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Dark Knight: Two-disc Special Edition (The)
R4 - Australia - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Stevie McCleary & Noor Razzak (25th January 2009). |
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The Film
 So, without a doubt or a question; this was the film of 2008. No other movie came close to making as much money, breaking as many box office records, or achieving that level of critical success. It’s the film that replaced "The Godfather" (1972) as the number one film on IMDB (as of writing the film is currently #5 on the chart), much to the chagrin of high and mighty internet types that can’t handle anything new replacing treasured icons. Well, I didn’t care for "The Godfather", but I respect its place in film culture. So it is with all due respect that I spread word of its successor…the little "Batman" sequel that could. Get ready for a "Dark Knight". Journey back in time to 1997: The franchise had suffered a mortal wound in the form of "Batman and Robin". It’s a ‘superhero’ film so bad that it had not been equalled in its abhorrent lack of taste and substance until Frank Miller tried with "The Spirit" (2008). But nothing can erase the horror that audiences were subjected to in the form of Bat-nipples, ice puns, Alicia Silverstone… the list is almost endless. From Batman’s opening line; “Hi Freeze, I’m Batman” that was done with a happy-go-lucky smile, this franchise died like the hearts and minds of many a fan. Batman wouldn’t die, however. Icons live forever, don’t you know. It took a long time, and many people tried without success to get it started, but Christopher Nolan brought us "Batman Begins" (2005) and we were gifted the most intellectual, realistic, and most badass Bat in history. And, with one turn of a playing card during the end scene, (Seriously, why would you be reading this if you hadn’t seen the first one?) we knew what we might be in store for in a sequel – the return of his greatest nemesis. After such a bombastic return to popular culture, the Batman (Christian Bale) was ready to stare down the Joker (Heath Ledger) one more time. To a mixed reaction, the rising star of Heath Ledger was cast in that very role. It is such a shame that his star burnt out so early, as he silenced all critics beyond any shadow of doubt – he became the new definition of that character. He was what Nolan sought after when casting that role, for he was ‘fearless.’ Every part of his performance, from the voice (that still gives me chills), to his style of movement, to the frenetic energy always so present – this was a force of nature that we were very privileged to behold. Aaron Eckhart steps in to portray the tragic character of Harvey Dent, also known by another name to long-time "Batman" readers… And he continued Nolan’s trend of using certain characters as archetypes to better explore this world of his creation. In Begins we observed the nature of power, and what effect different types have on people both individually and en masse. We observed fear and the hold it has over humankind. And for Nolan to portray these goals to us, the appropriate antagonists were selected, and masterfully so. Here, when we came to this "The Dark Knight", there was the topic of escalation, mixed in with the concept that all of society is only held together by the rules that bind us. That, if we remove the rules, we will descend into chaos… for this is our true nature. Never has a ‘superhero’ film been such as this. Frankly, it is an action/thriller where the main protagonist wears a SWAT style outfit…. with pointy ears. This is no shallow endeavour where style wins over substance. No, they start with the story and themes, the subtext that they wish to explore, then build from there. There are many other films that should take notice of how this achieved. This method of film creation does not cease when the plot is organised either. It flows over into the sets, the cameras, the effects, and the music. Often appearing as homage to films like "Heat" (1995), the backdrop of Chicago lends itself to the gritty style of filmmaking shown here. And it’s tied into a score to die for, as the composers create new sounds to aid in your complete immersion in this world of Gotham. A signature track for the Joker, as if a shark is circling you – you know it’s there, you’re just waiting to feel the bite. Wide and expansive shots (thanks, IMAX cameras!) while still seeming so grounded; Nolan opts for avoiding CG effects whenever he can. That means real stunts and real devastation whenever possible, with effects saved for removing cameras or stunt protection from the shot. And after such a prevalence of digital shots in recent years, this is an absolute joy. No matter what George Lucas may try and tell you, we can tell when something is not real. And here, in "The Dark Knight" we see so much reality during its running time. Reality in a film telling an almost unbelievable story – a man dressed as a bat, fighting crime and fighting a punk clown? Sounds silly, yes. But here, it is not. Not by a long shot. That is merely the window dressing for a spiralling tale of tragedy as we watch the descent into madness for one man, heralding a new age in Gotham City. This is no 60’s camp cartoon. This is reality, brutal and fast, finishing the story that started for us in "Batman Begins". The end of his beginning, if you will. Where do they go from here? It’s hard to tell. There is many a direction to follow, however you must respect the way they put "The Dark Knight" together, for it doesn’t hold anything back. They put their souls into this one and boy does it show. It is as complete as any film I have seen in recent memory. I have total faith that any more films they decide to do down this path will be held to the same scrutiny and quality during the creative process. And that’s not a claim I can make of many productions in this day and age. So, don’t let the big ears fool you – this film may potentially be one of the best movies of its type (that being of ‘entertainment’) you’ll watch. Period. Oh, and they finally made a suit where he can turn his head. Brilliance.
