The best Batman movie EVER made.

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2008)

Some time has passed by since the events of the last movie; the Batman (Christian Bale) is taking care of business as usual, scoring a feat by capturing The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy). Meanwhile, Gotham City has fallen to a recent, unprecedented crime wave by a group of men disguised in clown masks. Following a successful robbery at the bank in broad daylight--outside of Batman's working hours--, one of the disguised double-crosses his partners and reveals himself: no alias, no name, it's the JOKER (Heath Ledger), a psychotic criminal who takes delight not in killing his victims, but rather spreading fear through his "jokes". A game of cat-and-mouse ensues, in which the Joker is clearly leading, planning and improvising virtually every detail in ways that would impress even the most outstanding General, planning even his capture and his escape from prison. Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Rachel Dawes, Harvey Dent, the Police as well as the Mob become, in one way or another, pawn's to the Joker's vicious game.
I came into the movie theatre with already high expectations. After watching Batman Begins 3 years ago, which revitalised a franchise that was on life support since 1997, I had a firm conviction that we're in perfectly good hands with this director. My convictions turn out correct. This movie makes everything that made "Begins" a masterpiece such as shrewd storytelling (this movie is more like a crime saga than a "Batman" movie), and solid performances from the entire cast. Oh Yes, Heath Ledger's performances as the Joker is as good as everyone says, and actually even better; he did everything that made the Romero (1960's) and Nicholson (1989's) Jokers great and surpassed them. Aaron Eckhart breaks new ground as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, an unusual role for a "comedic" actor. Oh yes, the fight scenes are improved and the choppy editing of its predecessor is gone.
There is nothing I can complain about the movie that did not work,not even its length. Sure the movie is 152 minutes --the longest Batman film--, but it doesn't slow down for a moment.
PS= Ledger, you will be dearly missed!