The Dark Knight (Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition)
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Actor: Aaron Eckhart, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael CaineBrand: Warner
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French Canadian (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 152 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-12-09
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- The follow-up to Batman Begins, THE DARK KNIGHT reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of BATMAN /BRUCE WAYNE in his continuing war on crime. With the help of LT. JIM GORDON and District Attorney HARVEY DENT,BATMAN sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal
DVD Reviews of The Dark Knight (Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition)
DVD Review: The Action Thriller that Aristotle or Freud Would Appreciate... A Dark Masterpiece.
Summary: 5 Stars
After the modern masterpiece that was "Batman Begins", it was no wonder why "The Dark Knight" became arguably the biggest hyped movie of all time. Any big blockbuster sequel will receive an enormous amount of attention, but combined that with the mysterious death of Heath Ledger, and it's no wonder why this went to become one of the top 4 biggest movies of all time.
Now, many big blockbusters have come and gone (and made hundreds of millions during their time) that were fun for 2 hours, but in the end, easily forgettable. Take for example the recent third installments of "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "Spider Man." Both set numerous records at the box office, but left audiences ultimately unfulfilled. So just because "The Dark Knight" was a big blockbuster isn't why it is a great movie. The reason for that goes much deeper.
"The Dark Knight" takes you where no comic book/action movie ever goes... into your very soul. Most mindless movies just have explosions for 2 hours without ever forcing the viewer to think. Don't worry, there are plenty big booms in this movie, but there is so much more.
"The Dark Knight" is MUCH more than a typical action film... it touches on deep psychological issues and forces the viewer to take a look at human philosophy surrounding morality and the issues of "good" and "evil". The fact that good and evil are so intertwined in this movie is one of the reasons why it is the modern masterpiece that it is.
So... what causes someone to be a bad person? Enter The Joker.
I'll be blunt: the role of The Joker portrayed by Heath Ledger is, in my opinion, the single greatest acting job done in history. Every tick, every twitch, every movement... Ledger made that villain known as The Joker his own. He completely throws himself into the role, and with the absolutely perfect makeup job, completely obliterates the line between actor and character. He IS The Joker.
This is the way that character should be played, better than any actor before him, and better than the fool in the cartoons and comic books. Of course, credit must also go to "The Dark Knight's" writers and director for completely transforming this character to a stature we have never seen before. Heath Ledger's Joker rivals Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter as the greatest villain of all time. This role should be put to rest in honor of the late actor.
The Joker is a psychotically-deranged terrorist who is "an agent of chaos." This guy isn't out for money or simple murder such as the other villains in Gothem. His goal is to inspire evil in others so that even the most law abiding citizen will be driven to commit acts of crime or murder. At any opportunity, the Joker tries to drive crime fighters toward crime by sowing the seeds of terror and chaos. He blends his psychotic madness with his terrifying truths on social accusations. He wants to show the world what happens to the rules of morality in times of crisis or chaos. For this role, Ledger sunk down into the darkness that corroded this character's sanity, and as a result takes an iconic look at the evils that exist in us all. Ledger manages to capture this evil without ever turning the character into a mockery. What doesn't kill you makes you stranger, indeed.
Why is The Joker like this? This film gives you no easy, modern "pop-psychology" answers... only vague hints and peeks into his many possible pasts that keep the viewer always thinking... even when the final credits roll by. In fact... watch him explain why he uses a knife to kill his victims...
Then, take Gothem City's "White Knight" Harvey Dent, and see what happens to his concepts of morality when he loses the most important thing in his life. After a horrifying disruption of life, what qualifies as good? Who should you trust? And should you punish those who hurt you? Should we trust good or evil, or leave life up to fair, unbiased chance? In the end, it is the morally-lost "White Knight" vs. the incorruptible "Dark Knight." But which one is ultimately remembered as the hero Gothem deserves?
Psychology and philosophy aside, "The Dark Knight" is simply an awesome action movie with an awesome cast (you know when Morgan Freeman is in a movie, it's gotta be good). Gary Oldman perfectly plays the ultimate "good guy" in James Gordon. And Michael Caine plays the definitive Alfred.
It is refreshing to see a movie that isn't just explosions, se x, or fart jokes, but still manages to get the world's collective attention. The true star, Heath Ledger, stands out as a powerful acting force, and creates the ultimate Joker that leaves its predecessors paling in comparison. That is how a villain, let alone a comic book villain, should be played. Truly electrifying... definitely worthy of an Academy Award.
The writing, filming and direction are also perfect, as is the score of the movie, which completes the film in a truly satisfying way. This is a movie where your heart is always in your gut. As an action movie, it is all you can ask for plus so much more. It's a heart-pumping thriller. Explosions, high speed car chases, fistfights... truly an action packed, kick as s movie. But this is merely a cover for a truly emotional, psychological, and philosophical message of life, its values, its ethics, and its morals.
As Batman says, "Dent was the hero I could never be." Does the human race really need a truly sinless hero (or "Savior") to keep hope and faith alive?
So don't be fooled, this isn't a comic book movie. It is an adventure, filled with action and suspense crossed with psychology and philosophy, comprised of serious, capable intelligence, full of beauty, terror and moral-conundrums, redefining action, comic book, and "good vs. evil" movies. Gone are the easily digestible taglines such as "with great power comes great responsibility." Gone are the freak accident, the crazy magic powers, the regular villain/hero dynamic, and the fist fights for the future of the world, and gone is the "all is good" fairy tale endings.
