That's right. The Dark Knight was so good, I had to see it again. But this time was different. This time, the events of Gotham City were played out on the IMAX screen.
Most of the best action sequences were shot specifically with an IMAX camera. The opening bank heist, Batman's aerial view of Hong Kong, the chase sequence through lower Gotham and the subsequent flipping of the Joker's big rig (wow, what a shot!), the hospital sequence, and several shots of a brooding Batman (over a desolate, dark Gotham, looking especially gargoyle-ish; at the scene of a particularly devastating explosion). What the 80-foot IMAX screen does is create something "larger than life." It won't work for every movie, but it did a lot to enhance already-excellent aspects of a spectacular film.
Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker stood out even more this time around. Sure, he pulled off the "evil incarnate" thing really well. Some say it's easy to play "crazy," but Ledger's Joker was more than crazy. At times, his delivery of a line could make you chuckle to yourself. At others, the licking of his lips and his high-pitched cackle could send shivers down your spine. He embodied chaos. He didn't do anything for money. He did everything to send a message. His message: Chaos is the only way to live. Order only brings about restrictions and rules. With chaos, there are no restrictions, no rules.
In a particularly well-written, well-photographed, well-acted scene, the Joker sells his chaos routine to the heart of the movie, Harvey Dent, at Gotham General Hospital. The outcome, as you watch the movie unfold, is devastating. The Joker's message rings true as Dent, devoted to justice and peace, falls apart amidst the chaos of the Joker's scheme.
The Dark Knight only got better the second time around. What a deep movie with so much to question and ponder. And it's only a comic book movie!
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