The Dark Knight (Ultra HD/BD) [Blu-ray]

a new batman movie, which follows on from the end of 2005's batman begins. It should be pretty easy to get into this if you haven't seen batman begins, but you might get more out of this if you have.thanks to the advent of the batman, the forces of good in gotham city are starting to clean the place up. they have the mobs on the run, and a new hero in the shape of handsome and clean cut district attorney harvey dent. a man who has a novel way of dealing with hostile witnesses.the mobs, desperate to fight back, turn to a man they can't fully understand. a crazy devil may care criminal in a suit like a clown, who seemingly cares about nothing other than creating havoc. the joker. he's on the side of chaos, and is the complete opposite of everything that batman and the forces of good in gotham stand for. so how can they stop him without becoming bad themselves?first up, this is not really a batman film for children, as it's a grim and dark piece of work. but then the character can be portrayed in many ways, and the dark and grim version is but one of them. it's a version that will please die hard fans of the comics.the movie strives ever so hard to be as realistic as possible, showing how batman would function in a real world environment. in that respect, it's successful. it's refreshing to see a blockbuster that uses next to no cgi and does all it's stunts for real - with the occasional bit of miniature work. not that you'll probably notice.and it does have a moral dilemma at it's heart that offers no easy answers. the aforementioned how far do you go to stop evil without becoming evil in the process? like all good drama it makes the audience think about the topic without trying to provide them with any answers.the cast are superb, although it's a bit of a shame that michael caine's alfred is absent for so long towards the end. maggie gyllenhall is a stronger actress in the role of rachel dawes than katie holmes, who played the part in the first film and who couldnt reprise it due to scheduling commitments, but the character isn't quite as proactive here as she was in batman begins.there are six major action set pieces and all are quite gripping, and shot on imax film for maximum big screen effect. and the score of the film is superb, with a fair few pieces that you can't get off your mind right away.it's one of those movies that you do need to see more than once in order to take everything in, and it's probably a little too long for it's own good. and as you can see from the voting here it's a film that will divide opinion. it's a quality, grown up and intelligent blockbuster, and quite a cinematic experience.the dvd presents it on two discs.the first contains the movie, with direct scene access. and language tracks in english and italian. there are subtitles in english arabic greek hebrew icelandic and italian.on disc two the same language tracks and subitles can be found. and an amount of extras that are rather disappointing in their number initially as they don't appear like much.but once you get into them they do have their moments.the three trailers for the film that played in cinemas, and half a dozen tv adverts for it.galliers: production stills, poster art, concept art, and the joker cards. these four galleries allow you to flick through images showing all of the mentioned items. the joker cards are quite remarkable, with an incredible amount of different designs on display.gotham tonight: these are six all new short films shot in the style of a tv show, most featuring mike engel, a tv reporter who was seen in the film. they purport to be a gotham tv news show, and run for roughly eight to ten minutes each. and each focuses on a various aspect of life in the city, either profiling bruce wayne or harvey dent or jim gordon or reporting on the mobs and life on the street. they're all quite entertaining and worth a look.the dark knight imax sequences presents six action scenes from the film that were shot on IMAX film, and just shows them as individual scenes. there's nothing here that you won't see on disc one, but the picture is large and clear and they're all entertaining enough to make watching them again worthwhile.creation of a scene presents five different documentaries about the making of various aspects of the movie, from stunt work to action sequences to script writing. these are done with stills and production shots, and the cast and crew don't contribute other than in voiceover. they run anything from eight to sixteen minutes, and they're all absolutely fascinating and engrossing. anyone who watched the extras on batman begins will know what an articulate and thoughtful interviewee director christoper nolan is, and his comments here are equally good to listen to.you just wish there were more of them. or a commentary.and that's that for the extras.it's not as good a package as it possibly could be, but the quality of the film makes it well worth five stars as a whole

