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Reviews Film / The Dark Knight

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JeddtheJedi Since: Jul, 2010
12/31/2010 10:01:54 •••

The knight is darkest just before dawn...

From every point of view, The Dark Knight offers so much more than the aimless pieces of fluff that pass as summer blockbusters these days. A thinking man’s comic book movie, the film offers detailed character studies and an exploration into the darkest of themes while serving up such action sequences as a semi truck flipping end-over-end, a police helicopter flying into a trip-wire trap set by the Joker and a Chinese mobster accountant (Singapore’s very own Ng Chin Han) being yanked out from his office and into a plane via one of Batman’s more interesting tools of the trade.

In terms of acting, everybody is in top form. In the film’s predecessor, its weak link was Katie Holmes’ vapid portrayal of Rachel Dawes. Now that Maggie Gyllenhaal has stepped in to fill the part, the ensemble seems to be one of the strongest this summer. Here, Bale continues his winning streak from Batman Begins. Bruce’s parlays with Alfred and Wayne Industries CEO Lucius Fox are also filled with character and provide some respite from the overall intensity of the picture.

However, Bale is outshone by a mile and a half by Heath Ledger’s Joker. Ledger’s swagger, eerie vocal tone and nuanced smiles make his Joker almost officially one of the most disturbing film villains of all time.

Director Christopher Nolan’s vision of bringing the Batman film franchise back from the over-the-top camp and psychedelia of Joel Schumacher’s ghastly Batman And Robin (1997) with The Dark Knight’s predecessor Batman Begins in 2005 prompted cheers from fans and critics alike. This is continued in this film, resulting in the movie being not so much a comic book action flick as a highly intelligent action thriller and crime drama, albeit one with a relatively high budget. The powerful themes of absolutes, moral ambiguity and corruption are explored with much panache. This layer that belies the fisticuffs and explosions we all expect from a summer blockbuster is refreshingly thought-provoking.

RATING: 5/5 STARS

Full review: http://themovieandme.blogspot.com/2010/11/dark-knight-movie-review.html


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