So how do you make a sequel to one of the best-received superhero movies of all time? Simple: you make a movie that is better in every way. Batman Begins was a really good movie. The Dark Knight is as close to the perfect Batman movie as you can get.
The plot is straightforward; Batman is making a difference. Teamed up with his police friend Gordon and the new D.A. Harvey Dent, Batman succeeds in all-but shutting down the mob and making being a criminal a losing proposition in Gotham. Everything seems poised for a new golden age in Gotham. But into the void left by the now out of work mob bosses steps a new and altogether different kind of villain -the Joker. This is a criminal who is a new kind of challenge for Batman; he cannot be bought, has no connections to exploit, seemingly no rational demands that can be met or predicted. He has no rules, and is the unfortunate combination of brilliant and homicidal. The Joker is a self-described agent of Chaos, who has as his only goal the destruction of Batman's ideals. He doesn't want to kill Batman so much as break him, to drag Batman down and force him to cross the line. He wants to prove that "madness is like gravity; all it takes is a little push." And for Batman the very existence of the Joker is maddening; without Batman's accomplishments and methods, the Joker could never have existed. The Joker, then, is the effect; Batman is the cause.
The Joker is a terrifying villain, captured in The Dark Knight as perfectly as he frequently is in the comics. Heath Ledger deserves every bit of the accolades he got for playing Joker; he is often funny, entirely quirky, and in every way sinister. In the comic the Joker is the perfect foil to Batman; they are together yin and yang. They both hate, respect, and in some strange and fascinating way, love the other, and this complicated relationship is pulled off perfectly in this movie (as the Joker puts it, "What would I do without you? ...You complete me!"). In the ultimate scene with the two characters, Batman is interrogating a captured Joker. This scene is everything the Batman/Joker relationship ought to be: Batman is asking the questions and beating up the Joker, but the Joker is winning. Here the Joker is tempting Batman to break his one rule, cross that one line, and kill him, since "It's the only way you're going to stop me." And as Batman gets ever more frustrated, beating on Joker to get the location of the captured DA and Rachel, the Joker delivers the perfect line of the film: "You have nothing to threaten me with! Nothing to do with all your strength!" I tell you, this is Batman.
Nearly everything about this movie is extraordinary. Great writing, great visuals, great action, great directing, not bad acting, great set-pieces, wonderful props, and themes/story elements that are set up and executed perfectly.
Upon reflection, there is an issue that I have with both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. To be fair, there is only so much you can do in the allotted time, and I think they used the time well. The problem is that Bruce is enduring so much suffering and abuse for the people of Gotham, yet we never really get to know the people of Gotham. We get to meet a few scattered individuals, but we have no real appreciation for the culture of the city. At times it even seems as though Batman and the villains exist in an urban jungle populated by little more than only those directly involved in the plot, or those who will be comic relief. Don't get me wrong, I still want Batman to save the city, but I have no connection to it. The two ferry boats at the end figure in rather strongly, yet none of the people on those boats are fleshed out in any way shape or form.
Well, the only gripes are small. This is in every way a great movie. The ending sequences are about perfect. Even though the film changes the character of Harvey Dent somewhat from the books, it still remains true to the spirit of his character and it ends quite fittingly. The poetic parallels at the end are brilliant -Dent was the hero Gotham needed, but not the one it deserved. Batman was the hero Gotham deserved, but not the one it needed (or something like that). Further, the end brings up a few ambiguities: who won at the last, Batman or the Joker? Did Batman cross his line in dealing with the last threat? After all, the Joker ends up captured by Batman, but Batman ends up in exile. The unstoppable force has met the immovable object.
Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 7/10
Technical merit: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
Note: this is a rather dark film, and rather disturbing at times. Even though it is Batman, it is NOT for the kiddies.
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