Whenever we talk about superhero movies...the first things that come to mind are the biggest, the best and the most unforgettable classics of all time. Superman 1 and 2, Batman/Batman Returns, the Spider-Man and X-Men trilogies, Batman Begins, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Iron Man come to my mind as being brilliant, high-quality masterpieces that honour the comics from which they came. Aside from being faithful, full of substance, special effects and excitement, these films are a convincing portrayal of how these wonderful settings would actually be if they actually existed in the realm of reality. That is why they're so revered by me and millions of fans out there.And after all of that...comes The Dark Knight, the direct sequel to the enormously superb and successful Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan, the man who resurrected the film franchise with his dark and convincing portrayal of the character...has far surpassed himself and expectations YET AGAIN. Not content with pulling off the uncommon feat of producing a film that's better than the original...Nolan has accomplished the BIGGEST task imaginable, and that's giving us the GREATEST superhero film to EVER be released.A year has past since Bruce Wayne became Batman, thwarted Ra's Al Ghul and saved Gotham. He and trusted ally Lt. Jim Gordon continue to rid the city of crime and corruption, and are soon joined by new District Attorney Harvey Dent. The three hit Gotham's most ruthless gangsters with tremendous success and look set to eliminate organised crime once and for all. But that all changes when the Joker makes his arrival, leaving utter chaos in his wake and threatening to drown all good forever. Ideals will be put to the test, lines will be crossed, all will suffer and regardless of the outcome, things will NEVER ever be the same.So...just exactly WHY is this the greatest superhero film of all time? Everything, that's why. Starting with Christopher Nolan, he takes the realistic and original presentation he applied to Batman Begins and exemplifies it tenfold. The story, the characters' depth and development, the stunts/action, the way Batman's technology works; it's all presented in a way completely unlike any other superhero film that's come before this one. Plus, the CGI has been restrained to a minimum, allowing real-life stunts and highly-convincing model miniatures to come into play. Because of all this, you can TRULY believe what's happening in a fashion that you wouldn't be able to watching say Spider-Man or X-Men.And it's not just the film's presentation. Nolan's story is a rich, multi-layered epic that reeks of depth. It changes the rules of how superhero movies are meant to be told, and for that The Dark Knight should be applauded even more, because it does so in a blaze of artistic triumph. Whereas films of this genre generally combine light and dark and finish it off with a happy ending, The Dark Knight can be viewed as being a proper tragedy film with a painful and frightening truth at the end.The biggest and most obvious strength of the movie...is unquestionably the Joker, portrayed by the late, great Heath Ledger. Again, Nolan comes into play here with his magic. This Joker is unlike any interpretation I've seen before, and it works flawlessly for so many reasons. Instead of going for an `origin introduction', the film details the RISE of the Joker, which produces a much more mysterious, fascinating, terrifying and despicable antagonist. To further add to the effect, the choicest parts of classic Batman story-telling have been adapted, such as Batman #1, The Killing Joke and A Death in the Family. Even bits from Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman have been utilized to make the Joker work so well on screen.But, really...it was Heath that MADE it work. He truly cemented his legacy here as an outstanding, phenomenal actor. Heath's performance is frightening, surreal and makes the role of the Joker his own. Only by watching this can you really understand and appreciate why he deserves to be held in such high regard and ergo, honoured with an Oscar. It is absolutely perfect.Of course, it would be criminal to overlook all the other rich talent; Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman. Each of them make their contribution to the story with peak performances. Batman Begins beautifully established everything, and The Dark Knight just as beautifully continues the saga with magnificent development. Batman's refining of his technology and detective skills, Bruce's desire to retire and settle down with Rachel Dawes, Harvey Dent's emergence as a great man and inevitable fall, the complicated love-triangle/friendship between Bruce, Rachel and Harvey, the personal and professional trials of Alfred, Jim Gordon and Lucius Fox, the reality of it all etc...it's PURE artistry.As for DVD extras, the 2 disc-set has a fantastic collection of Trailers, TV spots and galleries containing concept art, posters and production stills. There's also six of the film's sequences as shot in the IMAX format and "Gotham Uncovered" pieces that document all the incredible detail and planning that went into the stunts, costumes and music score, which again speaks highly of all those involved. EVERYONE helped to make the film what it is.The best feature, however, is the collection of "Gotham Tonight" episodes, a series of fictional news broadcasts that report and debate events happening in Gotham, which feature prominent moments from Batman Begins and those that roll in to The Dark Knight. It's a cracking series that benefits from such realistic presentation, intelligent writing, great dialogue and convincing performances. This is a feature that REALLY merits watching.What else can I say? The Dark Knight is literally perfect, and the best superhero film of all time. Absolutely essential for all fans and otherwise. Maybe a couple more extras should've been on this DVD, but I don't really care. This timeless classic is here, and deserves to be yours forever.

