MovieRob CoronaCamp (#2 of ???) – The Dark Knight (2008) – Encore Review 4

In these uncertain times, obviously all of our lives and schedules have been interrupted in ways we never could have imagined. In order to take advantage of the precious time that this world wide crisis has given me with my 4 kids, I decided to choose some movies to watch with them in order to help expand their movie knowledge while also generating quality time with them which will hopefully give them some great memories during this very challenging time… Thus I decided to create a CoronaCamp featuring some fun films to watch with them.

“Sometimes the truth isn’t good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded…” – Batman

Number of Times Seen – Between 10-20 times (Twice in Theater including Opening Day, DVD, Jun 2012, 13 May 2014, 20 Apr 2017, 8 Jan 2019, 28 Jan 2020 and 21 Mar 2020)

Link to original review – Here, Here, Here and Here

Brief Synopsis – Batman must join forces with Commissioner Gordon and the new Gotham DA Harvey Dent in order to try and stop a new threat in town known as the Joker.

My Take on it –In continuation of my film festival at home for my kids, I decided to let them see how the story or Christopher Nolan’s Batman continues.

Both of my sons enjoyed this one even more than the previous one and were quite impressed with it all.

This movie, in my opinion is the very best superhero film ever made because they are able to blend together a great action plot with complex characters and story lines that are able to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat for 2 and a half hours.

They find a way to tell a very poignant story that works on so many levels.

The complexity of the characters allow for things to feel even more powerful because it allows for things to unfold in ways that you wouldn’t normally expect and it doesn’t matter how often one sees the film.

Christian Bale is superb in the lead role of Batman but as great as he is, he is outshone in this film by Heath Ledger who is tremendous in the role of The Joker.

He deservingly won numerous awards for his portrayal including an Oscar.

The fact that he won these awards posthumously is even more incredible.

His character is extremely unpredictable and it is quite difficult to try and guess what he will do next because he doesn’t do things in a rational fashion, but rather in a very chaotic one.

The film has amazing special effects that are integrated into the story so well and help make things seem even more realistic in comparison to the world we live in.

The musical score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is also amazing and it feels like another character in the story especially given the fact that it enhances the suspense and thrills of all that happens.

The supporting cast is also amazing with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart all giving us some great performances which help keep the story so thrilling and suspenseful the entire way through.

This is a movie that never disappoints in everything that they do no matter how many times one watches it.

Christopher Nolan created a masterpiece with this film!

Bottom Line – By far the very best superhero movie ever made. The story is action pack and doesn’t let up the entire two and a half hours. The story is quite poignant and the complexity of the characters helps make it so enjoyable to watch unfold no matter how many times one has seen it. Bale is once again superb in the lead role but he is outshone the entire time by Ledger who literally gave the performance of his lifetime with this role as the villain The Joker. The character is extremely unpredictable and one never truly knows what he is going to do especially given the fact that he doesn’t use normal rational thought in anything that he does. The special effects are superbly integrated into the story and allows for things to feel so realistic in the way they are presented. Zimmer and Howard’s score is another character in the story and enhances the suspense aspect by raising the bar the entire time. The supporting cast is also amazing with Caine, Oldman, Gyllenhaal, Freeman and Eckhart giving some great performances that help keep things so fascinating from start to finish. This is a film that never disappoint no matter how often one watches it. Highly Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Heath Ledger’s sudden death from drug toxicity on January 22, 2008 prompted immediate speculation over this movie’s state and Ledger’s disposition prior to death. Soon after Ledger’s death was announced, Warner Brothers issued a statement that verified that Ledger had finished all of his scenes in principal photography,, as well as post-production fulfillments (looping), thus making The Joker his final, completed movie role. Rumors abounded that playing the intense role had taken its toll on Ledger’s mental state, causing him to become depressed and take a wrong combination of drugs as a result. However, his family has since put such rumors to rest, by stating that far from being depressed, he had a lot of fun playing the role. Ledger did suffer from insomnia throughout his life, and would often take sleeping pills together with other prescription drugs (something his sister had actually warned against the night before his death). Unfortunately, the mix he took on that night proved to be a fatal combination. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (10/10) (no change from original review)