DVD Review: The Dark Knight

The follow-up to Batman Begins, THE DARK KNIGHT reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of BATMAN /BRUCE WAYNE in his continuing war on crime. With the help of LT. JIM GORDON and District Attorney HARVEY DENT,BATMAN sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as THE JOKER, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces BATMAN closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Heath Ledger stars as archvillain THE JOKER, and Aaron Eckhart plays Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as RACHEL DAWES. Returning from Batman Begins are Gary Oldman as Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as LUCIUS FOX.

Review:
Director Christopher Nolan first wowed audiences back in 2000 with his independent smash hit, Memento. Five years later, he became the genius who gave the Batman series a face lift. It shocked fans around the world with a darker reimagination of Gotham’s caped crusader. I would say that no one could outdo what an astonishing vision he had created. Then 3 years later he himself, blew the record books wide open with his very own sequel, The Dark Knight.

Lt. Jim Gordan (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) have teamed up to fight organized crime for a few years now in Gotham. Their efforts have been a constant success. They often have assistance from the caped figure that likes to stay in the shadows. The three have always faced enemies who had goals of chaos and disaster.

Recently, however, a new figure has popped up that even other criminals fear. A makeup-covered, disfigured man known only as “The Joker” has brought disorder to the city. He can’t be bought, bribed, or even reasoned with. As long as things are going badly, he’s more than pleased. The Joker (Heath Ledger) may even have the raw power to turn one of the three of Gotham’s heroes against his own city. Batman (Christian Bale) might have to fight the hardest battle thus far to find a way to beat such evil. This may mean that to do so, he would have to take off his mask, and unveil who he truly is beneath his disguise.

Let me start off by saying that this movie made it to the 2nd highest grossing film of all time, right behind Titanic. Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors, but it wasn’t him who amazed me while watching this movie. Heath Ledger stole the spotlight and never let go. I had never been a fan of Ledger, but The Dark Knight changed my opinion of him forever. There is a chance he will be nominated for an Oscar in March, and I will be disappointed if he doesn’t win. It was unfortunate that he passed away soon after filming the movie, because I’m sure he would have been proud of the film’s success. Aaron Eckhart also did a hell of a job playing Harvey Dent / “Two Face.”

There is something in this movie for all ages. Even people that aren’t superhero movie fans will absolutely love this homerun of a film. Iron Man was my favorite movie of the summer, until The Dark Knight came into the light. This isn’t just a must watch. The Dark Knight is simply a must own.

The Blu-ray edition of the film will wow you with its extra features including: galleries, Gotham Tonight (6 episodes of Gotham Cable’s News Program), and tons of featurettes all in (HD). Be sure to check it out!

Review by Charlie Giltenboth

Grade: A+

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