Let me preface this review by saying that anyone who found either of Burton’s Batman adaptations better than Nolan’s “Batman Begins” doesn’t meet the minimum brain cell requirement for this Blog; kindly finish your Spaghetti-O’s and log out.
Oh, and if you enjoyed any of Schumacher’s monstrosities, fear not, there may be help on the horizon.

Blah, Blah, Blah, lets get to the good stuff.  Everyone wants to know what’s going on with the latest Heath Ledger hype. Is his performance Oscar worthy or is everyone blowing it up because he passed away earlier this year? The short answer (and only answer) to this question is YES!
Yes some people are Heathcliff obsessed because this brilliant young actor has unfortunately passed on.  However, before doing so, Ledger succeeded with ferocious veracity in transforming an already iconic comic book villain into the most terrifying yet intriguing villain of ALL TIME; without a doubt Oscar worthy. 

To prepare for the role, Ledger locked himself in a hotel room for six weeks formulating the character’s voice, posture, and psychology.  He recorded the Joker’s thoughts and feelings in a diary to help guide his performance during the filming.

I ask myself, would I like this movie as much if Heath Ledger wasn’t in it?  The answer is a resounding “NO”.  He brought too much to the table.  Ledger reshaped not only the persona of the Joker, but raised the bar, perhaps too high for anyone within the superhero genera to ever reach again.  I’m the first to admit that to even find an equivalent role where someone could hope to touch the quality of Ledger’s work would be difficult, but styles and formats change, so we’ll all have to just wait to see what the future brings. 

WARNING, Spoilers ahead: Bruce Wayne is Batman!

With Bob Kane’s comic book template, director Chris Nolan repaints the canvas of cinematic history with a star studded cast and the birth of a new iconic image that actors and directors will only ever dream to duplicate in the wake of Heath Ledger’s Joker. 

Four ensembled characters and their less prominent companions flirt with a string of universal struggles within the world microcosm which is Gotham City. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of this metropolis, the balance between justice and power, control and anarchy, represent life-or-death realities that push the limits of human integrity in the name of self-preservation.  The film will have you paralyzed with uneasy anticipation as these themes unfold.   

Though the audience never seems to question the legitimacy or need for the role of Batman, the city of Gotham rightfully and realistically has concerns regarding the terrorist behavior this capped crusader has invited to their city.  Would any major US city act differently? 

Gotham’s new dynamic duo: the epitome of honesty, Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and the goldenboy District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) successfully assuage their differences in a joint effort to bring down the mob. Rounding up half of Gotham’s criminals in a single day was enough for even Wayne (Christian Bale) to consider hanging up his bat-boots and graveyard shifts for a renewed relationship with assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who has stirred Master Wayne’s emotions by shacking up with a worthy suitor, Harvey Dent.

Since the downfall of Falcone’s corruption network, public figures with integrity, such as Dent, have stepped forward.  Salvatore Marconi (Eric Roberts), the new figurehead for the mob faction of assorted gangs, is such a non threat that the need for a masked vigilante martial artist seems silly.  Of course this is before we’re witness to the true murderous capabilities of the most unpredictable, sinister criminal presence to ever walk the big screen.  With the coming of pure chaos, Dawes realizes that there will always be a need for the Batman, and chooses Dent over her first love.  Though inconsistent with her strong character (but necessary to move converging themes), Rachel drafts a letter to Bruce, (entrusted to Alfred) which is to break the news of her marriage intentions to Harvey. 

Jonathan and Chris Nolan hit the ground running, introducing the Joker with a deceptively clever bank heist.  The calculating demonic Joker, is perhaps more cunning and intelligent than even our superhero Batman.  Unlike most cinematic masterminds, the Joker delivers on his promises of terror and succeeds in pinning Batman and the rest of Gotham into a merciless death grip.  I can’t stress enough how seamlessly Ledger brought together the spontaneity and humorous spark of the character with simple gestures and voice adaptions, that the average movie goer will probably never fully appreciate and could only in retrospect rationally expect.  Never did his actions or humor seem contrived, even from the back glance of a sharp critic.  With a pinch of body language that spoke of caution in the presence of the dark knight and uncertainty in the face of a volatile situation, Heath was nothing short of spectacular and neither was Nolan when he cast the Australian born talent.  There is a reason that directors choose certain actors for specific roles, but I don’t believe anyone could have hoped for this.

