The Dark Knight (2008)

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers (WGA):

Jonathan Nolan (screenplay) and
Christopher Nolan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 July 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Why So Serious?

Plot:

Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent are forced to deal with the chaos unleashed by an anarchist mastermind known only as the Joker, as it drives each of them to their limits.

Plot Keywords:

Batman | Joker | Gotham | Criminal | Chaos

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 76 wins & 58 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 9	3:00 PM	HBO
Tue. Nov. 10	3:35 AM	HBO

Cast

Christian Bale	...	Bruce Wayne / Batman
Heath Ledger	...	The Joker
Aaron Eckhart	...	Harvey Dent / Two-Face
Michael Caine	...	Alfred Pennyworth
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Rachel Dawes
Gary Oldman	...	James Gordon
Morgan Freeman	...	Lucius Fox
Monique Gabriela Curnen	...	Det. Anna Ramirez
Ron Dean	...	Det. Michael Wuertz
Cillian Murphy	...	Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow
Chin Han	...	Lau
Nestor Carbonell	...	Mayor Anthony Garcia
Eric Roberts	...	Salvatore Maroni
Ritchie Coster	...	The Chechen
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Mike Engel

Also Known As:

Batman Begins 2 (USA) (working title)
Batman: The Dark Knight (USA) (informal title)
Rory's First Kiss (USA) (fake working title)
The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)
Untitled Batman Begins Sequel (USA) (working title)
Winter Green (USA) (fake working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace.

Runtime:

152 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.44 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS | Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Certification:

Ireland:15A | UK:12A | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Brazil:12 | Netherlands:16 | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Iceland:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Peru:14 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Sweden:15 | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44427) | Portugal:M/12 | South Africa:13V | Denmark:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Finland:K-13 | India:UA | Mexico:B | France:U | Italy:T | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Germany:16 | Greece:K-13 | Austria:14 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Spain:13 | Australia:MA (original DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Atwood Cafe - 1 W Washington St, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The first film shot with IMAX to be nominated for an Academy Award for best cinematography and an American Society of Cinematographers Award.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: It is often referenced that the license plates in the movie are all from Illinois. This is not accurate. The film makers made "Gotham" plates that resembled Illinois plates just in case some slipped through in background shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Grumpy: [before a bank heist] Three of a kind, let's do this.
Chuckles: That's it, three guys?
Grumpy: Two guys on the roof. Every guy gets a share. Five shares is plenty.
Chuckles: Six shares, don't forget the guy who planned the job.
Grumpy: He thinks he can sit it out and still take a slice? I know why they call him "The Joker."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Mosters vs Aliens/The Haunting in Connecticut/12 Rounds (#1.5)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Balmoral

Too many fans seem to be blown away

Many commenters said they were "blown away," so it probably has succeeded in blowing away the box office. I waited until the second week, and had high expectations from the 9 and 10 ratings it was receiving. But, fellow movie/film viewers (and especially great film lovers) ... really!? There's no doubt about the action and action and action in this one, and thus, the special effects. That's the main reason I enjoy such fantasy flicks -- the comic book genre. So, this one does more of it and perhaps better than the last Batman and the last Spiderman and the last super heroes (but I would not rank it up with Iron Man). So, special effects and makeup may earn it awards.

Maybe I'm beginning to burn out on all the action and special effects of movies, though. Or perhaps I need more from a movie. With 45 minutes to go, I was ready for it to end. It was way too long. Some reviewers thought the acting was superb. What acting -- do they mean the one- or two-minute interludes between the fast and furious segments of action and destruction? I'm not down on any of the actors for their roles or parts -- but where were there any parts of substance in acting? True, Heath Ledger does a very good Joker. But, then, who hasn't (Nicholson, et al) who have ever played those roles in Batman, Superman, etc? As for plot -- well, anyone who knows the genre and a story that combines Batman with the Joker, knows to expect the unexpected with the Joker. So, the plot goes from one unexpected to another -- as though the variety and mixture and change in "unexpecteds" is trying to outdo the action mayhem.

When I saw that this stands as #1 in the top 250 right now, I clicked on the list. But how this movie for acting and plot (and yes, even action in many cases) could rank up there with the likes of the Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars films, and many great classics with real suspense (I have to mention Casablanca, Vertigo, North by Northwest), is beyond me. I'm not that far off with the overall trends in the IMDb reviews, but can't agree with so many who rate this film at the top.

It's good and entertaining -- but too long. It's not great, by any means. I love the youth of today (I have a few grandchildren), and I don't mean to disparage them by this observation -- but I think this high acclaim by many for this film may reflect a very large, very young audience, most members of whom don't have a great deal of quality and varied films in their viewing history. To all of those young people, I urge a look at the top 250 list or other major review ratings -- and then that you rent, borrow or otherwise watch some of the other great films. I promise you won't be disappointed or bored --and you may get an understanding (maybe appreciation for) of some past customs, life styles, dress, behaviors, etc. To be sure, you will have great entertainment.