Batman: The Dark Knight (2008)

Batman: The Dark Knight (2008)

8/10

Starring

Christian Bale

Heath Ledger

Gary Oldman

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Batman: The Dark Knight is one of the best comic book adaptations I’ve seen, long before the battle for cinematic mastery between the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) began.
The movie is a blast, and if you compare it to Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s 1989 Batman, you’ll likely find yourself more drawn to this adaptation of the Joker. The late Heath Ledger delivered a masterpiece performance out of nowhere, one that will forever remain in our minds as one of the best portrayals of an insane Joker.
Nolan and Ledger’s version of the Joker strays slightly from the comic version we’re used to, like the one in the 1989 Batman. This Joker is just plain insane, and it’s what makes the movie so great.

In this Batman, we have two of his arch-villains: the Joker (his main nemesis) and Two-Face. Unlike the 1989 Batman, which focused on the Joker’s origin and gave him most of the attention, this movie divides its focus between the Joker, Two-Face, and the emotional weight Bruce Wayne/Batman carries while dealing with both.
We get plenty of fantastic hand-to-hand combat scenes from Batman, and we also meet his version of Q (James Bond’s gadget guy). In this movie, Bruce Wayne entrusts his suit and gadget development to Mr. Fox (played by Morgan Freeman). The extent of Fox’s creativity and the fun gadgets he comes up with are best seen for yourself when you watch the movie.

The plot kicks off with an armed robbery led by the Joker. He targets a bank where the mob keeps their money.
Soon, the Joker infiltrates a mob gathering and offers them protection from Batman (promising to kill him) in exchange for half of their fortune.

Bruce Wayne/Batman, on the other hand, makes the mistake of underestimating the Joker and focuses on going after the mob instead. Things spiral out of control as the Joker starts taunting not just Gotham but Batman as well.
The Joker never seems to have a consistent story about how he got his scars. He crashes a fundraiser at Wayne Manor for Harvey Dent, intending to kill Dent. Bruce continues to believe the Joker is after something, but Alfred warns him that the Joker might simply want to watch the world burn.

Bruce keeps playing cat and mouse with the Joker, which leads to Harvey Dent getting burned on one side of his face and transforming into Two-Face.
The movie is a masterpiece, one worth watching and appreciating for the incredible work done.
The performances are out of this world, the stunts will leave you clapping, and the visual effects are outstanding. You have to see this movie—it’s worth owning a copy.