Mini Review: The Dark Knight

After anticipating the release of certain movies, there is always that distinct possibility that they won't meet your expectations. That, thankfully, was not a problem suffered by The Dark Knight.

The film continued on in the same vein as Batman Begins, though the drama and the pathos were stronger this time. Christian Bale still makes an excellent rebel billionaire, almost more fun to watch as Bruce Wayne than Batman. The film mostly soars (despite it's loooong running time), fueled by the somewhat unpredictable plot The Joker's criminal activity creates.

In that role, Heath Ledger is nearly unrecognizable, even his physical appearance fading into the background. At first, I was certain that the oscar-buzz surrounding the role was simply respect being paid for the loss of a truly talented actor. But, even the shadow cast by Ledger's death was gone when he was onscreen as The Joker. The character was so alive, the total embodiment of eccentric anarchy, that the character stole the scenes, not the tragedy. The Joker is, as he states himself in the film, so much more interesting than any of the other super villains of the comic book world. In Christopher Nolan's Batman universe, The Joker is the criminal without a purpose, more terrifying than any other.

The only bad thing about this Batman is the pressure they'll be under to make the next one just as good.

UPDATE: The movie did even better than expected over the weekend, scoring the biggest three-day opening weekend in box office history, grossing $155.3 million.