The Dark Knight(2008)
Warner Bros. Jul 18, 2008 | Wide
When a menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent must work together to put an end to the madness.
Releases
Original Release | Jul 18, 2008
2012 Re-release | Jul 19, 2012
Box Office Results
All Releases (2)
$534,987,076
$474,020,470
$1,009,057,329
$533,345,358
$470,500,000
$1,003,845,358
Current Showtimes
Your Location or
(U.S. Only)
Director & Top Cast
Technical Specifications
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,SDDS,DTS
Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1
Other Details
Country of Origin: United States,United Kingdom
Language: English,Mandarin
Summaries
Plot Summary
- A gang of 6 criminals rob a Gotham City mob bank and start murdering each other for a higher share. They suggest that a sixth member of the gang - nicknamed 'The Joker' - who did the planning, but sat out the robbery, doesn't deserve a cut. At the end, only the Joker (Heath Ledger) remains, and he escapes with the money. Joker is A psychopathic illegal mastermind portraying himself as an "agent of chaos", who rises from the criminal underworld by thrusting Gotham into anarchy.Gordon arrives at the bank the Joker held up earlier with Ramirez who shows him the Joker's picture from a security camera. Batman arrives to inspect the scene, noting that they have irradiated the drug money to make it easier to trace. When Gordon asks him if the Joker is a threat, Batman informs him that he cannot worry about one man when there is an entire mob to bring down.Batman (Christian Bale) is the alter ego of a billionaire socialite Bruce Wayne who, after witnessing his parents' death in a mugging at age 8, travels the world for seven years before returning home to operate as a bat-masked vigilante hailed as Gotham City's "Dark Knight", using fear against the city's criminal underworld at night. District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is hailed as Gotham's "White Knight", who is running a campaign against the criminal underworld. Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) of the police department works under the current police commissioner.Gotham is then seen at night with criminals afraid to commit crimes under the watchful sign of the bat-signal projected onto the clouds. Lt. James Gordon mans the bat-signal, waiting for Batman with Det. Anna Ramirez (Monique Gabriela Curnen), who asks if he's coming. Gordon explains that it is okay if he is not, hoping that he is busy elsewhere. He asks about Ramirez' mother, who's in the hospital.Meanwhile, in a parking garage, the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), still at-large after escaping Arkham Asylum, is negotiating with the Russian mob members, led by The Chechen, over the sale of some of his fear-inducing drugs. The sale is interrupted when some of Gotham's citizens dressed as Batmen wanna-be's begin shooting at the men. As he gases one of the fake Batmen with his mind-altering drugs from his cuff, the Scarecrow notes that they are not the real Batman, because Batman would never use a gun. Suddenly the Batmobile/Tumbler crashes through a barricade. The Batmobile, Pre-programmed to "LOITER" and then "INTIMIDATE", fires rockets into a nearby office, sending the remaining mobsters running. The real Batman arrives and bends the rifle barrel of one of the wanna-be Batmen before knocking him out.The Chechen sends his rottweilers to attack the Batmen, and as Batman saves them he takes the dogs out after being badly bitten in the arm. The Scarecrow attempts to flee in a white van but Batman jumps onto the van and begins cutting into the side with his device called the mangler. Scarecrow swerves into a support which sends Batman to the ground. As Scarecrow gets away down a spiraling passageway, Batman leaps onto the roof of his van, smashing it to a halt. He leaves the fake Batmen and the Scarecrow along with some of the mobsters tied up together for the police to eventually round up. When one of the impostors says he's trying to help, Batman harshly tells him he doesn't need any help.The next day, as Bruce Wayne stitches himself up from the dog bite. Alfred (Michael Caine) notices Bruce keeping a close watch on newly appointed district attorney Harvey Dent via some computer screens, as Bruce is trying to decide whether or not Dent can be trusted. Alfred wonders if he is really spying on the relationship that Rachel Dawes has developed with Harvey Dent.Harvey Dent arrives in court to join Rachel Dawes in prosecuting mobster Salvatore Maroni (Eric Roberts), the alleged new leader of the Falcone crime family. One of Maroni's men takes the fall in court and attempts to shoot Dent from the witness stand. The gun doesn't go off and Dent punches the man before he is hauled off to jail. Maroni is eventually set free, to the dismay of Dent.Dent meets Lt. Gordon, and after a short exchange of words, they both express their distrust for those that are working in each other's offices. Harvey interrogates Gordon over his involvement with the Batman and Harvey tells him he wants to meet him. Gordon requests search warrants for five banks that are believed to be holding the remainder of the mobs money. Dent agrees to back Gordon's search warrants, forming a tenuous trust with the honest Gordon.Lucius Fox holds a board meeting at Wayne Enterprises, negotiating an joint venture with Lau, the head of Lau Security Investments, based in Hong Kong. After