| Director : Christopher Nolan Christian Bale : Batman Villain : Heath Ledger as the Joker |
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The Joker: And... here... we... go!
The city had turned on Batman, blaming him for crimes he didn't commit, but he returns to help Gotham in its time of need. Lieutenant Gordan and DA Harvey Dent are in his corner, as Batman tries to thwart The Joker in his efforts to take over the city.
The movie opens up with a great bank scene with the Joker having each of his robbery mates eliminated until he is left by himself with the money. Scarecrow is back selling drugs. Batman imitators try to stop the drug deal, but the real Batman show up and chases them off too and catches the Scarecrow too.
Batman then talks to Lt. Jim Gordon about cleaning up the mob and DA Harvey Dent is working with Jim Gordon too. They are trying to close down five mob banks. Harvey Dent takes out his girl Rachel, and Bruce meets them in a restaurant with a prima ballerina.
Meanwhile the gangsters have a meeting where they discuss their problems. They knew about Gordon's bank raids and pulled their money first. The joker walks in to the meeting and makes his entrance by immediately killing someone with a pencil. The Joker points out their problem is the Batman. he tells them that he will kill the Batman for half of everything.
Dent, Gordon and Batman meet. They need Batman to get a Chinese national gangster, Lau, who has fled the country. Lucius Fox developed some new toys for Batman to play with. Batman goes to China, grabs Lau and brings him back to Lt. Gordon. Lau gives them information and Dent and Gordon clean up the streets, taking 549 criminals off the street.
The Joker begins kidnapping people and says that if Batman doesn't take off his mask and turn himself in, people will die every day. The Joker then kills a judge and then the Police Commissioner. The Joker then comes after Dent, but Batman springs in to action to save Dent and Rachel. Next the mayor is the next target, but Gordon saves him, but he is shot.
Batman and Dent both try to get criminals to talk, but they don't have any luck. Batman decides to reveal his identity to stop the killings. Alfred tells him he should endure, but Bruce can't take the killings and the people have turned on him. At the press conference the next day Dent says that he is the Batman.
Batman goes out for the Joker and he has him and together with Jim Gordon they get him. Gordon is worried they don't have to pin on him, but he is named the new Commissioner. Even under arrest, the Joker has Dent abducted. The Joker talks to Batman and tells him they are just alike. He then tells Batman he has to pick between saving Rachel or Dent, he can save only one - he goes for Harvey.
Rachel's building blows up and Batman saves Harvey, but half his face is blown away. Harvey goes mad and takes on the name he had when he was at Internal Affairs - Two Face. Joker goes to visit Harvey in the hospital and tries to talk him in to joining him in creating chaos.
Two Face grabs Jim Gordon's family. The Joker makes two ferries, one filled with prisoners, vote on whether they should blow the other one up to save themselves. Who will turn the key and blow up the other boat? Neither boat would blow up the other. The Joker was wrong.
Jim Gordon goes looking for his family and find them with a crazed Harvey who blames Gordon for Rache;s death. Batman comes and Harvey shoots him but he saves Jim's son and knocks Harvey off the building top. Batman takes the blame for the killings and give Gotham the hero they need in death - Harvey Dent. Batman will take the blame so people's faith will be restored.
The Dark Knight is a great movie that manages to combine a good story, with great character development and great action scenes. It used the style of the old Saturday matinee cliff hanger serials, as time and time again we thought someone was dead, only to see them come back again. It also has the best superhero actor, Christian Bale and the best villain, Heath Ledger, fighting it out in the best superhero movie of all time. Epic.
