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The Dark Knight (2 Discs) [2008] | ![The Dark Knight (2 Discs) [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jc6OZBguL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Christopher Nolan
Actors: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £22.99
Buy New: £10.49
You Save: £12.50 (54%)
New (18) Used (8) from £9.99
Rating:  152 reviews
Sales Rank: 6
Format: Pal
Languages: Arabic (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), Hebrew (Subtitled), Icelandic (Subtitled), Greek (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 152
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.7
EAN: 7321902176581
ASIN: B001CEE1W6
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: December 8, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Amazon.co.uk Review
The 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 paralysed 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/co-writer 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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 147 more reviews...
 so much more than a superhero movie July 24, 2008
171 out of 200 found this review helpful
The dark Knight a hype machine so revved up it seemed impossible to live up to the expectations but not only does it meet expectations it exceeds them.
A year has passed since the events of Batman Begins. Batman (Christian Bale) is rounding up the last escapees of Arkum asylum (including a cameo form Cillian 'Scarecrow' Murphy.) as the crime families of Gotham city are being brought down at an impressive rate. Batman teams up with old ally Lt Gordon (Gary Oldman) as well as new one D.A Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to close the case on them for good. Out of desperation the mob turn to the Joker (Heath Ledger) who offers his services to get rid of batman for good. Batman must balance his intertwining lives as the love of his life Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) becomes romantically involved with Dent while trying to keep Gotham safe from the increasingly violent attacks by the Joker.
Batman Begins pumped life back into the seemingly dead Batman franchise reinvigorating it with a harder gritter edge more in tone with frank millers comics but Begins is only a prelude to brilliance as the Dark Knight sweeps onto the screens.
Perhaps the quickest 2 and 1/2 hours of my life flew by watching this as co-writer/director Christopher Nolan brings a epic to the screen of proportions which no other comic book movie can match. This is dark and gritty its not an average superhero movie and bares little resemblance to its genre it's more of a hard boiled crime caper akin with Michael Mann's 'Heat' of martin Scorsese's 'The Departed', a world of corruption and decadence though it carries a 12A certificate it's one of the most mature comic book movies ever made (Also parents be warned its dark and violent), the script zigs and zags around creating a complex moral character driven drama.
As good as the script may be it would be nothing without its actors/actresses as everyone gives there all even if there only side characters like Michael cane or Morgan freeman. Maggie Gyllenhaal steps up to fill the role of Rachel after Katie Holmes declined returning to the role, she does an excellent job creating in equal if not better portrayal of the character. Eckhart shines in his pivotal role as Gotham's white knight as he begins to crack under the pressure of trying to reform as evil is ever present around him a good person trying to the right thing which makes it even more shocking as he sinks into the realms of madness when he becomes Two-Face , a dark foreboding scarred remains of a what he was a deep portrayal of a man who's lost everything which is perhaps overshadowed by Ledger's performance. Bale the hero of the piece continues to excel delivering the same quality of Begins as he yearns for a normal life and longing to hang up his cape to be with Rachel.
The late Heath Ledger gives an unforgettable performance of the Joker surpassing Nicholson's in Batman '89. Every second he is on the screen he owns it, a character so richly drawn you can't help but be mesmerised by it, manipulative, cunning, the one thing Batman Begins lacked was a central villain as it hopped from one to the next but not here, here we has a raging psychopath who knows no bounds and has no remorse. Like a force of nature the joker effects everyone's life he comes into contact with. an outcast who relates to our hero for that very reason as he plays his twisted games to see how much it takes to break a person how long it takes to abandon their morals. Ledger excels in the role. He is the joker less of a prankster played by Nicholson and more of raging killer with a sick sense of humour ( Eg, the disappearing pencil trick), a performance that will live forever and one that most definitely deserves an Oscar nomination.
Being a summer blockbuster Dark knight ups the ante with exciting action sequences directed with flair the stand out sequence being that of the attack on the prison transport truck by the joker and ensuing chase by batman as you'll find yourself unable to tear your eyes away from the screen.
