I positively adored this one in the theater, and over the years I've somehow found several ways to appreciate it even more. It's the picture-perfect Batman film; dark and gritty and tragic but ultimately optimistic and meaningful, with an armful of colorful characters tossed in for seasoning.

Of course, it's impossible to discuss the film without first touching on Heath Ledger, whose magnificent turn as the Joker unconscionably steals the show from the very moment he appears on the screen. Magical moments, memories and faces routinely come and go on the silver screen, but a role this iconic only comes around once or twice a generation, and the power of his appearance has been amplified over the years. Ledger deserves every bit of the credit he reaped for the part, even if his untimely demise may have heightened the hype to superhuman levels. The things his character gets to do, say, and imply are downright remarkable, and really elevate this from a very good superhero movie into a brilliant social commentary that just so happens to revolve around a man with a cape, cowl and vast personal armory.

As in Batman Begins, the supporting cast is heavily peppered with brilliant performances from Hollywood's heavy-hitters, with particularly excellent showings from Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart. And, naturally, Christian Bale once again masterfully inhabits the dual roles of Bruce Wayne and Batman. It's a great action movie, detective story, political thriller, superhero flick and moral tragedy, never feels half as long as its 152 minute run time lets on, and sticks the landing in every single important scene. One for the ages.

A Masterpiece!!! I Love how The Dark Knight shows to me the "Dark & Gritty Tone". Overall, Nolan give us the Game changing, best superhero film OF ALL TIME. For me it's 10/10

I used to leave a theatre after seeing a highly anticipated movie, specifically a sequel, and be so revved up about what I saw that I would declare that movie to be the best of a series. After each of the prequel "Star Wars" films, I rated that one the best, as good as any of the originals...for a time, until my opinion balanced out and I had a more well-rounded take. For that reason, I steer away from that mindset, and did for "Dark Knight".

Though my opinion is solidifying already after having seen a Warner Bros. screening last night, "Dark Knight" ably stands on its own with or without "Batman Begins". At a two and a half hour runtime, it's definitely an epic of a movie, but one that never runs out of gas. A delightful addition to this experience was a healthy amount of IMAX footage, which significantly adds to the feel of being on a personal, and gruesome, tour of Gotham City.

Christian Bale plays such a well rounded Batman and Bruce Wayne, qualities that none of those who have donned the cowl before him have pulled off. I still have to remember that Bale is British since he speaks with such a spot on American accent. Bale has a particular slurring lisp that serves him quite well, charmingly for Bruce Wayne and threateningly for Batman.

Countering him is the late Heath Ledger, who plays such a scary and creepy Joker that I found it impossible to NOT have chills half the time I saw him on screen. What really separates this brand of Joker from Jack Nicholson's portrayal is true unpredictability. It's obvious that, to be a good guy and think like the Joker, it really takes a toll, and it sure isn't easy. How exactly does one take him down when he's woven his harebrained plot around multiple hostages, explosives, or disappearing parlor tricks?

Initially, I was uneasy about how the character of Harvey Dent would be handled. In my mind, there was really only one faithful portrayal of him, and that could be found in the "Batman" animated series of the early 90s. As well as Tommy Lee Jones COULD have handled him in "Batman Forever", he certainly did not, though it still was a highlight of that movie. Aaron Eckhart ably assumes the mantle here, delivering a performance out of this world, easily on par with the Batman animated series.

Be it known, this caped avenger stands for the good of Gotham City that the police force and its counterparts can't represent, the good that has no jurisdiction, no procedures...and no rules, save for one. I can only hope that we've seen just the prelude to the Dark Knight's upcoming legendary battles with the worst of Gotham City's dark underside.

"The Dark Knight" gets a solid 10 of 10 stars.

I used to leave a theatre after seeing a highly anticipated movie, specifically a sequel, and be so revved up about what I saw that I would declare that movie to be the best of a series. After each of the prequel "Star Wars" films, I rated that one the best, as good as any of the originals...for a time, until my opinion balanced out and I had a more well-rounded take. For that reason, I steer away from that mindset, and did for "Dark Knight".

Though my opinion is solidifying already after having seen a Warner Bros. screening last night, "Dark Knight" ably stands on its own with or without "Batman Begins". At a two and a half hour runtime, it's definitely an epic of a movie, but one that never runs out of gas. A delightful addition to this experience was a healthy amount of IMAX footage, which significantly adds to the feel of being on a personal, and gruesome, tour of Gotham City.

Christian Bale plays such a well rounded Batman and Bruce Wayne, qualities that none of those who have donned the cowl before him have pulled off. I still have to remember that Bale is British since he speaks with such a spot on American accent. Bale has a particular slurring lisp that serves him quite well, charmingly for Bruce Wayne and threateningly for Batman.