the meeting with Lau, Wayne expresses his reservations with Lucius Fox about Lau's business operation, apparently illegal based on their profits. After agreeing to cancel the deal, Wayne asks Fox for a new suit. He explains that he needs to be lighter, and faster, in case he runs into any more guard dogs and that he wants to be able to turn his head.That night, Harvey dines out with Rachel. Harvey tells Rachel he had to make a reservation weeks earlier, and even then needed to exercised his influence to get a table at the very fashionable restaurant. Bruce and his date, the Prima ballerina for the Russian ballet, encounter Rachel and Harvey. Bruce has them pull a table together so they can dine together, informing Harvey that he owns the restaurant. At first, Bruce seems jealous and threatened by Harvey, based on the fact that he is dating Rachel, but Harvey explains how he supports the work of Batman and appreciates his help. Bruce changes his tune and informs Harvey that he intends to throw a massive fund-raiser for him.Bruce Wayne is impressed with Dent's idealism as Dent has gone after every money launderer in the city and he knows that Batman and Gordon are going after the mob's money supply, and wants in. Bruce offers to support his career; he believes that, with Dent as Gotham's protector, he can give up being Batman and lead a normal life with Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Rachel is Gotham City's assistant district attorney and Bruce's childhood friend, who is one of the few people who knows Batman's true identity. Although Rachel and Dent are currently dating.Mob bosses Sal Maroni (Eric Roberts) (an Italian mafia boss who takes over Carmine Falcone's mob), Gambol (Michael Jai White) (an African American mafia boss in charge of illegal gambling and extortion for the mob), and the Chechen (Ritchie Coster) (in charge of drug-trafficking for the mob) hold a video-conference with their corrupt accountant, Lau (Ng Chin) (a corrupt Chinese LSI Holdings accountant Triad boss), who has hidden their funds for safekeeping and fled to Hong Kong. Lau says that Gordon and Dent have raided all the mob banks, but he moved the money before they could get to it. The money will be in HK where US authorities can't touch it.The meeting is interrupted by the Joker, who warns them that Batman is unhindered by the law (And alleges that Lau would squeal to the police) and offers to kill Batman in exchange for half of their money. The mob laughs, and as one of the mobsters, Gambol, rises from his seat and threatens the Joker, the Joker opens his coat, exposing grenades. Gambol tells the Joker that he's putting a price out on his head. The Joker tells the mob that when they plan to take things a little more seriously, give him a call, and presents them with 'his card', a joker playing card. And with that, he exits. But not before warning that Batman will come for Lau.Gambol is playing pool with some of his associates until one of them informs him that a group of hoodlums have killed the Joker, and has the body. The body is brought in covered in a bag, and as Gambol is about to pay, the Joker rises up and holds a knife to his face while his men hold guns to his associates' heads. The Joker tells a story about how he got his scars from his father, and then kills Gambol.Batman has a meeting with Gordon and Dent and promises to bring back Lau to US. Batman finds Lau in Hong Kong. Bruce Wayne's company was already investigating Lau's company for a possible takeover bid, but in reality, Bruce was just getting a good look at his books. Fox shows Wayne his new suit, and Wayne begins planning an impromptu trip to Hong Kong. Fox will accompany him, making it look like the only reason for his visit was to cancel the negotiations with Lau's company.Meanwhile, Fox arrives in Hong Kong to meet with Lau. He checks in his mobile phone at the front desk at Lau's building, as there are no cell phones allowed on the premises. Fox meets with Lau, and informs him of Wayne Enterprises' plans to cancel negotiations with his company. However, he secretly keeps one cell phone in his pocket, which has been adapted to produce a sonar map of the surrounding area. Upon leaving the building, he does not pick up the phone he dropped off, and he produces the map of the building to Bruce Wayne. That night, the phone that Fox left at the front desk emits a high frequency that shuts down all power in the building. Batman crashes in through a window in Lau's office, and after a vicious fight with some of his guards, grabs Lau and escapes by sending a balloon attached to a cable to a plane he has chartered flying over Lau's building.Batman brings Lau back to Gotham to testify by capturing Lau in his HK office and using the CIA's sky-hook project to bring him out, allowing Dent to apprehend the entire mob.Back in Gotham, Lau is interrogated by Rachel with Dent and Gordon looking on. Rachel presses him to give them the money Lau has taken, but Lau will not give in. After she threatens to have him moved to the County lock-up, Lau tells her that he can give them the names of the mobsters and their pooled investments. Dent then realizes that they will have the leverage they need in a RICO case of conspiracy to link all of the mob members together. Gordon decides to keep Lau in his holding cell at the Major Case Unit building and Lau agrees to cooperate with the police and give the names of the mob members.Gordon