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.

Paycheck ***

Cast: Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Peter Friedman, Joe Morton
Director: John Woo

Michael Jennings is an engineer who does top secret jobs and then has the month or two that he worked on those jobs erased from his memory. After accepting a long term (three year) job for a substantial paycheck and completing his task, he finds that the money is not there, he has sent himself an envelope full of everyday items, and people are out to kill him. Michael must put together the pieces of what is happening to him and why, with the help of Rachel, a woman whom he was involved with during the missing years. This movie was better than I anticipated, and although I still do not see Ben Afflek as an action hero, he does a passable job as the seriously confused Michael. And while this is not the best movie out there, it certainly is an enjoyable two hours.

The Missing ***

Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood, Jenna Boyd, Aaron Eckhart, Val Kilmer, Eric Schweig, Jay Tavare
Director: Ron Howard

This western is set in the late 19th century in New Mexico. Maggie Gilkeson, a frontier doctor, lives with her children and lover. Her like is turned upside down when her lover is murdered and her oldest daughter Lily is kidnapped by a group of military deserters and Indians led by an Indian mystic named Chidin. Maggie must enlist the help of her estranged father, Samuel Jones (who had left her to live with Indians), to save her daughter. Along the way they begin to reconcile their old differences. The Missing is a good western from director Ron Howard that has just a few flaws. The main flaw being its running time. This movie could have been cut 15-30 minutes in order to flow a little more quickly. Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett give excellent performances as an estranged father and daughter struggling to put things right with their family.