However don't expect a glossy none-stop action roller-coaster about 20 -25 minutes of the 2 and a half hour film make up the action scenes, the rest is devoted to developing the characters a smart move which is where one of the films numerous strengths lie
Destined to go down as a classic, a tour de force of talent in front and behind the camera which delivers a as perfect as you can get comic book movie. Regardless of what you think about superhero movies check it out I seriously doubt there will be a better movie this year. A triumph in every respect- 10/10
Amazing August 2, 2008
22 out of 30 found this review helpful
There are many people that would gladly shut down this film saying it's surrounded by unjust hype simply because it's the last role of Heath Ledger. I have to say that a statement such as this couldn't be anymore false. Sure, the hype was bigger due to the untimely death of Ledger. But it was a movie and a role (Joker) that delivered on all levels. Batman Begins introduced us to the troubled man that is Bruce Wayne and told the story of how he becomes The Batman. Batman Begins, although very well put together and the story being told brilliantly; I found that at times it had moments when it would drag. The Dark Knight repairs those problems and gives us a movie of equal length, which manages to hold my attention throughout. My review will be split into three sections. The story, characters and verdict. This is to give you, the reader a fair and open opinion of the movie for which you can place your own opinion.
The Story: A year after the chaos caused by Ra's Al Ghul, the Batman has become a symbol in Gotham for all citizens. It's a symbol to show that nobody needs to be afraid when confronted with the criminal underworld of Gotham. This is a problem for Batman as it's created a lot of copy cat vigilantes. Unfortunately, the copy cat's attempts don't go as well as the Batman's attempts do. Batman has inspired even the law to fight against the mob underworld as the new District Attorney in town; Harvey Dent is determined to put the mob behind bars. The fight will be even harder than first thought as a man known only as the Joker, isn't interested in financial gain. He's just interested in creating chaos and he breeds a new class of criminal.
The Characters: I'm not going to talk about the Batman character, as simply it's not the most interesting character in this film. Surprisingly. I am, however, going to talk about the "supporting" cast in this movie.
The Joker (Heath Ledger): This is easily the most intimidating villain in movie history. Even more so than Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. The voice, the look and the body language are all done superbly by Ledger. They blend together brilliantly in order to create a very believable psychopath. The back story of the Joker isn't touched in this film, as in the comic universe it's never been confirmed 100% of how the Joker came about. The Joker, in order to achieve his goal of killing the Batman he must employ the help of the mob. He doesn't have the money but he has the skill of intimidation and the callousness to frighten, even the mob into working for him.
Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart): I have to admit, I've never been a fan of Eckhart as most of his movies preceding Dark Knight have been mediocre at best. He wins my vote in his role as Harvey Dent; the fearless District Attorney who, thanks to the work by Batman is willing to put his life on the line to put the mob behind bars. His transformation from respected DA into the broken "Two-Face" is inspiring and really seals him as a legitimate actor and a legitimate role.
Gordon (Gary Oldman): Oldman plays a much bigger role as Gordon in this movie. He's someone who becomes more involved in shaping the Batman character from hero to vigilante. It's a much more likable role this time around and has bigger impact when confronted with the Harvey Dent alter-ego "Two-Face"
The Verdict: I honestly love this film. Unlike the first instalment, this never stops. From the opening we're treated to a great bank robbery that gives us the genius and craziness of Joker. This has it's truly heart wrenching moments, but I'm not going to mention them as they give away the plot. I was a little disappointed by the very small and quite frankly, pointless cameo of Scarecrow. Although a beaten shell of a man I would have liked to see him have a darker and more prominent role once again in this picture. Apart from that it's a non-stop genius picture and something that lives up to the hype. The role of Ledger lives up to the bill and is something that could win Heath his first and only Oscar. This makes it more unfortunate that we no longer have Ledger with us to feel the glory created by his Joker.
I only went for the hype.... October 30, 2008
45 out of 65 found this review helpful
To be fair, I've never cared for the Batman films. I only went because I wanted to see if the hype surrounding Heath Ledger's performance, and the quality of the film lived up to what I had heard.
And I was not disappointed.
