The Dark KnightMovie Reviews

Gifts + Promos

Give the gift of movies with Fandango Bucks Gift Certificates! Design your own gift card, or choose from our collection.

Superhero fans! Don’t miss out on these Limited Edition Avengers gift cards!

Need Help?

Review This Movie

Must Go! Based on 61,857 reviews
Breakdown:

Sort by: Helpfulness
Review Date

Must Go!
Written July 20, 2008
A Definitive Performance by Heath Ledger

by saintandrew

As the knife-wielding psychopath, The Joker, Heath Ledger's performance goes beyond memorable to something unforgettable, a definitive performance by an actor we hardly got to know. This is not a retread of Jack Nicholson?s dark comedic portrayal of the green haired adversary but, rather, a peep show into the brilliantly deranged mind of evil. The mirthless grin, lipstick smeared across his chops like some drunken old bar fly, the Joker constantly licking his scarred cheeks only adds to this deadly serious portrayal of Batman?s arch nemesis. Aaron Eckhart plays Harvey Dent and the hideously deformed Two-Face with excellence. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a pleasing substitution for Katie Holmes as assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes. Christian Bale is, once again, the darkly conflicted hero and his fire in the role erases all memory of anyone who has ever played the part before him. This movie is worth seeing more than once. And I will - as soon as the nightmares stop.
- 260 out of 268 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 18, 2008
Better then Begins!

by xbobalove

Action and storyline was superb. Heath should get nominated for an oscar for his brilliant acting ( I thought he was gonna suck being Joker, but he proved me wrong). Hans Zimmer did great with the music as usual. Best movie of the summer hands down.
- 39 out of 47 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 18, 2008
Hit The Road, Jack - Heath IS The Joker!

by

I went to the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight and was well rewarded for my willingness to deprive myself of sleep! It was dark, gritty and very entertaining. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was brilliant and not for the faint of heart. We see the Joker as he was meant to be - not some giggling nutter who likes to prance and dance, deface priceless works of art and give people a bad hair day; but rather a born killer without regret or remorse, completely unafraid of authority and without pity or compromise. Truly, Batman has met his arch nemesis in Ledger's Joker. When the Joker goes after Wayne's love, Rachel, we see the depth of the price he must pay to fight injustice. The only critical comment I have is that Harvey Dent's metamorphosis into Two Face should have been left for a subsequent film as it distracted from the conflict between Batman and the Joker. All in all, this is the Batman movie that fans have long awaited and I highly recommend it!
- 21 out of 22 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 18, 2008
What makes a Hero?

by moviesarebestsolo

Since the opening scenes of Batman Begins I have begun to believe that the real Batman movie was coming. The Dark Knight is that movie. Batman was never supposed to be happy, he was never supposed to be Val Kilmer fighting Uma Thurman while they swung on a vine...Batman is the true reluctant hero. He started wearing a plastic suit and chasing bad guys because no one else would. Not from a misgiuded sense of superiority. He uses his playboy status to cover his nighttime crime fighting. There has never been a reason to believe Batman isn't weary and Christian Bale reminds us of that.
Go see this movie. For all the wonderful reasons listed in earlier reviews and for one heartbreaking and sad truth, a true hero is someone who takes on the good and the bad. Even if in the end the only people who are left believing in you is your butler, Gordon and Jimmy.
- 25 out of 32 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written August 1, 2008
It was the Joker's show

by Scubagirl18

While this was a Batman movie, it was totally the Joker's show. Heath Ledger was awesome as the Joker: scary, funny, matter-of-fact, brutal. The action sequences were fantastic and the story held up. If I have a complaint it's that a little more exploration of Harvey Dent's dark side early on would make his transformation to Two-Face much more plausible. Can't wait to see it again on IMAX.
- 25 out of 33 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 24, 2008
Amazing movie but missing some elements

by jon maldia

The Dark Knight is one of the best Batman movies I have ever seen. In fact, it is one of the best movies I have seen in my life. It has all the elements of a blockbuster movie, Great actors, Great sets, Amazing costumes, and explosions galore. Christian Bale did an amazing job as Batman. He didn't disappoint me at all with his performance in DK. He continued his amazing performance in Batman Begins in this movie. Heathe Ledger, as joker, also portrayed his character well. The acting was definitely one of the strong points of this movie.What I think is missing is the humor that is embedded in Joker's character. Granted that this retelling of Batman was a return to the original Darker superhero, it would still have been better if the Joker was a "jokester." In DK, the Joker was merely a psychopath with no clear motivation. He did what he did just because. I wish that his crimes were more of pranks: really dark pranks. I also wish that the villains in DK were explained better.
- 18 out of 20 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written August 4, 2008
As Good As The First

