The Dark Knight film review

Review

Cast & crew

The Dark Knight

(2008)

Director Christopher Nolan went back to basics with 2005's Batman Begins, stripping out the camp and getting serious again. The Dark Knight takes that seriousness to the next level, recasting once-colourful arch villain the Joker as a psychopathic terrorist, played here with jerky, sadistic unpredictability by the late Heath Ledger. The storyline — Christian Bale's gravel-voiced Batman wants to pass his crime-fighting mantle to “white knight” District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) — does not exactly light up the screen as it grinds on for two and a half hours. Nor does the romantic subplot with an underused Maggie Gyllenhaal. It's certainly dark, full of violent menace and brilliantly handled, explosive set pieces, and the vertigo-inducing aerial shots across Gotham — and, in a pointless subplot, Hong Kong — are breathtaking. But this fails to cash in on the promise of its elegant predecessor. AC

Contains violence.

Tell us what you think
Email us at rtfilmcomments@bbc.co.uk to tell us what you think of this film. Your comments may appear in Radio Times magazine.

Running time

145min

Country of origin

Genre

Action Fantasy

Alternate title

Batman Begins 2

Original language

English

Screenplay

Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan, David S Goyer, from characters created by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson (the Joker)

Theatrical distributor

Warner Bros

UK cinema certificate

12A

UK cinema release date

July 2008




awards information


	Award	Category	Name	Nominee/Winner

	Academy 2008	Actor in a Supporting Role	Heath Ledger	Winner
	British Academy Film Awards 2008	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role	Heath Ledger	Winner
	Golden Globe 2008	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Motion Picture	Heath Ledger	Winner