Batman: The Dark Knight review
2008-07-30 13:21
Cape Town - The much-anticipated Batman: The Dark Knight lives up to the hype - and what is being lauded as an Oscar-winning performance by the late Heath Ledger.
The movie takes one on a dark journey into the minds of the Batman and his nemesis, The Joker, exposing the underbelly of a violent society mired in chaos.
As the second of the Batman films directed by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight continues the dark mood.
The movie continues to strip away the Batman character - played by Christian Bale - as well as his friends and foes. The preachy bits about the values of good triumphing over evil, fortunately, are kept to a minimum.
Stellar performances by Michael Caine, as the butler Alfred, and Heath Ledger, as the Joker, add a level of depth to the film. Bale has certainly made the role his. Ledger's portrayal is a stand-out performance.
Morgan Freeman's character (Lucius Fox) plays more of a role as a Wayne Enterprises executive, but the scientist-cum-CEO is largely unbelievable.
Characters introduced in The Dark Knight will no doubt make an appearance in sequels to come.
Brace yourself, the movie's long - over two hours - but despite some gratuitous scenes, the cast does hold this one together quite admirably.