The Dark Knight

UK Release: 24th July 2008

Watched on LoveFilm Instant: Tuesday 24th/Wednesday 25th July 2012

Rating: 12A

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Runtime: 2hrs 32mins

Tagline: Why So Serious?

IMDb Plot Synopsis: Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker

My Review: After the brilliance of Batman Begins I was excited to see the next installment in the trilogy. It’s the one everyone talks about, the one I’ve been intrigued to see ever since it was released 4 years ago exactly. 

And it didn’t disappoint. Heath Ledger as The Joker was every bit as outstanding as reviews have stated - if not more so. There was so much depth to his performance I imagine it will take repeat viewings to catch it all. He was dark - a lunatic ultimately - and the black comedy, in turn with the dark blues and blacks of the cinematography gave the franchise a more gritty and intense feel.

I was said to see that Katie Holmes had been replaced with Maggie Gyllenhaal and I felt that diminished the character a little. But the love triangle between Bruce Wayne, Rachel and Harvey Dent was well played and even more tragic by the twist of fates. 

I can’t say I liked it more than Batman Begins though.

It was longer. Only 10 minutes admittedly but if felt much longer as the pacing was quite inconsistent. That dampened my enthusiasm for what was otherwise an incredibly well executed action blockbuster. It was a thrilling ride and it stands out amongst the trilogy (having now seen all three). I appreciated the continuation of the story and yet it can definitely stand on its own. 

The last act was particuarly exciting to watch and I found the Joker’s social experiment with the boats especially fascinating and could have warranted a film all on its own. It questioned the morality of humanity, as well as being the perfect example of just how un-human the joker really is. 

There were just so many twists and shocks that it really does keep you hooked until the very end. It’s far from boring, it just could have been tightened up a little. But then whose going to say no to Mr Nolan? Certainly not I.

Score: 8.5/10