Dark Knight [WS] [Special Edition] [2 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Christopher Nolan steps back into the director's chair for this sequel to Batman Begins, which finds the titular superhero coming face to face with his greatest nemesis -- the dreaded Joker. Christian Bale returns to the role of Batman, Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over the role of Rachel Dawes (played by Katie Holmes in Batman Begins), and Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger dons the ghoulishly gleeful Joker makeup previously worn by Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero. Just as it begins to appear as if Batman, Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) are making headway in their tireless battle against the criminal element, a maniacal, wisecracking fiend plunges the streets of Gotham City into complete chaos. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Color, Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish, French, English
• Features:
  • Disc 2: Special Features
  • Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene- How Christopher Nolan and His team developed the new Bat-Suit and the amazing Bat-pod, AND Composer Hans Zimmer on musically characterizing the Joker's Reign of Chaos The Dark Knight IMAX scenes - view these 6 action-packed sequences - shot on the largest format possible - in their original IMAX framing, just as they were intended: Prologue, Hong Kong, Armored Car Chase, Lamborghini Crash, Prewitt Building and Final Montage
  • Gotham Tonight - 6 Episodes of Gotham Cable's Premier News Program
  • The Galleries - Poster Art, Production Stills, Trailers

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Sound Editing - 2008 (Richard King)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Art Direction - 2008 (Peter Lando, Nathan Crowley)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2008 (Wally Pfister)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 2008 (Lee Smith)
•     Nominated Best Makeup - 2008 (John Caglione, Jr.)
•     Nominated Best Sound Mixing - 2008 (Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick)
•     Nominated Best Visual Effects - 2008 (Tim Webber, Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin)

• Alliance of Women Film Journalists

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Unforgettable Moment Award - 2008

• American Cinema Editors Guild

•     Nominated Best Edited Feature - Drama - 2008 (Lee Smith)

• American Film Institute

•     Won Best Picture - 2008

• American Society of Cinematographers

•     Nominated Best Cinematographer - 2008 (Wally Pfister)

• Art Directors Guild

•     Nominated Best Art Direction in a Fantasy Film - 2008 (Nathan Crowley)

• Austin Film Critics

•     Won Best Adapted Screenplay - 2008 (Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan)
•     Won Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)
•     Won Best Orignal Score - 2008 (James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer)
•     Won Best Picture - 2008
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Boston Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2008 (Wally Pfister)
•     Nominated Best Costume Design - 2008 (Lindy Hemming)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 2008 (Lee Smith)
•     Nominated Best Makeup and Hair - 2008 (Peter Robb-King)
•     Nominated Best Music - 2008 (James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer)
•     Nominated Best Production Design - 2008 (Peter Lando, Nathan Crowley)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 2008 (Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Richard King, Ed Novick)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Visual Effects - 2008 (Tim Webber, Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin)

• Broadcast Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Action Movie - 2008
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Acting Ensemble - 2008
•     Nominated Best Composer - 2008 (James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• Chicago Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Cinematography - 2008 (Wally Pfister)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 2008 (Chris Nolan, Jonathan Nolan)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)
•     Nominated Best Original Score - 2008 (James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• Costume Guild Awards

•     Nominated Best Art Direction in a Fantasy Film - 2008 (Lindy Hemming)

• Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Cinematography - 2008 (Wally Pfister)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• Detroit Film Critics Society

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• Directors Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)

• Florida Film Critics

•     Won Best Cinematographer - 2008 (Wally Pfister)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pictu - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Houston Film Critics

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Iowa Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Kansas City Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won The Vince Koehler Award - 2008

• Las Vegas Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• London Film Critics Association

•     Nominated Best Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best British Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008
•     Nominated Best Production Design - 2008 (Nathan Crowley)

• National Board of Review

•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• New York Film Critics Online

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• Online Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Cinematographer - 2008 (Wally Pfister)
•     Won Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)
•     Won Best Original Score - 2008 (James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Phoenix Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Production Design - 2008 (Nathan Crowley)
•     Won Best Stunts - 2008
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Won Best Visual Effects - 2008
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• Producers Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• San Diego Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• San Francisco Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Cinematography - 2008 (Wally Pfister)

• Screen Actors Guild

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Southeastern Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2008

• St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Special Effects - 2008
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Toronto Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Utah Film Critics

