The best Batman film yet.

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2008)

One couldn't help be sceptical of the hype surrounding The Dark Knight before having seen it, scepticism was certainly weighing on my mind as i walked into the cinema. I couldn't help thinking 'is this going to be as amazing as expected, or is the hype just an inevitable reaction to the death of Heath Ledger?' I can safely say to anyone still having not seen The Dark Knight; the hype would've been just as massive even if Ledger hadn't tragically overdosed during filming, The film is mind-blowingly amazing! The action sequences, The dialogue, the editing, the lighting, the costume, the score, the cinematography, The Ledger, The Bale, The Eckhart, The Freeman, The every-single-tiny-bit of cinema... is brilliant.
There's not the slightest whiff of the child-friendly-cinema that tore Tim Burton's vision apart all those (not many) years ago. Eckhart's Dent/Two-Face, blows Tommy Lee Jones out of the metaphorical water, the only shame is that his performance will be overshadowed by Ledger's even better one, and indeed his tragic demise.
Every insane laugh from Ledger's lips echoes with excellence, Jack Nicholson should be very very very proud. However, Ledger's delivery, commitment, presence and dress-wearing-ability far surpass the realms of merely paying homage to Nicholson's Joker. Nolan and Ledger really show Burton and Nicholson just how darkly immense the joker can be.
Not to forget Bale, who brings his portrayal of Batman (and the barking voice it brings) to the next level, the depth and inner conflict create an excellent empathy effect on the audience and also create ridiculously good viewing.
I could go on all day, going into every actors success, about how immense The Dark Knight is... but i think you probably get the message by now.
As undoubtedly one of the most difficult films to bring to the public, a film so swamped with hype, tragedy, death and scandal; The Dark Knight could easily have been written off with the tragic death of Heath Ledger, we should thank God that it wasn't.