Two superhero movies in two weeks is not my usual choice but the near simultaneous releases turned out to be a happy coincidence. Batman has always been my favourite comic book character, right after Phantom & Mandrake and since I have followed all the movies of the caped crusader right from my childhood, The Dark Knight was a must see. In my review of Hancock I had dwelled upon the change in the characters of the super heroes keeping up with the changing social mores & perceptions. It’s a more humane face of the super league that we are presented with. Even the dark & blue hues of Gotham city have been substituted with the metropolitan ethos replete with crowded streets and towering skyscrapers. Of course, the tall buildings are a great incentive to our hero for those un-nerving dives and the elegant flights. My vertigo prone wife watched all those scenes with her eyes closed.
Val Kilmer had been my choice for Batman’s role till Christian Bale took over in the Batman Begins and what a powerhouse performance that was! Incidentally, for the movie buffs, Bale’s first major performance was the key role as a 14 year old in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun. In The Dark Knight we find him much more restrained. In fact he’s more appreciable when out of the costume and the contrived voice of Batman didn’t quite impress me. Apart from that he has acquitted himself well. The freshness of the character of Batman is in the realization of the fact that he is human after all and despite all the super mega talents not entirely invulnerable. He bleeds, is getting aware of the passing age and feeling a wee bit tired in the persistent role of the singular vigilante of Gotham City. As a logical progression of this thought, in steps the District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who takes on the city’s scum with single minded fortitude. Batman is almost relieved that perhaps he can pass on his mantle to the zealous D.A. Both crime fighters team up the police chief Gordon (Gary Oldman) and devise a plan to clean up the city.
However they are up against Batman’s arch foe, Joker. Even when he is drawn out in the open by the crusading trio he turns the tables on them by some ingenious maneuvering. Amongst all the action the Joker also seeks to test the limits of incorruptibility of men and their social conscience. He partially succeeds only to discover that the good guys do get to win in the end. I thought Jack Nicholson was the ultimate in the Joker’s role and never thought that Heath Ledger had it in him to match the earlier version but the man has made it his swan song, may his soul rest in peace. While Nicholson’s portrayal hinged on comic, the late Mr. Ledger has given a stunning performance as the menacing psychopathic Joker. The timing and the content of his dialogue and the delivery thereof is flawless.
Morgan Freeman plays the CEO of Wayne Enterprise and Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s man Friday. Caine is becoming as much a permanent fixture of Batman movies as was Desmond Liewelyn as “Q” in the James Bond series. The heroine is forgettable.
Although the special effects are awesome as would be expected from an A list movie, the real thrill is in the high powered hand to hand combat. The sound and sight of a Batman hit does great credit to his prowess. Both the principal gizmos viz the Batmobile, a souped up Lamborghini and the monstrous bike were great fun to watch.