The Dark Knight (DVD, 2008, Full Frame)

The Batman Begins (2005) sequel is easily the best comic-based action movie yet (2008). The Dark Knight is unstoppable in it's path of destructing all crime-thriller flicks before it; raising the bar very, very high. The two and-a-half hour runtime glorify the fact that you could split the movie into two amazing films rather than one legend (which it is) and still be satisfied to an extreme extent. Heath Ledger's surprising death is truly unfortunate but his final performance is without a hesitation worthy of 2008's Oscar award, closing the doors to all contesting actors starring aft The Dark Knight's release. Ledger's outstanding achievement that no one expected is one of the best acts I have ever experienced in the thousands of films I have seen.

Overall, the action packed scenes were original and incomparable. All the right explosions and fights hit hard right and left, perfect on cue every time. Director Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins) is finally the first to really step up the graphic features of Batman's truly dark life and the absolute real ruthlessness of his villains so much that, even though the content wasn't threatening, the rating is a very strong PG-13 (Where I would not recommend anyone under the age to view, unlike it's predecessor, Batman Begins). Supporting performances by Bale, Caine, Eckhart, and Oldman were unmistakably beautiful additions to the masterpiece cast. Even Katie Holmes filler (Rachael Dawes, Batman Begins) Maggie Gyllenhaal pulled off quite nicely in a "better than before" respect. The Dark Knight was rightfully hyped up since it's announcement. The release has created an easy out for the perfect score of a movie for those who seem yet convinced of such thing. The soundtrack was superb, the script unprecedented in intelligence and wit, and by far the creativity and ingenuity behind the incredulous scenes of exotic sports cars weaving traffic, semi trucks flipping in the air, and state-of-the-art technology, has beat anything before it.

The Dark Knight stands as a mind blowing testimony that DC Comics has not been shut in the dark by Marvel's many pumped out mediocre movies (3 Spider-Man films, 2 Hulk films, 2 Fantastic Four films, 3 X-Men films for starters, in one decade). DC Comics Delivers the good in their 2008 blockbuster that hit so hard, none of Marvels twenty-plus movies can come close to touching. The Dark Knight will be on movie lover's top favorites for a very, very long time

Funny but, this is the first Batman feature film that doesn't incorporate the word "Batman" in its title.

There never has been a more exciting time in my life when The Dark Knight showed up at the Box Office. I paid my ticket and then sat back and enjoyed the film better than ever. The reason I enjoyed this movie so much was that, before now, the Batman series of films seemed much more comic book than mimicking real life. The Dark Knight seems to somehow capture the essence that should always exist in the handover from comics to the big screen.

Christian Bale really didn't carry this film to greatness; it was The Joker (Heath Ledger) who made the film extraordinarily real in the sense that the criminal elements came together and alive on film with a burst of originality.


Bruce Wayne, who poses as a rich industrialist, sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets by creating his own persona known as Batman. Since we already know his intent from the last Film "Batman Begins", we pick up where the story left off in hopes that his complex plans will lead him down the road to success. Little do we know that The Joker will step into his life and thwart many of his plans to once and for all, rid Gotham City of the Low Life Scum that controls its underground.

Gotham City's District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) has the best line in the movie, which said, "You die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain."

For the first time in feature film-making, IMAX cameras were utilized. Christopher Nolan had wanted to shoot in the IMAX format for years and wound up doing so. Six major action-heavy sequences, along with various high-altitude shots, were filmed on the IMAX ratio. These sequences are available on the Bonus Disc of the 2-Disc DVD Edition.

I'll give this an average rating of 5/5.

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The Dark Knight is stunning, in every sense the word. Whether you look at the acting, the directing, the writing, or any other aspect of the movie, it's hard to find a weak point.

Nolan returns to do another incredible job at directing, and once again raises the bar for the Batman series. He creates a perfect balance between having The Dark Knight be a drama about the characters in it and an action-packed crime saga.

The acting alone is terrific. Christian Bale is a natural as Bruce Wayne, and also makes the best Batman I've seen yet, and by his side is Michael Caine, who just seems to fit perfectly as Alfred. Maggie Gyllenhaal does quite well as Rachel and Aaron Eckhart pulls off the transformation from Harvey Dent to Two-Face. Gary Oldman playing Gordon deserves an honorable mention. And then there's Heath Ledger, whose performance alone is nothing short of amazing. A few years ago most people would've said that he would be best known for and remembered by his starring role in Brokeback Mountain. Not anymore.

There's a constant internal struggle for Bruce Wayne, who does all he can to keep the difference between himself and Batman, and the difference between what is right and what has to be done. And all the while chaos reigns in the streets of Gotham, compliments of the Joker, who seems to be the one man who can bring down Batman.

All in all, there is nothing disappointing about The Dark Knight. For a movie that's two and a half hours long, there isn't a dull moment. Living up to the expectations and hype seemed impossible for it to do, but somehow The Dark Knight not only does, but surpasses it.

This movie was great.
One of the best batman movies yet.

