The Dark Knight (2008)

 

Ever since 'The Empire Strikes Back', people sometimes say the second installment in a trilogy is the best. While that is undoubtedly true for the first run of Star Wars, it is not always the case. But then you get 'The Dark Knight' to prove that, yes, the second installment in the trilogy is by far the best. 

Heck, for me, this is a shared number one spot with Tim Burton's original one (even though the latter will win thanks to nostalgia). It's just that good. 

The Batman has been doing his thing for a year now and crime bosses are beginning to panic, as their resources and operations begin to dwindle. But then, a mysterious stranger shows up, who has no other purpose than bring chaos and possibly kill the Batman. But then again, as he later puts it: they're like two sides of the same coin. Which is a segue to Harvey Dent, the ambitious and fearless new District Attorney, in whom Batman finds a welcome ally. 

But then everyone seems to forget that the Joker (for he is the stranger) doesn't really give a shit about all this and just want it all to burn. He doesn't care about money, fame or whatever, he just doesn't like anything that is organized and compartmentalized. Which makes him without a doubt one of the most unpredictable and therefore dangerous opponents of the Bat. 

There's a ton going on in this film, but in case you haven't seen it, I will not spoil it. 

Why is this such a good installment? Well, the script is finetuned to a T. Everything clicks: the dialogue, the characters and the mood. Christopher Nolan is no slouch, but in 'Batman Begins', you did feel that he was still trying to find his footing in the mythology, whereas here, he's like a fish in water. There's a ton going on at all times, yet thanks to decent editing and pacing, you can easily follow it all through to the conclusion. 

Christian Bale feels a lot more natural as Bruce Wayne this time, and even his Batman is less over-the-top and more menacing. Not by having that silly raspy voice, but more his demeanour. Gary Oldman is pretty spot on as Gordon (who finally becomes the commissioner in this one), but Gary Oldman is always good, even when he's bad. The best change they made, was hiring Maggie Gyllenhaal to play Rachel, as she conveys seriousness and dedication a lot better than Katie Holmes, who just felt too light for the role. 

And yes, Aaron Eckhart is fun as Harvey Dent. It's nice to see what Bruce Wayne might have been, as the two have a lot in common. Done on purpose, you say? Who knew? 

Yes, that was a little sarcasm. My apologies.

The action is shot very well this time. None of that choppy editing. The fightscenes are clear and have turned more realistic. Everyone gets hurt at one point, thus making sure that Batman isn't some superhuman, because he isn't. But absolute props to the car chase with the truck and the tunnels. If there is one highlight in the film actionwise, it has to be this. Especially as they did most of it in camera, so yes: those are mostly real cars you see flip and explode. 

And Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker is quite brilliant. You can really feel the madness, but it is controlled madness in a way, as the Joker is much too meticulous to just be a random nutball. He is a joy to watch and it is highly unfortunate that he went a little too far in his method acting and sadly passed away. Who knows what things he might have given us. He is both scary and funny at the same time and that is a tough thing to pull off convincingly. 

Are there downsides? Well, maybe only two. It is quite a long film and because so much is going on, it can become quite tiring. The final act with the boats and Harvey does feel a little tacked on, but that might just be because of the overall runtime. Also: if the Joker loves his chaos so much, it makes little sense that he meticulously planned everything from start to finish and some of the events that happen are either convoluted or rely way too much on blind luck to make sense, but honestly, you won't really care all that much. 

'The Dark Knight' is a great film for both fans and non-fans of Batman. Even if he gets sidelined by a stunning performance by Heath Ledger's Joker.