The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

I sort of wish this movie had no hype, because it might be possible to enjoy it that much more. But that's being really nit-picky: The Dark Knight matches the hype that has come with it and I was thoroughly riveted for the approximate 2 1/2 hours of the fight between Batman and The Joker. Well that's a rather crude summary, as it's so much more than a battle between a good guy and a bad guy.

When you see a professional sports team win a championship, that team has to have the right chemistry to be the best, and usually that involves the coaches and best players making the lesser players play beyond their normal skill. This is very true with the cast of The Dark Knight; I look at a guy like Eric Roberts, who plays a swarmy mobster, do a really job in his role. I mean, who in their right mind says, "Hey, that Eric Roberts played his part great." But here I am doing it, and he SUCKS!

Heath Ledger, whom when I first caught on screen made me feel a little sad as you remember he's no longer with us, of course does the best Joker possible. It's not Jack Nicholson's fault, but since this feature took a darker, more serious side than the 1989 (damn, has it been that long?) version, Ledger has a lot better material to work with, and I spent a lot of time wishing he had more screen time. He's a lock for an Oscar, and it's not just for sympathetic reasons: I don't think I'll see a better performance this year.

The pacing of The Dark Knight is what sets this apart from the previous installment. I liked, but didn't love, Batman Begins because I thought it took a while before it got going, and I didn't think the ending was all that climatic (It didn't give me a great villain in my opinion either). Here, The Joker is always one step ahead, so just when a problem is resolved, a new one presents itself and everything is sent into disaray. Director Christopher Nolan (who was responsible for one of my top 25 of all-time favourites, Memento) does a incredible job of keeping a frantic and chaotic pace to the movie. I thought to myself how scary it would be to be a citizen of Gotham City; thank God it's only fiction.

Supporting Batman in his efforts are Lt. Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent. In most films, they would usually be portrayed as cheap villains or just plain incompetent, but here, they are portrayed intelligently and add a great deal to the plot of Batman trying to bring the Joker down. There's no black and white in Batman's efforts, all three realize there can be harsh consequences, even if they have the best intentions, whenever he tries to help their city. Their decisions have important implications to the story, none of their parts are there for simple filler. Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart are, without surprise, excellent and well cast.

I plan to see this a second time, likely on an IMAX screen. It's really that good. The hype is worth it, go out and see The Dark Knight, but I have a feeling you knew that already.

Grade: A