Movie review by Sean McBride

It’s been a great summer for fans of superhero movies, and I’m thrilled to report that “Batman: The Dark Knight” is the best of the bunch. I’ll go one step further and say that thanks to an atypically meaty screenplay, this might very well be the best superhero movie of all time, and is the only film in this genre that is so well crafted that it deserves some serious respect when Oscar season rolls around next year.

 As the sequel opens, Batman (Christian Bale) has the criminals on the run. He metes out his particular brand of justice each night while the city’s new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) arrests mob bosses during the day. The future looks so hopeful for Gotham City that Batman is thinking about hanging up his cowl and calling it quits.

Enter the Joker (Heath Ledger), a psychotic criminal whose only goal is to plunge the city into chaos. Boy does he succeed.

The secret to a strong hero is having him test his mettle against a strong villain, and Ledger’s tour de force turn as the Joker is so compelling that you wonder if Batman is up to the task. The Joker says that he will flood Gotham City’s streets with blood unless Batman reveals his identity, and when Batman doesn’t comply, the Joker makes good on his threats.

High profile characters are killed off and Batman blames himself for the death toll. The genius of the movie is that the filmmakers seem to agree that Batman must share in the blame for the killings. There’s no black and white here, and the moral uncertainty of Batman’s actions weigh the film down with a dark gravitas uncommon in the superhero world. 

Don’t worry; it’s not all doom and gloom. There are several thrilling action sequences, and the Bat-gadgets are still very cool. The Joker maniacal energy also elevates the mood, even while setting the screen off-kilter with his incomprehensible antics. Throw in a superb supporting cast, striking production design and assured direction from Christopher Nolan, and you’re left with a film that is so good that I had problems coming up with anything negative to say. Two and a half hours might be a problem if your bladder isn’t up to the challenge, and the PG-13 rating is also a bit problematic given the film’s R-rated tone. The Harvey Dent resolution also seems a bit rushed, but these are all minor complaints. It’s time to make the call: “The Dark Knight” is the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published bi-weekly in “The Port Arthur News.” Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.