The Dark Knight

Release Date: Jul 18, 2008 

Runtime: 2 hr. 32 min. 

Director: Christopher Nolan 

Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal. 

The hype is finally over. Expect great things that are just too incomprehensible through words. But here we go anyway: from the opening sequence, this film grabs you and doesn't let go until the ending credits. Casting is rock solid, especially that of Heath Ledger whose untimely passing makes his performance that much more powerful. His screen presence is so terrifyingly brilliant and raw that you're left questioning your own sanity. The constant monotonous drone throughout the film, only adds to the intensity of his acting. Big improvement on casting Maggie Gyllenhaal who naturally fits into the role previously butchered by Holmes. Even Aaron Eckhart manages to play both sides of his ego successfully, being a great counter villain to joker. Still, can't forget about the unsurprisingly great performances by Bale, Freeman and Oldman, who is probably one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. The score is amazing yet again, thanks to the genius minds of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Despite the extremely dark nature of the film, occasional jokes now and then lighten the mood briefly to bring you back to reality for even a moment. The only drawback I found was the lengthy plotline--it was like two separate movies molded into one. Regardless, here is one of the greatest superhero films ever (sorry "Iron Man"), and maybe even history itself. Just another reason to justify my fear of clowns. 

Rating: 5 stars