appears at Maroni's restaurant as the police rush in to arrest all of the mob members in attendance. As all of the mob members that Lau informed the police are rounded up for arraignment, Judge Janet Surrillo finds a Joker card in the middle of the stack of conviction papers. Dent gives a televised impromptu interview denying Batman's involvement while expressing gratitude for the police work in bringing the mob members to justice.The Joker threatens a string of murders unless Batman reveals his identity and starts by killing Police Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb (Colin McFarlane) and Judge Surillo, who is presiding over the mob trial. The Judge's car blows up when the police arrive to take her into protective custody and Commissioner Loeb dies of severe poisoning from his liquor bottle before Gordon can stop him from drinking.Batman is able to save Dent when Joker attacks the fundraiser that Bruce Wayne had thrown for Dent. The Joker also targets Mayor Anthony Garcia (Nestor Carbonell), but Gordon sacrifices himself to stop the assassination. Joker infiltrates the police guard giving the 21-gun salute for the commissioner and aims his gun at the mayor. Gordon spots this and comes in front of the bullet. Dent learns that Rachel is the next target.Gordon's family is visited at home, to inform them of the death of Gordon at the funeral ceremony. Gordon's wife, Barbara, shouts out at the empty sky to Batman that he has brought this craziness upon Gotham. Gordon's young son catches a brief glimpse of Batman mournfully watching the scene.Bruce decides to reveal his identity. Bruce arrives back in his penthouse to find Rachel waiting. She tells him that turning himself in will not stop the Joker's murderous rampage, but Bruce says he has enough blood on his hands already. He reminds her that she promised him that they would be together if and when he hung up the mantle of Batman. She tells Bruce not to make her his only hope for a normal life and they share a kiss. She tells Bruce that if he turns himself in as Batman that the city will never let them be together.Back at Wayne's secret base of operations for Batman, he and Alfred begin destroying everything that might tie Lucius Fox or Rachel to Batman. Alfred tries to talk Bruce out of it, asking him to endure these trying times and allow Batman to make the right choice that nobody else can for the good of the city.Before Bruce can reveal himself as Batman Dent announces that he is Batman. Rachel, watching the news conference at Bruce Wayne's penthouse, confronts Alfred over Bruce's seeming cowardice in allowing Harvey to take the fall when he claims to be Batman. Alfred explains to Rachel that Batman is instead allowing himself to be something else besides a hero, mainly a figure outside of the system that the people can both turn to or blame in times of need, that Batman can 'take it". Rachel gives Alfred a letter for Bruce and tells him to give it to Bruce when the time is right. When Alfred asks what it is, she tells him it is open and hugs him before departing to see Harvey as he is being transported to the County lock-up.Dent is taken into protective custody, but the Joker appears and attacks the convoy. While transporting Harvey, the Joker and some goons start taking out the police cars in a large semi-truck. He pulls out an RPG and begins firing at the armored truck carrying Dent. The Tumbler arrives and attempts to stop the Joker and is hit by one of the Joker's RPGs. His car takes 'catastrophic' damage, and he's forced to eject. However, the ejection in this car is a bike, the Batpod, that deploys out the front of the car. Batman chases down the Joker on his Batpod, and after firing some cables at the truck and weaving them through some light poles and buildings, flips the truck completely over.The Joker emerges with a Smith & Wesson M76 Submachine gun and shoots at Batman, who speeds towards him on his Batpod, all the while screaming at Batman to hit him. Batman honors his own non-lethal code and swerves around the Joker then crashes into the flipped truck, falling to the ground. As the Joker jumps on him with a knife, one of the SWAT officers holds a shotgun to the back of his head, and upon removing his helmet and mask, shows that it was Lt. Gordon, who faked his death to protect his family. The Joker is hauled away to the MCU. Harvey gets out of the truck and into a cruiser, stating he is off to see a worried girlfriend. At Gordon's Major Crimes Unit building, Gordon is promoted to Commissioner by the Mayor.Rachel and Dent are escorted away by detectives on Maroni's payroll. Gordon later learns that they never arrived home. Batman interrogates the Joker, who reveals that they have been trapped in separate locations rigged with explosives. Batman races to save Rachel, while Gordon attempts to rescue Dent. Batman arrives at the site but realizes that the Joker sent him to Dent's location instead. Both buildings explode, killing Rachel and disfiguring half of Dent's face. The Joker escapes the lockup with Lau (after he triggers a bomb that he had smuggled inside the stomach of another prisoner), whom he later kills along with the Chechen (by setting them on fire along with the mob's money).Lucius Fox is the recently promoted CEO of Wayne Enterprises who, now fully aware of his employer's double life, serves more directly as Bruce's armorer for the Batsuit in addition to his corporate duties. Coleman