First off, having never really cared for Heath Ledger's acting before, (perhaps the exception for Brokeback Mountain)I was amazed at the attention to detail he took into performing the Joker. The voice, the body language, the shiftiness of his eyes, the licking of the lips, it was all perfect. So much so, I couldn't think of anything else for days. His performance mesmerised me and I honestly believe, once again, not being a fan boy of Ledger, that it does deserve a posthumous Oscar. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe this because he is dead, I believe this because he has given the performance of the year. If anyone can top that then so be it.
Secondly, the film itself was a work of art in itself. Christopher Nolan has managed to steer the Batman saga away from the comic book, childish, pansy movies that were once performed, (although I did enjoy the Burton Batman films for their Gothic style, which worked really well) and made them a realistic film. Gotham City is a character in itself, dark, dreary and depressing, in which the cinematography depicted. My only complaint really was the acting of Christian Bale, whose acting as Batman was wooden, and let's be honest, is there really any reason for that silly, gruff voice. I realise that is an attempt to hide his identity, but an actor of his calibre must be able to muster something better than that. His acting as Bruce Wayne was pretty good, which kind of balanced it out.
I believe everyone should watch this film at least once.
More than worth the hype November 13, 2008
36 out of 52 found this review helpful
The massive media focus on Heath Ledger's tragic death has in its way done this film a disservice - sure, it was publicity, and Ledger's performance really is that astoundingly brilliant, but it tends to overshadow the fact that this entire film is just as astoundingly brilliant.
From start to finish, this is an incredible, dark and tortured tale of a man who realises that in order to truly be a hero, he must allow himself to be painted the villain. Christian Bale improves on his first outing as Batman to bring out these dilemmas and the conflict between his public images (both as millionaire playboy and vigilante) and private desires - if they do another one I really hope he agrees to reprise the role. The story is involving, Bruce Wayne's struggle to understand and thus effectively combat a nemesis whose only motivation is chaos for its own sake is an engaging and intriguing struggle and the action sequences are nothing short of spectacular. The whole film is visually stunning and incredibly well acted on all counts. The fall of Harvey Dent/Two Face is especially well played out and there is not a single moment of this film that is not enthralling. It constantly asks difficult questions of us and our morality - the big finale with the two ships is a great one, though I shan't spoil it with details - and the whole thing is just pitch perfect throughout. Chris Nolan has done a stellar job here.
As for Heath Ledger... I was always a big fan of him, from his early teen fare right through to the end, but this is a performance beyond what even I as a fan thought him capable of. His Joker is sadistic, cruel and yet perversely funny, and he is a revelation. It just makes me sad to think what he could have been doing in ten or twenty years' time if this was the calibre of work he was managing as a younger actor.
So when it comes to The Dark Knight, I say don't trust the hype - for this movie far exceeds it. Hands down the best comic book adaptation I've seen, and I do have a penchant for them (especially for a girl)
Incredible, best Batman movie July 29, 2008
19 out of 27 found this review helpful
The Dark Knight was ridiculously hyped up before its release and I worried that I was going to be disappointed with the actual feature after all the vamping over Heath Ledgers performance and the film in general. As it was, I wasn't.
Heath ledger is indeed incredible as the Joker. Instead of gushing, I am just going to say that he is definitive Joker and I found him intensely disturbing- he really does steal every scene hes in, and, I'm sure some people would argue, the entire film.
Although Christian Bale's gravelley tones as Batman made me want to giggle a few times, he otherwise gives another excellent performance as Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, Batman. Maggie Gyllanhall (excuse my spelling if it's wrong) was fine in her role as Rachael, if a little boring, but then, when you've got Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman and Christian Bale, not to mention the guy who plays Harvey Dent/Two-face around you giving it their all, that's not surprising!
The directing itself is also stunning. The panoramic views of glittering Gotham at night are breathtaking, I can only imagine how amazing that looks at the IMAX cinema. The effects are also extrememly good- when Rachael is flung from a sky scraper by the Joker, it really is a stomach churning moment!
To sum up: See this film!
RIP Heath
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