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Hollywood magic
He’s back. And it’s his best outing yet. The Dark Knight is finally here and it’s this summer’s must-see movie.
Sequels are never something to look forward to. The list of turkeys are never-ending – Grease 2, The Matrix Reloaded, Ocean’s 12. However, The Dark Knight is not one of those films. It sits alongside The Godfather 2, Aliens and Terminator 2 as a second film that actually improves upon the original.
Christian Bale’s squeezed into the Batsuit once again, ready to clean up the mean streets of Gotham. Only this time, he’s not so keen. Turning his back on life as the Caped Crusader, Bruce Wayne decides to leave any heroics to the police. That is, until a certain pale-faced criminal decides to wreak havoc in the city. And unless you’ve been living on Mars, you’ll know it’s the Joker that’s got a bat in his belfry.
The character's been played many times before, but it’s Heath Ledger’s portrayal that’ll go down as the definitive Joker performance. Dark, menacing and not-at-all camp, it’s got ‘Oscar’ stamped all over it. Unfortunately, it’ll be a posthumous award. Shortly after wrapping the movie, Ledger died of a drug overdose in a New York apartment.
Summer blockbusters are usually bland and brainless – you only have to look at this year’s Hancock and The Hulk for further evidence. But Christopher Nolan’s managed to pull something truly special out the bag. With blistering action, dazzling cinematography and a cast to die for, it’s an absolute stunner of a movie.
The Dark Knight opens on July 25th, with special previews on July 24th. Start queuing for tickets now