THE DARK KNIGHT SHINES BRIGHT

Haligi and I are still reeling from our viewing experience of the bold, complex and ambitious sequel to Batman Begins. In The Dark Knight, Batman (Christian Bale), older and seemingly wearier, raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), he takes on the criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The alliance proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising Gotham criminal mastermind known as The Joker (the late Heath Ledger). As the death count begins to rise, Batman is faced with a very difficult decision that may ultimately end his crime-fighting days. What then unfolds are dark, sprawling, and explosive action scenes as the caped crusader battles The Joker's disturbing web of hatred, insanity and anarchy.

I personally feel that The Dark Knight has already eclipsed its prequel in terms of depth, intensity and cinematic scope. The action in this movie was vastly superior to Batman Begins in every way, shape and form. From the crisp dialogue, the breathtaking cinematography and production design (truly a feast for your HDMI splitter), and the remarkable performances, The Dark Knight delivers one helluva movie that is both dark and tragic, as it is compelling and intelligent.

Most noteworthy is Ledger's completely believable, and at all times, relentlessly disturbing portrayal of The Joker. And this I say sans the sympathy and sentimentality. It really was the performance of a lifetime for Ledger in all its poetic tragedy. As one of the most talented actors of his time, he will surely be missed.

All the performances were solid. Bale, Oldman, Roberts, Gyllenhal, Caine, Freeman, the list goes on and on--made their magnificent contributions to this wonderfully told and beautifully shot comic book movie. Indeed, The Dark Knight has redefined my idea of what superhero flicks should be. It is testament that in this day and age, great and intelligent movies still do exist.