The best film of the decade! It's a classic already!

Rating: 10/10 (5 September 2008)

I'm a really big Batman fan, and Batman Begins had blown me away. I had been so anxious about this movie, I thought I was going crazy! And then the big day came. July 17. I rushed into the cinema with my parents, and when I got out, I was left completely SPEECHLESS!!!! This is no ordinary movie! It's a cinematic PHENOMENON! The Nolan Brothers have done it again! So this time, Batman has officially declared war on crime in Gotham City, along with Lieutenant Jim Gordon, and the new District Attorney Harvey Dent. And when they are so close to wiping out crime in the city, a new EVIL arises. A criminal mastermind, an incredibly intelligent, but absolutely insane man. A personification of anarchy, evil, madness, chaos, cruelty. The most iconic, deranged comic book villain of all time. THE JOKER. With his rise, chaos returns to haunt Gotham for one more time, and Batman will have to face his own demons more than ever.
I think it's my obligation to start with the most astonishing performance I've ever seen (except for Marlon Brando in The Godfather). The late Heath Ledger as The Joker. Heath gave so much to that character, he was so scary, so perfect, he is surely going to win an Oscar for best actor. Mark my words. I've never seen The Joker like that before. His best incarnation. R.I.P. Heath Ledger.
The rest of the major cast gives very good performances. Cristian Bale is really good as always as Batman/Bruce Wayne. He is more troubled than before, and has to fight his own demons to maintain balance in his life. Michael Caine is the best Alfred Pennyworth there is, as the father figure of Bruce Wayne. Gary Oldman's character, Jim Gordon, becomes much more important, as he belongs to the major trio that fights crime in the city. Katie Holmes is replaced by Maggie Gullenhaal for the role of Rachel Dawes, who is in fact the source of antagonism between Harvey Dent, and Bruce Wayne. She's so much better than Katie Holmes, I'll give you that, but seriously, she is NOT pretty. Aaron Eckhart does a remarkable job too as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and Morgan Freeman is still doing really well as Lucius Fox.
The direction by Christopher Nolan is nothing but an incredible achievement. He gives you that dark atmosphere that fits perfectly for Batman. The music by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is just masterful, taking you to an amazing trip throughout the whole movie. Of course, we shouldn't forget the screenplay by the Nolan Brothers, which is absolutely flawless, and unpredictable.
What else can I say? The movie is terrific! It's gonna win many Oscars, that's for sure! SPOILER AHEAD---- The last scene where Jim Gordon talks about Batman is just EPIC!!!! All four times that i've seen the movie, this scene always gave me the chills!!!! ----END OF SPOILER Don't take any second thoughts. Just go, see it, and you'll see that these 154 minutes of your life will have been wasted wisely.