The Dark Knight

Rated PG-13

First off, let me just say that I have thoroughly managed to upset my nephews. I planned on taking them to the Saturday morning showing of this movie, but I have to cancel that because this movie is really not meant for kids. I would say you should be at least ten before seeing this movie, at the very least.
I am really at a loss for words with this movie; my heart was racing the entire time. It was absolutely incredible. It did not feel like you were watching a comic book Superhero movie at all. They made it feel real. I don’t really think there was anything that far fetched in it whatsoever. The action sequences were portrayed with near perfect execution. It was extremely dramatic and made you care about the characters. There was multiple cheer for the good guy moments.
Christian Bale pulls off the Batman/Bruce Wayne inner struggle with dramatic and lighthearted appeal. You can see his inner struggle with the desire for a Gotham City that no longer needs Batman. He has successfully pushed the crime bosses of the city into a state of fear and just the knowledge of his presence has been keeping them at bay. They have even started meeting during the day out of fear of what lies in the shadows. Gotham is pulling out of its rut from the time of Batman Begins.
Along comes the Joker (Heath Ledger, I will get into that later) with his desire for utter mayhem. He doesn’t care how it happens but anarchy is his goal. He is smart and he is ruthless; his desire for corruption is what keeps him going. He feels that any one can be pushed beyond the limit if you know where to hit them. Harvey Dent is a District Attorney who is not afraid to stand up against the crime lords, and is seen by Bruce Wayne as the hope he has of a normal person taking over so Batman is not needed.
Through an incredible series of events, the story unfolds into a masterfully portrayed action adventure drama. I went with incredibly high hopes of a good time and was not in any way let down. My advice to you is to see it twice, there is just too much awesomeness and it must be taken in again.
Now as for the late Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker, breathtaking and just an amazing sight to see. There has been Oscar buzz about this role and some say it is only because he has passed away. After seeing this portrayal of a scarred and deranged killer, on a quest for total anarchy, I have no doubt that he should be awarded the Oscar. He made you afraid of him, laugh at him, feel sorry for him, and then hate him. Hands down the best villain since Hannibal Lector.
So basically, I wouldn’t recommend taking the kids to it, but still an amazing movie and one that will be talked about for a long time. Iron Man was phenomenal, this surpasses it. The best movie of the summer and it will be hard, near impossible, to beat.
5 out of 5 on the awesomeness scale.


P.S. New Terminator movie coming out in 2009, with Christian Bale as John Connor. Tell me that doesn’t sound frickin’ awesome.