Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
I like it!
Rachel M. - wrote on 07/21/2008
Heath Ledger's performace was NOT overhyped just because he died. It really was that good. I think only Johnny Depp could step into the role in future installments.
Didn't like Maggie Gyllenhaal as, well, me. (Rachel) ;) I don't think I've ever liked anything she has done. Katie Holmes was much better.
Christian Bale. Wow. I've been on the look out for him since Empire of the Sun. He's amazing, and damn sexy. But unfortunately, no sex in this movie. meh. There was a noticeable lack of sexual chemistry/tension between Maggie and... anyone. Poor casting choice, IMHO. I mean, do they HAVE to pin all of that on ONE female character, who could turn out to be a dud? Can we have maybe two or three named female characters that play a role a little more interesting that …
Rating of
3/4
It's good, but let's not get carried away
patjohnson76 - wrote on 07/21/2008
Warning - minor spoilers
Nolan's second Batman film is a worthy entry into the franchise, though I have to admit, I think it may be overhyped just a bit. The script is mostly okay and the actors are solid, but at times the film tries to do too much.
Regarding the script, my main complaint is that the twist involving Harvey Dent really needed to be saved for another movie. I would have been okay with the transformation, but taking him to the dark side now just seemed too soon. One conversation with the Joker isn't enough motivation for Dent to abandon all his principles. Besides, Two Face's true character was always struggling between good and evil - there's little good here.
There's strong acting all around, though given all the hype regarding Heath Ledger's Joker, I was …
Rating of
3.5/4
A Thing of Beauty
Ghost Seed - wrote on 07/21/2008
Oh yes...it really IS as good as they say.
Christopher Nolan has always been a genius story teller, but he has gone above and beyond with the Batman franchise. Finally someone has proven how ridiculous the whole "Super Hero Genre" thing is and just created a masterpiece film that does all of the amazing characters from an amazing comic book (or BOOKS in this case) justice.
This really is an excellent screenplay, and every actor delivers it well. Using concepts & elements from the most complex, intelligently written books of the Batman universe, so far this series of films is playing out like an opera...Batman Begins being almost entirely "set-up", Dark Knight carries on with constant intriguing action, introducing new conflicts - (that will hopefully be resolved in Nolan's …
Rating of
3.5/4
The Knight glows in the Dark
Sanjoy Alexander - wrote on 07/21/2008
The best part of the movie is the stellar cast. All except one put in amazing performances. The odd one being Maggie Gyllenhaal. Katie Holmes was not good, but she atleast managed to look good. Gyllenhaal doesn’t look good and she can’t act well too.
Heath Ledger and Christian Bale are impressive in their roles, the former stealing the show from the latter most of the time. But Bale does stand out with his intensity throughout the movie. Michael Caine, Morgan freeman and Gary Oldman root the movie with their supporting roles. Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent is the white knight of the storyline who fights crime, staying within the law till the debacle which makes him the Two-face.
Christopher Nolan has resurrected a deteriorating franchise and gave it a new lease of life with …
Rating of
3.5/4
Darkest Night Ever
BryanFury - wrote on 07/19/2008
The epic battle between good and evil is perfectly depicted in The Dark Knight. It gave a whole new meaning to the word Twisted. I never would have thought that Chris Nolan would be able to blow everything out the water by recreating Batman in a whole new dimension. From a goody two shoe cape crusader to a demonic creature of the night. Honestly I would have preferred the Tim Burton’s version but then as soon as you get to witness a darker Batman than you’re used to you’d be instantly hooked. It’s just amazing what we could do with technology nowadays and that’s exactly what Nolan did with this movie. He just explored unchartered territory and creates this insanely beautiful masterpiece. When I say insane that could mean only one thing, the ultimate villain of them all The …
Rating of
4/4
Oscar Worthy - The Reason Sequels are Made
Alex - wrote on 07/19/2008
I rarely give movies 4/4 stars on first viewing, particularly sequels. This is an exception. While I won't talk about Ledger's performance as so many have I will say that it is as good as Jacks.
In my review of Batman Begins I stated that its main fault was not the acting or the directing or the camera, it was the lack of a truly threatening villain. It had depth of character, but felt more like a summer action movie than an outstanding Oscar worthy pic. The Dark Knight Has Villain and this villain is powerful.
The Dark Knight is Oscar worthy. Acting is absolutely wonderful, cinematography breathtaking, sound incredible, direction near perfect. This will make its way into my top 50, maybe even my top 25. Only a second viewing will tell.
I came out of the movie more …
Rating of
4/4
Review - The Dark Knight (2008)
Delorted - wrote on 07/19/2008
So I just saw The Dark Knight, and I'm going to just run through the movie in my head and type what I think. Let's hope this isn't a complete disaster.
Okay, so the movie started with a great introduction to The Joker, a new villain in town played by Heath Ledger. He's a sadistic, psychotic terrorist who wears a purple jacket and clown make-up with red lips that highlight his Glasgow scars. The character is one we've seen in movies three times before (Batman: The Movie in 1966, Batman in 1989, and Mask of the Phantasm in the 90s, but I'm too lazy to look up when), but we have never seen anything like what Ledger brings to the table. He's a killer who just kills to kill, with no real desire in life other than to create chaos.
We have another new character named Harvey Dent, played …
Rating of
4/4
It's Always Darkest Before the Knight
Chris Kavan - wrote on 07/19/2008
There is a new standard has been set for the superhero genre. You can no longer rely on special effects and generic, bland characters. Batman Begins was a great start, this summer's previous hit Iron Man was a home run but The Dark Knight tops them all.
Anyone who goes into this film expecting a jaunty little action flick with your typical good-guy-saves-the-day routine are in for a shock. This is down-and-dirty, even gritty. The Dark Knight isn't just a catchy title, this is a very dark film. Take the most-discussed aspect of the film: Heath Ledger's Joker. This is a villain who sets a new high for bad guys. It doesn't matter if he's screwing over the mob, blowing up a hospital or just killing cops - he does everything with reckless abandon and glee. He revels in chaos and anarchy - …
Rating of
4/4
Why so Serious?
JanethCruz - wrote on 07/19/2008
Definately the BEST movie of the decade. Everything about it was phenomenal. Christian Bale is awesome as Batman but let's face it, Heath Ledger stole the show. His portrayel of The Joker was remarkable. He really became invisible under his character. He really was one of the greatest actors of our time and it's really unfortunate that he is no longer with us. Aaron Eckhart was very good in portraying Harvey Dent, but like I said, Heath Ledger stole the show.
The length of the movie was perfect. It allowed the story to fall into place. This is one of the movies that you wish will go on forever. All the special effects were amazing. I really recomend everyone to see this movie in Imax...it doesn't get any better than that. This is movie making at its best =)
Heath Ledger truly …
Rating of
3/4
"I don't have plans. I just do things."
Arbogast1960 - wrote on 07/18/2008
Has a movie ever been so quickly and excessively praised as Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight? As spectators ranging from casual bloggers to respected film critics have tripped over each other in rushing to proclaim the film's greatness, I cannot help but wonder of what it is they find themselves so enamored. It is, of course, not this film, which is quite good but nothing more; it is instead the fact that it runs (thankfully) so far from the DayGlo abomination that was Joel Schumacher's rendition of Gotham. The saddest part of all this--The Dark Knight, like Juno before it, is a very good film of its sort that will be subjected to a backlash for being unduly exalted.
As for the film itself, as I have said, it is good, but it sidesteps greatness by a considerable measure. It is …
