heart and soul to Heath Ledger.

Ledger's joker is the scariest, most psychopathic villain since Dennis Hopper inhaled nitrous oxide and shouted "MOMMY!" as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet. (My thanks to Oldman for that comparison.) Ledger's death is a great loss to the film world, and of course an even greater loss to his friends and family. I have no doubt had he lived, Ledger would have still won an Oscar nomination for his work here. His opening magic trick is already a classic cinema moment. The joker is so frightening and unpredictable, I would have felt it appropriate had this film been given a R rating. As it is, it's pushing the limits of PG-13. 

Watching the Dark Knight in the IMAX format is a revelation, an all encompassing journey through shiny skyscrapers and rains slicked city streets. The Michael Mann-esque opening bank heist is jaw dropping, setting the tone for the rest of the film; no one gets out alive.

The film is long but never boring, with a conclusion reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back. Not because of a cliffhanger, but because things don't end on anything resembling a high note. No one wins. The Dark Knight is a crime drama that asks its noir characters how far they are willing to go into darkness to ensure the triumph of light. As Nietzsche noted: "He who fights with monsters should be careful least he thereby becomes a monster. When you stare at the abyss, the abyss stares back at you."

Ready for a new kind of radio? Check out the award winning Max On Movies, every Saturday from 2-4pm on 97.1 FM Talk. You'll hear breaking news about upcoming films, reviews of the latest theatrical and DVD releases, and interviews with your favorite actors, directors, and writers. Max On Movies was awarded a Certificate of Merit in the Special Program category from the Missouri Broadcasters Association in 2007. A member of the Saint Louis Film Critics, Max has written about film for various print and Web media, and appeared as guest critic on nationally syndicated radio shows. While some would say this film ha taken comic book stories and made them into something more mature, I would counter that this is the first time Hollywood has actually gotten those mature themes found in comic books right. Check out the Batman tales The Long Halloween, Arkham Asylum, and The Killing Joke to see what I mean. E-mail Max at mfoizey@stl.emmis.com