MCT
Heath Ledger stars as The Joker in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' action drama, "The Dark Knight."
Not only did the most anticipated movie of the summer, "The Dark Knight," live up to its hype - it may be the best action/adventure movie of the millennium.
Released last weekend, the sequel to the 2005 movie "Batman Begins" starts with Batman (Christian Bale), who uses only his bare arms to take down criminals, still trying to rid Gotham City of crime.
In his mission against injustice, Batman not only uses the help of state-of-the-art gadgets, but he also uses the assistance of Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and the new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who has the potential to be the city's saving grace.
Batman and Dent make for a crime-fighting force that imprisons mobsters, but their efforts quickly stall when the scariest villain in Batman movie history, The Joker (Heath Ledger), turns Gotham City upside down.
The Joker uses his insanity to his strength and leads Gotham's worst mobsters unknowingly into his twisted game of cat and mouse.
"I believe whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you stranger," The Joker said in one of his most memorable lines.
The Joker is constantly up to no good, putting innocent people in danger and leaving Batman plenty busy. The Joker constantly taunts Batman with not only his quick-witted humor, but also by reminding him of how many innocent people have died on his watch.
Despite a runtime that exceeded two-and-a-half hours, the movie never bores and was completely unpredictable - the two most important ingredients in a thriller.
Throughout the movie, Batman looks for advice about his yearning love for Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, who took the place of Katie Holmes), and guidance about the future of his career from his butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), as well as his friend and gadget inventor at Wayne Enterprises, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman).
The movie has an outstanding ensemble cast, but Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker is truly chilling, as he's by far the standout performer of the movie.
Ledger, who looks and sounds like a deranged clown, steals every scene with his offbeat humor and outstanding idiosyncrasies. He is a character unlike any I have ever seen. He had the audience laughing but also squirming in their seats.
Bale also gave a great performance as the modest hero. His voice and presence as Batman fit any preconceived notions I had about the "caped crusader." He was born to play that role.
Other standout performances came from Eckhart, the white knight political activist, and Oldman, the dependable and good-hearted lieutenant.
The movie, which grossed about $155.3 million this past weekend, deserves all of its praises and accolades. It will have you holding your breath, on the edge of your seat and begging for more.