The Dark Knight

Among the superheroes, atleast the ones I'm familiar with, Batman is the darkest. Right from his origins to his city to his villains, he is more serious and darker than other superheroes like Superman and Spider-man. This darkness was reflected in the Batman movies when Tim Burton was at the helm but once Schumacher took over, the films went against the spirit of the comics, becoming campy, silly and light. Christopher Nolan restored respect to Batman with Batman Begins and he continues the job with The Dark Knight, which is more ambitious and more mature than its predecessor. Anchored by a scene-stealing performance by Heath Ledger and balancing character exposition perfectly with action, it is easily the best Batman yet.

Though called a superhero, Batman is human and has no special powers, unlike most of his peers. The movie works because it recognizes this and humanizes him. He might wear a batsuit and have some cool gizmos but he faces real problems and suffers real emotions. He is a tortured individual and the movie manages to convey this.

Conflict is what drives The Dark Knight. Whether it's Batman having to choose between unmasking himself and facing the prospect of the Joker killing more people or having to pick between saving Rachel and Dent, the film constantly puts him in situations where he has to decide between equally important options. And what elevates the film is that there is no easy way out. Superheroes always have conflicts(like in Spider-man where he had to choose between saving Mary Jane and a busload of people) but they are usually cinematic ones where we know the superhero will find a way to have his cake and eat it too. Not here. Batman isn't always able to accomplish both his choices and the consequences of his actions are real and tragic. So there is genuine tension, the one aspect missing from other superhero films.

The action sequences are picturized with flair but don't overwhelm the movie. The Batbike is a really cool, nice addition and the couple of chases featuring it are superb. Going against the norm, Nolan makes the climax rather low-key as far as action goes.

Even without the shadow of Heath Ledger's untimely death hanging over his role as the Joker, it is a stunning performance. His gestures and body language create a truly unique character who exudes a quiet menace. He performs the role without the grandstanding that marked Nicholson's interpretation of the same character and this makes him more real and scarier. Bale is perfect as Wayne and does the quiet, serious part well without coming off as snobbish. Aaron Eckhart is sincere as the DA crusading against crime while Maggie Gyllenhal takes over from Katie Holmes as Rachel. Michael Caine(as Alfred) and Morgan Freeman(as Lucius Fox), inspite of being supporting characters, have their moments.