The eagerly awaited 'The Dark Knight', the follow-up to the 2005 film 'Batman Begins', opens on July 18. I was one of the lucky ones to catch an advance screening over the weekend and frankly I am telling anyone who will listen to go get your ticket right now.
No seriously, stop reading this article for a moment, open your web browser and go to Moviefone or Fandango or a number of other movie ticket websites and order a ticket, hell order five tickets for your chance to see what I would consider to be the best movie this summer and probably all year.
'The Dark Knight' like many sequels (think 'The Empire Strikes Back') takes on a much darker tone than the first. Christian Bale is back playing Bruce Wayne and his counterpart the caped crusader, Batman. Bale is spot on in playing the duality of both characters. There is a moment between Wayne and assistant DA Rachel Dawes (once played by Katie Holmes and now played by the far better suited Maggie Gyllenhaal) that takes place in a restaurant owned by Bruce Wayne that Bale plays to perfection.
In general the entire cast is stellar, from the always-sardonic Michael Caine who plays Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred to Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of Gotham’s crime fighting District Attorney, Harvey Dent. Each actor’s performance shines due in large part to the clever and sharp dialogue of writers Jonah Nolan and David Goyer. However, one performance truly stood out, that of the late Heath Ledger playing the Joker.
There are a handful of on screen villains that could be considered truly horrifying, so scary, so menacing that when you watch them on screen, you literally want to turn away. Something about them, no matter how afraid you are, makes you keep watching. Villains like Hannibal Lecter in 'Silence of the Lambs' and Alex in 'A Clockwork Orange' are villains that are truly terrifying. Heath Ledger’s Joker is on par with such performances and frankly at times even surpasses the performances of both Anthony Hopkins and Malcolm McDowell respectively.
As I sat in the theater there were moments I felt uncomfortable and almost forgot that I was sitting safely inside with a packed audience. Ledger’s Joker is like nothing you will see or have seen before taking the term villain to an entirely new level.
Of course the film would not be possible without the man who was behind it all, each shot, each performance, every word spoken and every building blown up all would not be possible without the man running the show, Christopher Nolan. Nolan constantly pushes the envelope and ups the ante with each film and 'The Dark Knight' is certainly no exception.
With cinematography by Wally Pfister, 'Dark Knight' is visually stunning and will take you on a ride. At a run time of about two and a half hours, it’s certainly a lengthier ride than many action blockbusters. However, at the end, just like a carnival ride, the film just leaves you wanting more.
If you see any movie this summer, I implore you to see 'The Dark Knight'. All the hype, all the insane viral marketing, the two minute trailer, it pales in comparison to sitting through the actual movie. Oh and a quick word to parents, this is not a kids movie, and I would not recommend it for any child under 13 and even that’s pushing it. Otherwise every person over the age 13 should definitely see this film, and if you can see it in an IMAX theater, it will make the overall experience that much better.
'The Dark Knight' opens July 18th nationwide and, yes, you should be jealous that I got to see it before most of you.
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