Video
Presented in the film's original 2.40:1 this anamorphic widescreen transfer is about as perfect as you'll get for DVD. The film looks great as the transfer is sharp and immaculate, the detail looks great from the minute aspects of the Batsuit to the backgrounds and sets everything looks solid. Colours are equally incredible retaining the blue hues of the palette, the film is very dark in both tone and look and the black levels are bold and deep. The transfer has hardly any noise, obtrusive compression related issues are not a problem as Warners has mastered the entire film entirely on the first disc allowing it to breath without other content on the disc. The image itself feels like it has a infinite depth and clarity, this has reference quality written all over it. And for a film as big as this one Warner Brothers needed to pull out an astonishing image to impress fans and that's exactly what they did.
Audio
There are only two audio tracks on this disc, an English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track as well as an English Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 surround track for the visually impaired. The 5.1 track is simply bombastic, while I've gotten used to the broader HD audio formats now thanks to DVD it's hard to go back to standard 5.1, but this soundtrack makes it easy to go back. To begin with the dialogue is clear and distortion free, which is great, but the real treat regarding this track is the intense range it displays, from the subtle and intricate music build-up of the opening scene to the aggressive nature of the SWAT van chase and the hospital explosion that simply rocks your sound system. The ambient sound adds to the immersiveness of the overall sound track, the action scenes all blast off the screen with impacting sound and the score simply soars through the space. It's a deep and complex sound mix that will show off your home theater. Listen to this one loud! Optional subtitles are also included in English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
Warner Brothers has packed this "Special Edition" with a series of extras such as many featurettes, IMAX sequences, the original television segments, galleries, theatrical trailers and TV spots. All of these extras are included on the second disc of this release and are explored in more detail below. First up is "Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene" a series of 5 featurettes that include: - "Shooting Outside the Box" which runs for 8 minutes 55 seconds, this is a discussion of the IMAX Prologue sequence (the bank scene) and the challenges/experience of exploring that format, from the huge cameras to the stunts and special effects. - "The Sound of Anarchy" runs for 6 minutes 26 seconds, and takes a look into the construction of the film score, with particular emphasis on the Joker’s unique theme. Also a good look into many of the ideas (9000 separate pieces!) that preceded the final score. - "The Chase" runs for 15 minutes 34 seconds, is a look at the construction of the big 2nd Act armoured car chase filmed in the streets of Chicago with the big IMAX cameras. Best part is when they focus on the flipping truck stunt. It’s incredible. - "In Camera: The Dark Knight" runs for 15 minutes 40 seconds, discusses the attempt to do as much as possible without using digital effects. The stunts shown here are incredible to watch, as are all the things you get to see them blow up. - "The Evolution of the Dark Knight" runs for 17 minutes 37 seconds and takes a look at redefining the Batsuit and all the new tools/gadgets he gets to use, creating the Batpod and creating a sense of scale with the locations and IMAX cameras. Next up are the "Dark Knight" IMAX sequences which show off the scenes in their original IMAX format and include: - "Prologue" which runs for 6 minutes 7 seconds. - "Hong Kong" which runs for 3 minutes 41 seconds. - "Armored Car Chase" which runs for 8 minutes 7 seconds. - "Lamborghini Car Chase" which runs for 7 minutes 36 seconds. - "The Prewitt Building" which runs for 7 minutes 4 seconds. - "The Dark Knight" which runs for 2 minutes 35 seconds. Following that are the 6 "Gotham Tonight" television clips. These videos were used online as marketing for the film, set up as episodes of a news/entertainment show. They all provide some nice background information for the film, and cameos from the core cast throughout and they include: - "Election Night" which runs for 7 minutes 59 seconds. - "Billionaire Without a Cause" which runs for 9 minutes 41 seconds. - "Escalation" which runs for 7 minutes 53 seconds. - "Top Cop" which runs for 6 minutes 15 seconds. - "Cops and Mobsters" which runs for 7 minutes 6 seconds. - "Gotham’s White Knight" which runs for 7 minute 40 seconds. There are a total of 4 galleries that feature various images detailing the production and include: - "The Joker Cards" which includes 78 images. - "Concept Art" which includes 58 images. - "Poster Art" which includes 12 images. - "Production Stills" which includes 88 images. Also featured on the disc are the film's original theatrical trailers, of which there are three: - Theatrical trailer 1 runs for 50 seconds. - Theatrical trailer 2 runs for 2 minutes. - Theatrical trailer 3 runs for 2 minutes 26 seconds. Finally the disc sports 6 TV spots made for the TV marketing campaign for the film and include: - "Anarchy" which runs for 30 seconds. - "Alter Ego" which runs for 30 seconds. - "Aggressive Expansion" which runs for 30 seconds. - "One Rule" which runs for 30 seconds. - "Avenge" which runs for 30 seconds. - "Madness" which runs for 30 seconds.
Overall
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