The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005) deserved the universal sigh of relief it got for resurrecting the Caped Crusader's cinematic reputation after Joel Schumacher's neon-disco nightmare on ice that was Batman & Robin in 1997. And, if Batman Begins represented the character's tonal shift, The Dark Knight provides an equally vital act of rehabilitation in the form of Batman's arch-nemesis, the Joker. (Let's face it: while hardly a Schumacherian crime, Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker fell short of setting a benchmark for the character.)

Christopher Nolan directed, co-produced, and co-wrote the 2008 superhero picture The Dark Knight. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman and is the sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. It stars Christian Bale and is assisted by Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. In the film, Bruce Wayne / Batman (Bale), Police Lieutenant James Gordon (Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart) form an alliance to combat organized crime in Gotham City, but they are threatened by the Joker (Ledger), an anarchistic mastermind who seeks to undermine Batman's influence and throw the city into chaos.

Detailed Information:
Year: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Rating: R
Runtime: 142 minutes