Best Batman Movie, Best Comic Movie

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2008)

I saw this last night, and all I can say is wow. This movie is amazing. The storyline is that DA Harvey Dent is putting the criminals away without wearing a mask, and Batman is starting to wonder whether Gotham really needs him anymore. And, when the villainous Joker arrives, causing chaos for the sake of chaos, Batman must confront everything he believes in to take down The Joker. Well, I can't really point out any flaws. The storyline was perfect for it's style: a crime movie. The acting was top notch as well.
Christian Bale plays Batman/Bruce Wayne and was in my opinion underused. The film featured Joker, Dent, and Gordon more than Batman/Bruce. I thought that having Bale get into the batsuit more was a good thing to do, but I missed the style of the previous movie, with very little batsuit. Overall, Bale does a good job.
Michael Caine plays Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler and friend. Caine once again portrays the part beautifully and is one of the parts that shines the brightest in this movie.
The late Heath Ledger plays The Joker, and is by far the best part of the film. Ledger's Joker is amazing. In this Oscar-worthy performance, Ledger completely transforms into the role of The Joker for this movie. When I look at the screen, I don't see Ledger on screen. I see The Joker. I will be disappointed if Ledger doesn't get an Oscar for his role.
Aaron Eckhart plays Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and seems to be the main character. Dent is Gotham's white knight who goes bad after an incident with The Joker. His relationship with Rachel is, in my opinion, preferred to Rachel and Bruce. When Dent turns into Two-Face, he really turns. Two-Face is gruesome and frightening, and may disturb some people. Eckhart portrays the white knight well, and I enjoyed his performance.
Gary Oldman plays Lt. Jim Gordon. Gordon is a great character, and is one of my favorites. He gets the character spot on, and is nearly flawless. Oldman is one of my favorite actors and portrays Gordon wonderfully.
Maggie Gylenyhaal plays Rachel Dawes, and takes over for Katie Holmes. I don't like Katie Holmes, so I was glad to see Maggie take over for the part. However, Maggie still has trouble with the role and I didn't really care for her either. Maybe it's just the character of Rachel, but I didn't like her role.
Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, the new C.E.O. of Wayne Enterprises. Like Michael Caine, he is a bit underused but when he's used, used appropriately. I liked Morgan Freeman in this role, and I hope he's back on the sequel.
Overall, The Dark Knight is a must-see film for anybody looking for a good film. It this isn't a big Oscar winner, then I'll be shocked. Bring on The Dark Knight at Oscars '09!