"The Dark Knight" 9 Years Later

Rating: 8/10 (10 May 2017)

I have seen Christopher Nolan's second installment of his "Dark Knight" trilogy several times now, so I felt that I was now ready to condense my thoughts into a review.
I must first state that I do highly enjoy this movie, and I can certainly call it worthy for most of the praise it has, and still, receives; however, I also know that the film is slightly overrated at this point. Thankfully, I managed to avoid the hype that surrounded this film, and managed to see it before the mass crowned it as "One of the Best Films of All Time." Do I think "The Dark Knight" is worthy of that title? I'm not quite sure. What Nolan managed to accomplish with this film was great, and it clearly had an impact on the market, as many blockbusters (superhero or not) have tried to replicate its formula.
So, let's start off with the story: the film follows our main character, Bruce Wayne (played excellently by Christian Bale), but only after an exhilarating opening scene, which does a great job of introducing the film's antagonist, the Joker. The story, while made to seem complex, is actually quite simple. Batman must stop a foe who has lost all of his humanity: a man who "has no rules," as they say. What makes the film complex is the order the events are presented in, who the characters are and how they respond to said events, as well as who can and cannot be trusted. The negatives of the story are quite minimal, but they are there. Plot holes regarding the timing of some of Joker's schemes, as well as Batman's sonar device and how he got it to do exactly what he wanted. These flaws, however, are mostly forgiven as they are a means to move the story forward, but they are flaws.
The score, while very well orchestrated by Hans Zimmer, edges a bit close to being overplayed (especially Batman's theme). I say almost, because this problem is only noticeable towards the end of the film. For the most part, the score does a good job of adding suspense or excitement to a scene. Perhaps the most impressive part of the films score, ironically, is its restraint in the scenes in which no music is present at all. The chase/showdown sequence towards the middle of the film is quite amazing, and possibly the best part of the film, but one of the main reason it is so memorable is due to its incredible sound design that is not once interrupted by Zimmer's score, giving the scene a gritty, realistic feel.
Overall, the film's acting, storytelling, editing and score fit into the right places, and the execution is nearly perfect, but perhaps the only thing holding it all back is a small lack of originality. While Ledger's Joker is incredible, the character himself, as well as the story that surrounds him, is not wholly fresh. Films like "Heat," "The Silence of the Lambs," and "No Country For Old Men" all have great villains who are unpredictable, and do things that don't follow any real pattern.
In short, I really do appreciate what "The Dark Knight" did, as the film's execution is the greatest overall triumph, but should it be hailed as one of the greats (even being in the Top 10 of IMDb's 250 list)? I'm not quite sure.