Review Summary: Howard and Zimmer have created a soundtrack worthy of its name.
The Dark Knight has been called one of the best movies ever created. Honored by critics and humans alike for its genius script-writing, brilliant acting and depth of story. Also worth mentioning Heath Ledger's performance as the diabolical Joker. It was every fan boys dream, as Star Wars fans quickly hated it for canceling out Revenge of the Sith and anxious parents nearly declared their child insane when he painted his face white and pretended to jab a pencil in his little brothers eye. Contreversial, yet a damn good movie, The Dark Knight is to shock anyone. What else made it such a success? Other than the over-hype, the soundtrack made it completely worthwhile. Produced by two of the greatest composers in soundtrack history, Hans Zimmer and the legendary James Newton Howard.
It immediately kicks off with "Why So Serious?", a rising siren heard a lot in the movie as The Joker's official bad-ass tune. It changes pace after the siren suddenly dies down, turning into violin work consisting of only two notes; D and C. See a connection? A heavy guitar riff is thrown in for dramatic effect as well as some impressive drum work, and the 9-minute mark is shortly met. Incredible song, will appeal to any fan of the movie immediately.
I will not go into detail with all of the songs, unfortunately, but I will choose the ones that I thought were the best and most outstanding. "Harvey Two-Face" is worth mentioning. The violin and piano collaboration here is truly remarkable, presenting a very depressing atmosphere. Fits the theme perfectly. "I Am The Batman", although slow and dull, brings extreme depth to the character of Batman. We've had very little soundtracks actually capture the true feel of the hero. Something more haunting about the track is its sudden rise of the same siren used in "Why So Serious?", which bursts into a pounding drum and fades out. Must-listen.
"And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad" is one of my favorites. The constant feel of danger is overwhelming. The ancient pounding drum is used again here, with a very similiar violin riff to Pirates of the Caribbean. I love how the song drops in the center before bursting into a techno-tune and heavy guitar riff. Its almost as if the Joker was there in the room with you. Simple, but incredibly catchy.
The rest of the album flows much of the same, more collabo's of techno, rock, progressive and classical that fit the mood of the film well. Very little movies have presented this much atmosphere since The Village. I would not recommend this if you're a Star Wars fan (chuckles) but if you're the freak... like me, who likes collecting soundtracks and listening to Beethoven's Symphony then The Dark Knight's Soundtrack will not disappoint. Also, be sure to listen to the theme near the end. Perfection.
Recommended tracks:
1. "Why So Serious?"
2. "And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad"
3. "Watch The World Burn"
4. "I Am The Batman"
5. "A Dark Knight"
6. "Agent of Chaos"
