Cluttered script and directing, but acting is great.

Rating: 7/10 (23 July 2008)

With all the high praise this movie was getting from both movie reviewers and movie goers, I was expecting a film that was better than the previous film, "Batman Begins". Instead, we have a cluttered mess of a script and directing (At least in the first hour). Too many story lines and too little focus on the more important parts of the story. For example, a subplot of Bruce Wayne going to Hong Kong is a total waste and not needed if written right. There is also a wasted opportunity in the scenes with the Scarecrow. The movie does pick up and get better after the half-way mark.
Much was made about Heath Ledger's acting in this movie, that he should be nominated for an Oscar, but that too was overblown. Although Ledger did a great job as the Joker, it's not an Oscar worthy performance. I think it's the emotion of his unfortunate death that is making reviewers over-hype his performance. Do not overlook Aaron Eckhart's performance as Harvey Dent (especially in the second half of the film). It would had been nice to have Katie Holmes back as Rachel Dawes for continuity, but Maggie Gyllenhaal gives the character a more realistic and emotional performance.
Finally getting to Batman. The writers seem to make Batman unlikable by all of the other characters in the film. Maybe it's because there less focus on the Batman/Bruce Wayne character in this film. Not even the two people he's closest to (Lucius Fox and Alfred) seem to like him. The relationships between those characters in the first film is what gave the movie its soul.
Is it worth seeing? This is the type of movie to see on the big screen. Will you be bored? There are some slow moments to this film. It is a darker film than the first which can be good and bad. All in all, the movie didn't live up to my expectations, but this is just an opinion from a 41 year old movie-goer