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The Dark Knight (2 Discs) [2008]


RRP: £22.99
Our Price: £11.98 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

The Dark Knight arrives with tremendous hype (best superhero movie ever? posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger?), and incredibly, it lives up to all of it. But calling it the best superhero movie ever seems like faint praise, since part of what makes the movie great--in addition to pitch-perfect casting, outstanding writing, and a compelling vision--is that it bypasses the normal fantasy element of the superhero genre and makes it all terrifyingly real. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's new district attorney, charged with cleaning up the crime rings that have paralysed the city. He enters an uneasy alliance with the young police lieutenant, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale), the caped vigilante who seems to trust only Gordon--and whom only Gordon seems to trust. They make progress until a psychotic and deadly new player enters the game: the Joker (Heath Ledger), who offers the crime bosses a solution--kill the Batman. Further complicating matters is that Dent is now dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, after Katie Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role), the longtime love of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne.

In his last completed role before his tragic death, Ledger is fantastic as the Joker, a volcanic, truly frightening force of evil. And he sets the tone of the movie: the world is a dark, dangerous place where there are no easy choices. Eckhart and Oldman also shine, but as good as Bale is, his character turns out rather bland in comparison (not uncommon for heroes facing more colorful villains). Director/co-writer Christopher Nolan (Memento) follows his critically acclaimed Batman Begins with an even better sequel that sets itself apart from notable superhero movies like Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man because of its sheer emotional impact and striking sense of realism--there are no suspension-of-disbelief superpowers here. At 152 minutes, it's a shade too long, and it's much too intense for kids. But for most movie fans--and not just superhero fans--The Dark Knight is a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi


Great movie - whats with the voice?
Review date: 2008-11-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

Great film, awesome performance by the Joker and 2 face. However, there are 2 reasons why i only gave this film 4 stars.

1. Batmans voice is ridiculous. Its the worse put on gravely voice in film and really grinds on me, esp the last scene with the joker.

2. Why oh why is that goon Caine, Alfred the butler. Cockney butler for one of the worlds richest tycoons - unlikely. I prefered Michael Gough, a classy English accent.

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Reviews


More than worth the hype
Review date: 2008-11-13 Rating: 10 out of 10

The massive media focus on Heath Ledger's tragic death has in its way done this film a disservice - sure, it was publicity, and Ledger's performance really is that astoundingly brilliant, but it tends to overshadow the fact that this entire film is just as astoundingly brilliant.

From start to finish, this is an incredible, dark and tortured tale of a man who realises that in order to truly be a hero, he must allow himself to be painted the villain. Christian Bale improves on his first outing as Batman to bring out these dilemmas and the conflict between his public images (both as millionaire playboy and vigilante) and private desires - if they do another one I really hope he agrees to reprise the role. The story is involving, Bruce Wayne's struggle to understand and thus effectively combat a nemesis whose only motivation is chaos for its own sake is an engaging and intriguing struggle and the action sequences are nothing short of spectacular. The whole film is visually stunning and incredibly well acted on all counts. The fall of Harvey Dent/Two Face is especially well played out and there is not a single moment of this film that is not enthralling. It constantly asks difficult questions of us and our morality - the big finale with the two ships is a great one, though I shan't spoil it with details - and the whole thing is just pitch perfect throughout. Chris Nolan has done a stellar job here.

As for Heath Ledger... I was always a big fan of him, from his early teen fare right through to the end, but this is a performance beyond what even I as a fan thought him capable of. His Joker is sadistic, cruel and yet perversely funny, and he is a revelation. It just makes me sad to think what he could have been doing in ten or twenty years' time if this was the calibre of work he was managing as a younger actor.

So when it comes to The Dark Knight, I say don't trust the hype - for this movie far exceeds it. Hands down the best comic book adaptation I've seen, and I do have a penchant for them (especially for a girl)

An absolute legend of a film
Review date: 2008-11-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

Right, where to start?! As you can probably tell from the title of this review, I was extremely impressed with this film. As a fan of superheroes in general from a very young age to this day, I was horrified by the absolutely atrocious protrayal of batman by the likes of George Clooney and Val Kilmer. For the most part, I consider these two to be good actors but the script was just sooooo terrible that they could do nothing to make the films any good!
When I heard that Batman Begins was going to return to the comic's dark and gritty roots, it was like a breath of fresh air. Needless to say, I thought Batman Begins was a fantastic film but I must admit that when I heard about the Dark Knight, I doubted it would live up to the standard set by its predecessor. Thankfully, I was wrong as the second installment more than equals Batman Begins.
Bale is brilliant as always as the hero Batman but the true star of the show has to be the late Heath Ledger. Many may think it was all hype but of those of you who haven't seen the film and think it's being exagerated, buy this and see for yourself. I won't ruin too much of the plot but I will say that it is far far darker than anything you may have seen in the genre before. The joy of the batman films is that they can be made serious without them seeming like a mockery, as has been done before with super-hero films. The lack of insane superpowers obviously makes this a much easier feat to achieve as you find yourself believing that it could really happen!
Right, so there's some positive stuff, now for the negative. I have only two gripes with this excellent film:
1) Morgan Freeman and Michael Cain were sadly neglected, which is almost criminal when dealing with actors of their calibre
2) Two-Face only appears in earnest for about 20 mins, which while being understandable considering the presence of the joker and the storyline in general, is a shame because the character was done so very well.

Let's face it, two bad points in a film this long? That's pretty good going!! One more thing as a word of warning: this film as been given a rating of 12. Now, I want to meet the people who did that and get their heads examined. DO NOT let anyone below the age of 15 see this, the sight of Two Face alone will give a 12 year old nightmares for months and he/she will definitely develop a fear of clowns!!



"You wanted me,here I am"
Review date: 2008-11-11 Rating: 8 out of 10

My favourite superhero has always been Batman by a long way.It's the dark edge to him,the turmoil that makes him a little different.I thought that the previous movie 'Batman Begins' was a fine effort at re-inventing the franchise away from the almost comic to the intensity that is required nowadays.I read so many glowing tributes about 'The Dark Knight' that I looked forward to seeing it with keen interest.When it was over I thought it was good but not quite as fantastic as I'd hoped.

The acting was pretty much first rate.Christian Bale is clearly suited to the role,Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are as reliable as ever and Aaron Eckhart was better than I expected him to be as Harvey Dent.Probably the most forgetabble character was Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel.Obviously,the person that got the most plaudits was Heath Ledger as The Joker.Yes,he was good but in all honesty it was a showcase part and he was bound to stand out.Was he any better than Gary Oldman as Gordon?The honest answer is no he wasn't.Oldman's role was far less showey
but he excelled in every scene he was in and deserves equal praise.There are many well executed action scenes and there is no doubt it is a well made movie.

Why I can't give this five stars is because the movie is too long and the voice of Batman sounds just like the guy off the Carlsberg ads!It does sound a bit daft and should be toned down for the sequel.I think four stars is a fair mark and this is a DVD that I will definitely purchase.

Instantaneous classic
Review date: 2008-11-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

No much to add to other 'five-star' reviews. This is a classic and by miles the best comic book based film ever made. I would like Nolan to revisit the character once again but after having created such a brilliant plot, character development and poetic ending, maybe he shouldn't...

Just brilliant!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Michael Caine
Aaron Eckhart
Heath Ledger
Christian Bale
Maggie Gyllenhaal

Creators:
Christian Bale (Primary Contributor)
Heath Ledger (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321902176581
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-12-08
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 152 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2008
Language: English (Original Language)

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