Countering him is the late Heath Ledger, who plays such a scary and creepy Joker that I found it impossible to NOT have chills half the time I saw him on screen. What really separates this brand of Joker from Jack Nicholson's portrayal is true unpredictability. It's obvious that, to be a good guy and think like the Joker, it really takes a toll, and it sure isn't easy. How exactly does one take him down when he's woven his harebrained plot around multiple hostages, explosives, or disappearing parlor tricks?

Initially, I was uneasy about how the character of Harvey Dent would be handled. In my mind, there was really only one faithful portrayal of him, and that could be found in the "Batman" animated series of the early 90s. As well as Tommy Lee Jones COULD have handled him in "Batman Forever", he certainly did not, though it still was a highlight of that movie. Aaron Eckhart ably assumes the mantle here, delivering a performance out of this world, easily on par with the Batman animated series.

Be it known, this caped avenger stands for the good of Gotham City that the police force and its counterparts can't represent, the good that has no jurisdiction, no procedures...and no rules, save for one. I can only hope that we've seen just the prelude to the Dark Knight's upcoming legendary battles with the worst of Gotham City's dark underside.

"The Dark Knight" gets a solid 10 of 10 stars.

I used to leave a theatre after seeing a highly anticipated movie, specifically a sequel, and be so revved up about what I saw that I would declare that movie to be the best of a series. After each of the prequel "Star Wars" films, I rated that one the best, as good as any of the originals...for a time, until my opinion balanced out and I had a more well-rounded take. For that reason, I steer away from that mindset, and did for "Dark Knight".

Though my opinion is solidifying already after having seen a Warner Bros. screening last night, "Dark Knight" ably stands on its own with or without "Batman Begins". At a two and a half hour runtime, it's definitely an epic of a movie, but one that never runs out of gas. A delightful addition to this experience was a healthy amount of IMAX footage, which significantly adds to the feel of being on a personal, and gruesome, tour of Gotham City.

Christian Bale plays such a well rounded Batman and Bruce Wayne, qualities that none of those who have donned the cowl before him have pulled off. I still have to remember that Bale is British since he speaks with such a spot on American accent. Bale has a particular slurring lisp that serves him quite well, charmingly for Bruce Wayne and threateningly for Batman.

Countering him is the late Heath Ledger, who plays such a scary and creepy Joker that I found it impossible to NOT have chills half the time I saw him on screen. What really separates this brand of Joker from Jack Nicholson's portrayal is true unpredictability. It's obvious that, to be a good guy and think like the Joker, it really takes a toll, and it sure isn't easy. How exactly does one take him down when he's woven his harebrained plot around multiple hostages, explosives, or disappearing parlor tricks?

Initially, I was uneasy about how the character of Harvey Dent would be handled. In my mind, there was really only one faithful portrayal of him, and that could be found in the "Batman" animated series of the early 90s. As well as Tommy Lee Jones COULD have handled him in "Batman Forever", he certainly did not, though it still was a highlight of that movie. Aaron Eckhart ably assumes the mantle here, delivering a performance out of this world, easily on par with the Batman animated series.

Be it known, this caped avenger stands for the good of Gotham City that the police force and its counterparts can't represent, the good that has no jurisdiction, no procedures...and no rules, save for one. I can only hope that we've seen just the prelude to the Dark Knight's upcoming legendary battles with the worst of Gotham City's dark underside.

"The Dark Knight" gets a solid 10 of 10 stars.

This has no competition. It is the very finest comic-book character movie ever made. Knowing the Burton, Donner and Nolan filmic adaptations of Batman and Superman exist helps me to sleep at night. They are Exhibit A of 'How to Make a Comic-Book Movie'. Nothing else has ever come even remotely close. These seven films (I include 'Superman II' because it was mostly Donner's work)--and Nolan's trilogy especially--are what I imagine a great director like Kubrick, Hitchcock or Kurosawa would have come up with, if they had ever been asked to make a Superman or Batman movie. They are the easiest for an audience to identify with because in these the scripts most approximate human emotions and the typical conundrums of the human experience--in short, are the closest, in a good way, they come to the complexities of the human condition. Peerless.

A sickening, borderline fascist film that is simultaneously dull and harmful. The editing represents that of an anti-pirate commercial and the politics are beyond reprehensible. The film ends with a monologue about how violent law-enforcement and brutality is what the country needs, but does not deserve. Nolan clearly did not intend for any subtext, yet that is not an excuse, if anything, that makes it worse. He includes these scenes to make the film more dark and edgy, yet there are people, from suppressed countries, who have to live through the hardships of violence from law-enforcers and dictatorship every day, and in his obliviousness, Nolan thinks that using this in a superhero film is a good excuse for self-importance. He is a war profiteer, and exploiter, and this is nothing short of disgusting.