Reese, an accountant at Wayne Enterprises, claims to know about certain problems with Wayne's funding in research and development, claiming that Wayne has some sort of government project with cell phones for the army underway. He also uncovers Fox's designs for the Batmobile/Tumbler. He wanted Fox to pay him $10MM per year for the rest of his life to keep quiet.Not wanting Reese's revelation to interfere with his plans, the Joker threatens to destroy a hospital unless someone kills Reese within the hour. Gordon orders the evacuation of all hospitals in Gotham and goes to secure Reese.The Joker breaks into Dent's hospital in the confusion and gives Dent a gun and convinces him to seek revenge for Rachel's death. He convinces Dent to become an agent of chaos just like himself, then destroys the hospital and escapes with a busload of hostages. Dent goes on a killing spree, as the vigilante Two-Face, deciding the fates of people he holds responsible for Rachel's death by flipping his lucky coin-one side having been scorched in the explosion. He kills Sal and the 2 corrupt cops whom he held responsible for Rachael's deathAfter announcing Gotham will be subject to his rule come nightfall, the Joker rigs two evacuating ferries with explosives, one containing ordinary folks and the other containing prisoners. He threatens to blow them both up by midnight but will let one ferry live if its passengers (who have been supplied the detonator to the other boat's explosives) blow up the other. Batman finds the Joker by exploiting the sonar capabilities of all phones in the city, with the reluctant help of Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Fox says that he will resign from his post after this assignment.Both the civilians and the prisoners refuse to kill each other, while Batman apprehends the Joker after a brief fight. Joker was hiding in a building and had disguised all the hostages as his henchmen, with guns taped to their hands and wearing masks. Batman saves all hostages from Gordon's SWAT teams before apprehending Joker. Before the SWAT arrive to take the Joker into custody, he gloats that Gotham's citizens will lose hope once Dent's rampage becomes public knowledge.Gordon and Batman arrive at the building where Rachel perished, and encounter Two-Face, who has kept Gordon's family as hostages. Two-Face shoots Batman, and threatens to kill Gordon's son, claiming that Gordon's negligence is responsible for Rachel's death. Before he flips his coin for the boy, Batman, who was wearing body armor, tackles Two-Face off the building to his death. Batman persuades Gordon to hold him responsible for the killing spree and preserve Dent's heroic image. Dent is hailed as a hero and the police launch a manhunt for Batman. Gordon destroys the Bat-signal, Fox watches as the sonar device self-destructs, and Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) burns a letter from Rachel saying she planned to marry Dent (she had given this letter to Alfred before her death).
Storyline
- Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins (2005), Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new District Attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City, until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as "The Joker" appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman's struggle against The Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to "confront everything he believes" and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent, and Rachel Dawes. — Leon Lombardi Following the events of Batman Begins (2005) , mighty Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent plan to arrest shady mob accountant Lau to bring down the mob. But Lau's detailed disclosures threaten Gotham's organised crime. As a result, the city's desperate mob bosses turn to The Joker, a sadistic, green-haired psychopath in a purple suit with a flair for crime. As the unstoppable criminal mastermind wreaks havoc, bringing Gotham to its knees with widespread anarchy and chaos, Batman must face his greatest challenge to battle injustice. However, is the Dark Knight prepared to walk the fine line between defender and avenger, hero and vigilante? — Nick Riganas Gotham's new District Attorney has been elected. His name is Harvey Dent, and he has a radical new agenda that threatens to take down Gotham's organized crime underworld once and for all with an iron fist. But the emergence of the rogue vigilante known as Batman has caused problems for Dent and his agenda. A new criminal mastermind known only as "The Joker" has arrived and aims to take Gotham out from under Harvey Dent's iron fist. The Joker stages a masterfully planned bank robbery and robs the Gotham mob blind. He uses this money to stage a series of horrific and strategic attacks against the city and its people, each one carefully planned and aimed at Dent and Batman, while causing the rest of the city to enter panic mode. Meanwhile, Batman thinks he might have found a lead to The Joker thanks to Wayne Enterprises' dealings with a shady Chinese banker, and that takes Batman and Alfred to Hong Kong. The Joker has no rules, but Batman has only one, and the Joker aims to make Batman break his only rule. But who will be the one to take him out, will it be rogue vigilante Batman, or will it be elected official Harvey Dent, the new hero with a face? — halo1k
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