The Dark KnightMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 82 out of 100 Universal acclaim Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

Iffy for 14+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

100

USA Today | Claudia Puig
When was the last time you saw a blockbuster that was impeccably executed and simultaneously thought-provoking, audacious and unnerving while consistently being fun and entertaining? Read full review
100

The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt
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. Read full review
100

Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert
"Batman" isn't a comic book anymore. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is a haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy. It creates characters we come to care about. That's because of the performances, because of the direction, because of the writing, and because of the superlative technical quality of the entire production. Read full review
100

Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan
May be the most hopeless, despairing comic-book movie in memory. It creates a world where being a superhero is at best a double-edged sword and no triumph is likely to be anything but short-lived. Read full review
100

Variety | Justin Chang
Enthralling...An ambitious, full-bodied crime epic of gratifying scope and moral complexity, this is seriously brainy pop entertainment that satisfies every expectation raised by its hit predecessor and then some. Read full review
91

Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman
At two hours and 32 minutes, this is almost too much movie, but it has a malicious, careening zest all its own. It's a ride for the gut AND the brain. Read full review
90

The New York Times | Manohla Dargis
Pitched at the divide between art and industry, poetry and entertainment, it goes darker and deeper than any Hollywood movie of its comic-book kind. Read full review
88

Rolling Stone | Peter Travers
No fair giving away the mysteries of The Dark Knight. It's enough to marvel at the way Nolan -- a world-class filmmaker, be it "Memento," "Insomnia" or "The Prestige" -- brings pop escapism whisper-close to enduring art. Read full review
75

San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle
An action blockbuster extravaganza that's sadder than sad and never pretends otherwise. Read full review
70

Washington Post | Stephen Hunter
You keep waiting for the movie to clarify, to settle down to its archetypal purity: icon of psychotic evil against icon of neurotic good. Music by Wagner in his "Gtterdmmerung" mood, screenplay by Nietzsche, with additional lines by Babaloo Mandel. Oh, what a great big movie wallow, what a transformational blast of cine-pleasure. It never quite arrives Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for The Dark Knight on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ Excellent sequel much darker, more violent than the first.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that although this sequel to Batman Begins is an excellent movie, it's also much darker and more violent than the first one. Remember: Not all Batmen are created equal. Even though this movie is about a comic-book character, neither it nor its flawed hero and villain are aimed at younger kids or appropriate for them. The film is loaded with intense action, from bombs and bullets to martial-arts fighting and hand-to-hand combat. In addition to the hard-hitting action, expect some drinking and a bit of sexuality. And The Joker's nightmarish appearance has the potential to frighten viewers of all ages. Much of the movie's buzz surrounds actor Heath Ledger's excellent work in that villainous role -- his final completed part before his January 2008 death from an accidental drug overdose.

Families can talk about the movie's violence. How does the film differentiate between "good" and "bad" uses of violence?
What distinguishes Batman from The Joker? Both are angry and dark; why is one a hero and one a villain? Is the rule of law more important than the rule of force?
What does it take to maintain order in the face of those who try to create chaos? Does keeping the public safe from harm justifying curtailing their right to privacy?
Talk about the media coverage around Ledger's role in the film. How does a tragedy like his death affect a film's marketing and publicity?

The good stuff

Positive messages: Extensive discussion of the rule of law versus the rule of force; police and political characters who work within the system are contrasted with the vigilante Batman. Political and police corruption are featured prominently in the plot. The thematic idea of order versus chaos also figures prominently in the film.
Positive role models: Batman is ostensibly the champion of justice, but his methods can get pretty iffy, and many characters wonder just how different he is from the "villains" he tracks down. The Joker is pure anarchy -- he embraces chaos for chaos' sake and doesn't flinch at hurting the innocent to accomplish his goals.

What to watch for

Violence: Extensive, intense violence, including (but not limited to) shootings, stabbings, fistfights, explosions, rocket attacks, grenades, and more. A thug is slammed face-first onto a pencil that's stuck in a table; an underling has an explosive device sewn into his body and then detonated; a hallucinogenic "fear drug" is used as a weapon; dogs are unleashed on victims; a man is set ablaze; cars crash; characters are bound in rooms full of explosives; live grenades are placed in the hands and mouths of hostages; two boats full of passengers are threatened with bombs on-board; suicide bombs are used as threats; knives and guns are brandished. Several characters have extensive facial scarring, either from knives or fire.
Sex: Some kissing; someone walks in on a couple (standing up and fully dressed), and it's clear they've been fooling around; bikini-clad women are shown.
Language: Words used include "ass," "hell," "damn," "goddamn," "balls," "son of a bitch," and "oh my God."
Consumerism: Minimal; the Lamborghini brand is mentioned, and Budweiser products are visible.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Cocktail party scenes show adults drinking champagne, liquor, and beer, mostly in the background. Some scenes take place in bars.

Common Sense Media An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.