You die as a hero or you live as long to be the villain.

- The Dark Knight

Rating: Sizzling Popcorn

“The follow-up to the action hit Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and the committed new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham City for good. The triumvirate initially proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces The Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.

Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) portrays arch-villain The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart plays District Attorney Harvey Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast in the role of Rachel Dawes. Returning from Batman Begins are Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Jim Gordon; Oscar winner Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules) as Alfred; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) as Lucius Fox.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Christopher Nolan film, The Dark Knight. Nolan directed the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan are the producers, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. The Dark Knight is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Wally Pfister (The Prestige, Batman Begins), Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (The Prestige), Oscar-nominated editor Lee Smith (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (Topsy-Turvy). The music is by Oscar winner and multiple Oscar nominee Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Gladiator) and seven-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard (Michael Clayton, The Fugitive), who previously collaborated on the score for Batman Begins.”

Synopsis courtesy of Warner Bros.

The Dark Knight is one of the top 10 best blockbusters of the year! It’s explosive cast is propelled by the late Heath Ledger, with his Oscar-worthy performance as The Joker. Ledger’s tragic death occurred on January 22nd, 2008, after the production of the film. According to Cinematical.com’s article in January, “Ledger admitted to locking himself in a hotel room for a month to get into character, then downing sleeping pills afterward to catch up on some much-needed rest. Though we’re not entirely sure yet, it was most likely a combination of sleeping pills and other medication that did him in.” I can’t think of anybody off the top of my head that would put this much effort into a role. His effort was phenomenal, but came with a price.

The rest of the main cast, including Bale, Eckhart, Gyllenhaal, Caine, Oldman, and Freeman, give great performances, but nothing that I would say “Oscar-worthy”. Some of the minor characters, such as the mob guys, don’t seem to give their 100% effort, but this is overshadowed by the better performances of the main actors that we see the most throughout the film.

Director Christopher Nolan brings to life the renewed Batman franchise by weaving the story in such a way that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. He not only keeps us in suspense, but also weaves in some backstory of the various characters, such as an explanation of who The Joker is and how his face was scarred.

The Dark Knight’s score, produced by Hans Zimmer and John Newton Howard, is fantastic! Zimmer and Howard take us on a thrill ride throughout the movie with their music and keep us wanting more. What we really like about the score is the bat screams during some of the scenes, when the intensity is gradually increasing.

Filled with explosions, car chases and suspense, The Dark Knight is an action-packed blockbuster that will keep you entertained for its 2hr 32mins duration. Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker solidifies The Dark Knight into being a profitable summer blockbuster that will certainly explode the box office. The Dark Knight will definitely go down in history as Heath Ledger’s best performance. Many of the 1,300+ midnight showings have been sold out and many more will be sold out throughout Friday and the weekend. The Dark Knight is a must see movie and is the best blockbuster film of the summer! If you’re looking to buy tickets for Friday or for the weekend, it is best to buy them in advance and arrive to show early if you want to have a good seat or sit with your family and friends.

Let’s put a smile on this face…

-The Joker

Theatrical Release Date: July 18, 2008

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