Dvd
The Dark Knight
A direct sequel to the excellent Batman Begins, this installment sees Batman set out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good, with the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).
The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger in his last completed role, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar) - a psychotic criminal who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.
Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine return, and Maggie Gylenhaal replaces Katie Holmes in the love-interest role of Rachel Dawes. Directed again by Christopher Nolan (whose most recent film was the underrated The Prestige).
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine
Directed by Christopher Nolan ('Batman Begins', 'Memento', 'The Prestige')
Written by Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan (based on a story by David S. Goyer, based on characters by Bob Kane)
Festivals & Awards Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger - Academy Awards 2009, BAFTA Awards 2009, Golden Globes 2009, Screen Actors Guild 2009.
Thriller, Superhero, Drama, Crime, Action | 2hr 32mins | Rated (M) | Contains Violence | Origin: USA | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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5
Remove yourself from the seat you're sitting in, find your way to a cinema, hand over your cash, buy a ticket. The Dark Knight delivers a hefty uppercut of superior pop entertainment. Christopher Nolan's rich and engrossing adventure rip-roars across the cinema screen, bullying blockbusters into new territory.
As you'll have heard, Heath Ledger takes you through the wringer with his portrayal of the Joker – nihilist, anarchist, a seething embodiment of menace. He's freaky as hell. He's awesome. Equally valuable is Christian Bale, especially in playboy Bruce Wayne mode. Or Gary Oldman's honest-cop Police Lieutenant Jim Gordon.
The story combines character with action, weaving together a sprawling and haunting contemporary tale, riffing on the idea of terrorised societies that fear chaos and anarchy. It deftly balances the intimate with the grand; the individual with the city.
Another point The Dark Knight scores over rivals, is in its attention to realism. Whilst the action is ludicrous, Nolan so wholly creates a universe, you buy it. The CG work is invisible. He also peppers the film with innovation. Lyrical moments, such as lingering on the Joker hanging out the window of a speeding car or the upside down final confrontation, give the movie a certain boldness (I only wish there was more of it). On paper it's perhaps a pessimistic tale, but Nolan has created something else with his joy of invention.
It's a terrific balancing act of ideas. This is blockbuster entertainment that feels fresh, modern and tragic. The Dark Knight, enthralling in its complexities, will have you compelled to discover the fates of its richly drawn characters. Yep, it's a cracker.SHARE:
The people's reviews
17 reviews
Press Reviews
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Christchurch Press [Margaret Agnew]
4
1/2 While moral messages are to the fore in this dark tale, and themes as diverse as madness, human nature, self-sacrifice, tragedy, hopelessness and terrorism are peppered throughout, there's so much going on here that even with a lengthy runtime you're left wanting more.
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Empire [UK]
5
Ledger's performance is monumental, but The Dark Knight lives up to it. Nolan cements his position as Hollywood's premier purveyor of blockbuster smarts – and the Batbike is kinda cool, too.
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Hollywood Reporter
Bale again brilliantly personifies all the deep traumas and misgivings of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. A bit of Hamlet is in this Batman.
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NZ Herald
5
In an already legendary performance, the late Ledger is gloriously unhinged, giving you nothing to grasp on to character-wise, and all the more disturbing for it.
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Stuff.co.nz [Chris Schulz]
5
He nailed it. If there's one thought that will stay with audiences after Heath Ledger's stunning portrayal as The Joker in The Dark Knight, it's this: He completely and totally nailed it.
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TV3 [Kate Rodger]
5
Banish the thought of this being a Batman movie, and see it for what it is - a complex, stylish and modern thriller, good versus evil but not nearly that simple, and with a Heath Ledger performance that redefines The Joker.
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Variety [USA]
Enthralling...An ambitious, full-bodied crime epic of gratifying scope and moral complexity, this is seriously brainy pop entertainment that satisfies every expectation raised by its hit predecessor and then some.
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