Not only the best instalment of any run of Batman films, from the camp original, through Tim Burton's remake (which was actually pretty awesome for the time) and including Batman Begins, but one of the greatest films of all time. This is not just a superhero movie, it is a serious film made by serious film-makers. It should rightly go down in history as a classic of the genre and as one of the best films Nolan has directed. Gushing aside, it plays as a really great action film as well as having moments of real emotion and subtlety that complement the story, which is both epic and intimate.Christian Bale is a good Batman but a great Bruce Wayne. It is here where the direction of the film is interesting. Most interpretations of the character have the alter ego hero as the created personality. Nolan switches it to impart Wayne's pompous behaviour and rich-kid shenanigans as the made-up part of the man; Batman is who Wayne really is. But Bale is not the best thing here. Ledger apart, Gary Oldman proves once again that he is one of the best character actors who ever lived as the unassuming and kind Commissioner Gordon, and manages to physically change the role of hero over to himself. Batman is the muscle - Gordon is the real hero.But the most significant reason to watch the film is of course for the late Heath Ledger's stunning performance as the Joker. Bringing the character from the comics alive and making him relevant and real, Ledger eats up EVERY scene he is in with no exception. Even his failed attempt at the end of the film to foresee how strong willed the Gotham populace really are was a triumph as his mania simply cannot be quelled. The final shot of him dangling in the air, upside-down, laughing incessantly at the chaos he had caused is just, well, right.And the fact that it doesn't end as such, but almost begins a new narrative as Batman becomes public enemy no 1 in order to preserve the memory of Harvey Dent, to preserve the sanity of the collective mind of Gotham, brings to mind other classic 2nd films like The Empire Strikes Back where the action is left hanging.A triumph on all counts. Cannot wait for the 3rd installment.

My favourite superhero has always been Batman by a long way. It's the dark edge to him, the turmoil that makes him a little different. I thought that the previous movie 'Batman Begins' was a fine effort at re-inventing the franchise away from the almost comic to the intensity that is required nowadays. I read so many glowing tributes about 'The Dark Knight' that I looked forward to seeing it with keen interest. When it was over I thought it was good but not quite as fantastic as I'd hoped.The acting was pretty much first rate. Christian Bale is clearly suited to the role, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are as reliable as ever and Aaron Eckhart was better than I expected him to be as Harvey Dent. Probably the most forgetabble character was Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel. Obviously, the person that got the most plaudits was Heath Ledger as The Joker. Yes, he was good but in all honesty it was a showcase part and he was bound to stand out. Was he any better than Gary Oldman as Gordon? The honest answer is no he wasn't. Oldman's role was far less showeybut he excelled in every scene he was in and deserves equal praise. There are many well executed action scenes and there is no doubt it is a well made movie.Why I can't give this five stars is because the movie is too long and the voice of Batman sounds just like the guy off the Carlsberg ads! It does sound a bit daft and should be toned down for the sequel. I think four stars is a fair mark and this is a DVD that I will definitely purchase.UPDATE; I have now watched this movie three times and four stars is about right and my original opinion hasn't really altered. It is a good movie but it is too long, Maggie Gyllenhaal wasn't right for the part of Rachel and Batman's voice definitely feels too forced. 'The Dark Knight' has plenty going for it but in all honesty 'Batman Begins - 2 Disc Edition [DVD] [2005]' is the better movie.

Right, where to start?! As you can probably tell from the title of this review, I was extremely impressed with this film. As a fan of superheroes in general from a very young age to this day, I was horrified by the absolutely atrocious protrayal of batman by the likes of George Clooney and Val Kilmer. For the most part, I consider these two to be good actors but the script was just sooooo terrible that they could do nothing to make the films any good!When I heard that Batman Begins was going to return to the comic's dark and gritty roots, it was like a breath of fresh air. Needless to say, I thought Batman Begins was a fantastic film but I must admit that when I heard about the Dark Knight, I doubted it would live up to the standard set by its predecessor. Thankfully, I was wrong as the second installment more than equals Batman Begins.Bale is brilliant as always as the hero Batman but the true star of the show has to be the late Heath Ledger. Many may think it was all hype but of those of you who haven't seen the film and think it's being exagerated, buy this and see for yourself. I won't ruin too much of the plot but I will say that it is far far darker than anything you may have seen in the genre before. The joy of the batman films is that they can be made serious without them seeming like a mockery, as has been done before with super-hero films. The lack of insane superpowers obviously makes this a much easier feat to achieve as you find yourself believing that it could really happen!Right, so there's some positive stuff, now for the negative. I have only two gripes with this excellent film:1) Morgan Freeman and Michael Cain were sadly neglected, which is almost criminal when dealing with actors of their calibre2) Two-Face only appears in earnest for about 20 mins, which while being understandable considering the presence of the joker and the storyline in general, is a shame because the character was done so very well.Let's face it, two bad points in a film this long? That's pretty good going!! One more thing as a word of warning: this film as been given a rating of 12. Now, I want to meet the people who did that and get their heads examined. DO NOT let anyone below the age of 15 see this, the sight of Two Face alone will give a 12 year old nightmares for months and he/she will definitely develop a fear of clowns!!

