The Dark Knight

The new Batman film - much anticipated, much awaited and with the added poignancy of Heath Ledger's last performance. But is it any good?

Let's make no mistake - this is a nasty, nasty film.

Just who is the audience supposed to be supporting in this film. Batman? Doubt it, he comes across as annoying and spoilt rather than tormented and full of anguish. The good DA Harvey Dent? Perhaps but then, somewhat ironically given Batman's graphic novel background, he becomes a one dimensional cartoon character. The cop Gordon? Well, let's just say I'm glad I'm not his wife. The Joker perhaps? Well, yes if we are meant to sympathise with a double crossing sociopath who has a knife fetish.

The film is horrible. There is an almost pornographic celebration of knives - and given the current climate, especially in London, this makes this film even more depressing. The 'plot' is risible and the film is violent and gruesome - how this film has got a 12A certificate (the same as the excellent Man on Wire!!) I don't know. It starts well but is at least 20 minutes too long and after a couple of hours I was bored and just wanted it to end.

Are there some good things? Yes, some. Heath Ledger is good as the Joker - all twitches and ticks - and it is a fitting final performance, but talk of an Oscar is wide of the mark and his best work remains Brokeback Mountain. Old stagers Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are excellent and light up the piece, but their parts are small and you wish they had more screen time. Aaron Eckhart is good as Harvey Dent; it's more his movie than Batman's. But overall a nasty film and one that is not a 12A - if you have kids under 12 don't take them, it can be pretty gruesome. If you have kids over 12 I still wouldn't take them - it's just not good enough.