A trip into the dark night of the soul
DVD Guide - One for home
The Dark Knight: Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy.
Having vanquished The Scarecrow (Murphy), millionaire Bruce Wayne (Bale) continues his crusade against crime in Gotham City in his guise as Batman, aided by old friend Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart), who is romantically involved with Bruce"s old flame, Rachel Dawes (Gyllenhaal).
Crime figures in the metropolis soar when deranged criminal mastermind The Joker (Ledger) steals millions of dollars from mob families and then declares open war on the man in the cowl. As the people of Gotham turn against Batman, Bruce relies on his loyal butler Alfred (Caine) and Wayne Enterprises" technical genius Lucius Fox (Freeman) to keep his winged alter ego from plummeting into the abyss.
The Dark Knight opens with a nerve-shredding bank heist that introduces the character of The Joker and then steadily cranks up the tension. Director Christopher Nolan builds on the solid framework of Batman Begins to deliver even more eye-popping action sequences, including a high-speed chase on the Bat-Pod through the winding streets of Gotham. The death of Ledger casts a long shadow over the already gloomy picture, adding a tragic dimension to The Joker.
His powerhouse interpretation of the demented clown with an unquenchable thirst for anarchy is a far cry from Jack Nicholson"s camp trickster in Tim Burton"s Batman. With The Joker and Harvey Dent taking centre stage, Bruce Wayne is squeezed out of the frame, giving Bale scant time to explore the character"s tortured emotions.
Action sequences are breathlessly choreographed, including a pivotal set piece involving Batman"s new sonar-imaging lenses, which becomes horribly disorienting thanks to strobing computer effects. A double pack DVD comprising Batman Begins and The Dark Knight is also available.
DVD Extras: 'Gotham Uncovered' featurette, The Dark Knight IMAX scenes, 6 'Gotham Tonight' news program excerpts, poster art and production stills, digital copy of the film; Blu-ray: 'Gotham Uncovered: Creation Of A Scene' featurette, 'Batman Tech' featurette, 'Batman Unmasked: The Psychology Of The Dark Knight' featurette, The Dark Knight IMAX scenes, 6 'Gotham Tonight' news program excerpts, poster art and production stills, digital copy of the film
Rating: ****
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