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It has been over a week since I first walked into The Commodore Theatre to watch ‘The Dark Knight‘.  I had high expectations, both as a fan of the prequel  (‘Batman Begins‘) and as an anxious filmgoer who has had a very good feeling in his gut about Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the “true” Joker.  I was excited to see this film.  And because of my enthusiastic approach to the film, I wanted to wait a few days after before I wrote my review for this film.  I did not want my enthusiasm to taint my objectivity in writing this review.

Now, after seeing the film three times and giving myself some time to gather my thoughts, I can start this review by saying this…

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THIS MOVIE, DROP EVERYTHING AND GO SEE IT…..RIGHT NOW! (Well, please read the rest of my review first.) THIS IS A MUST-SEE MOVIE!

There is so much that could be discussed in a review of this film. From Heath Ledger’s astounding performance as the Joker, to the political and social commentary of the film, to the incredible character development and interaction of all of the major characters, and beyond.  To cover it all would be to write a thesis dissertation of one of the most impressive motion picture releases of our time.  Yes, this movie is that good.

I am not going to address every aspect of this film in this review. I know that readers prefer to read movie blog posts in one sitting. Instead, I am going to mention three points that makes this film the best film I’ve seen all year.  I’ll leave the thesis dissertations for the film and journalism students. But be forewarned, this review is going to be longer than normal.

Reason to See ‘The Dark Knight’ #1 – Heath Ledger’s Joker

Did I mention earlier that there is an incredible performance in this film by the late Heath Ledger? Ladies and gentlemen, let me say here and now…

IF HEATH LEDGER DOES NOT RECEIVE AT LEAST AN OSCAR NOMINATION FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR FOR HIS ROLE AS THE JOKER IN ‘THE DARK KNIGHT‘, THEN THE ACADEMY NEEDS A SWIFT KICK IN THE….WELL, YOU GET THE PICTURE.

It’s almost laughable to suggest that Ledger be nominated for Best SUPPORTING Actor.  This movie is primarily about one man — The Joker. Sure, Batman’s role is definitely the lead, and he is coming across more and more as a dynamic character in his own right. But Ledger’s role as the Joker completely steals the spotlight in every scene in which he is present. And when he is not present in a scene, you can’t help but wonder when he will appear, and what he is up to.

There are so many words that could be used to describe Ledger’s performance. Creepy, dark, masterful, chilling, menacing, deranged….they are all fitting adjectives for the performance. But one word keeps popping up in my head every time I think of this role — CONVINCING.

Ledger’s performance as the Joker is by far his best work. And for those who may not be aware, Ledger’s work has been quite good over the past few years. It is truly a loss for the film making community that he passed away at such an early age. But I am thankful that his role in this film was completed before his passing. The way he assumed the role of the Joker is the epitome of truly great acting.

Playing a convincing comic book character is no easy task, especially a character as deranged as the Joker. But when I watched his performance on screen, it was eerie how convincing he played the part. He carefully crafted his performance by addressing every small detail of the character. From the playful, light-hearted tone of his voice that quickly turned to a psychotic snarl. To his strategic use of his tongue as he spoke to remind the audience of his swollen, scarred mouth. To the excellent way Ledger acted with his eyes as he looked around the scene with such intensity. And of course the chilling laugh that Ledger completely mastered. All of these tools of the trade can easily be missed while watching, but it is these masterful techniques that made this role so completely convincing. You do not get the feeling that you are watching an actor when you watch him. You can’t help but feel as if he is very real.  Sometimes too real. And that’s when the chill runs down your spine when he speaks.

You never know what to believe when it comes to the Joker. His story changes each time he tells the story of how he got his scars extending from the creases of his mouth. His unpredictable mindset keeps you guessing, and later surprises you when his plans come together. It is scary to think that someone like this can exist, but yet you can’t help but think that it is possible. The Joker is the major reason that Batman heads down the path to becoming the Dark Knight.

This is the number one reason to see this movie. I am willing to bet that it will be some time before you will ever have the chance to see a more compelling villain portrayed onscreen. Ledger’s role in this film should be taught in drama classes. This is the best portrayal of the Joker I have ever seen (Sorry, Jack.), and one of the best onscreen villains I have seen onscreen in years.

Be forewarned, Ledger’s Joker is a brilliantly psychotic mastermind that pushes all of the other characters to their breaking points. His performance results in an emotional roller coaster ride for the audience. One moment you find him playfully comical. And at the drop of a hat, he turns chillingly sinister. This is what the “true” Joker should be.

Reason to See “The Dark Knight” #2 – Excellent Character Development

The Joker is a major draw for this film, but let’s not ignore the excellent character development of all the other major characters.

