August 4, 2008
The Dark Knight is a dark night of the soul indeed. Overhyped, leaden and laboriously scripted, only Heath Ledger's sparky performance breathes any life into it.
Pretentiously paced, it's seriously long and likely to deflate many cinemagoers. Christopher Nolan's aim to up the darkness and root the film in the real world is laudable. But despite a couple of screwtight twists, there's little momentum.
And the action sequences, apart from a centrifugal car and batbike chase, are shoddily shot and confusing. Aaron Eckhart does sterling work as the District Attorney allying himself to Batman's quest. But Bale is lacklustre.
Nolan's character-pushing surprises are intriguing, brave even. But, it all adds up to not very much over a very long time. A film needs more than as standout performance. And for all Ledger's depth and delineation, this isn't a standout film.
Appropriately, disappointment is a key theme of The Dark Knight. And, for many, that will be the abiding impression.
Pretentiously paced, it's seriously long and likely to deflate many cinemagoers. Christopher Nolan's aim to up the darkness and root the film in the real world is laudable. But despite a couple of screwtight twists, there's little momentum.
And the action sequences, apart from a centrifugal car and batbike chase, are shoddily shot and confusing. Aaron Eckhart does sterling work as the District Attorney allying himself to Batman's quest. But Bale is lacklustre.
Nolan's character-pushing surprises are intriguing, brave even. But, it all adds up to not very much over a very long time. A film needs more than as standout performance. And for all Ledger's depth and delineation, this isn't a standout film.
Appropriately, disappointment is a key theme of The Dark Knight. And, for many, that will be the abiding impression.