Why so Serious?

Hi all! After months of contemplation, I have decided to start a blog. Why? To tell all those who haven't watched The Dark Knight that you're missing one of the greatest movies of all time!

In one scene of the movie, the Joker grabs a pencil and stands it on a table. "Let me show you a magic trick, " he says. "I'm gonna make this pencil disappear." Suddenly, he grabs a nearby thug and slams his head on the pointed pencil. As the thug falls dead, out of sight, the Joker dryly exclaims, "There, pencil disappeared..." This anarchy and sick randomness pervades the whole movie, making it so full of intensity that your eyes just cannot move away from the screen. What will the Joker do next? How does the elusive Batman stop him? Is Batman really the best hope Gotham has?

The Joker is without doubt Heath Ledger's crowning moment. Although I was initially skeptical about the all the buzz proclaiming Ledger's performance as Oscar-worthy, I now fully stand behind him. The way he talks in that dry, high-pitched manner, the way he flicks his tongue ever so disgustingly, the way he casually murders random people while uttering lame, sadistic jokes are just so brilliant that you love and despise him at the same time. What makes it so great is that he does it all without any on-screen gore or serious violence. The camera-work is quick and hazy and most of the murders happen off screen, but one still twinges at the sickeningly creative ways in which the Joker dispatches his enemies. Besides playing villain, Joker also plays philosopher, exclaiming that everyone is just rotten and evil at heart. As such, it is his "duty" to expose humanity as the beasts they are by committing crimes that drive them beyond the edge. A friend of mine felt that Ledger seemed almost born to take up the role and I have to say that I very much agree with him. Joker was simply amazing.

Now, that doesn't mean that Batman is left kicking the dust in the sidelines. Christian Bale returns as the Batman, carrying along his excellent performance from the first movie. Batman still intimidates his villains and Bruce still charmingly fools people with his playboy routine. Some may say that he is overshadowed by the explosive Joker, but this is merely because Batman is much more composed, reflecting the opposite characteristics of the two characters. Did I say composed? While Batman is usually one step ahead of most of his villains, the Joker keeps him playing catch-up, drawing him closer to letting his cool. Batman finds himself angered and frustrated at his inability to see the logic of the Joker's plans.

In fact, it is the duality of the two characters that drives this movie. Both represent order and chaos, light and dark, yin and yang, good and evil. Batman is struggling to uphold justice while the Joker works to expose mankind's inner demons. The Joker rightfully exclaims that both drive each other, as the Batman is "a freak" much like himself, and only the Joker understands his psyche. The way these two characters interact alone makes this movie fantastic.

Luckily, there's also the icing on the cake. Aaron Eckhart plays knight in shining armor, Harvey Dent. As the district attorney, Dent strives to uphold justice, drawing the Joker's attention. Also worth noting is Gary Oldman's great performance as Lieutenant James Gordon, Gotham City's good cop. Besides that, there are plenty of action and stunts that will be sure to satisfy everyone. Some of the feats performed by the Batman will cause gasps and wows to permeate from the audience and the filmmakers have also given the Batman a more extensive arsenal of gadgets and toys, just to showcase the action side of the film. Rest assured, plenty of fights and explosions for the film's share of eye candy.

Simply put, this review doesn't do justice to the movie. You need to watch it, and for good reason. Christopher Nolan pumps up another good film, and good as Batman Begins was, this film skyrockets ahead of it as my favorite superhero film ever.

By the way, thanks for reading my blog!