In its place we have an intelligent, dark thriller that forces you to truly look at the deep inner issues of the psychology and philosophy of morality. This movie constantly questions, and allows the viewer to answer, but the answer they succumb to may be bigger than just a movie, it could explain one's view on life. Remove the makeup and you are left with decisions, perils, and consequences that must be faced in this world. It's not a movie about superheroes and super villains. This is a movie about the realities of destiny, our choices, our weaknesses, our loyalties and our failures. It broaches those very human and very controversial subjects with an intelligence that is not often seen in a film of this nature. There is far too much real emotion to dub this a "comic book movie" or "action movie." There is nothing purely imaginary here...
This movie is an exaggerated look at the conflict wrestling in our own subconscious; the battle between good and evil that we all must struggle to win over, and what those two words really mean. As we learn here, all these words are subjective, and concepts of good or bad lie in the eye of the beholder. Truly refreshing, truly moving, and truly rewarding. In a word: outstanding.
"The Dark Knight" takes you on a white knuckle thrill ride both in the city of Gothem and in the privacy of your mind and soul, and never lets up. It is a dark masterpiece that "leaps beyond its origin and becomes a truly satisfying, engrossing tragedy."
This groundbreaking, iconic film truly surpasses the hype surrounding it. A work of genius, it is a film that transcends the boundaries of a genre and asks some of deepest questions in all of film. Psychology, philosophy, action, and drama have never been combined so powerfully, so slightly, and so masterly to create a treasure that should be cherished by the viewer. A film like no other that completely changes the idea of a simple thriller or action movie. Arguably the greatest film of the decade. A masterpiece. Not only one of the true landmarks of American Cinema, but simply one of the greatest pieces of film ever to grace the silver screen.
...Why so serious?...
Description of The Dark Knight (Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition)
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 12/09/2008 Run time: 151 minutes Rating: Pg13The Dark Knight arrives with tremendous hype (best superhero movie ever? posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger?), and incredibly, it lives up to all of it. But calling it the best superhero movie ever seems like faint praise, since part of what makes the movie great--in addition to pitch-perfect casting, outstanding writing, and a compelling vision--is that it bypasses the normal fantasy element of the superhero genre and makes it all terrifyingly real. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's new district attorney, charged with cleaning up the crime rings that have paralyzed the city. He enters an uneasy alliance with the young police lieutenant, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale), the caped vigilante who seems to trust only Gordon--and whom only Gordon seems to trust. They make progress until a psychotic and deadly new player enters the game: the Joker (Heath Ledger), who offers the crime bosses a solution--kill the Batman. Further complicating matters is that Dent is now dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, after Katie Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role), the longtime love of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
In his last completed role before his tragic death, Ledger is fantastic as the Joker, a volcanic, truly frightening force of evil. And he sets the tone of the movie: the world is a dark, dangerous place where there are no easy choices. Eckhart and Oldman also shine, but as good as Bale is, his character turns out rather bland in comparison (not uncommon for heroes facing more colorful villains). Director-cowriter Christopher Nolan (Memento) follows his critically acclaimed Batman Begins with an even better sequel that sets itself apart from notable superhero movies like Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man because of its sheer emotional impact and striking sense of realism--there are no suspension-of-disbelief superpowers here. At 152 minutes, it's a shade too long, and it's much too intense for kids. But for most movie fans--and not just superhero fans--The Dark Knight is a film for the ages. --David Horiuchi
On the Blu-ray disc
The Dark Knight on Blu-ray is a great home-theater showoff disc. The detail and colors are tremendous in both dark and bright scenes (the Gotham General scene is a great example of the latter), and the punishing Dolby TrueHD soundtrack makes the house rattle. (After giving us only Dolby 5.1 in a number of big Blu-ray releases this fall, Warner came through with Dolby TrueHD on this one.) One of the most interesting elements of The Dark Knight was how certain scenes were shot in IMAX, and if you saw the movie in an IMAX theater the film's aspect ratio would suddenly change from standard 2.40:1 to a thrilling 1.43:1 that filled the screen six stories high. For the Blu-ray disc, director Christopher Nolan has somewhat re-created this experience by shifting his film from 2.40:1 aspect ratio (through most of the film) to 1.78:1 in the IMAX scenes. While the effect isn't as dramatic as it was in theaters, it's still an eye-catching experience to be watching the film on a widescreen TV with black bars at the top and bottom, then seeing the 1.78:1 scenes completely fill the screen. The main bonus feature on disc 1 is "Gotham Uncovered: The Creation of a Scene," which is 81 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage about the IMAX scenes, the Bat suit, Gotham Central, and others. You can watch the film and access these featurettes when the icon pops up, or you can simply watch them from the main menu. A welcome and unusual feature is that in addition to English, French, and Spanish audio and subtitles, there's an audio-described option that allows the sight-impaired to experience the film as well.
Disc 2 has two 45-minute documentaries on Bat-gadgets and on the psychology of Batman, both in high definition. They combine movie clips, talking heads, and comic-book panels, but aren't the kind of thing one needs to watch twice. More engaging are six eight-minute segments of Gotham Central, a faux-news program that gives some background to events in the movie, plus a variety of trailers, poster art, and more. The BD-Live component on disc 1 is more interesting than on some earlier Blu-ray discs, which could be simply a matter of the content starting to catch up with the technology. There are three new picture-in-picture commentaries, by Jerry Robinson (creator of the Joker), DC Comics president Paul Levitz, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.--he's a Batman fan who's made some movie and TV cameos), plus you can record your own commentary and upload it for others to watch. There are also three new featurettes ("Sound of the Batpod," "Harvey Dent's Theme," and "Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard") and two motion comics ("Mad Love," featuring Harley Quinn, and "The Shadow of Ra's Al Ghul"). Last, there's a digital copy of the film compatible with iTunes and Windows Media (standard definition, expires 12/9/09). --David Horiuchi
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