The Dark Knight ****

Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Eric Roberts
Director: Christopher Nolan
Running Length: 2:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Batman (Bale) has become Gotham City’s hero, meting out justice to criminals. Some citizens question whether he is a hero or a menace, and some copycat “Batmen” are popping up pretending to be the Caped Crusader. Over all, Batman is gradually stopping the mob of criminals in the city. The new D.A. Harvery Deny (Eckhart) is taking them on in court, and Lieutenant Gordon (Oldman) is cracking down as well. An understanding of sorts is formed between the three, and then a lunatic enters the mix. The Joker (Ledger) has sights on Gotham to usher in a wave of chaos. All he wants is Batman to remove his mask, and when that does not happen, he unleashes a whirlwind upon Gotham City of unimaginable proportions. Now, Batman must decide how far he can go to take down The Joker, without crossing the line.

“The Dark Knight” is a worthy successor to “Batman Begins”, that mostly exceeds its predecessor in all areas. Bale once again embodies Bruce Wayne/Batman, a man driven to make morally questionable decisions to defeat a psychopathic enemy. Ledger steals all the scenes he is in, giving a more twisted performance than Jack Nicholson did so many years ago. It is a shame that we will never see another appearance of this Joker, but Heath Ledger’s final completed performance is spectacular. Eckhart is perfect as Harvey Dent, a man also pushed to the edge and then over. The greatest asset to this film though, is not in front of the camera, but behind it. Christopher Nolan has crafted yet another great film. His direction and writing (with his brother) are what make this film as great as it is. He is one of the most gifted filmmaker around today, and brings a “comic book movie” to a whole new level. This is great filmmaking, and I highly recommend seeing it.