More and more critics are pouring on the praise, and wo’ betide us not to report them!
AICN’s Harry:
I’m late weighing in on this here DARK KNIGHT picture show dealio. The film is, in fact, superb in every way. A vast improvement on BATMAN BEGINS – amazing what happens when you no longer have to deal with an origin story and satisfying only the merchandizing interests of the parent corporation. Instead, Nolan has decided to treat Batman as only the best Comic Writers have dared to. Adult, scary and frightening.
AICN’s Capone:
Here’s the thing you must understand: even if you’ve dug up every possible trailer and clip of Heath Ledger as the greatest screen villain in any superhero movie ever, you really don’t have any idea how good his performance is in The Dark Knight. The true strength of his Joker isn’t his gallows humor one-liners or smart-ass quips he delivers as he tears apart what is left of the fabric of Gotham City (looking more like its filming location of Chicago this time out than the juiced-up version in Batman Begins). The true strength of the final complete performance of Ledger’s life lies in his much longer monologues.
AICN’s Mr Beaks:
Christopher Nolan’s THE DARK KNIGHT is the Batman movie I wanted in 1989: a savagely downbeat epic that views Gotham City as a disintegrating, crime-choked microcosm of the United States. It’s a film about the impossibility of justice in American life and the viciousness to which we’ll succumb in order to see another day; a cheerless summer blockbuster that ultimately exhibits just enough faith in humanity to keep from descending into utter misanthropy. It is a movie that enthralls one moment and punishes the next, lashing the audience for giving in to its IMAX-abetted exhilaration when the abyss is beckoning. It is, in other words, as hopelessly conflicted as its hero — and Batman fans shouldn’t want it any other way.
Cinematical’s Scott Weinberg:
Sometimes some folks just get it right. Bryan Singer was right for X-Men, Sam Raimi was right for Spider-Man, and dear lord is Christopher Nolan right for Batman. Maybe not the campy old Batman that the nostalgia fans know and love, but if the character had any clear path to follow after the disaster of Batman & Robin and the renaissance of Frank Miller, then this is where he should be: Anchoring a smart, dark, daring, and very intelligent movie that celebrates most of why we love the damn Bat in the first place: He’s hurt, he’s angry, he’s conflicted, he’s kinda weird … aside from the money and the suit, he’s pretty much just like everyone else.
Film School Reject’s Kevin Carr:
The Dark Knight absolutely delivers a riveting film with tons of action but not at the expense of plot or character. And it is a huge step up from Batman Begins.
Hollywood Chicago’s Adam Fendelman:
With only three short words comprising the film’s enigmatic title, “The Dark Knight” also boasts three epic claims to fame: the role of a lifetime for the late Heath Ledger as the hauntingly deranged Joker, one of the best films of 2008 and one of the greatest superhero films of all time.
Film School Reject’s Nathan Deen:
A heavy dose of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk have made me feel better, but walking out of The Dark Knight was nothing short of a breath of fresh air. My point is that other comic book movies just feel insignificant compared to this one. So finally, I think I can let go of my Spidey depression and forget about [Spider-man 3].
