GRADE: A+

“What’s the price of victory?” That's the question at the center of Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight”,and Nolan’s answer is simple…the price is extremely high. I admit I was really looking forward to this follow up to 2005’s equally good “Batman Begins.” However, where that movie ended with a sense of hope, this chapter ends with a sense of uncertainty…and I love that about it.

 
Taking cues from other great sequels (such as The Empire Strikes Back) Nolan has not only crafted the greatest summer movie so far, he may well have crafted one of the best movies of the year. Seriously, I never thought a movie featuring a superhero would leave me asking such heavy-handed questions as “The Dark Knight” does, but it manages to do that all the while keeping you entertained for its 2 ½ hour running time.

Structurally, the story is very tight being very similar to the crime dramas of Michael Mann and Sidney Lumet. Wally Pfister's cinematography is crisp and beautiful (very deserving of an Oscar nod.) And the musical score  by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is one of the best movie scores in years (the Joker’s theme is as unsettling as the villain himself.)

Speaking of…Plenty of praise has been heaped on Heath Ledger’s portrayal of pop culture’s greatest villain this side of Darth Vader - the Joker. This praise is well deserved and then some. Heath plays him as a force of nature. He cannot be stopped with bribes. He cannot be reasoned with by using compassion. His methods are maddening, but make no mistake, he has a plan. Heath’s mannerisms are as creepy as his lines (he continuously licks his lips and slowly bats his eyes when he approaches a potential victim.) Nolan and Ledger wisely decided to not give the Joker a solid origin as was done in Tim Burton’s “Batman.” Instead, he is introduced like a storm, coming out of nowhere, destroying everything in his path. It’s that decision to keep him a constant that makes him all the more memorable. After seeing this film you won’t forget his performance for a while (plus, you won’t let anyone show you how to “make a pencil disappear” again.)

As good a job as Ledger does as the Joker, Aaron Eckhart does even better (in a much more subtle way) as District Attorney Harvey Dent. He is Gotham’s “White Knight” to Batman's "Dark Knight" (hence the title), and you believe his earnest approach in wanting to rid the city of crime forever. His story arch is the heart of “The Dark Knight” as Bruce Wayne’s story was the heart of “Batman Begins.”

Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman continue their memorable characters from “Begins.”  Oldman’s Jim Gordon is given a bigger sub-plot that ties into the climax, and Caine’s Alfred shines a little light on his character’s history to give Bruce Wayne advice when the Joker’s rampage is at its worst. Freeman’s Lucious Fox continues to play coy with his knowledge of Bruce’s “nightly activities”, but even he may have found his limit with regards to helping the Caped Crusader. Also, Maggie Gyllenhaal steps into the role of Rachel Dawes with ease and gives the character a much needed maturity that was lacking in Katie Holmes' portrayal of the character in “Begins.” Her love triangle with Eckhart’s Dent and Bale’s Bruce Wayne echoes into the films darker third act.

Finally, Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman... there is not enough I can say about him. I am amazed that he manages to play three different characters with ease. His Batman is all business with a feeling of guilt regarding the escalating problems in Gotham brought on by the arrival of the Joker (he begins to feel as if he may be indirectly responsible for this madman's antics) His portrayal of Bruce Wayne when he shares the screen with Caine and Gyllenhaal is a portrait of a man who wants a simple life, but feels that his duty draws him in a different direction. And his “public” Bruce Wayne is a pompous brat who acts as if he were in his own little world in an effort to throw off any suspension that he may be the Batman. It’s a testament to the actor that he can pull that many personalities off and no one really notices (even if his Batman voice can be a little too grating sometimes.)

This movie has it all, and yet it still gambles everything it has going for it as a franchise. I wouldn't recommend the movie for anyone under the age of 13 due to its dark nature. The Dark Knight is not afraid to follow through with its punches, and because of this, the movie is richer and more meaningful. The tagline for the movie is “Welcome to a World Without Rules.” How true…how true.

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