by Mack Cox

Created on: January 21, 2009   Last Updated: January 30, 2009

The hypnotic score, iconic imagery and sheer spectacle evoke an epic feel similar to masterpieces like The Godfather and Lawrence of Arabia. But does The Dark Knight have the same intellectual depth and artistic brilliance?

Christopher Nolan has unparalleled ambition and confidence in his work. He carefully selects comic panels and story elements from 70 years of pop literature and weaves them together to form the penultimate Batman vs. Joker tale for the silver screen. Nolan balances narrative and action to perfection. In addition, the film is decidely darker and more serious than Begins. The themes expressed are bleak but bear a certain degree of moral truth. Perhaps the most glaring change is the clear and concise fight sequences; a considerable improvement over the choppy, dizzying brawls in Batman Begins.

One thing to note is that The Joker is more powerful than he's ever been portrayed. His connections to the mob and corrupt police force lend plausibility to his intricate, brilliant schemes. The body count rises with every increasingly elaborate crime and The Joker becomes a symbol of fear that even surpasses Batman. Batman's interrogation tactics are futile next to The Joker's whimsical bloodlust. The Dark Knight must now resort to breaking legs to get answers. Advanced technology has become an essential part of his detective work, even as it raises moral questions that Batman himself may not like to address. Escalation is the word and Batman has to reinvent himself to keep up, for better or worse.

Christian Bale personifies The Caped Crusader; perennially on the edge but possessing a unrivaled preparedness and unbreakable will that allows him to outlast his opponents. The beastly growl of his masked persona is unique, but effective. There should always be doubt in the populace as to whether Batman is truly human. It's the possibility of a supernatural foe coupled with rage that truly rouses fear in his enemies. Rather than avoid daylight entirely, the Nolans made a wise decision to present Batman as a stealthy tactician with various disguises, an idea borrowed from the comics. Certain decisions made by the character in Begins were unlike Batman (namely allowing Ra's al Ghul to die and endangering the lives of police officers during the chase). Thankfully, this time the writers chose to strictly obey the motivations and self-governing rules that Batman adheres to,

There are likely to be some questions about Batman's behavior. One would expect Batman's treatment

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