‘The Dark Knight’ – As advertised, and then some

It’s a blessing to settle into your seat and watch, at long last, “The Dark Knight.” All the hype – the rabidly positive reviews, the sequel-driven expectations and incessant chatter about a posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger – fade when the Joker drops his first victim.

That the victim is one of his own henchman says plenty of what’s to come. Director Christopher Nolan quickly puts us on edge, and we stay there for two and a half blissful hours.

“The Dark Knight” is bolder, smarter, more authentically entertaining than its predecessor, or frankly any other movie this summer.

It’s nearly everything you hope for from the franchise, an imperfect but still dizzying ride that goes on and on … and yet you never want it to end. When a film offers this much intelligence, character development and plain ol’ spectacle, why would you?

“The Dark Knight” builds off of “Batman Begins,” a solid albeit overhyped film that brought Batman back from the cinematic grave.

You’re forgiven, Mr. Clooney.

“Knight” opens with a bank heist, a simple setup that delivers jolts all the same. Nothing about “The Dark Knight” will be ordinary, or forgettable.

The Joker (more on Ledger’s performance later) is behind the heist, but it’s only a warning shot. He’s trying to band Gotham City’s criminal element together to squash the Batman (Christian Bale), who threatens to put them all out of work.

Meanwhile, the city’s new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) hopes to smite the city’s mob network with one spectacular legal blow. But he’ll need the cooperation of Batman to make it happen.

The Caped Crusader has his own issues above and beyond the Joker. Copy cat Batmen are swarming the city, trying to fight crime just like their hero – and getting killed in the process. And Bruce Wayne, Batman’s day persona, still pines for Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal, a nice upgrade from Katie Holmes) who’s now decorating Dent’s arm.

What follows is an epic crime story that twists and turns without betraying its inner logic or our attention span. Not that Nolan skimps on the superhero staples. “The Dark Knight” serves up plenty of “wow” moments, an increasingly difficult feat given the current state of superhero films.

“Knight” masterfully weaves in modern metaphors without sacrificing storytelling or tension. Batman’s quest to rid the city of crime brings serious comparisons to the War on Terror. The screenplay, co-written by Nolan, lights these political brush fires so expertly you won’t complain whether you put scare quotes around this War or not.

The voice of reason remains Alfred (Michael Caine), whose screen time may be limited but his voice echoes throughout the production. Alfred knows just what to tell his conflicted master whenever the Joker strikes.

Ledger’s Joker puts Alfred’s wisdom to the test time upon time. He’s the ultimate anarchist, but with the brains to pull off one atrocity atop another – how he manages to do it all is the film’s biggest weakness.

The character’s similarities to modern terrorists are far from accidental. He even sends out videotapes of his victims, bound and forced to read his insane manifestos.

Ledger’s final performance is everything you expected. He’s a deranged soul, a sociopath with his own insidious code of honor. Ledger’s performance doesn’t start and stop with his hideous visage, a greasepaint nightmare. Every gesture, every quirk is part and parcel of his vile portrait.

Eckhart’s performance is a flat-out bonus, and the film’s biggest surprise. He’s a square jawed superhero without a cape, the White Knight the public trusts far more than his Dark companion.

Every supporting player gets his chance to shine. Morgan Freeman returns as Bruce Wayne’s gadget guru, and his presence affords the story some comic levity as well as a moral base. And Gary Oldman’s role as Jim Gordon is expanded here, justifiably so.

Bale’s uniformly strong performance is an afterthought, something we come to expect from the actor – and the young franchise.

“The Dark Knight” lives up to every ounce of the hype – it’s the best superhero movie ever, the new benchmark for reality-based treatments of pulp heroes.

Also check out my “Dark Knight” haiku review, an interview with director Joe Dante on his choice for the first Joker and my take on whatever happened to erstwhile Batman Michael Keaton.

(Photo: Christian Bale examines his latest Bat suit in “The Dark Knight”)

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