The beauty of the character is Ledger’s non contrived responses and reactions. With movements that don’t seem manufactured, choreographed, or systematic the Joker shifts around with a damaged and suggestive history; a style all his own. 
With pure not inserted comedy, you find yourself wanting to see more of the Joker, perhaps even rooting for him, not because you relate, but because he’s so damn interesting.  As a viewer, you can’t help but love his ability to push your hypothetical limits with complicated schemes and erratic behavior that outline his simple analysis of human nature. 
Safe as you are in your theatre seat, you still squirm with cringing anticipation at what the Joker might do with his knife, only to laugh at  the monsters childlike ability to derive pleasure from the things you only wish you still could; the simplicity and excitement of hanging your head out the window as you drive or laugh at another’s misfortune. This is a mesmerizing performance that Ledger immerses himself in and truly makes it his own.

We get the sense that the Joker has merely overstepped the bounds of genius into the realm of a pitiless psychopath, as he puts it, “a living embodiment of chaos”.  The haunting prankster fears neither pain or death, perhaps even enjoys it.  “I don’t want to kill you” gleams the Joker, “you complete me”. 
Heath tapped into something so out of control that the haunting cackles reverberate through the entire film, right up to the dedication to Ledger and the technician Conway Wickliffe, who was killed on set while preparing one of the film’s stunts.

Devilish and masterfully chaotic acts of terror are executed as easily as they are conjured for this troubled genius. The audience is led to believe that the Joker contrives these elaborate plans without meticulous architecture. Certainly a glimpse into the preparatory steps of the Joker’s recruiting henchman and detailing contingency plans would detract from the carefree nature of the enigmatic character.  However, we do see concessions made when things don’t turn his way, for example he is refused his one phone call and thus provokes the detaining officer into a brawl to gain control of the situation.

“It’s what happens when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object”.

For everyone still romanticizing Nicholson’s 1989 Joker, get over it.  You know you’re aging when you think old is synonymous with better.  The same goes for the Comic-Con dorks that suck themselves to sleep because the film didn’t stay true to the comic book.  News flash, the comic was stupid and unrealistic.  You didn’t complain when Batman lost his tights or the bat-mobile got spiced up. 
Like the line from the movie “they’re only as good as the world allows them to be”, so how about you either let go of the past and look at the masterpiece in front of your face, or stick to Ghost Rider and the Hulk.

Ledger talks about playing the Joker,

“You know, I was a big fan of Jack Nicholson – still am – his portrayal of the Joker was perfect for Tim Burton’s world and if Tim Burton had come to me and he was doing the sequel and he asked me to play the Joker in his movie, I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t. Because you couldn’t touch what Jack Nicholson did. It would be a crime. When Chris came to me, I’d already seen Batman Begins and I really liked it. Because I’d already seen it, I already knew the world, which he had created…”

Truth be told, I’m also a Tim Burton fan, but Nolan’s Batman blows Burton out of the water, especially the Joker.  More mystery shrouds Heath’s character than the Nicholson harlequin. 
This is a more gritty realistic psychopath that reflects the movement of Hollywood action films from the mere ability to produce a moving picture film with special effects to the believability audiences now need to project their escapism onto the landscape of the real world.

There was definitely a time and a place for Nicholson’s Joker, and that was when the movie industry was more concerned with selling toys than with making quality films.  Bottom line, is that Heath pulls off a far more comical role while somehow managing to make the Joker far more disturbing. Basically, Jack doesn’t have jack on Ledger.  The dark schizophrenic fusion of Jeffery Dahmar and Hannibal Lector trapped in Clockwork Orange as The Crow, Heath’s new iconic supervillian makes Nicholson’s flamboyant Joker look like a birthday clown. 

There can never be another interpretation of what the Joker might be, this is it! Heath did it.  It’s his Moby Dick, his master piece, the perfect last line of a triumphant poetic career.  If he doesn’t deserve a posthumous Oscar then the Oscars don’t deserve the gold they’re plated with.

When you do see The Dark Knight, do it right and get your ass to an IMAX (Image Maximum). According the Warner Bros. “The Dark Knight” is the first major feature film to even partially shoot using IMAX cameras.  With six sequences (including the entire opening scene) done utilizing true Imax technology, you’ll feel as though you’re watching the story unfold through a window. 
At the screening I felt the sensation of being in a helicopter viewing the city and standing behind batman as he prepared a basejump from a Hong Kong high-rise.  With industrial magic, the IMAX technology squeezes a highly distorted 180 degree field of view onto the 70 mm IMAX film.  When filming, the camera angle coincides with the final projection to recreate a wider panoramic view.  The result is awesome!

Speaking of the opening sequence, it was nice to see an actual bright bustling city opposed to the normal drudgy CGI Gotham that we’re used to. With new life breathed into the metropolis via an amalgamation of shots from Chicago, London, and WB Studios, this film not only delivered Batman from the shadows of the comic book world, but also used direct references to the world at large, with Batman traveling outside of Gotham for the first time in order to apprehend a Japanese Mob accountant in Hong Kong. Of course we did see Bruce Wayne travel beyond the boarders of Gotham in Batman Begins, but without specific references or landmarks the audience was still pigeon-held into the DC fantasy world.