The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the second part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, with a returning cast of Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as James Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. The film introduces the character of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Gotham's newly elected District Attorney and the consort of Bruce Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes from the first film), who joins Batman and the police in combating the new rising threat of a criminal mastermind calling himself "The Joker" (Heath Ledger).Nolan's inspiration for the film was the Joker's comic book debut in 1940, the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke, and the 1996 series The Long Halloween, which retold Two-Face's origin. The nickname "the Dark Knight" was first applied to Batman in Batman #1 (1940), in a story written by Bill Finger.[5][6] The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. Nolan used an IMAX camera to film some sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film. On January 22, 2008, some months after he had completed filming on The Dark Knight and six months before the film's release, Heath Ledger died from a toxic combination of prescription drugs, leading to intense attention from the press and movie-going public. Warner Bros. initially created a viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight, developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screenshots of Ledger as the Joker.A co-production of the United States and the United Kingdom, The Dark Knight was released on July 16, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 24, 2008 in the United Kingdom. Considered by film critics to be one of the best films of the 2000s and one of the best superhero films ever,[7][8] the film received highly positive reviews and set numerous records during its theatrical run.[9] With over $1 billion in revenue worldwide, it is the 19th-highest-grossing film of all time, unadjusted for inflation.[10] The film received eight Academy Award nominations; it won the award for Best Sound Editing and Ledger was posthumously awarded Best Supporting Actor.[11] The Dark Knight Rises, the final film in the trilogy, was released on July 20, 2012.Contents [hide]

Great movie and always good to own a physical copy these days

Disks were fine but arrived in a random blank case

Great...

Like this movie. Plus im a Batman fan..

a must have for your blu ray collection, great sound effects !

