The Dark Knight

First, I have to put my two cents in on the original Batman movies...when Michael Keaton was Batman, he could do no wrong. I would have expected nothing else from Tim Burton, whose directing style combines the perfect balance of darkness and humor. Batman Returns has always been my favorite in the series...Cat Woman, the Penguin, Christopher Walken...it was incredible. Following Batman Returns, the series really went down hill, changing leading actors almost as often as I change my underwear. In addition, I was highly disappointed with Joel Schumacher's portrayal of the dark knight. Schumacher knows how to make dark action movies, but his Batman movies were more "Vegas" than Gotham. His movies were entertaining, but can never be considered classics. I think Christopher Nolan has done an excellent job of returning Batman to his dark roots, and providing the viewers with necessary background information to help us understand Batman's...um...beginnings.

Now, moving on to The Dark Knight...it was INCREDIBLE! I am not currently a member of the Academy, but I believe that Heath Ledger's performance deserves an oscar nod. Some actors are expected to play very bad guys, but Heath was not one of those actors to me. In my opinion villains are so much more terrifying when they appear to have no rhyme or reason to their madness. For example, Anton Chigurh (in No Country for Old Men) killed for no reason in most cases...in fact, he would flip a coin to allow chance to determine whether his victims lived or died (which sounds a little familiar...). The Joker is comparable, but even more disturbing because he commits crimes for entertainment. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker is superb, and it is tragic that we will not be able to see more from him.

The remainder of the cast was strong and solid. My favorite was Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon...is there a part that this man CAN'T play? I had questions about Aaron Eckhart's role in this film, but he was perfect for it. I was disappointed that Two Face made only a brief appearance in the film...he had great potential to become a remarkable villain. And I have always thought Maggie Gyllenhaal looked eerily like Katie Holmes...and then, all of a sudden, here she is filling in for Katie! Coincidence? I think not! Personally, I believe Maggie is the better actress of the two, but the makeup crew did not do a very good job at making her look beautiful for this film. Now, on to the Dark Knight himself. Christian Bale's deep voice was a little off putting, but he has continued to impress with his charm and charisma. I appreciate that the writers decided to show us some of Batman's weaknesses, as well as his integrity. All in all, the cast was priceless...but I definitely believe that Heath Ledger stole the show. In fact, during the show I felt that Batman's character was overshadowed by the thunderous characters that surrounded him. This film was more than just a Batman movie...it was a brilliantly made film. In fact, I was so impressed that I am giving it 5 pigs...and I am planning to see it again. I would highly recommend The Dark Knight to all action lovers (but please, don't bring your children...it is very dark).