With Heath Ledger’s amazing take on the Joker, lets not forget there are some great actors and great acting other than Ledger in this brilliant film.  Did you see American Psycho, the boy can act.  I think it’s more than worth mentioning that Aaron Eckhart did an excellent job portraying a passionate public figure with deeper issues bubbling under the surface.  Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are always a pleasure to watch, and Maggie Gyllenhaal who steps in for the none-too-missed Katie Holmes gives her character a much more professional feel.

 
                         “What doesn’t kill you makes you stranger.”

With all the fun and excitement, this film wasn’t without flaw.  First off, Nolan really packed too much into the story line, there just wasn’t sufficient time to evolve all of it.  Harvey Dents transformation probably being the crux of the problem.  With that said there wasn’t much time wasted on mindless fighting like the Matrix debacles.  This does mean that the crap-for-brains action junkies are going cry that it moved too slowly, but the fact is that the movie flowed through the story better than most action/content packed films of shorter lengths. With a delicate balance between, believa
bility of unreality, action, plot, dialog, and keeping the drama queens and stupid action junky morons on the same page as the deeper meaning philosophers for a duration of two and a half hours, Nolan really couldn’t have done a better job bringing the superhero genera into the realm of true quality.

For the viewers that liked the first movie because Nolan brought a sense of history and tradition to the character and better explained those particularities, like, how did Bruce Wayne build his bat cave, or bat-mobile?, The Dark Knight audience is left to remember that this is indeed a sequel and that character origins and development were accomplished in the first film, although with the lack of character exploration the film seems extremely packed especially with the intentional lack of history on the Joker who seems to take a backseat to the enormity of the film.  We’re also left to deduct that the same lengths were taken to protect Batman’s identity, while say, manufacturing a new Batsuit. 
While I don’t find the procedural qualities and character development carry-overs to be negatives, I really wasn’t fond of such gross negligence from the law officers.  Though mistakes are made all the time in law enforcement, I feel as though it’s cliché and poor form to not work around a better solution.  “Hmm, the upper route is blocked by a flaming tractor trailer, let’s immediately panic into breaking protocol and herding ourselves into the Jokers obvious trap”.

I also wasn’t so pumped about Nolan spoon feeding me information, I caught onto the cell phone trick, I didn’t need Lucius Fox to so formally explain it.  But I suppose for the big stuff he wanted to keep the stupids on board.  I’m not so sure about using that platform as a spring board into Morgan Freeman’s retirement from Batman films; it wasn’t necessary.  There was no need to dramatize the situation and have the reasonable and easy tempered Lucius Fox resign as CEO of Wayne Enterprises with the “I’m taking my ball and going home” attitude because he had a dissenting opinion on George W’s patriot act.  He could have just retired.  With that said, Nolan did create an interesting parallel to our war on terror, but the real concern isn’t so much wire tapping as it is the need for vigilante heroics in the first place. 

  Perhaps less rational than Lucius hissy fit over Bruce’s invasion of personal liberty is Bruce’s decision to unmask himself in public or assume the blame of someone else’s murders. Why not just leave those murders unsolved? The only reason to blame Batman was to increase the drama; stupid.  He was already a vigilante (illegal to begin with) leave it at that.
As far as the unmasking goes, why would the highly intelligent Bruce Wayne ever consider giving in to a terrorist request?  His character should know full well that such a stunt wouldn’t quell a masochistic knife wielding agent of chaos, it would only make him and the people he cares about targets.  Oh yeah, can we cut down on the synthesizer batman voice?  Does Bruce turn into a robot when he puts on the Batsuit?  Maybe if they explained a voice adaptor in his suit or something, but it just doesn’t fit to add that crap during editing.  And how about that velvet cape. In some scenes it looks like a throw blanket and other times he’s jumping off of buildings while it turns into a rubbery electric membrane hybrid hang-glider…wtf?

This just shows how very difficult and delicate the process of screen writing can be, especially with a separate wardrobe and editing team.  It may have all seemed logical on paper, but on the big screen, it’s a stretch.  It is worth mentioning that the CGI was not abused. The scenes with Two Face were masterfully accomplished.  

Kudos to Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard on a score that built tension that even a warm stick of butter couldn’t cut through.

Micheal Caine and Morgan Freeman talk about Heath Ledgers performance as the Joker

Following the lead of the movie, this post is done in memory of Heath Ledger …

It’s painful to see such a talented energy such as Heath Ledger taken at such a stage in his career.  Any fan of acting or film can’t help feel an instant connection to the young actor that seemed to love his craft as much as the life he lived so deeply.