The Dark Knight | Teen Ink

The Dark Knight

June 21, 2019
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

The Dark Knight is the second movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise and proves to be the best one yet, if not the greatest Batman movie of all time. Continuing the adventures of Bruce Wayne as Batman in the city of Gotham, Batman is once again working with Lieutenant Jim Gordon, but he's also now working with District Attorney Harvey Dent, who's proving himself to be an inspiration of hope for the people of Gotham and one of the finest men that the city has had recently. With his newly acquainted friends, Batman has been able to be even tougher on crime in Gotham City, forcing more criminals into the jails. Despite how everything seems to be flying smoothly, this all changes when a new, young criminal is put into the mix. Dressing as a clown and calling himself The Joker, this crazy villain begins to throw the city of Gotham into a world of chaos and mayhem, or in other words, as The Joker sees fit. Not only must Batman now struggle between being a hero that he always knew he must become, but now he is beginning to question what draws the line between what he does and what vigilantism is, as Batman battles with The Joker, an unparalleled villain. Unlike some of Batman's other foes, The Joker isn't interested in power or money, he just wants to see the world burn, and Batman wonders how he can possibly fight someone that wants nothing but chaos. 
 The Dark Knight manages to transform into an adventurous epic that is brilliant throughout. This movie's version of Batman is the Dark Knight at his absolute finest. Batman is fierce, tough, reliable but despite all of his clear strengths, the character is relatable and humanlike in all of the best ways possible. The beginning of the movie seamlessly transitions from the first movie in the series and reintroduces audiences to Batman and Bruce Wayne, Lieutenant Jim Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, but it also introduces some other crucial characters, like District Attorney Jim Gordon. The middle of the movie marvelously progresses the plot along, as well as showcases the raw might of what The Joker is capable of, which causes the film to capture the audience's attention and never let go. The enticing ending of the movie proves to be exhilarating, and not only does it perfectly wrap up the entire movie, but it also connects back to the beginning of the movie to create a cohesive story that clicks throughout to form one of the best superhero movies to ever exist. There aren't too many surprises in the movie, but the few ones that the movie have prove to be genuinely thrilling twists and turns that absolutely make the movie substantially more interesting. 

 The Dark Knight greatly benefits from having one of the greatest superhero villains of all time. The Joker is an excellent foe that is so unlike all of the other villains that have done before, so much so that his role in the movie becomes mesmerizing in all of the best ways imaginable. He's the perfect contrast to the noble, fighting Batman, because The Joker isn't someone that can just be beaten through brute force, which Batman has gotten far too used to. A great villain helps to make the superhero stand out for all of their strengths, and this is certainly the case in this fantastic movie. 
 The Dark Knight greatly benefits from a star-studded cast that shines throughout. Christian Bale is nothing short of superb as Bruce Wayne and Batman, and he brings emotion, intensity and passion to both versions of the character. Heath Ledger magnificently portrays The Joker and gives the greatest performance of a superhero villain to ever exist, hands down. He brings an unheard level of intensity to the character and is able to literally transform into the role with ease. Gary Oldman does a terrific job of transforming into Lieutenant Jim Gordon, and his role is certainly a fan-favorite. Michael Caine gives a spectacular performance as Alfred Pennyworth, and he is also a role that always seem to sit well with viewers of all ages. Morgan Freeman does an incredibly job of playing Lucius Fox, and even though his role might not be that major, whenever he's on-screen, enjoyable moments are sure to occur. There are some other notable roles, like Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent, but Heath Ledger steals the spotlight in every manner possible. 

 The Dark Knight is hailed by many to be one of the greatest superhero movies of all, if not the greatest, and it's easy to see why. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an impressive 94%, and a whopping 96% of Google users liked the movie. IMDb gave the movie an outstanding 9/10, which is one of the highest scores of all time. Above all else, the movie has action, fighting, a meaningful villain and Batman at his absolute best. Not only will this movie surpass any and all expectations, but it is also a story that deserves to be seen by just about anyone and everyone. This movie does the long comic book history of Batman justice and showcases Batman at what might be his finest, as well as prove why Batman truy is the Dark Knight.


The author's comments:

"Why so serious?" - The Joker


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