“The Dark Knight” (Action: 2 hours, 32 minutes); Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman; Director: Christopher Nolan; Rated: PG-13 (Extreme violence, strong language and gore)

Movie Review: Rocked by a series of crimes via several crime syndicates, Gotham City is in need of Batman (Bale) more than ever. Enter the Joker (Ledger), a psychotic mastermind of crime and terror. While the Joker is the main bad guy of this film, he is not the typical villain. The Joker does not want to rule the world. He does not care about self-preservation. He does not want money or other types of wealth or sins of the flesh. The Joker is a true psychopath and an intelligent strategist, existing to do whatever whenever he wants. The Batman must be at his best to beat The Joker.

The best articulation of this battle of good and bad is via words of The Joker: “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.”

Christopher Nolan has directed only a few films thus far in his career. Some of his earlier films are memorable and noteworthy achievements: “Memento” (2000), “Batman Begins” (2005), and “The Prestige” (2006). Nolan proves he can make a movie and then improve upon its sequel. He can also provide plenty of eye candy without cluttering the screen with an overuse of computer-generated imagery. In this case, Nolan, who dazzled audiences with “Batman Begins” that revived the Dark Knight series of films, follows up with “The Dark Knight,” which is topnotch entertainment and superb movie making.

Again, Bale nicely plays Batman with all due necessity to portray a very complex character with a certain duality about his identities, Bruce Wayne and Batman, The Dark Knight. Compared to Katie Holmes, Maggie Gyllenhaal is a big improvement, giving the character Rachel Dawes some needed oomph. They are joined by returning seasoned actors Oldman, Caine and Freeman. All are splendid, but the show belongs to Eckhart and the late Heath Ledger. Eckhart suitably plays District Attorney Harvey Dent with all the schmoozing of a real politician. This screenplay’s best performance designation belongs to Ledger, whose role is worthy of Oscar consideration. Jack Nicholson’s version of the Joker in 1989’s “Batman” (Director Tim Burton) is mild with respects to both drama and action compared to “The Dark Knight.”

Bob Kane, who created the “Batman” characters, created a grim world, one where the vigilante Batman is the hero. Nolan has taken the Batman franchise to a higher plane. “The Dark Knight” is not just another summer blockbuster, action flick. It is just as much a smart drama with dynamic characters, wrapped in an exceptional plot. Action scenes are extra icing. A pivotal concept of this film is its good use of characters to facilitate the plot. Many screenplays haphazardly misuse their characters for cheap ineffective thrills. Director Christopher Nolan and his brother, writer-actor Jonathan Nolan, make excellent use of each character.

In addition, this film is hardcore for a PG-13 film. “The Dark Knight” presents a very lifelike realm, where anything could happen unexpectedly. This facet gives this photoplay the realism many pictures lack. “The Dark Knight” is not a feel-good movie. It is hardcore action the way a good guy versus bad guy adventure should be. Plenty of action, unexpected twists and fantastic characters make this Batman outing the best of the Batman franchise. Hats off to the Nolan Brothers, a fine cast (especially Ledger) and great crew, and the producers for this masterful action film created for mature audiences looking for the best the summer season may offer.

Grade: A (A darker tone makes for the best Batman.)



“Mamma Mia!” (Musical/Comedy: 1 hour, 48 minutes); Starring: Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth; Director: Phyllida Lloyd; Rated: PG-13 (Sexual innuendo and some mild language)

Movie Review: Sophie (Seyfried) is about to marry in Greece. She just wants one thing, her father’s presence. What she wants presents a problem. Sophie has three potential fathers: Bill Anderson (Skarsgård), Sam Carmichael (Brosnan) and Harry Bright (Firth). Years ago, Sophie’s mother, Donna (Streep), had three boyfriends in one week and ... Now, Sophie, without her mother’s acknowledgment, has brought the three men, one of which is her father, to walk her down the aisle.

Streep, Walters and Baranski are talented women. They dance and sing with delight. The scenes where they prance around as if they are 20-something-year-olds provide the best moments of this otherwise weak production.

“Mamma Mia!” was surely composed as a movie musical, but it quickly becomes mere comedy. Many sing. Some of the actors’ singing — especially the less-than-stellar vocals — inspire plenty laughs. With all its flaws, “Mamma Mia!” still manages to entertain. However, this melodrama will garner no consideration as one of the better musicals. First-time film director Phyllida Lloyd appears caught up in the moment of fun and forgetting a good story means everything, even in a comical musical. Many unresolved moments are abundant here, mainly how not to make a good musical.

Grade: C+ (Mamma mia says it all!)



“Space Chimps” (Adventure/Science-Fiction: 1 hour, 21 minutes); Starring: Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Patrick Warburton, Kristin Chenoweth, and Stanley Tucci; Director: Kirk De Micco; Rated: G (Violence and intense moments)

Movie Review: Ham III (Samberg), Luna (Hines) and Titan (Warburton) are three chimps sent into outer space to find a missing probe. The billion-dollar space shuttle carrying the simians is swept into a vortex that transports the shuttle across vast distances of space to a deserted planet. There, the space chimps encounter something unexpected, life.

Animated flicks have a great way setting up a story by giving audiences a sub-story, which is only a way of helping viewers get to know the characters and to set up a plausible world for the main story. Such is the case with “Space Chimps,” an animated adventure ably directed by first-time director De Micco. Second, “Space Chimps” provides a plausible concept of how these simians can operate human equipment. The chimps are more intelligent than known; just humans cannot understand their language.

Although an animated photoplay, this production nicely provides unique characters and places them in a unique story. Each character provides plenty of humor and action without the plot losing focus. Samberg, Hines, Warburton, Chenoweth and Daniels provide nice voices for the characters. The voices fit, especially Samberg as Ham III, a circus stunt monkey who is the grandson of the first chimp astronaut Ham, and Chenoweth as Kilowatt. Ham III has an intriguing relationship with fellow astronauts which works. Relationships serve as the basis for getting to know these characters and why they are in the predicaments in which they exist. “Space Chimps” provides plenty of entertainment for the entire family.

Grade: B (Space the enjoyable frontier)