Ink movie review: The Dark Knight

Ink's Dark Knight Bat-Cast

I expected "The Dark Knight" to be a once-a-generation masterpiece.

That's a bold expectation. I know. But I'm not the only one who thought that way.

That's what the INTERNETs have been saying for three months. Critics, web sites and nerdy bald bloggers have been force-feeding you a heavy dose of Bat-crap for the past month.

Isn't that what you've come to expect? The media tripping over itself to anoint the "next big thing."

The superstar athlete that will transcend sports.

The new album that will melt our brains on the first listen.

The technology that will make all that came before it useless.

The blockbuster movie that will entertain, enrapture and, most importantly, earn.

"The Dark Knight," Christopher Nolan's second entry in the Batman canon, is that movie.

Chuck D told me once, "Don't believe the hype."

Well, sorry Chuck. You're a liar.

"TDK" is the LeBron James of action flicks. Tons of hype. Tons of promise. Tons of awesomeness.

And it's highly likely you'll never see anything like it again.

From the first five minutes this is a movie that puts its bat-boot into your chest and shoves you back into your seat.

And it doesn't relent until the credits are done rolling.

It has all the elements that made "Batman Begins" a good reboot of the Batman franchise — good casting, excellent plot, fantastic villains, stunning visuals, breath-taking stunts — and then goes one step further.

A dark, dark step further.

Seriously, this movie is pitch black. The fact that it got a PG-13 rating is nothing short of astonishing.*

There might not be a darker movie this side of "Requiem for a Dream."

That's mostly because Heath Ledger. Who, not coincidentally, is probably the reason for the hype machine getting turned to 11.

I'm not the first person to suggest this, but go ahead and get the Oscar statue ready. It's just a shame he isn't alive to witness the honors that would have been rightfully handed to him.

His Joker will make your blood boil and your skin crawl. He's not so much a villain as he is anarchy incarnate.

An agent of change that forces Batman's hand as he weaves in and out of the movie. (In fact, there might not be enough Joker in this movie. I actually could have done without Batman in this movie. Ledger is that good. I would've watched him fight and connive himself.)

Ledger is the driving force behind this movie, making it more than just a comic-book movie. More than just a superhero flick.

Saying this movie is just another comic-book/superhero movie is like saying Jay-Z is just a dude who can rhyme.

I don't feel the least bit odd saying this movie can hold its ground against classic crime dramas like "Heat," "Godfather Part II," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Reservoir Dogs."

Take off the bat-suit and the clown paint, and this is a crime drama about a terrorist holding a city hostage.

A crime drama that's a 7-star movie in a 4-star world.

* I really wish they would've just embraced the R rating and went whole hog. Instead, during some of he most climactic scenes, the violence scales back just a little bit so it could retain a PG-13. Seriously, that's my biggest complaint.

- Some say Gooch squealed with delight the first time Christian Bale said "I'm Batman." Truth is, the Ink staff had to go all Pulp Fiction and shove a ball-gag in his mouth about four hours before the movie.

It totally was a 7-star movie. I'm going to see it again this weekend...

Posted 18 weeks ago by lauriemansfield

Having been there with you when we saw Lebron for the first time (and watching him just dominate for three quarters before Carlisle FINALLY put Artest on him...not that I'm bitter), this is high praise indeed. I can't wait for Friday!

Posted 18 weeks ago by jwaldman11

this movie is going to be bat-shit crazy. i've been waiting for this movie for a long time, and now it's got the Gooch of approval, where do i sign

Posted 18 weeks ago by King Beef

I have spent all summer looking for reasons to think certain movies were really great. Movies like Wanted were certainly impressive, but nothing held a candle to TDK. It was just that cool.

Posted 18 weeks ago by ariben24