“Best. Batman. Movie. Ever.”
The Dark Knight is a record destroying movie. Not only has it killed at the box office and has either been nominated or won awards, it has also smashed the Blu-ray release record. Why has this movie become such a success? Because it’s EPIC. Truly epic. This movie isn’t just about Batman, it is really about the world that he exists in and the influence he has on that world. We get to care more about the characters on a level that we never have seen before. Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne / Batman in Christopher Nolan’s second Batman epic: The Dark Knight which is now available for you to own on Blu-ray!
Central Themes
There are several layers to this film the the masterpiece that it is. The major theme though is the Rise and Fall of Harvey Dent. We get to see how great Harvey was as a District Attorney as he manages to convict over 400 mobsters at once, effectively clearing the streets of crime. We also get to see his slow transformation into the villainous Two-Face. The cool part of this story is that the take on Harvey is new as well. He doesn’t necessarily have a split personality, just more justification for his actions as his loved one is killed and he is severely injured. Harvey drives the film as much if not more so than Bruce as his actions cause more trouble than they are worth. Aaron Eckhart does an amazing job as Harvey and does a performance that makes Two-Face stand out from the other villains (and does a much better job as Two-Face than Tommy Lee Jones did in Batman Forever)
Harvey might be a little too quick to clear the streets as chaos ensues as the Joker makes his grand entrance. The Joker acts as a force of nature throughout the film. His actions are chaotic at best. He doesn’t care about money or power, he just wants to mix things up and create trouble. We get several various reasons as to why the Joker is the way he is, but no definitive explanation. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker is one that is going down in history as being one of the best villains ever. This is not your father’s Joker. Sure he is still in green and purple and has green hair but he is totally and utterly insane. Unlike Harvey, the Joker doesn’t need justification for his actions and that is why he is the more dangerous villain. The fact that he is so unpredictable makes this film that much more enjoyable. “I’m gonna make this pencil disappear” says it all.
Sequence Highlights
There are so many great moments in The Dark Knight but there are a few that are definitely worth mentioning. The opening Bank Robbery is one of the greatest opening acts of Villainy that we could have asked for. Not only do we get setup as to the Joker being the new guy in town, we also get to see the levels that he will go to just to create chaos. The fact that he has all of his men kill one another before the caper is over is quite amazing. He had this action plotted out in such specific detail that he could give a James Bond Villain (or even Lex Luthor) a run for his money.
The underground Police vs Joker driving sequence also ranks up there. The Joker and his men attack the armored car carrying Harvey Dent and realize that bullets won’t pierce the car. So what do they do? ROCKET LAUNCHER. During this sequence the Batmobile is damaged beyond repair and Batman initiates his escape protocol revealing the “Bat-Pod” motorcycle.
The Death of Jim Gordon was surprising and upsetting to say the least. Gary Oldman once again succeeds where past actors have failed and has provided the audience with a very capable, very intelligent Jim Gordon. When I saw this scene I must admit I was very upset. Gordon is such a key player in the Batman Universe that to have him “whacked” in the second movie was just something that shouldn’t be done. But what happens as a result of his death proves again how amazing this movie is. It is totally unpredictable. Whatever you know to be true can be discarded in an instant. But then again, things aren’t always as they seem.
Another great moment is the revelation of Harvey and Rachel being captured and that only one of them can be saved. Now in Batman Begins I really (and I do mean really) disliked the character of Rachel Dawes. But I must say that I enjoyed Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel. She made the character much more interesting and I definitely felt more of an impact than I did with Katie Holmes.
Special Features
-Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene- Director Christopher Nolan and Creative Collaborators Unmask the Incredible Detail and Planning Behind the Film, Including Stunt Staging, Filming in IMAX, the new Batsuit and Bat-Pod and more.
-Batman Tech- The Incredible Gadgets and Tools (HI-DEF)
-Batman Unmasked- The Psychology of the Dark Knight – One of the best featurettes on the release and goes into the world of Batman using real world Psychotherapy
-Gotham Tonight- 6 episodes of Gotham’s Cable Premier News Program- These features really make the viewer feel like they are a resident of Gotham City
-The Galleries- The Joker Cards, Concept Art, Production Stills, Trailers and TV Spots
-1080p High Definition 16×9 Variable 2.4:1 and 1.78:1 video for IMAX Sequences
-Dolby True HD Audio
-Bonus Digital Copy of the film which is iPod Compatible
Overall
Words cannot do justice to this film. It’s not just a movie, it really is an experience. It is something that you watch, and then watch again just because you want to prolong the end as long as possible. This film has already made a significant impact in the film community and has shown that Comic Book movies aren’t just hokey and fun. When a Batman movie can stand up against something like the Godfather you know that things are different. This movie will be around for a long time. If you missed out on the film in theatres is will be re-released in IMAX in January prior to the Academy Awards. Until then (and even if you have seen it) this movie is one that should be a requirement for any film collection.
ComicsOnline gives The Dark Knight on Blu-ray 5 out of 5 Epic Tales of Awesomeness.
