Review of The Dark Knight (2008) by Aaron L — 20 Apr 2016

I'm most certainly going to be made the target of public scorn ( and possibly flat-out dismissal from many ) for saying this, but... I'm sorry, folks: The Dark Knight just simply isn't what it's been hyped up to be. While the film is certainly peppered with movie magic here n' there, The Dark Knight has hiccups in basically all of your major areas, such as pacing, writing, directing, and acting. Something else to add to its list of faults is the fact that the last act of the movie is, to put it simply, an over-stylized SNOOZE-FEST that's requires too large of a stretch of belief for THIS viewer ( comic book movie or not ).

With all that said, as I mentioned before, there IS some magic littered throughout the film. There are some very interesting concepts concerning morality and sacrifice that we've never really seen in a comic book movie before The Dark Knight. There's a level of realism in The Dark Knight that has to be appreciated. Also, some of the film's twists and turns are particularly clever when you look at the overall simplicity of the plot. Though Christopher Nolan doesn't really know how to shoot a fight sequence very well at all, many of the action sequences most certainly deliver in the thrills department. Even furthermore, while I still feel that Heath Ledger was by no means the perfect choice for the Joker, he definitely turns in an incredible, believable, and career-defining performance. The Joker steals most every scene he's in, and some of his segments are genuinely chilling. [ Side note: Heath Ledger was not a better Joker than Jack Nicholson. Jack Nicholson was not a better Joker than Heath Ledger. Both actors approached the role in a different way, and both have ways in which they are superior over the other. For example: I would've LOVED to see more twisted humor in The Dark Knight. Jack Nicholson was creepy AND hilarious. I felt like the Joker in The Dark Knight should've been cackling at his own evil deeds a little bit more. You can't beat some of Jack's one-liners and kooky behavior in Tim Burton's Batman. ].

The Dark Knight is quite an accomplishment. It's hard-hitting, it's immersive ( though laggy at some points ), and often quite thought-provoking. However, it's not a film without flaws. A film this ambitious that aspires to be more than the average super-hero action film should be looked at with the same level of scrutiny as any other drama. It's definitely easy to recommend, but don't be sucked in to the hype! 3 stars.