Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s epic continuation of BATMAN BEGINS, THE DARK KNIGHT.
allows the interested viewer access to a server with additional features, but we did not avail ourselves of this feature. Subtitles are available in English SDH, Spanish, and French, and audio options include French and Spanish DTS 5.1.
THE DARK KNIGHT was the biggest box of- fice hit of Summer 2008, outperforming both IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK. While the home video version was eagerly anticipated by its legions of fans, the presentation of the film on SD DVD and BD posed some interesting problems for Warner Home Video, as parts of THE DARK KNIGHT were shot in 35mm (2.40:1) and parts were shot in IMAX format (1.44:1). Warner opted to present the IMAX parts in 1.78:1 for its DVD and BD editions, thus making the shift between the two screen ratios less conspicuous. We found the shift unobtrusive, but noticed the increased clarity and depth of image during the IMAX por- tions. (The virtue of shooting in IMAX lies in its greater image resolution, which has a negative area about four times greater than 2.40:1 on 35mm film.) As writer-director Christopher Nolan explains in the supplemental feature on Disc 1, “Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene” (64m), he chose to shoot certain action sequences of the film in IMAX because it offers the viewer a more
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“immersive” experience. We were unable to screen the film at an IMAX theater, but wish we’d had the opportunity to do so, as THE DARK KNIGHT is a dazzling cinematic work.
Picking up several months after BATMAN BE-
GINS, Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) has been working with newly elected District At- torney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and his as- sistant Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, replacing BATMAN BEGINS’ Katie Holmes), to lock up the remaining leaders of Gotham City’s criminal un- derworld following the arrest of Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson). Seeking to put the mob out of business for good, Gordon requests search war- rants for the remaining Gotham City banks that are suspected of holding mob lucre. Dent agrees to issue the warrants, but prior to the police raids, the mob’s money is withdrawn and removed from the country by Lau (Chin Han), head of a shady Hong Kong investment firm.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Gotham’s criminal underworld are approached by The Joker (Heath Ledger), a sinister master criminal who warns them that, because Batman works outside the conven- tional legal system, he can go after Lau and re- turn him to Gotham City. He’s right: Batman (Christian Bale) journeys to Hong Kong and re- captures Lau. Back in Gotham, Lau is leveraged into consenting to provide the District Attorney’s
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