THE DARK KNIGHT

Action\adventure

F.Y.I.
The Fulton surface-to-air recovery system was developed by R. E. Fulton for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (the CIA) in the early 1950s. Designed for retrieving people on the ground (or in the water) the first step was sending up a self-inflating balloon with a lift line attached to it. A specially equipped aircraft would then snag this line and haul the person up.

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simple RICO pronounced as ree-ko) is a United States federal law enacted in 1970 that provides for extended penalties for criminal acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. It was intended to make it easier to prosecute crime figures who were members of groups such as the Mafia.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Christian Bale: billionaire Bruce Wayne (aka Batman)
Michael Caine: the family butler Alfred
Heath Ledger: criminal mastermind The Joker
Gary Oldman: Gothman City Police Department Lieutenant Jim Gordon
Aaron Eckhart: District Attorney Harvey Dent
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Assistant DA Rachel Dawes
Morgan Freeman: Wayne Enterprise's resident inventor Lucius Fox

REVIEW
Two thirty-two. Remember that number. That’s how long you have to sit in your seat to see the entire movie. Not everybody will want to set aside two hours and thirty-two minutes to watch a film that soon becomes repetitive: fast-paced action, great special effects, quiet time, fast-paced action etc. Only the truly dedicated fan of Batman will put up with being held captive by at least 45 minutes too long in order to be there for the ending. With some editing to come in under two hours it gets another star.

Although based on a comic book hero, the horror factor has been upped to the point many will be frightened with some of the images (I was) and the degree of violence including the terrorising of Gordon’s children can be unsettling.

The music is an important element throughout the movie. This is Hans Zimmer at his best. Speaking of best: the performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker is bound to be an Academy Award nominee.

CLASSIFICATION
for intense sequences of violence and some menace.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
 While zooming in towards the black building in the opening scene the roof top of the adjacent building is brightly lit with strong shadows. The POV changes to the black building looking out at the roof top but now the sky is overcast.
 Although no one approachs the televison set in the basement meeting place it changes location slightly when viewed from different points of view.

P.S.
Gotham City looks a lot like Chicago: multiple bridges across a downtown river, an elevated transit system (Chicago calls theirs the “El”), a place for the performing arts on a main downtown street called the Harris Theatre and an edifice just like the Chicago landmark called the One North LaSalle Building.