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The Dark Knight is a blockbuster so big that we here at Decoy felt it deserved not one but two reviews. Scott Miller gave himself the unenviable task of trying to find something bad to say about this record setting crowd pleaser; his review follows Jeff Latta's gushing pile of hyperbole.


The Dark Knight is completely and utterly awesome. Improving upon the already very good Batman Begins in almost every way (I’m still not sold on that raspy Batman voice that Bale insists on using), it is a true contender for the greatest comic book adaptation, the greatest summer blockbuster, and perhaps even the greatest action movie ever made. Because unlike most of its cinematic peers, The Dark Knight’s non action sequences are just as magnificent as the set pieces. The action is not the highlight of the film, but just one more exceptional element of it. Unlike many sequels that feel the need to up the ante at the expense of a solid plotline, The Dark Knight doesn’t suffer at all from “too much”-itis. There’s a ton going on, but it all feels necessary, and even at two and a half hours audiences will still leave the theater wanting more. Some plot elements admittedly don’t really go anywhere (the imposter Batmen spring to mind), but they are interesting and serve to flesh out and beef up the main story rather than detract from it.

Aaron Eckhart turns in some of the best work of his career as the “White Knight” of Gotham (and even more surprising is his deft and realistic portrayal of the darker aspects of the role), returning actors like Christian Bale and Gary Oldman carry on and add to the characters they are reprising (Alfred may be a little short changed, but that’s to be expected), and it should go without saying that Maggie Gyllenhaal is a huge step up from Katie Holmes. But the real star of The Dark Knight is the man who was getting all the hype even before his tragic death earlier this year. Heath Ledger is brilliant as the Joker - and while some may be concerned that seeing the actor in such a powerhouse role might cause audiences to dwell on his untimely death, thankfully the creepy makeup, the even creepier voice and his total embodiment of the persona don’t leave you much time to the think about the real life man behind the character.

But the fact that this Joker will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest villains in cinematic history cannot be attributed only to Ledger’s powerhouse performance. Credit must also be given to the Nolan brothers’ writing and conception of the character as well. His plans are clever and inspired and his motivations are wholly fleshed out, both unique and logical in a twisted way. The writing is solid across the board; the epic rise and fall of Harvey Dent is Shakespearean, and the script constantly stays true to its central themes of escalation and order vs. chaos. The few negative reviews I have found all seem to mainly begrudge the storyline as being too dour and dark – and it is a very dark movie, one that seems like it just barely managed to merit a PG-13 – but I say there is a lot of fun and funny moments to be had if one can handle all the darkness.

Ultimately it’s hard for me to come up with many intelligent things to say about the film, because at the theater I was just too busy giddily taking it all in; my critic brain was completely turned off the entire time, replaced with only fanboy. Going into the film I had the highest of expectations, but they truly weren’t let down in the least. The positives are too numerous to mention, but some of the highlights include: the dizzying, IMAX filmed establishing shots and car chases, getting to see Batman actually be a detective for once (even if only for a scene or two), the enjoyably grotesque appearance of Two-Face, an ending that leaves you sincerely pondering where the story could go next, the fact that even the most ardent trailer freeze framers and viral marketing gurus have only seen footage from the first 2/3 of the film, and how The Dark Knight truly feels like a sequel in the sense that it could have been shot back to back with Batman Begins instead of three years later. The continuity between the films adds to the richness of the story, and creates a fully realized world that leaves audiences desperately wanting to see more.

Grade: A

- Jeff Latta

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If The Dark Knight is indeed the masterpiece envisaged by forum-trolling fanboys months and even years prior to its release, then “masterpiece” is clearly not synonymous with perfection. The Dark Knight, like its lithe protagonist, stumbles occasionally. Its pacing, for instance, is fast and even jerky at times, forcing viewers to gulp down one frenzied scene after another without providing the rest stops needed to absorb them. What’s left is an array of striking, ineffable moments that often end just a second or two before they should, and then dive into new convolutions with such furious haste that all we can do is gaze backward at them lustily through memory.

But this isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker; the narrative’s velocity imbues it with a sense of urgency that makes imbibing it in a single sitting damn near impossible. Similar to most great works of art—and this is a work of art, regardless of its spandex-clad pedigree—The Dark Knight demands repeat viewing for deeper comprehension. And though the plot and action are both quicker and heftier than in any of its predecessors (which means you’ll probably catch more of its twists the second time around), this Knight’s armor is thickest where it shields a penetrating and profound application of psychology.

Heath Ledger’s much-publicized portrayal of the Joker, guided by a smart script from the brothers Nolan, embodies this intellectual epicenter. His wild-eyed ramblings about humanity’s inherent wretchedness are so putrid yet convincing that it’s easy to forget the real villain’s face (is it his, caked in blighted paint, or our own?), even as we collectively hate his guts for somehow knowing so damn much about us, right down to our self-preserving cores. Christian Bale’s Batman is, of course, the “immovable object” in his path, and more conflicted than ever about the methods he must employ to stop this new breed of menace.

And “menace” is an appropriate description of The Dark Knight. Unlike Batman flicks before it (even 2005’s stellar Batman Begins), the events here are so dire and calamitous that we actually wonder whether Batman’s hope can trump this Joker’s chaos. Of course the film isn’t perfect: There are gaps in logic, such as this scheme-hating anarchist’s ability to choreograph city-wide mayhem supposedly off-the-cuff. And it would be intriguing if once, just once, Bale’s Batman persona broke and let Bruce Wayne’s human fragility shine through, adding another layer of complexity to an already nuanced performance. Art, however, doesn’t need to attain perfection to be fantastic, and The Dark Knight is a thrilling, vibrant deviation from the summer-movie mold.

B+

-Scott Miller