Part of Trilogies, Part 2 and The Dark Knight Trilogy
Christian Bale and director Christopher Nolan reunite following their blockbuster success with BATMAN BEGINS. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham City forever. The three enjoy early success, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker (Heath Ledger, who posthumously won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance), who throws Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman ever closer to crossing the line between hero and vigilante.
“THE DARK KNIGHT is beyond dark. It’s as black — and teeming and toxic — as the mind of the Joker. BATMAN BEGINS, the 2005 film that launched Nolan’s series, was a mere five-finger exercise. This is the full symphony.” —Richard Corliss, TIME (Jul 9, 2008) “Batman isn’t a comic book anymore.” —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (Jul 16, 2008) “Bale again brilliantly personifies all the deep traumas and misgivings of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. A bit of Hamlet is in this Batman. Leger’s performance is a beauty.” —Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter (Jul 5, 2008) “THE DARK KNIGHT was such a well-regarded success that its failure to land a best picture nomination is commonly cited as the Academy’s impetus for changing the rules, eventually allowing a maximum of 10 best picture nominees each year… In the long view, that best picture snub has only enhanced THE DARK KNIGHT’s reputation as a masterpiece.” —Michael Cavna, Washington Post
