The Dark Knight Review

The Dark Knight


Release Date: 16th July 2008 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (presentation)

Legendary Pictures (in association with)
DC Comics

Syncopy

Distribution

Roadshow Films


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 152 minutes


Budget: $185,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,009,053,678 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Batman now keeps a watchful eye on Gotham City as its defender and sets out to rid the city of its organised crime with the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. They soon realise they have met their match when they encounter a psychotic criminal with unclear motivations known as The Joker, who pressures Batman into making tough choices.

Cast
Christian Bale - Bruce

Wayne/Batman
Heath Ledger - The Joker
Aaron Eckhart - Harvey Dent/
Two-Face
Michael Caine - Alfred

Pennyworth
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Rachel Dawes

Gary Oldman - James Gordon
Morgan Freeman - Lucius Fox

Eric Roberts - Sal Maroni

Chin Han - Lau

Colin McFarlane - Gillian B. Loeb
Michael Jai White - Gambol
Ritchie Coster - The Chechen
Anthony Michael Hall - Mike Engel

Néstor Carbonell - Mayor Anthony Garcia
Keith Szarabajka - Det. Gerard Stephens

Joshua Harto - Coleman Reese
Monique Gabriela Curnen - Anna Ramirez
Ron Dean - Det. Michael Wuertz

Melinda McGraw - Barbara
Gordon

Nathan Gamble - James Gordon, Jr.

Michael Vieau - Rossi
Michael Stoyanov - Dopey
William Smile - Happy
Danny Goldring - Grumpy
Michael Jai White - Gambol
Matthew O'Neill - Chuckles

William Fichtner - Bank Manager

Beatrice Rosen - Natascha

Nydia Rodriguez Terracina - Judge Surillo
Andy Luther - Brian
Philip Bulcock - Murphy

K. Todd Freeman - Polk
Matt Shallenberger - Berg
Patrick Clear - Judge Freel
Cillian Murphy - Dr. Jonathan
Crane/Scarecrow (Cameo)

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister - Tattooed Prisoner
Patrick Leahy - Gentleman at Party (Cameo)
David Dastmalchian - Joker's Thug

Vincenzo Nicoli - Crime Boss

Paul Birchard - Cop with Fat Thug

William Armstrong - Evans

Hannah Gunn - Gordon's Daughter

Crew
Story/Screenplay/Producer/
Director - Christopher Nolan
Batman Creators - Bob Kane

and Bill Finger (Uncredited)

Characters: Alfred Pennyworth &

The Joker (Uncredited)/Creative Consultant:

DC Comics - Jerry Robinson
Story - David S. Goyer
Screenplay - Jonathan Nolan

Script Supervisor - Steve Gehrke
Associate Producer - Jordan Goldberg
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Kevin De La Noy
Executive Producers - Benjamin Melniker,
Michael Uslan and Thomas Tull
Producers - Lorne Orleans (IMAX Version),
Charles Roven and Emma Thomas
Consultant: IMAX - David Keighley
Casting Director - John Papsidera

Trainers: Birds & Animals - Allan Castillo,

Gwen Griffiths, Mary Johnson,

Thomas L. Gundseron, Philip Hoelcher,

Dennis Posey, Julie Tottman and Tony Suffredini

Production Designer - Nathan Crowley

Supervising Art Directors - Kevin Kavanaugh

and Simon Lamont
Art Directors - Mark Bartholomew,
James Hambidge, Craig Jackson,
Steven Lawrence and Naaman Marshall

Assistant Art Directors - Toby Britton,

Phillis Lehmer and Peter Dorme

Standby Art Directors - Neal Callow

and Ashley Winter

Set Decorator - Peter Lando

Prop Masters - Kris Peck and Jamie Wilkinson

Armourers - Jon Baker, Harry Lu

and Damian Mitchell
Costume Design - Lindy Hemming

Assistant Costume Designers - Guy Speranza

and Emily-Rose Yiaxis

Costume Supervisors - Dan Grace,

Jennifer Jobst and Turgay Gürsoy (Uncredited)

Costume Concept Artist - Rob Bliss

Costume Effects Supervisor - Graham Churchyard
Makeup/Hair Designer - Peter Robb-King
Makeup Artist: Heath Ledger - John Caglione Jr.

