REEL CRITIC:

In 1989, the film “Batman” established the caped crusader as a major box-office attraction. The quirky Tim Burton directed “Batman,” which starred Michael Keaton as the title character and Jack Nicholson in one of his most memorable roles, as The Joker.

The film was dark and gothic, as are most of Burton’s films, but had a comic undertone that cut the menace somewhat. Burton also directed “Batman Returns” in 1992 with Danny DeVito as The Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Again starring Keaton as Batman, this sequel was less successful than the original both artistically and commercially.

Joel Schumacher then took the helm for two Batman pictures, the first being “Batman Forever” in 1995, starring Val Kilmer. Batman’s nemeses this time out were The Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones). The series was nearly killed off in 1997 with the release of the stupendously awful “Batman and Robin” starring a horribly miscast George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell as Robin and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the weakest Batman villain of all time, Mr. Freeze.

Despite this checkered past, Batman was resurrected in 2005 with the release of “Batman Begins” starring Christian Bale as Batman and directed by Christopher Nolan. “Batman Begins” was a quality effort but felt compelled to retell the origin of the character, thus offering the perfect segue for the inevitable sequel.

That sequel, “The Dark Knight,” is already an international sensation and is breaking box office records domestically and around the globe. Again directed by Nolan and starring Bale, the fully fleshed-out character must again battle The Joker, this time played by the late Heath Ledger.

“The Dark Knight” probably has more well-known actors than any other superhero movie, including Michael Caine as Alfred, Aaron Eckhart as Dist. Atty. Harvey Dent, Gary Oldman as Lt. Jim Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

Despite the best efforts of Jim Gordon and Batman, Gotham City is a cesspool of crime and corruption. Gordon has formed his own team of cops that works without the knowledge or interference of the district attorney or the police chief. He and Batman have been tracing the cash of the city’s major criminals to mob-run banks where it is confiscated. These carefully laid plans go up in smoke once the maniacal Joker bullies the other criminals into submission and begins to wreak havoc on the city.

The conundrum facing Batman and Gordon is The Joker has no plan but is simply enamored of total chaos and destruction. As Wayne’s faithful butler Alfred tells him, “Some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Batman is already derided as a vigilante by Gotham’s citizens and is horrified thinking of what he must become to defeat such an amoral and sociopathic foe.

“The Dark Knight” is first-rate Hollywood entertainment on every level. It has a superlative cast, state-of-the-art special effects, all the usual Batman-related toys and technology, a solid script, and great visuals. Bale as Batman is whippet thin but fit enough to play the superhero and certainly has the looks to play the socialite. His troubled and somber portrayal is pitch perfect given the character’s conflict.

Not as successful is Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes. Gyllenhaal is certainly a good actress but is not asked to do much here. She practically disappears in this comic book world of hyper attractive heroes and repulsive villains. Female parts in superhero films are thankless and usually rather boring in any event. The roles exist to harangue the hero about his secret life, make the hero jealous by displaying interest in another character, and most importantly, to be placed in jeopardy. I really don’t understand why such roles seem to be a prerequisite for the genre.

Ultimately what elevates “The Dark Knight” above other such films is Ledger’s tour de force performance as The Joker. Ledger has nearly as much screen time as Bale and commands every scene in which he appears. This is not another laughable comic book screen villain who couldn’t exist in reality. While the characteristic facial scars and make-up are theatrical, the type of absolute incomprehensible evil embodied by The Joker is not. In this regard, and perhaps intentionally, the character is eerily reminiscent of the indiscriminate threat of terrorism.

There is already speculation that Heath Ledger will be posthumously nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and perhaps there will be a Best Picture nomination for the film itself. Ledger is certainly deserving of this recognition, and if the Oscars were awarded today he would undoubtedly win.

“The Dark Knight” is good enough to please the die-hard Batman fans but will also satisfy those usually lukewarm to such films. This is the biggest film of the summer and is actually worthy of the “must-see” designation. See “The Dark Knight” while it is still in theaters, on the big screen, accompanied by the thundering soundtrack.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.