The Dark Knight

Batman Begins (2005) has elicited a collective sigh of relief from most film critics. The movie has successfully revived the Batman icon after the disaster called Batman & Robin in 1997.

If Batman Begins reflects the character’s tonal pivot, we could say that The Dark Knight accomplished a similar feat of rehabilitation - but this time, it’s for Batman's arch-nemesis, the Joker. (Let’s admit that, though not a complete disaster, the previous portrayal of the Joker by actor Jack Nicholson has fallen short of our expectations. It failed to establish a benchmark for the character.)

Though it is technically a superhero film, The Dark Knight is, at its heart, a genuine crime saga. The same could be said about its source material, which originated from the columns of Detective Comics. Heath Ledger's portrayal as the King of Criminal - The Joker - is a natural force. The character was scripted as a crime leader who desires nothing less than Gotham's own soul. Ledger's Joker is both scary and comically funny. He is a stark reminder of why Joker deserves to be the true nemesis of Batman, the World's Greatest Detective.

Release year: 2008

IMDB score: 9.1/10

Metascore: 84/100