A whole new level of awesome (some mild spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (10 November 2008)

I rarely get all giddy over a movie these days. Few catch my imagination. Batman Begins was OK, more importantly it showed the direction which the franchise will be taking and it gave me hope. I heard a lot of hype, especially over the performance of Heath Ledger and it started to build my anticipation. Boy oh boy were my expectations wrong.
Not only is this the best superhero/comic book movie ever made, the finest example of it's genre, it is also a superb action thriller in it's own right. Where to begin in describing just how awesome this movie is? My main issue with Batman Begins was the lack of a captivating nemesis for Batman to lock horns with. When I heard that Heath Ledger was to play the Joker, I had my doubts. I heard all of the hype but didn't get caught up in it. The hype was justified. He is electric. Whilst the previous incarnation of the Joker on the big screen was wonderfully done, he was not menacing. Ledger creates a character wrought with menace. He is at times funny, intimidating and always creepy. He manages to steal every scene that he is in, few times have I felt so joyed to watch an actor perform like this.
Whilst Ledger's name has and still is linked to Oscar speculation, when watching the movie I couldn't shake the feeling and idea that the movie as a whole was Oscar worthy. It didn't feel like a superhero film, it was down to earth enough to make it almost believable. Nolan really goes for it in the action scenes and delivers a sublime film with a truly thrilling plot. This is what going to the movies is all about.
Whilst not flawless, it is a remarkable film. There were some plot issues that annoyed me, mainly towards the end when certain things were sprung out of nowhere which I wasn't too keen on, but the overall excellence of the film makes this forgivable. I have heard critics slate the decision to miss out the workings of the Jokers plot, the way in which he could just rig an entire building to explode with seemingly effortless ease. I however felt this added to the menace of the character, not only is he insane, he is a criminal genius, a master terrorist.
Whilst all the main actors gave strong performances, Heath Ledgers being the one of most note, I would also like to commend Aaron Eckhart's performance as Harvey Dent, his addition to the plot gave it an extra dimension and he played it well.
To conclude, this is one of the best movies of 2008 and I will be sorely disappointed if 1 - Heath Ledger does not get a posthumous Oscar nomination and 2 - if the movie does not get a nomination for best film.