A masterpiece and the best movie of 2008 hand's down!

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2008)

What can I say about The Dark Knight that hasn't already been said? It's already rated as the 3rd best film of all time on IMDb. Believe me, it deserves that spot in the top 10, easily.
But let me just warn you, this is not a movie meant to be pure "fun". It is not a pure adrenaline ride, with no purpose but to give you explosions and punches. This is meant to be taken seriously, in every single aspect. Where as some people may want movies only to be fun, and those movies are good sometimes, this movie does not even try that. This movie is a balance of drama, sheer creepiness, and action. The action is pretty damn good, very exciting (especially the chase sequences), but it's not the focal point. It's not gonna be the type of movie you should watch if you just want action. I would say this is an epic crime drama more than anything, with a theme of good vs evil. Anyone who knows some of Cristopher Nolan's work knows his films have thought put behind them.
Speaking of which, Nolan is a great director, one of the best in recent years I now believe. During action sequences the camera work is frenetic, but you can see what you need to. Every punch and kick has a sense of power behind it. On the other hand during the flights of Batman the city seems large and expansive, and even Batman seems minor in comparison. In my opinion Nolan knows how to make a good movie.
Nolan's brother Jonathan has co-written a great screenplay with his brother, and I think I must say something. Half of the brilliance of the Joker and Batman/Wayne is definitely due to the writing. Their respective actors just happen to be almost perfect, but you must give points to Jonathan Nolan. Never once does a line seem truly unnatural. Even the one liners have a natural wit, as if someone really could say something of that sort on the spot.
As far as acting goes, everyone is pitch perfect. Not one person really seems fake, save for a few civilians who say lines a little forced once in a while. Still, all characters with names in the movie are played very well, which should tell others who make movies that casting is very important, even for minor characters. From Caine as Alfred, Freeman as Lucius Fox, Oldman as Lt. Gordon, Gyllenhall as Rachel Dawes (much better than Holmes), everybody does well.
Bale is very good as Batman- dark and gruff voiced- but more importantly, he is able to switch characters to be Bruce Wayne, the playboy show off type at ease. He will hopefully get recognition with even more people now because he is a great actor. Eckhart is pretty good as Dent as well, and we see a gradual change in his character emotionally and on his thoughts of heroism.
And Ledger, what can I say? If Joker appears in the next movie, I doubt anyone can play him as well. Every action, lip smack, word, everything that he does or says is the definitive Joker. Before this movie I always wondered what makes him Batman's most popular enemy. Now I understand: Joker is downright evil and psychotic and he seems to be a mastermind of planning, thinking about everything before it happens. He has the exact opposite ideals (trying to bring down Gotham to the criminals) of Batman, who wants to bring peace. Once again, credit must be given to both Ledger and Jonathan Nolan's writing.
The music (Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard) is brilliant at setting the mood for everything and often makes scenes super tense. There are some moments in the movie where there's just a dull vibrating bell thing sound (the scene where Joker sticks his head out the car window that is in the trailer), and it was actually mesmerizing. The sounds of guns and punches feel very solid and heavy, just like they should.
Joker once tells Batman he doesn't want to kill him, saying "you complete me". Now others in the theater started laughing, thinking that he meant it as a joke (which was one meaning possibly). But it is more than that- Batman completes the Joker, because no matter how much good there is in Gotham, there must be someone like the Joker to counter that with evil. In a way Gotham represents the whole world's struggle between evil and good. And in the end, Batman and Joker are simply two faces of a coin- They have different faces and ideals on the outside, but in many ways, they are made of the same stuff inside, and are necessary to each other.