Prosthetic Supervisor - Conor O'Sullivan

Director of Photography - Wally Pfister

Aerial Photography - Hans Bjerno

"A" Camera/Steadicam Operator - Bob Gorelick

Camera Technician: IMAX - Wayne Baker

First Assistant Camera: "A" Camera - Bob Hall

Production Supervisors - Geoff Dibben

and Thomas Hayslip

Production Coordinators - Candice D. Campos

and Stephanie Dölker

Assistant Production Coordinators -

Claire Connelly, Matthew Jenkins,

Mark Swenson and Hallam Rice-Edwards

Unit Production Managers - Jan Foster

and Susan Towner

Supervising Location Managers - Robin Higgs

and James R. McAllister

First Assistant Director - Nilo Otero
Stunt Coordinators - Paul Jennings,
Rick Le Fevour and Tom Struthers

Assistant Stunt Coordinator - Sy Hollands

Fight Consultants - Andy Norman

and Justo Dieguez

Aerial Coordinator/Pilot - Craig Hosking

Special Effects Supervisor - Chris Corbould

Special Effects Coordinators - Lynne Corbould

and Don Parsons

Mechanical Effects Supervisors: New Deal

Studios - Scott Beverly and Robert Spurlock

Prep Supervisor - Ian Lowe

Visual Effects Supervisor - Nick Davis
Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore -

Timothy Webber
Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -

Paul J. Franklin

Visual Effects Supervisor: New Deal Studios -
Ian Hunter

Visual Effects Producer: New Deal Studios -

David Sanger

Miniature Effects Supervisor: New Deal Studios -

Forest P. Fischer

Director of Photography: New Deal Studios -

Tim Angulo

CG Supervisors: Double Negative - Pete Bebb,

David Vickery and Philippe LePrince

Compositing Supervisor: Double Negative -

Andrew Lockley

Compositing Supervisor: Framestore -

Jonathan Fawkner

CG Sequence Supervisors: Double Negative -

Stuart Farley, Jordan Kirk, Dan Neal,

Aleksandar Pejic and Trina M. Roy

Lead CG Lighting Artists: Double Negative -

Bruno Baron, Antonie Moulineau, David Basalla,

Maxx Wai In Leong and Pietro Ponti

Compositing Sequence Supervisors: Double

Negative - Robin Beard, Ciaran Crowley,

Bronwyn Edwards, Gruff Owen and George Zwier

Film Editor - Lee Smith

First Assistant Editor - John Lee

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor -
Richard King

Production Sound Mixer - Ed Novick

Sound Effects Recording Mixers - John P. Fasal

and Eric Potter

Re-Recording Mixers - Lora Hirschberg

and Gary A. Rizzo

Additional Re-Recording Mixer -

Doug Hemphill

Foley Artists - Alyson Dee Moore

and John Roesch

Music - James Newton Howard
Music/Synthesiser Programmer/

Score Producer (Uncredited) - Hans Zimmer
Composers: Additional Music - Lorne Balfe
and Craig Braginsky (Uncredited)

Music Ambient Designer - Mel Wesson

Synthesiser Programmers - Henry Jackman

and Howard Scarr

Music Editors - Alex Gibson and

Daniel Pender

Supervising Score Coordinator - Steven Kofsky

Score Coordinator - Becky Bentham

Score Recordist - Geoff Foster

Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Awards

2009 Academy Awards
Best Sound Editing - Richard King (Won)
Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger (Won) (Posthumously)
----------------
Best Art Direction - Nathan Crowley
and Peter Lando (Nominated)
Best Cinematography - Wally Pfister (Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Lee Smith (Nominated)
Best Makeup - John Caglione Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan (Nominated)
Best Sound Mixing - Lora Hirschberg,

Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - Nick Davis, Chris Corbould,
Timothy Webber and Paul J. Franklin (Nominated)


Review
An ultimate continuation to the last Batman movie by the now notable director Chris Nolan, THE DARK KNIGHT is a perfect picture and a terrific comic book adaptation. It is also influential in its visual style and darker tone. Due to being a more serious drama than its predecessor, Batman Begins, it also has enough tension and action to satisfy popcorn movie lovers.

The acting was brilliant, particularly Aaron Eckhart, who plays the tragic Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, and the late Heath Ledger, who delivered a tremendous job of playing Batman's dark, twisted and psychotic foe, the Joker. Eckhart has performed an authentic interpretation of Two-Face more than Tommy Lee Jones on Batman Forever. Jones's portrayal of the character is due to being hammy and goofy, which doesn't match Two-Face's dual personality. In retrospect, Eckhart's rendition of the villain has a different personality and is much better. It's sad that Heath tragically died just a few months before the film was released. Fans would have loved to see him return to his character in the next instalment if he were still alive.

All I need to say about THE DARK KNIGHT is that I loved it. It's not only the best movie of 2008. But it is also the best Batman movie adaptation of all time. This film has had a massive following from fans and non-fans from all the released Batman interpretations. I highly recommend it.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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