Die berechtigte Frage, ob der im Vergleich zu seinen Vorgängern gewaltige Hype und unglaubliche Kassenerfolg (nebst Brechens diverser Rekorde wie das Knacken der 300 Mio. Dollar Einspielmarke in nur 10 Tagen) allein auf das Vermächtnis des tragisch verstorbenen Heath Ledger zurückzuführen ist, kann nach zweieinhalb Stunden eindeutig mit NEIN beantwortet werden. Ungeachtet der Präsenz des in seiner letzten und tatsächlich beeindruckendsten Rolle als Batmans ewiger Widersacher Joker faszinierenden Australiers, entfaltet das Regiegenie Christopher Nolan - nach PRESTIGE erneut mit Bruder Jonathan für das Drehbuch verantwortlich - ein erzählerisch, visuell und soundtechnisch perfektes Spektakel.Konnte man nach BATMAN BEGINS den Eindruck gewinnen, düsterer und schwermütiger geht es gar nicht mehr, so belehrt THE DARK KNIGHT den Zuschauer mühelos eines Besseren. Nach wie vor wird Bruce Wayne von Selbstzweifeln an der Richtigkeit seines Tuns zerfressen, verstärkt zudem durch die Tatsache, dass die Öffentlichkeit ihn dank schmutziger Presse zunehmend als Vigilant denn als Retter wahrnimmt. Verdammt dazu, nach der Zerstörung Wayne Manors im Penthouse inmitten des Großstadtmolochs Gotham den hedonistischen Playboy zu geben, hält im Grunde genommen nur sein treuer Butler Alfred (wie immer ein Genuss: Michael Caine) und quasi Stimme des Gewissens ihn davon ab, das Cape verbittert an den Nagel zu hängen. Umso willkommener nutzt Wayne die Gelegenheit, den aufstrebenden Harvey Dent, den er als neuen Mann an der Seite seiner Ex-Flamme Rachel (bezaubernd spröde: Maggie Gyllenhaal) kennenlernt, in dessen Wahlkampf zum Staatsanwalt zu unterstützen. Unglücklicherweise erfährt sein Plan, dem Kampf gegen das organisierte Verbrechen ein heroisches Gesicht zu verschaffen, eine durch den Joker beeinflusste Umsetzung, die fernab vom beabsichtigten Bild des "Weißen Ritters" liegen soll.Gleich mit dem ersten Auftritt erweckt Heath Ledger einen der denkwürdigsten und problemlos die Top 5 der abgrundtief bösesten Filmschurken enternden Comic-Charakter zum Leben. Weit entfernt von Jack Nicholsons nichtsdestotrotz grandioser, den Begriff "Overacting" mehr als strapazierender Performance in Tim Burtons BATMAN, ist der als blendend aussehender Teenieliebling zu Starruhm gelangte Ledger unter bewusst nachlässig aufgetragenem Make-up und mit ungepflegt-schlammfarbener Frisur kaum zu erkennen. Darüber hinaus entwickelt er eine Körpersprache, die gepaart mit schleppender - aufgrund der permanent echsenhaft herumschnellenden Zunge - zischelnder Sprechweise eine Bedrohlichkeit kreiert, die anschließende Gewaltausbrüche beinahe erlösend wirken lässt.Wer mit dem Batman-Universum aus den Comics vertraut ist, für den wird das Folgende keine Überraschung sein. Alle anderen sollten diesen Absatz überspringen. Neben dem Joker gelingt Nolan erstmals, Two-Face adäquat auf die Leinwand zu bringen. Vergesst BATMAN FOREVER (sorry, Tommy Lee Jones)! Das Make-up, das den kantigen und hervorragenden Aaron Eckhart als Harvey Dent im letzten Akt halbseitig entstellt, gehört mit zur besten Maske, die man in der jüngeren Filmgeschichte mehr voller Faszination denn mit Abscheu bestaunen durfte. Allein aufgrund Eckharts intensiven Spiels wird das Schicksal des sich vom aufrechten Bezirksstaatsanwalt zum skrupellosen Rächer wandelnden Harvey Dent niemanden kalt lassen. Unbeschreiblich und genial, wie Nolan und sein Director of Photography Wally Pfister (MEMENTO, BATMAN BEGINS), mit viel Schatten spielend, die erbarmungswürdige Gestalt in Szene setzen.Bei der Gelegenheit ein paar Worte zur Regie: abgesehen davon, dass Nolan das Versprechen eingelöst hat, im Sequel mehr Action als im Vorgänger zu präsentieren, meint man gar das Werk eines anderen Regisseurs zu sehen. Der teils anstrengende Look der Mann-gegen-Mann-Fights im Vorgänger ist einem deutlich eleganteren Inszenierungsstil gewichen. Überhaupt sind die atemberaubenden Actionsequenzen überraschend einfallsreich und mit dynamischer Wucht gefilmt. Sei es die Episode in Hong Kong, die den vergleichbaren MISSION IMPOSSIBLE Stunt von Tom Cruise in Shanghai zur harmlosen Turnübung degradiert. Oder der bereits im Trailer zu bewundernde Truck-Überschlag nebst der vorangegangenen Verfolgungsjagd. Der sich nach eigenem Bekunden eher als Schauspieler-Regisseur betrachtende Nolan hat eine gehörige und sichtbare Portion Nachhilfe genommen und sich zum genauso versierten Action-Regisseur komplettiert. Dennoch dienen die Materialschlachten nicht allein als Augenfutter fürs eventhungrige Publikum, sondern treiben die erstaunlich tiefgründige Geschichte voll unvorhersehbarer Wendungen plausibel voran. Trotz bereits in unzähligen Varianten auf Zelluloid gebannt schafft das Autorenbrüderpaar überdies das Kunststück, dem spannungsgeladenen Szenario der tickenden Zeitbombe neue Facetten abzugewinnen und besonders in der Fährensequenz für schweißnasse Handflächen und atemlose Stille zu sorgen.Untermalt wird das Geschehen vom Score der außergewöhnlichen Kooperation Hans Zimmer und James Newton Howard. Entgegen der in Actionkrachern überwiegend zum Einsatz kommenden treibenden Rhythmen wirkt hier ein ständig präsenter Klangteppich, der das im Vorgänger etablierte Batman Thema der Situation angepasst variiert. Der Psyche des Jokers entsprechend werden seine Auftritte ein ums andere Mal von Geräuschkollagen und Disharmonien begleitet. Insgesamt liefern Zimmer und Howard mit ihrem Beitrag zu THE DARK KNIGHT eines ihrer besten Werke ab, das auch losgelöst vom Film Bestand haben wird. Ein MUSS für Freunde epischer Filmscores.Bleibt zum Schluss nur die dringende Empfehlung, sich das Highlight des Kinosommers 2008 keinesfalls entgehen zu lassen. Näher an der Perfektion wird man - zumindest im Genre der Comicadaptionen - in absehbarer Zeit wohl nicht mehr unterhalten werden. In dem Sinne bleibt ungeachtet des Filmendes zu hoffen: Batman continues...

Voor een 4k is de geluidskwaliteit ondermaats.Ik heb een bescheiden verzameling dvd, bluray en 4k films, maar dit is onmogelijk om te kijken zonder de afstandsbediening in de hand te houden.Explosies en harde slagen zijn zo luid dat je het volume zo moet aanpassen dat je de gesprekken niet meer hoort.Het ligt niet aan mijn televisie of geluidsinstallatie want het probleem stelt zich enkel bij deze film.