Review: The Dark Knight

I wasn't quite the last person on the planet to see The Dark Knight, but I was probably in the final dozen or so. I went into the movie expecting something really good - I had only seen one negative review (I believe it was the Toronto Sun), and I'd heard plenty of people talking about how good it was. My expectations for this movie were high - and it blew them away.

I have to confess (and this might come as a surprise) that I've never been much of a Batman fan. Yes, I was a comic book geek up until a few years ago, but strictly Marvel comics - no Superman, no Green Lantern, no Batman. I had never seen a previous Batman movie, and can't remember watching any of the TV shows (although my sister disputes this). So I know very little of Batman's history, major plots, or supporting cast (although I did surprise myself by being able to name a half-dozen or so villains).

In other words, I went into the movie with high expectations, but no preconceptions. I didn't know what a 'true' Batman movie should look like, so I could enjoy the movie for being a good movie, rather than a good Batman movie.

It was a great movie.

Yes, they got quite a bit of bonus publicity in January, when Heath Ledger overdosed and died. And I, presumably like a lot of people, was worried that the movie would be turned into a "last hurrah" of sorts for Ledger, one last chance for everyone to enjoy his skill.

Turns out that he *did* steal the show, but that was going to happen even if he didn't die. Ledger's performance actually is Oscar-worthy on its own merits, leaving extracurricular circumstances out of the equation. The Joker character is able to be scheming, evil, chaotic, insane, intelligent, and a touch tragic - all at once. He's really a character of contradictions - makes up new stories for how he got his scars, says he has no plan but manages to always have a fallback option.

Also, the "disappearing pencil" might be one of the most shockingly hilarious scenes I've ever seen in any movie.

Lest I leave you with the impression that this was Heath Ledger's Miraculous Oscar Machine and nothing else...the pacing was superb. True, it wouldn't have taken a whole lot of fleshing out to turn this film into two solid movies, but it's not like the last half dragged on. There were three separate occasions when I thought the movie was about to end, and only the last one was the real ending. It kept going, but it kept building, kept topping the excitement of the previous scene, and built to a perfect climax.

The "two boats" scene, with the big scary prisoner dude being the voice of conscience, bordered on cliché but never quite crossed the line. The "I'll create a computer program that will blow up after one use" device showed a *little* too much foresight, but it wouldn't even get mention if this movie were on the whole average (neither would Bale's gruff Batman voice).

Not quite sure I can call it the best movie I've ever seen. But best superhero movie I've ever seen? Easily. Best action movie I've ever seen? Hands down. Top ten, maybe even five, overall? Yes sir.

--Ryan