Definitely the best Batman, possibly the best superhero movie ever.

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2008)

The Dark Knight is an overwhelming experience. For a two and a half hour movie, it really goes by fast. I've seen it twice so far and I intend to see it again. The film's plot is simple: While Harvey Dent, Commissioner Gordon, and Batman try to bring down the Mob, the Joker outsmarts them at every turn. The fight to stop the Joker becomes more than a fight to stop crime, however. The Joker attempts to bring out the worst in everybody, to prove that we are all as mad as him. He targets the people that everybody holds most dear: hospital patients, civilians, politicians, cops, and the woman Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent love, Rachel Dawes. Batman and Harvey Dent have to struggle to prove they are better men than the Joker.
Heath Ledger gives an outstanding performance as the Joker. He slips into the role like a glove, something Jack Nicholson really could not do because his personality was too strong. They utilized Ledger perfectly. He steals the show whenever he is on screen but it never feels like he is overshadowing Batman. One thing Christopher Nolan portrayed correctly was that the Joker is really only funny to himself. His "humor" is so sick I think audiences laugh only because they are uncomfortable. As many critics have noted, The Dark Knight works as a legitimate crime drama as well as a superhero movie. All of the Joker's schemes would fit right into a movie like Silence of the Lambs or Seven. They are so intense I was at the edge of my seat whenever he was on screen. I particularly liked his announcement to Gotham City that if a certain individual (can't recall his name) was not dead within 60 minutes, he would blow up a hospital. It was the perfect type of scheme for the Joker. With every scheme, explosion, and every person killed, the Joker pushes Batman to his limits.
The entire cast gives an all around good job. Aaron Eckhart gives a good performance as Harvey Dent, at least as good as the script allowed him to. The combination of make-up and CGI for his face was perfect. Christian Bale was even more intense this time around, although his voice is sometimes grating. The scene where he interrogates the Joker is the most suspenseful scene in the movie. I should also note that the action scene editing was a major improvement over Batman Begins. Sometimes Nolan cuts a little too quickly but it is not as distracting this time.
I only have a few minor criticisms (Big time SPOILERS). I still do not like Christopher Nolan's Gotham City. I understand he went for the modern look to give it a more realistic, serious feel, but Gotham has never looked modern in the comics. I just think Gotham should have a distinctive look. Maggie Gyllenhall, while better than Katie Holmes, sometimes acted a little out of character for an assistant D.A. Finally, I think they should have saved Two-Face for the third movie. Killing him off in this movie made his story feel a little rushed. I can't think of another Batman bad guy whose story can really compare to Harvey Dent's. They are going to have a tough time coming up with a bad guy for the third film. Nevertheless Harvey Dent's story arc is tragic and effective. Harvey Dent represented the hope and strength Gotham needed to overcome evil. He was written and portrayed a million times better than he was in Batman Forever. His fall from grace gives Joker the last laugh, and Batman has to cover up everything Two-Face did so as not to hurt Gotham's morale.
Still, The Dark Knight is going to be hard to top, and I wish them good luck on the third installment. I look forward to seeing where they will take the Batman character. The Dark Knight stands towards the top of the list of best Superhero movies for its perfect portrayal of the characters and all around intensity.