The Dark Knight (2008)

I don’t know how to start this review except to say wow, this may be the best film of the year. While Christopher Nolan’s first Batman film, Batman Begins, was certainly an accomplishment, The Dark Knight is a film of an entirely greater caliber. It transcends the superhero genera, surpassing even Spider Man II, which until this morning (July 18th) I held as the most accomplished of comic book inspired films. No as Richard Roeper pointed out The Dark Night is more akin to crime epics such as The Departed or Heat, a gritty ensemble piece, then to mere tights prancing heroics. The cast is uniformly excellent, with the late Heath Ledger's much heralded performance the standout you heard it was, though Aaron Eckhearts never been better as well. The film feels surprisingly real, and plunges into Kubreckian darkness and Coppala worthy moral complexity with aplomb. Here the art film and summer blockbuster have been effectively bridged. I will see this again in the theater. Five out of Five.