Gets An "A" for Effort

Rating: 7/10 (23 September 2008)

I saw this movie when it first came out (naturally), and while I liked it, there was something wrong with it that I couldn't put a finger on. I saw it again, and got the same feeling. That time I was able to figure out this feeling came at the beginning of the 3rd act, but still couldn't figure out what was wrong. I just saw it for a third time, and finally figured it out: it was lacking in tension.
Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of it, but I felt it lacking in comparison to that of the second act. I thought the moment of highest tension was the confrontation between Batman and the Joker in the interrogation room, when Batman was teetering on the edge of breaking his one rule. After that, there was tension, but Batman's moment of crisis had passed, leaving the only question of whether he could stop the Joker's "social experiment".
But Mr. Nolan gets an "A" for effort. He really tried to outdo himself, and with the exception of that problem, he did. I will definitely come out for his next effort.
Oh yeah, one last thing: believe the hype about Heath Ledger's performance. As last performances go, this was a great one. I'm starting to think there maybe something to all this talk about a posthumous Oscar.