Critically lauded, commercially successful and considered by many to be a defining moment for Batman on film and for comic book films in general, The Dark Knight is a dark, unrelenting sequel that all future Batman outings have to shoot for in terms of striking a balance between honoring the character's comic history and fearlessly carving out its own identity by taking risks. It's an engrossing film from the moment it opens on the Joker's heist to the moment it ends on a bleak note, fueled by great action, fantastic cinematography, pulsing tension and a host of solid performances from the likes of Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart and, of course, Heath Ledger, whose work here is now a gold standard for anyone attempting to craft a memorable villain. There's absolutely nothing to say about the film that hasn't been covered in far greater detail in the years since its release other than reiterating the fact that its impact is still felt today and will likely continue to cast a shadow over wherever Batman is taken in the DC Cinematic Universe for quite some time. While Batman has had a far greater representation on film than Superman, having even managed to survive Mr. Freeze's terrible one-liners, the future is bright for both characters. Whatever happens with Dawn of Justice and beyond, Batman and Superman will continue to endure through new interpretations, successful or not, for generations to come and, for that, we'll always be excited to see what's in store for two of our biggest comic icons.
Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