This movie is about abuse of power and the tough decisions that people have to make in dire circumstances. All of the major characters in this film have to make decisions that threaten to destroy the balance of good and evil in Gotham. Bruce Wayne tries to balance his desire to instill a sense of good in Gotham, with his realization that he may have to break some rules and “play dirty” in order to defeat the Joker. Harvey Dent has to represent the absolute good in Gotham, even more so than Batman, and yet almost falls victim to the urge to use excessive force to interrogate criminals. He represents the law of Gotham, but yet is always on the brink of breaking the law in order to enforce it. Lucius Fox makes a difficult decision to assist Batman with a method of city-wide surveillance that violates the citizens’ right to privacy, but only if the surveillance is destroyed once the Joker is caught. This abuse of power is a major theme of this movie, as it reminds us of our own political times.

But the decisions that lead to abuse of power are the more interesting decisions of the movie. In the movie, the Joker says, “I am an agent of chaos.” And this chaos leads to desperate decisions by Batman and Harvey Dent. Dire times encourage the good guys to “fight evil with excessive force”. Rules are broken.  Batman resorts to extreme measures when interrogating the Joker and Salvatore Maroni. He becomes much darker, to the point of saying, “I now see what I have to become to stop men like him [the Joker].” This darker side of Batman and the decisions he makes draw close parallels to the political decisions that have been the topics of much debate over the past several years. But unlike other reviewers, I do not think the film excuses him for making these controversial decisions.  After all, some of these decisions that Batman makes result in more chaos.  Instead, I think it just goes to show that dark times can push even the good guys too far, to the point of crossing the line. While discussing the city-wide surveillance that Batman created to catch the Joker, Lucius Fox asks, “At what cost?” And Alfred points out to Bruce Wayne early on, “Know your limits, Sir.”

Reason to See “The Dark Knight” #3 – Beautiful Cinematography & Soundtrack

My first two points involved the acting and writing of the film.  But as a final point, I have to point out the exceptional cinematography and soundtrack that was used to create some of the most powerful action sequences in any superhero movie.

Rest assured, there is plenty of action in this movie. From Batman’s visit to Japan Hong Kong where he dives off a tall building and glides to his destination, to the incredible escape that followed (no, I’m not going to tell you what happened), the movie was beautifully shot.  But these scenes are not my favorite.

My favorite scenes in the movie is where Batman battles the Joker on the dark streets of Gotham. Not because of the incredible action sequences that result in a semi truck flipping (see trailer), or the exciting introduction of the Batpod.  No, it is my favorite scene because of how the Joker is filmed. This scene shows the Joker at his most psychotic, and the low camera angles shooting diagonally up to the Joker’s face carries a lot of power and intimidation. The camera angle emphasizes Ledger’s intense facial expressions as he strolls down an open street, firing off his automatic weapon, and begging Batman, “Come on, I want you to do it, I want you to do it. Come on, hit me. *Hit me!*” The scene is powerful, and the camera angle makes the Joker seem that much more overwhelming. Many may overlook this detail.  But to me, this is masterful cinematography. This scene takes place when the Joker has the entire city on the ropes. And the audience can’t help but feel the burden that the Joker presents. There is a lot more that could be said about this scene, but why give it all away. This is definitely one of my favorite scenes, but all in all the movie was beautifully shot.

But it’s not just the cinematography alone that takes your breath away. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard constructed a moving soundtrack that seamlessly built suspense and anticipation. It has been said that Zimmer almost scrapped the soundtrack for ‘The Dark Knight’ after the death of Heath Ledger because of the very dark undertones of the score. We should all be thankful that he did not. Remember those chills that I described earlier when the Joker is onscreen? Well, many of those chills are the result of a perfectly constructed soundtrack that reinforced Ledger’s character. Certainly a job well done by Zimmer and Howard.

This movie is the must-see movie of the year. Heath Ledger’s performance alone is well worth the price of admission. And this movie should definitely be seen in a theater, due to it’s grandeur and excellent sound. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, make it a priority to see this movie.

Like movies?

See this movie now.

Don’t like comic books?

It doesn’t matter. This movie is a must-see regardless of its comic book roots.

Thinking of waiting for the DVD release?

Trust me.  Some movies are always gonna be better in a theater.  And this is one of those movies. You definitely get your money’s worth with this one.

I had serious doubts that any movie released this summer would overtake ‘Iron Man’ as best movie of the season. But ‘The Dark Knight’ has done just that. Not only is this the best movie of the season, but it could very well be the best movie of the year. (Don’t worry, Iron Man.  You come in at a close second.  We still love you.) This movie series has legs! Batman is now the Dark Knight. What will come next?

This movie is the first movie on butteredpopcorn.net to receive a 5 Kernel rating. I simply can not find anything to criticize with this one. The only thing to which some people may object is the film’s dark, creepy undertones.  But isn’t that what the original Dark Knight is all about?

Go see this one….NOW!

Kernel rating

5 Kernels!