MOVIE REVIEW: BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT

Six of Seven Cows

It’s sad when a tragedy such as the death of an actor contributes to the hype and success of a movie, and even sadder when it contributes to the artistic credibility of the actor in question. Or maybe it’s just human nature. Paul McCartney, for example, can attest to the wonders death did for the reputation of his once-equal John Lennon, who is now considered a near-deity by virtue of his tragic demise.

Is a similar process of deification taking place with Heath Ledger, who appears as the Joker in Batman: The Dark Knight months after his death by overdose in a New York hotel room? Are the rapturous reviews of The Dark Knight truly warranted or just more post-mortem hype?

These are the questions your intrepid reviewer went to the theater to answer, and the answer is… envelope please… The Dark Knight is great, Heath Ledger is good, and boy do I miss the Icee machines at Fieldstone Cinemas (someone has to say it).

First, let it be known that The Dark Knight is not your grandfather’s Batman. Ledger’s Joker would have sent Michael Keaton’s caped crusader scurrying to the Bat Cave with his tail between his legs, and the old television version would be cuddled with Robin and weeping uncontrollably. The Dark Knight is dark indeed, and all the better for it. While many may prefer the good-natured Batman of yore, I much prefer the current version, and here’s why: In tales of good vs. evil, I want the evil to be EVIL. Not comic, not cute, but E-V-I-L. I find tales of good vs. kooky less satisfying, but that’s just me.

Heath Ledger’s Joker is evil and hugely satisfying because of it. My only question is how much of that is due to Ledger, and how much to the writers and director. While it’s hard to imagine another actor equaling Jack Nicholson’s take on the Joker in 1989’s Batman, for example, Ledger’s Joker is as much a product of the script as it is the actor. Don’t get me wrong; Ledger does a fine job. I just don’t think it’s a performance that couldn’t be equaled by, say, Johnny Depp or a variety of younger actors.

While this is becoming less a movie review and more a commentary on art and death, let me say that all performances were top-notch. Christian Bale is an excellent Batman, and Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldham all do superb jobs. Batman: The Dark Knight gets a solid six cows. The new slushy machines get one feeble cow, though I suspect that killing them will improve their reputation immensely.