•     Won Best Picture - 2008
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2008 (Christopher Nolan)

• Vancouver Film Critics

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Washington D.C. Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 2008 (Heath Ledger)

• Writers Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 2008 (Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, Jonathan Nolan)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Christian Bale - Batman/Bruce Wayne
       Heath Ledger - Joker
       Aaron Eckhart - Harvey Dent
       Michael Caine - Alfred
       Maggie Gyllenhaal - Rachel Dawes
       Gary Oldman - Gordon
       Morgan Freeman - Lucius Fox

• Director:

  Christopher Nolan

• Producer:

  Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas

• Screen Story:

  David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan

• Screenwriter:

  Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan

• Cinematographer:

  Timothy E. Angulo, Wally Pfister, Stephen Vaughan, Lev Yevstratov

• Composer (Music Score):

  James Newton Howard, Lee Smith, Hans Zimmer

• Editor:

  Lee Smith

• Production Designer:

  Nathan Crowley

• Art Director:

  Mark Batholomew, James Hambidge, Craig Jackson, Steven Lawrence, Naaman Marshall

• Associate Producer:

  Jordan Dolberg

REVIEW:

• The caped crusader gets a stunning dose of hardcore dramatics in The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan's ambitious follow-up to Batman Begins. Hailed as the first real big-screen adult take on a popular comic mythos, the film goes to great lengths to show that costumed characters can indeed exist in genres outside of their comfort zone -- which in this case, spells gritty crime drama. Nolan's Gotham City might be beautiful, but it's decaying from the inside out -- as are most of the people in control of it. So at what point do the efforts of a costumed vigilante cease to have an impact on the city he vows to protect -- and when does his mere presence become a detriment to that society? It's these kinds of hefty issues that embody what could accurately be touted as a reinvention of the entire superhero film altogether. Thick with rich dramatics, daring performances, and a few knockout scenes of action gusto, The Dark Knight strives to not only one-up its predecessor, but also to lay down a measuring stick of quality for the rest of Hollywood to live up to. Viewers' strong reactions to the picture likely have a lot to do with the casting. Heath Ledger's sad passing gives his fearless performance -- and in effect, the movie -- a sense of importance that is hard to counter. For his part, the talented performer gives a full-on show each time he is onscreen. His approach to this anarchist embodiment of The Joker is something truly special to behold and easily one of the boldest portrayals in comic-to-screen history. Take him away and there's still plenty of A-game being brought to the screen, thanks to the talents of Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Aaron Eckhart, whose solid performance as Harvey Dent makes up the tragic backbone of the film. For his part, Christian Bale does a fine job embodying the lonesome hero of his city, even if he persists in giving Batman's voice the same guttural growl that hurt his performance the first time around. Thankfully, the costume has been given an overhaul to address some of the "rubber suit" issues that have plagued the franchise since its Tim Burton days. Yet just as Burton reshaped the character to fit his own gothic tastes, so does Christopher Nolan paint a picture all his own. By luring audiences in with a consistently light first half and then turning things bleaker as the movie progresses, the filmmaker has created a truly engrossing tale of modern decay. By the end, much has changed and no one is left unscathed. It's not an easy story to either tell or sit through. There are casualties -- and this most certainly is not a crowd-pleaser in the typical sense of the word. By eschewing what many others in his field are doing with similar comic properties and seeking out his inspiration elsewhere, Nolan shows that mature thematic material can have new life when adapted for even the most beloved heroes of the printed page. Critically, he does overshoot things a bit by bringing in slightly heavy-handed messages into the final chunk of the film -- and it seems that a few characters really get the short end of the stick (Scarecrow, anyone?). Perhaps the rumored three-hour cut would iron out a few of the film's issues, including rushed character arcs and especially one seemingly needless late set piece. The action, while improved in this installment, also is a bit hampered by some confusing techno-gadgetry (in one of the only moments where the action is dictated by fantastic spectacle). Still, with its virtuoso vision and near avant-garde score from James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer fueling the picture's ever-growing dread, The Dark Knight stands on its own in a world full of easy entertainment. Perhaps someday someone will be able to happily marry the best that both Nolan and Burton have brought to the screen -- until then, this remains an impressive feat of studio-backed artistry. Like its own crime-fighter, the movie is a symbol that aspires to greater things; where it will lead is anyone's guess. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

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