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Created Aug 16, 2008 05:33PM PST • Edited Aug 16, 2008 05:33PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Perfect 5.0

   I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I love this movie for so many reasons that I don’t think I could even list them all. As anyone who has read my reviews knows, I’m a huge comic geek. Putting that aside for a moment, this movie was just an incredible put together piece of cinema. The acting was superb, the direction was brilliant and the story was completely captivating. In my head this is a perfect step from Batman Begins. While begins looked more at “what creates a hero”, Dark Knight looks at “what creates a villain”. Not only does Batman (and everyone he knows) have to deal with the answer to that question, but we get to see it from 2 different sides. I will try not to gush too much in the following review, but it will be hard. For those who have not seen this flick and don’t want spoilers, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER. But more than likely if you haven’t seen this movie you’re living under a rock and won’t be reading this either.

4. Acting

   Perfect 5.0

   To really appreciate the acting in this movie, you will have to watch it at least twice. The first time through, Ledger completely steals the show as Joker. The second time through, when you’re not as caught off guard at how good Ledger is, you can see that this is a very well rounded and well put together cast.

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

   The stars of this movie are Bale, Eckhardt and Ledger. This may sound like a recipe for disaster (Batman Forever or Batman & Robin anyone?) they screen is shared equally and all the performances do is compliment each other.

   We’ll talk about Ledger first. When I heard that there was a possibility of a posthumous oscar nod, I dismissed it. “Okay,” I thought, “they’re saying that because he died tragically.” Not the case. Ledger put on the performance of a lifetime. So entrenched in the character of the Joker, I couldn’t even bring myself to see Ledger. This guy was not in A Knights Tale or Brokeback Mountain. This is the first time we have ever seen this person and it was unbelievable. He is crazy, sane, creepy, funny and just insanely mad all at once. After seeing the movie, it becomes that much more tragic that we’ve lost such an incredible actor.

   Bale is great just like in Begins. He is brooding and dark, but he’s also the charming, flippant playboy when he needs to be. He carries so much weight in his face and his mannerisms that you see how hard it is for him to be doing this, and at the same time how necessary it is. I can get past the growling, but just barely. I know what they were trying for, but could have done something a bit different I think.

   Eckhardt was a fantastic Two Face, but an even better Harvey Dent. The comparison between Dent and Batman as the White and Dark Knights is very well played out. Dent is optimistic, headstrong and completely confident. You will believe in Harvey Dent by the end. When he flips and becomes Two Face, you are right there with him. You feel for him and really kinda understand why he does what he does.

6. Female Stars Perfect 5.0

   Maggie Gyllenhall was heads and tails above Katie Holmes. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike Katie, but Maggie makes you actually give a crap about this character. She’s more believable in every aspect (especially as intelligent woman) and that was needed especially at the end when she buys it. You need to care about the fact that she dies and Maggie absolutely pulls it off.

7. Female Costars Perfect 5.0

   None really. Bruce shows up with some hot women at one point so I’ll leave this at a 5

8. Male Costars Perfect 5.0

   Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are great balances for Bale. As Alfred and Fox they are the people he looks up to and outside of Rachel, he most wants approval from them. However, he relies on them more like parents or an older brother. There for advice and if he ever gets in too deep, they’ll pull him out.

10. Film

    Perfect 5.0

    This movie was just so damn pretty. Everything about it was great. Gotham looks incredible just like in Begins and everybody really feels like they are part of this world.

11. Direction Perfect 5.0

    Chris Nolan is a mad genious. I have completely forgiven him for Insomnia and will see any and every movie he ever makes from now until the end of time.

12. Play Perfect 5.0

    There are a few spots where they get wordy, or the actor doesn’t deliver it convincingly (Michael Jai White – I find it really funny that Spawn gets killed by the Joker in this flick), but I love it. I do know, however, that not everyone needs the message spelled out to them as it happens a couple times.

13. Music Perfect 5.0

    Brilliant. The mood is always deepened by the accompanying music in the scene.

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0

    Couldn’t ask for better. Joker was not the same guy as is in the comic, but looked amazing none the less. Dent was grotesque as Two Face, but you couldn’t look away. The Bat-Pod was a bit cheesy and looked funny in a few places, but I will forgive it because Batman rode a motorcycle and it kicked ass.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.2

    This was a pretty heavy PG-13. It was much darker than Begins and was probably very close to an R rating. The most intense violence ends up just being suggested, rather than seen.

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

    This movie is kinda like the Champagne Room. And there is no sex in the Champagne Room.

18. Violence Savage 3.6

    The violence is pretty brutal. As I mentioned before, the most extreme stuff is suggested rather than seen, but just because we don’t see the pencil go into the head doesn’t mean we don’t know what happened.

19. Rudeness Salty 2.0

    Language and gestures – not so bad. Its violent and dark, but not profane and offensive. Unless you think being angry is offensive. Then you should just avoid this movie all together.

21. Reality

    Glib 2.0

    Batman generally is the most grounded of superheroes. His villains (the best ones anyway) tend to be ordinary people with twisted minds and/or bodies. The loss of reality in this movie really comes down to the technology for me. While I do buy the batmobile as possibly existing, the bat-pod, not so much. Especially how it disengages itself from the batmobile. As realistic as the things in this movie could have been, however, they were.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.2

23. Biological Glib 2.0

    Phsycially the only part that starts to slip a little is how much punishment Joker takes at some points and you don’t see any effect of it. However, that kinda fits into the personality – maybe he likes it. Oh, and then there is Two Face. How in the hell is that not just oozing with infection? And that eye? Dry as hell, I’m telling you.

24. Physical Glib 1.7

    While I know great care is taken to make the glider cape look convincing, I’m not sure how well it would really work in the real world.