The Sunday Paper Staff Blog

There’s no more highly anticipated movie this summer than Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” the sequel to 2005’s “Batman Begins.” And the film (screened yesterday for local critics) delivers on that anticipation. It’s a (mostly) fast-paced, intelligent action film; leave out the fact that its main character dresses up in a bat costume, and it’s still an exceptionally executed action thriller. Some quick highlights: 

1.                         
ACTING: Yes, Heath Ledger’s jittery, unhinged portrayal of the Joker (pictured) is every bit as arresting as early reports have indicated. I’ve not always been a huge fan of Ledger’s past work, but his turn raises “The Dark Knight” several levels above just another ordinary superhero movie. With his creaky voice (which reminded me a bit of Peter Lorre), roughly applied makeup and menacing stare, he’s simply magnetic; it’s impossible to notice anything else when he’s onscreen.

But Ledger’s isn’t the only impressive performance. In keeping with the growing trend of casting talented actors in thoughtfully written comic-book films (“Batman Begins,” “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk”), “Dark Knight” boasts a top-caliber cast, none of whom simply cashes a check. Gary Oldman, in particular, shines as Batman’s police ally Jim Gordon, fully inhabiting this slightly schlumpy, dedicated cop; a wrenchingly emotional scene toward the end of the movie shows that Oldman takes his work here seriously. 

Aaron Eckhart (as crusading district attorney Harvey Dent) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (taking over for Katie Holmes as Batman/Bruce Wayne’s kinda/sorta love interest, Rachel Dawes) also deliver strong performances; Gyllenhaal, in particular, has a brief but heartbreaking scene that will stay with you long after the film ends. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine execute their supporting roles with aplomb. Even smaller roles are impressively cast. (Oddly enough, star Christian Bale isn’t given all that much to do, comparatively, but he turns in solid work nonetheless.)

2.      ACTION: There’s plenty of it, from an opening bank robbery (with William Fichtner as a bad-ass bank manager) to an assault on a Hong Kong office tower that would feel at home in a James Bond film. And there’s a high-speed car chase, of course, the main attraction of which is the introduction of the BatPod, basically an economy-size motorcycle.

3.     TONE: Take the “Dark” part of the title seriously. The cinematography boasts a modern urban palate of dark shadows, dim lighting, concrete and steel, especially the streets of Gotham City, which forsake the ornate structures and murky, nightmarish feel of Anton Furst’s designs in the Tim Burton “Batman” movies for a more conventional but still slightly imposing cityscape.

On the story side, there’s a fair amount of violence (but little blood or gore—with one notable exception—to endanger the PG-13 rating), and a few very intense moments not recommended for small children (especially involving Eckhart and Gyllenhaal). The Joker’s twisted manipulations are far more chilling than anything in any of the “Saw” movies. And thematically, the film deals a lot with the idea of what it means to be a hero, in some gloomy ways, but without falling into easy postmodern cynicism.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures