"Dark Knight"

This film takes off right where 2005’Batman Begins” left off, a city dominated by violence from the mob leaving Batman to clean up the mess. Enter the twisted and sick character every comic-book fan loves, the Joker, Batman’s nemesis. The Joker is a man with no morals and no “plan.” For no reason at all he seems to get a kick out of robbing banks and committing mass murder. Now, of course, everyone thinks Batman will take care of it, but the Joker is completely underestimated. He pushes our super-hero to the point of insanity with his crazy tactics and witty humor. Thus, Batman is pushed to the very limit in this fast-paced, psychological thriller. Great acting is the driving force in this film. Ledger’s unbelievably portrayal of the Joker was the best of all the Jokers. His performance is scary enough to frighten adults, as well as children of all ages. He brings a sense of realism to the Joker that Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson failed to do. Eckhart is not too shabby as the tragedy struck Harvey Dent either. Also, Christopher Nolan has found the perfect actor for Batman/Bruce Wayne in Christian Bale. Unlike Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney, Bale brings certain realism to the character of Bruce Wayne, not just Batman. Bale’s Wayne is as entertaining to watch as his Batman. The acting in this film is so phenomenal, it is easy to overlook all of the other elements in the film, such as: the great special effects, editing, and film making; but, the acting alone makes this a riveting, literally wince-in-your-seat film. Now, would I recommend this to someone else to watch? Of course, it contains all of the elements that make a great film, it literally created a new genre of super-hero movies (psychological), and, above all, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker is: amazing; mind-blowing; frightening; genuine; ground-breaking.
          Thomas Principato