A stupendous performance by the late Heath Ledger burns this incarnation of The Joker into our psyche as securely as did Jack Nicholson's. But even more than Nicholson, Ledger plays The Joker for real..
9 Comments
07/21/08
The Dark Knight (2008)
94 %
Reviews Counted: 253 Fresh: 239 Rotten:14 Average Rating: 8.5/10
Consensus:
Dark, complex and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 2 hrs 32 mins
Theatrical Release: Jul 18, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $504,798,337
Synopsis: To say that Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT is the best comic book adaptation does the film a bit of a disservice. It may be a Batman film, but this isn't a kid-friendly action movie full of the bams and pows of the original series. This is a pitch-black thriller with enough drama and tragedy to... [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenwriter: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
Story: Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer
Producer: Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan
Composer: Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
Screenwriter: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
Story: Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer
Producer: Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan
Composer: Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
Reviews
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Top Critic
Christian Bale is magnificent as the tortured hero, but the movie belongs to its freaky villain.
07/17/08
Top Critic
Pop cinema has a new hero in Heath Ledger's Joker - a joyous force of dementia and one of the most haunting portrayals of villainy in some time.
07/17/08
Top Critic
Oh, and if skin-crawling performances, complex storytelling, and profound ideas don’t do it for you…did I mention that the film is completely badass?
07/17/08
Top Critic
This is a terrific movie, the action sequences are splendiferous, the acting impeccable but there’s something missing at the heart of it. And it seems to be Batman.
07/17/08
Top Critic
Heath Ledger's Joker is, in many ways, symbolic of Nolan's overall success with The Dark Knight; subtle and restrained, but always two shakes shy of bloody holocaust and a masterpiece of cinema that time will verify.
07/17/08
Top Critic
The Dark Knight illuminates courtesy of Ledger's brilliant interpretation of the madman.
07/17/08
Top Critic
At the core of what is undoubtedly the most intense, and even at times horrific, superhero movie yet made is Ledger's extraordinary performance.
07/17/08
Top Critic
There is an exquisite order in the chaos, a fascist formality and video game surrealism that resists the forces of disintegration with a sort of superhuman determination.
07/17/08
Top Critic
While the film may be a hell of a ride, it takes a hell of a long time for the ride to grind its way out of first gear.
07/17/08
Top Critic
As promised, Heath Ledger is terrifying. Cruelty plus cleverness is a fearsome combination.
07/17/08
Top Critic
There's a sense of daring in this explosive Batman film, in which we constantly feel on edge, aware of the impending risks and that there is something to lose.
07/10/08
Top Critic
A dark, ambitious, mature and gritty crime saga the likes of which Michael Mann or Martin Scorsese would be proud to call their own.
07/07/08
Top Critic
I say this with a smile from ear to ear, there is too much of a good thing. The Dark Knight is the best adult superhero film of all time.
08/27/08
The Dark Knight is the best Batman film ever made, the best superhero movie ever made, and the best movie of the year to date.
08/19/08
This is without a doubt the best -- and most important -- picture of the year.
08/17/08
Were films judged entirely by the emotive impact of their opening and closing images... Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight would be a masterpiece.
08/09/08
...even if Ledger hadn't died, critics and audiences alike would still be buzzing about the star's turn as The Joker.
08/08/08
...we can have not just good comic book movies, but amazing comic book movies.
08/03/08
Related Forums
I just watched Batman 1989 and TDK back to back..
by: Philly_Brawler 9/4
by: Philly_Brawler 9/4
Pictures
Trailers & Clips
News
Aaron Eckhart Knows What Happened to Harvey Dent
posted by Devin Faraci September 04, 2008
There's been an awful lot of speculation recently over Harvey Dent's ultimate fate in "The Dark Knight," but according...
posted by Devin Faraci September 04, 2008
There's been an awful lot of speculation recently over Harvey Dent's ultimate fate in "The Dark Knight," but according...
Higher Ticket Prices Mask Lower Attendance at Theaters
posted by September 03, 2008
Higher ticket prices -- and "The Dark Knight" -- boosted this year's summer box office tally, but attendance continued...
posted by September 03, 2008
Higher ticket prices -- and "The Dark Knight" -- boosted this year's summer box office tally, but attendance continued...
RT's Summer in Review: The Best, The Worst, and Our Favorite Films!
posted by RT Staff September 02, 2008
The summer movie season of 2008 ended last weekend, and boy, was it a good one. Led by box office smashes like Iron Man,...
posted by RT Staff September 02, 2008
The summer movie season of 2008 ended last weekend, and boy, was it a good one. Led by box office smashes like Iron Man,...
Depp Says Playing Riddler Would Be "Fun"
posted by Peter Sciretta September 02, 2008
Those Johnny Depp-as-Riddler rumors are every bit as bogus as you think -- but during a recent radio interview, Depp did...
posted by Peter Sciretta September 02, 2008
Those Johnny Depp-as-Riddler rumors are every bit as bogus as you think -- but during a recent radio interview, Depp did...
IGN RSS Feeds