I saw The Dark Knight at the weekend, here is my take on it: “Hot on the heels of the superb 'Batman Begins' and following the tragic death of Heath Ledger, it's fair to say that 'The Dark Knight' is possibly one of the most anticipated movies of 2008.
The Dark Knight picks up where 'Batman Begins' left off. Batman and Lt Gordon are still cleaning up the streets of Gotham city and there is now a new distract attorney, Harvey Dent, who is eager to make his mark on the fight against crime. Out of the ashes of the mob, a new crime figure known as The Joker has come to prominence and through his actions, Batman, Lt Gordon and Harvey Dent have to make some difficult decisions for the future and safety of Gotham city.
Once again Christopher Nolan is in the directors chair and it is clear from the opening scenes that he has been watching 'Heat'. The cinematography is outstanding and there are some outstanding set pieces that keep the viewers interest.
Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard return for the films score and bring a whole new element and atmosphere to it. What is interesting about this collaboration is that despite the fact that both Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are accomplished composers, the score itself is quite sparse. For example, whenever The Joker appears on screen, there is a high pitch sound that slowly builds up in volume adding to the tension and giving the viewer that something terrible is about to happen. Kudos must be given to a composer for trying something unique like that and not going down the established route of writing a big musical number.
Speaking of The Joker, Heath Ledgers performance is pitch perfect for the role and it is a shame that the actor is no longer with us to appreciate the adulation he is currently receiving. The character of the Joker is an agent of anarchy and is this film he claims to have no plans, yet despite of this, he manipulates characters and situations for his own personal plan, which is to just cause complete havoc. He is not frightened by death and he is not influenced by money thus making him an unpredictable walking riot.
If there is one grip to be had with the film, it is Christian Bales role as Batman. Whilst it is not a bad performance, the script doesn't really call for him to do much more than just beat people up and behave in an angry broad manner. This is quite apparent when you compare the role to that of the joker.
Christopher Nolan and his production team have done a magnificent job in establishing a new universe of Batman, and one can only hope that history does not repeat itself with Warner Brothers handing the franchise over to someone else, who will turn it into a complete campfest. Whilst I would love to see Batman forever on the big screen, I don't want another 'Batman Forever'.”
Anyone else see it? If so, what did you all think?
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