Dark Knight, The - BLU-RAY Version (2008)

A truly EPIC, MAGNIFICENT movie, makes Iron Man look like an ironing board.

A customer from Cardiff , 26/07/2008

Chris Nolan is one of the finest filmmakers working today, after the brilliance of the Prestige, Memento, Insomnia and Batman Begins he gives us this wonderful creation. Dark Knight is a superior movie to Batman Begins. We get to see Batman making sacrifices and the start of his unhealthy obsessions in order to become the protector of Gotham.

Whereas other comic book/summer blockbuster movies rely on over the top CGI to tell its story, Nolan takes a more grounded approach, focusing on the plot of the film and the characters in the film that tell that story. Its true about Ledger, he is fantastic. He gives us one of the most memorable cinematic performances since Ben Kingsely in Sexy Beast. Rather than being animated and over the top, he gives a more believable psychotic villain. His talented will be sorely missed.

But Bale, Arckart and Oldman also give wonderful performances. Younger kids won’t like this movie much, because this really is not a comic book film. This is tense crime thriller movie, sharing the same complexities and qualities to that of the French Connection, The Departed, Heat and The Untouchables. Yet this film manages to be fun at the same time too, mainly because of Ledgers wonderful performance and the slick, tense action scenes. There is a lot of talk Ledger receiving an Oscar, which I agree with, but if you ask me Nolan should be commended too. If The Dark Knight fails to get an Oscar nomination either for Ledger, Nolan or the film itself then that would be a criminal, a crime that not even Batman could solve.

Truly Magnificent!

Read all reviews

People like blood-sausage

TheMonkeyMan from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 22/08/2008

Very disappointing I’m afraid. Pretentious and (excepting the first hour or so) uninvolving – although Heath Ledger is enjoyable as The Joker. Beyond the spectacular action sequences, the story is surprisingly uncinematic in the telling (so much tedious expositional dialogue!) I had a strong feeling of disillusion coming out of the cinema - and Bill Murray/weatherman-Phil Connor's voice ringing in my ears - 'People are morons. People like blood sausage.' Hopefully it will fade, along with the widespread enthusiasm for this overblown, less-complex-than-it would-like-to-be movie. Or is this my Groundhog Day? (If you want genuinely twisted thrills, read Frank Miller's comic book 'The Dark Knight Returns'.)

Read all reviews

Masterpiece

khawar from Bradford , 31/07/2008

There are very few times where a movie or event exceeds its expectations and the hype surrounding it, The Dark Knight is one of these, which not being a comic book film, but a crime epic. Many peolpe would want to watch this because of The Joker, and Heath ledger is brillant in this role, a psychotic villain which i believe is the most dangerous villain in recent years as you cannot predict his next move, and he is always one step ahead of everyone, even when he seem to be in a situation where he has back against the wall.

Other perfromacnes from Bale, Eckhart, and Oldman are great, but i espically enjoyed Sir Micheal Caine, as i felt he provided great support, and loved his theory of how some people just want to see the world burn

The action-scences are breath-taking, for example when Batman travels to China, and his confrontations with The Joker. This was a enjoyable and very dark cinematic experience and cannot wait until this appears on Blu-ray. This movie should be Oscar nominated, and even though all the talk has been about Heath's performance, which i argee with, should recieve an Oscar nomination, let's not forget the other star of the movie, Christopher Nolan.

Read all reviews

staggeringly good.

andyknifton from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 05/08/2008

It really has been a good year for comic book adaptations hasn’t it?

But the dark knight really does not deserve to be in the same category as Iron Man or Wanted which are both lets be honest merely amusing computer generated fluff. this has far more in common with Michael Mann’s Heat than it does anything else (in both look and content) albeit served up with lashings of cruelty, sacrifice, turbo noir and bare knuckle mentalism. In fact this is such a quantum leap in quality that it renders its corking predecessor Batman Begins rather clunky looking and pedestrian in comparison… (I watched it before going to the theatre) The Dark Knight is a rich bleak sprawling yet intricately detailed crime epic that is both interesting and relentlessly entertaining.

The Dark Knight is without parallel in the genre, balancing moral horror, crime thrills, brutal twists, multiple story arcs and eye rupturing action set pieces perfectly (Nolan has learned to put together a better action sequence in the last few years). I had to fight very hard to resist the urge to applaud at the end. It is in short, bed sh!tingly awesome.

And so so very VERY well paced considering the amount of story they have crammed in here.

it is a beauty to behold too… All the cityscapes and action sequences were shot in IMAX so I will definitely be seeing it again in its intended format.

I was amused that throughout the film angry parents were constantly trickling out of the theatre with blubbing pre-teents in tow, lord only knows who let them in. the poor nippers obviously confused and horrified by the grim parade of carved, burned, and blown off faces. brutal murders, and psychological and physical tortures that seem somehow at odds with the toy lines that they can buy at Woolworths.

I won’t bore you by describing the plot, you will find out when you see it an you will see it… We get Nolan's takemark murky musings on identity combined with a vast menacing crime opera, i loved it. It is a ballsy and brilliant script and the performances are all cracking, yes Ledger does live up to the hype yanking Nicholson’s mantle from his shoulders… Though Harvey Dent's story is every bit as much fun as the joker's.

i am giddy with admiration...

seriously, to have a summer franchise movie not only meet but stomp your expectations is unheard of.

oh and frank miller fans, the sons of batman are in it!!! (sort of)

Read all reviews

A truly EPIC, MAGNIFICENT movie, makes Iron Man look like an ironing board.

A customer from Cardiff , 26/07/2008

Chris Nolan is one of the finest filmmakers working today, after the brilliance of the Prestige, Memento, Insomnia and Batman Begins he gives us this wonderful creation. Dark Knight is a superior movie to Batman Begins. We get to see Batman making sacrifices and the start of his unhealthy obsessions in order to become the protector of Gotham.

Whereas other comic book/summer blockbuster movies rely on over the top CGI to tell its story, Nolan takes a more grounded approach, focusing on the plot of the film and the characters in the film that tell that story. Its true about Ledger, he is fantastic. He gives us one of the most memorable cinematic performances since Ben Kingsely in Sexy Beast. Rather than being animated and over the top, he gives a more believable psychotic villain. His talented will be sorely missed.

But Bale, Arckart and Oldman also give wonderful performances. Younger kids won’t like this movie much, because this really is not a comic book film. This is tense crime thriller movie, sharing the same complexities and qualities to that of the French Connection, The Departed, Heat and The Untouchables. Yet this film manages to be fun at the same time too, mainly because of Ledgers wonderful performance and the slick, tense action scenes. There is a lot of talk Ledger receiving an Oscar, which I agree with, but if you ask me Nolan should be commended too. If The Dark Knight fails to get an Oscar nomination either for Ledger, Nolan or the film itself then that would be a criminal, a crime that not even Batman could solve.

Truly Magnificent!

Read all highest rated reviews

The apex of comic-book films which transcends genera

tunnelweb from Hamilton [Highly rated reviewer] , 08/08/2008

Absolutely amazing engrossing film! The depth of social and psychological commentary is totally unexpected, as are the full cast of offbeat and fully realized non-stereotyped characters. Although all performances are superb, Heath Ledger's Joker is a revelation, and very unpleasant - and frightening. This is the apex of comic-book films, and totally explodes from this genera and deserves to be taken as seriously as any epic drama masterpiece.

Read all highest rated reviews