by hamigirl1405

Loved it ! If you enjoyed the original Batman movie with Michael Keaton, you will enjoy The Dark Night. It's wonderfully entertaining...Heath Ledger as the Joker brings new meaning to the word twisted. It was sad to watch such a talented actor and know that he is no longer with us. He was amazing. This movie is one you have to see in the theater on the big screen for the full effects. The only negative was that it was a little too long for me.
- 34 out of 52 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 19, 2008
Oscar for Joker

by JVPagan08

The movie was an amazing sequel to Batman Begins. It'll have you at the edge of your seat like if you were on a roller coaster. With all it's intriguing plots, twists, and turns. You're bound to love this movie. The role of Batman has been best filled by Christian Bale once again, this time better than ever. Even so, it doesn't stop their. The sociopath Joker is played with oscar screaming all over it. NO ONE! I repeat NO ONE! HAS EVER BROUGHT THE JOKER ALIVE NEAR AS GOOD AS HEATH LEDGER. "Why so serious?" will always be a phrase to remember. The movie will have you mesmerized to the point you won't realize how long you've been there, honestly I think that would be the last thing on your mind. Many could complain that it was too short. As for the outcome of what takes place towards the end, lets just say say there's a lot more than meets the eye. The preview aren't even a fragment of everything you'll see. I give it a 5 out of 5. Without a doubt, best movie of the year 2008.
- 18 out of 20 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 21, 2008
The Dark Knight

by msweet18

Awesome! Didn't even notice it was 2 1/2 hours long. My husband and I never pay to go see these big blockbuster movies because they always seem to let us down. I was drawn to this movie for some reason, bought our tickets early last week to go see it. Was not let down this time.
- 16 out of 17 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 21, 2008
Best Superhero film ever!

by echosix

Prior to seeing The Dark Knight, I have to admit that NONE of the previous Batman movies would be on the list of my favorite Superhero films. Not a single one. I always saw each and every one of them as an extension of the ego of the director, as well as a marketing technique for the production company.

Not even the '89 Batman with Keaton. I just never connected with it very much, except for the suit. And I'll leave it at that.

Now... Not only has "The Dark Knight" absolutley SLAMMED itself to the top of my list for favorite Superhero films... It's also pretty far up there on my list for favorite all around films of all time.
- 15 out of 16 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 19, 2008
Wow

by Delirious5

Ok I went today to see the movie. I did not read any reviews before going. Before writing this I looked at the reviews here and just had to see why people would rate this as a "oh no". The only one of those reviews I could understand was the one who said they would not take their kid to see it. I would agree with that. The other neg reviews I just don't get, but to each his/her own. I thought this was a fantastic movie. I did not expect such a great performance from Heath. I thought it was just a bunch of hype to sell tickets. Well it's not. From the beginning to the end it was WOW. He did a great job. Oscar worthy for sure!!! I left the theater feeling like I was speeding....The first "10" movie of the year!! I will definitely try to see this on Imax. Go, Go, GO!!
- 15 out of 17 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 23, 2008
awesomely delicious.

by jaymahlee

yupp. these are the words i use to describe this awesome movie. before i went to see the movie, i read some of these reviews and i kinda regret it. it got me extra hyped to watch it and then i expected too much out of the movie. not saying that it didn't satisfy all the hype it produced, it was great. i think u just need to see the movie and enjoy it before making any judgments.
and as far as how entertaining the movie was, all i have to say is any scene with the joker in it was just phenomenal. he stole the show. as well as alfred :)
basically, watch the movie...take it all in...and just enjoy it for what it is. GREATNESS!
- 15 out of 17 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 19, 2008
Dark Knight Shines Bright

by jam25j

What a great permormance by another Joker. Heath Ledger rocked the Joker role. Jack had an amazing performance in the 1st Batman, but Ledger holds his own in a darker role. Fight scenes were a little weak, and the voice distortion for Batman was annoying. Harvey Dent was average. Big ups to Oldman with another strong performance. Ms. Gyllenhal did fine. Bale is a great Batman, and it is always a pleasure to see rwo great actors in Freeman and Caine.
- 14 out of 16 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written September 11, 2008
Best Batman Movie Yet!

by moviefanchris88

The acting was good in The dark knight. When I heard Heath Ledger was gonna play Joker I thought it was gonna be disapointing, but after seeing him as Joker, I was amazed. Heath Ledger made Joker the best villain ever. Its both a brilliant and unhappy reminder of the work he could've done in later life. I never thought that Two-Face would be in this one. I thought people were joking around, but everything about this movie is no joke. I think this is the best super-hero movie so far and the best movie of 2008!
- 39 out of 66 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written July 18, 2008
The Joker

by foxbabe8

Heath Ledger did an amazing performance. I truely must see. He took it to a measure i couldn't even imagine, i was expecting something completely different then what he potrayed. He beat my expectations by far. All the actors i must say did a great job and this movie was packed with action, suspense, and comedy. You really should by tickets now

One of the dreatest parts was at the end after the actors were listen it said:
In loving memorie of Heath ledger.
I was so happy to see that:)
- 13 out of 14 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No