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The Dark Knight (2008)
"Certainly a monumental superhero film, and a monumental film in general."
By the looks of my top 10 at the moment, it would seem obvious as to which superhero film is my favourite. But make no mistake. That one might be my favourite, this is the most grown-up, complex and stylised superhero based film to date. Back in 2008, I considered this to be possibly the greatest film ever made. Flawless in it's handling, gripping performances and maybe the greatest take on the most notorious comic book villian. I do find flaws with it nowadays, but this is still the definitive take on Batman.
Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne, a playboy billionaire who at night, attempts to clean up the streets of Gotham as Batman, while dealing with his conflicted feelings for true love Rachel Dawes. Of course, this all happens when the criminal mastermind The Joker is hell-bent on seeing Gotham City brought to chaos, and brinign it's citizens down to his level.
Christopher Nolan has emerged in the last ten or so years as a talented director and writer, and The Dark Knight remains his calling card. A bright, action packed calling card with a Joker printed on it. Nolan hasn't created a simple superhero film, with the themes of good and evil. He has created a character study of cops and criminals, heroes and villians, and an examination of anarchy. It may be a follow-up to Batman Begins, but still works entirely as a stand-alone film.
Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is, of course, the most talked about aspect of the film. Vivid, eye-catching and undeniably brilliant, it's the performance of the decade, even though it may have a little to do with posthumous aspects, but still, the most memorable performance of 2008. But through all the scene stealing, standout work Ledger delivers, I still maintain that Batman is the main character of this film. Christian Bale delivers a solid performance as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, playing both characters perfectly, as the conflicted hero, and the cocky playboy.
The Dark Knight is a very enjoyable experience, with expert direction, acting and writing, for the most part, that it overcomes the flaws in the story (too many climaxes) and remains, 99% of the time, a quality masterpiece and the undisputed grand filmic experience of 2008.
"Certainly a monumental superhero film, and a monumental film in general."
By the looks of my top 10 at the moment, it would seem obvious as to which superhero film is my favourite. But make no mistake. That one might be my favourite, this is the most grown-up, complex and stylised superhero based film to date. Back in 2008, I considered this to be possibly the greatest film ever made. Flawless in it's handling, gripping performances and maybe the greatest take on the most notorious comic book villian. I do find flaws with it nowadays, but this is still the definitive take on Batman.
Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne, a playboy billionaire who at night, attempts to clean up the streets of Gotham as Batman, while dealing with his conflicted feelings for true love Rachel Dawes. Of course, this all happens when the criminal mastermind The Joker is hell-bent on seeing Gotham City brought to chaos, and brinign it's citizens down to his level.
Christopher Nolan has emerged in the last ten or so years as a talented director and writer, and The Dark Knight remains his calling card. A bright, action packed calling card with a Joker printed on it. Nolan hasn't created a simple superhero film, with the themes of good and evil. He has created a character study of cops and criminals, heroes and villians, and an examination of anarchy. It may be a follow-up to Batman Begins, but still works entirely as a stand-alone film.
Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is, of course, the most talked about aspect of the film. Vivid, eye-catching and undeniably brilliant, it's the performance of the decade, even though it may have a little to do with posthumous aspects, but still, the most memorable performance of 2008. But through all the scene stealing, standout work Ledger delivers, I still maintain that Batman is the main character of this film. Christian Bale delivers a solid performance as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, playing both characters perfectly, as the conflicted hero, and the cocky playboy.
The Dark Knight is a very enjoyable experience, with expert direction, acting and writing, for the most part, that it overcomes the flaws in the story (too many climaxes) and remains, 99% of the time, a quality masterpiece and the undisputed grand filmic experience of 2008.