The Dark Knight: 152 minutes. Rated: M. Director: Christopher Nolan. Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman
The Dark Knight is a rarity: an intelligent action film, and an 'event' film that lives up to the hype. Its roaring trade at the Australian box office ($11,779,716 on its opening weekend) has been matched by the din of critics singing its praise. Plus it's a superhero movie that will keep the most slathering, purist fanboy content while updating the premise for a contemporary, general audience.
If comic book movies are not your 'thing', bear in mind that they have come a long way this past decade. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films and Brian Singer's take on X-Men proved that latex costumes and blockbuster spectacle can go hand-in-hand with serious character development and a compelling story.
And then there was Batman Begins, an epic character study (some quipped, half-seriously, that it was a $200 million art movie) which, in the hands of director Christopher Nolan, delved at length into the motives and relationships of millionaire Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego.
Batman/Bruce Wayne has always been a fascinating character. He has no superpowers, but his sheer rage in the face of injustice elevates him to the realm of 'superhero'. In contrast to Detective Comics' other great hero, patriotic golden boy Superman, Batman is dark and brutal, arguably a fascist, but certainly prone to soul-searching regarding his questionable methods.
Batman Begins was memorable, as it was the first Batman movie where the many dimensions of the conflicted hero were not overshadowed by the charisma of the villains. As a result, the relaunch of the franchise obliterated the memory of Joel Schumacher's cartoonish Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, recaptured the dark, serious tone of Tim Burton's 80s/early 90s offerings Batman and Batman Returns, and took it to a new level.
In all likelihood its legacy will now be that it laid the groundwork for The Dark Knight. Batman Begins established the complexity of the character. The sequel tests his mettle during a proverbial 'dark night of the soul'.
Exhibit A: the Joker. It seemed from the time 'our Heath' Ledger first stepped onto the Dark Knight set there were murmurs regarding the brilliance of his portrayal of the most infamous figure in the Batman rogues gallery.
The murmur of praise became a bellow after the 28-year-old actor died of an accidental