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THE DARK KNIGHT Given the fact that Christopher Nolan's 2005 Batman Begins ranks as one of the best superhero flicks ever made, then where does that put this sequel that manages to be even more phenomenal than its predecessor? Certainly, it places it somewhere at the head of the class, and there's a nice symmetry to its release date: After all, it was 30 years ago that the Christopher Reeve version of Superman – still the greatest of all comic book adaptations – was released, and now we have its equal on the other side of the aisle, a superhero saga that's as dark and deep as its forefather was cheery and colorful. In fact, this might be the first superhero movie that exudes a palpable sense of dread and menace that tugs at our nerves in a way that both disturbs and delights us. Even in superior entertainment like Spider-Man and Iron Man, there's a feeling that it's all make-believe, but The Dark Knight offers no such safety net – it wears its danger on its sleeve. In this outing, Batman (Christian Bale) has done a fine job of tightening the reins around the mob bosses who have long controlled Gotham City, and he's soon aided in his efforts by idealistic district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). But their combined attempts to corral the city's crooks are hampered by the presence of a murderous psychopath known as The Joker (Heath Ledger). Eckhart stands out in what proves to be the picture's most fully realized characterization, though we all know who's the MVP of this particular show: The late Ledger is simply mesmerizing as this whirling dervish of cackling, lip-smacking, cheek-sucking sin. ****
HAMLET 2 A failed Hollywood actor ends up as the drama teacher at a Tucson, Arizona, high school, where his screen-to-stage adaptations (his latest: Erin Brockovich) are enjoyed by absolutely no one. But when it turns out that his department is on the verge of being dissolved, he makes a last-ditch effort to keep the class afloat by writing and staging his own sequel to one of Shakespeare's most enduring plays. That's the premise of Hamlet 2, and while the film rarely delivers the gutbusters one might reasonably expect, it does offer nonstop smiles from first frame to last. Steve Coogan delivers an appropriately unhinged performance as Dana Marschz, whose conception of Hamlet 2 dictates that it be performed as a sci-fi musical extravaganza in which the showstopper is a tune called "Rock Me, Sexy Jesus" (with Dana himself as the Son of God). The school board, the parents and the local community all mount protests, but Dana and his students won't be stopped, especially after they find their backs covered by an acerbic ACLU lawyer (Amy Poehler, very funny). Dana also takes inspiration from Elisabeth Shue, who, in a Being John Malkovich kind of way, plays herself as a former actress who got tired of show business and moved to Tucson to become a nurse. The movie lays it on a bit thick with Dana's daddy issues, and the domestic scenes involving his girlfriend (Catherine Keener) and their roommate (David Arquette) contribute little. Yet as long as the picture remains focused on the efforts to mount Hamlet 2, it follows the Bard's lead by making sure that – in the words of the melancholy Dane himself – "The play's the thing." ***
HENRY POOLE IS HERE Faith-based movies aren't exactly overflowing at theaters, so it's nice to see sincere religious overtones in a film that flies in the face of typical mainstream fare which generally paints all Christians as close-minded, intolerant rubes. Of course, considering there are enough of these hypocritical dimwits populating the country to put the "born-again" Bush into office twice, you can't really blame Hollywood for its own myopia, but still, the gesture behind this film is appreciated. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't know when to quit, and what begins as a thoughtful examination of spirituality versus skepticism turns irrevocably heavy-handed by the end. Luke Wilson plays Henry, a dying man who moves into a shabby suburban house with the intention of spending his final days there. But a nosy neighbor (Adriana Barraza) changes all that after she insists that the water stain on his house is actually the face of Christ. Soon, unexplained "miracles" begin occurring to those who touch the wall, with local believers lining up to pay respect to the image. Henry is angered by all this unwanted attention, though he does let down his guard enough to strike up a relationship with his next-door neighbor (Radha Mitchell). Henry Poole Is Here is initially interesting in its ambiguity, and it benefits from strong work by Mitchell and Rachel Seiferth as a grocery store clerk who senses Henry's misery. But once the mystery surrounding the water mark dissipates, the film begins to bark at viewers like a tent-revival evangelist, and sober discussions give way to a clumsily handled finale that doesn't stand a prayer of satisfying most discerning viewers. **1/2