I used to leave a theatre after seeing a highly anticipated movie, specifically a sequel, and be so revved up about what I saw that I would declare that movie to be the best of a series. After each of the prequel "Star Wars" films, I rated that one the best, as good as any of the originals...for a time, until my opinion balanced out and I had a more well-rounded take. For that reason, I steer away from that mindset, and did for "Dark Knight".

Though my opinion is solidifying already after having seen a Warner Bros. screening last night, "Dark Knight" ably stands on its own with or without "Batman Begins". At a two and a half hour runtime, it's definitely an epic of a movie, but one that never runs out of gas. A delightful addition to this experience was a healthy amount of IMAX footage, which significantly adds to the feel of being on a personal, and gruesome, tour of Gotham City.

Christian Bale plays such a well rounded Batman and Bruce Wayne, qualities that none of those who have donned the cowl before him have pulled off. I still have to remember that Bale is British since he speaks with such a spot on American accent. Bale has a particular slurring lisp that serves him quite well, charmingly for Bruce Wayne and threateningly for Batman.

Countering him is the late Heath Ledger, who plays such a scary and creepy Joker that I found it impossible to NOT have chills half the time I saw him on screen. What really separates this brand of Joker from Jack Nicholson's portrayal is true unpredictability. It's obvious that, to be a good guy and think like the Joker, it really takes a toll, and it sure isn't easy. How exactly does one take him down when he's woven his harebrained plot around multiple hostages, explosives, or disappearing parlor tricks?

Initially, I was uneasy about how the character of Harvey Dent would be handled. In my mind, there was really only one faithful portrayal of him, and that could be found in the "Batman" animated series of the early 90s. As well as Tommy Lee Jones COULD have handled him in "Batman Forever", he certainly did not, though it still was a highlight of that movie. Aaron Eckhart ably assumes the mantle here, delivering a performance out of this world, easily on par with the Batman animated series.

Be it known, this caped avenger stands for the good of Gotham City that the police force and its counterparts can't represent, the good that has no jurisdiction, no procedures...and no rules, save for one. I can only hope that we've seen just the prelude to the Dark Knight's upcoming legendary battles with the worst of Gotham City's dark underside.


Heath Ledger was amazing :)

I refrain from these sorts of comic book Make believe Goof-Ball Stories as I think that with their lack of plot and acting abilities, they are among the worst of the worst for anyone to view and sit for two hours trying to figure out what in GOD's Most Holy Name am I doing here, as nothing makes any sense, from the TV series, which I may have caught one or two.
"The Joker" played by...who was that old timer actor??[Oh, yeah, :Caesar Romero"] stunk like bags of road kill collections.
Danny D'Vito as the "Pengiun", was most stupid as Danny is a far better actor than what he gave us as "The Penguin". BLAH!
Jack Nicholson in any clothes is a flipping jerk, who thinks that a movie is NOT (unless he is in it~!~! i.e:("RED-RUM"!...wh​at is that???)[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was his best effort of all!) I'll give that to him! and "Nurse Ratchette"!as well as the BIG Indian Actor..I can't recall his name, but I always liked his acting!
I hate anything but very few renditions of Super Heros...Superman from TV taught us as kids :"Crime does NOT Pay"..flat out!
George Reeves was Superman, and Christopher Reeves was a better adult rendition of what a "super-Man" can be, rest his heart.
But, My daughter, "Danielle" who is 32 asked her dad if he wanted to see "Dark Knight"..and "SURE" is all I could drool out of my flappin' mouth... was the only thing I could say as I caught some trailers from TV and it grabbed me straight away.
I can't sit through many movies as I can't imagine and I see camera shadows, mike shadows, and people looking at them selves in monitors...I catch it all, but, I kept saying :"This is Great"!~!~!W-O-W~!~!~W-O-​W~!~! W-O-W~!~! HOOOO-BOY~!~!
HOLY CRAPPERS~!~!~!
This deserves an OSCAR, especially this "Joker" actor"~!~!
"Who's playing the Joker", I don't recognize him from any movie?"
He was INTENSE, his acting as a kid tormented by a "Over-brutal sadistic father-figure" that needed to be Garrotted in a Public Square would be too good for this animal, and these loons exist today, and I hand this to "Heath Ledger" for being nothing but the absolute best of any Super-Hero Movie "Villian", as he let you have it in your face as to just "WHY" was he all messed up in the head! The only Violence was against machinery, and I say it was as really excitingly pulled off~!~!.
The "Heath Leger Oscar Award" that he got Postumously, was well deserved, as his serious and sarcastic moody appearances gave us much more than every Comic Book Character ever, even "Caesar Romero", who coun't act a part like this in his life, the GOLD is for HEATH LEDGER as I was NOT diverted for one second, I was as enthralled by his acting, attitude and interpretation of the "JOKER" is HIS for many years to come. There is NO MORE TO COME~!~!~!N~E~V~E~R~!~!~!
"RIT-d-GIT"..Ol​eBassmon, Tatonka-i-e Rick