Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Dark Knight'

This week I'm reviewing The Dark Knight to tie in with the release of this weekend heavily anticipated Suicide Squad since both feature incarnations of the Joker and I wanted to review the Dark Knight Trilogy which I already began with my review of Batman Begins and I'll finish it out when I review The Dark Knight Rises in three weeks. In between then and now expect Throwback Thursday reviews on Disney's older Pete's Dragon with the release of the new live action version followed by the beginning of my series of Harry Potter reviews with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone where I will be rereading the books and reviewing each Harry Potter film every two weeks till the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. New reviews you can expect in the next two weeks include Suicide Squad, a review I've already writen that will be posted immediately after this review is uploaded, Pete's Dragon (2016), Sausage Party, and 

Florence Foster Jenkins.

'The Dark Knight' Review

Nominated For: Best Supporting Actor; Heath Ledger, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. 
Won: Best Supporting Actor; Heath Ledger and Best Sound Editing.

The Dark Knight picks up after Batman Begins. Batman's tidied up the streets of Gotham, but Joker has arrived to wreck havoc and unleash chaos. The Dark Knight is the summit of Christopher Nolan's exceptional Dark Knight Trilogy, and what a glorious peak it is! In the Dark Knight Trilogy, Nolan continues to transcend the superhero genre with a hyper-realized take on the Batman including complex messages and themes that explore the very meaning of Batman and Joker's ideologies. 

Nolan again takes up the responsibility of directing in addition to writing the screenplay alongside his brother Jonathan Nolan and working on the story with David Goyer. The trio craft a story that brings out an interesting message that darkness is hidden within all of us and that even the best of us can steep into darkness if molded correctly. Nolan, cinematographer Wally Pfizer,  and editor Lee Smith brilliantly fabricate suspense, raise tension prior to big twists and turns, and the gorgeous scenery is all cut together seamlessly. 

The practicality Nolan focused on in Batman Begins continues as he introduces the Bat-Pod, a new vehicle in Batman's arsenal, and plenty of new gadgets for his utility belt. The practicality help make the action sequences more exhilarating and believable as they are marvelous to watch. Other remarkable technical elements include the costuming, makeup, and visual effects that look phenomenal. The Dark Knight not only look great but sounds awesome as well thanks to a tremendous score composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. 

Even better are the performances with Christian Bale once again delivering a solid dual-portrayal of billionaire Bruce Wayne and vigilante Batman. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are both great as Alfred Pennyworth and Lucius Fox respectively. Gary Oldman remains to be a terrific Jim Gordon and this time around gets to delve into some more emotional ground. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel is an improvement over Katie Holmes' depiction, serving less as a damsel in distress, but an important character in this story relative to her relationship with Bruce Wayne. 

Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is commonly overlooked, but his performance is truly something! Eckhart is a bright spot of the trilogy as we see him morph into Two-Face and watch his descent into darkness, proving the best of humanity can be corrupted.

Heath Ledger brings the best depiction of the Joker onscreen, as a brilliant strategist intent on unleashing hell and anarchy to prove his point. It's tragic that Ledger died shortly after, as the role took it's toll on him and caused him to eventually overdose, considering it's one of the best villainous performances in recent memory. The entire cast deliver in spades and beyond in some cases.

In summary, The Dark Knight is a cinematic masterpiece thanks to technical precision, talent in-front-of and behind-the-camera, a rousing score, and an intelligent story with sophisticated themes about the truth of humanity. The Dark Knight is easily one of the best comic book films-to-date. 

Film Assessment: A+