I'll Just Say It: BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR.

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2008)

Best movie of the year.
It's on everyone's mind, isn't it? I mean, a legendary performance by Heath Ledger, a beautifully shot action movie with the drama of seeing the transformation of Harvey Dent into Two-Face... What other movie this year is parallel to The Dark Knight? Heath Ledger's introduction in the film is flawless, and continues to impress. When people say "Heath Ledger doesn't play the joker, he IS the joker", they're not kidding. This man's got talent, and it's a shame he had to pass at such a young age. Though not his final film, Heath Ledger has truly shown his amazing talent in The Dark Knight. The joker is a super villain without parallel. I've gotta say, the Joker is probably my favorite thing about this movie.
Christian Bale. What is there to say? A well played Batman in Batman Begins, and another great performance in this sequel. Nolan wanted Bale to do most of the high sequence shots without CGI, so the film is beautiful and realistic. If you liked Christian Bale's performance in Batman Begins, you won't be disappointed as he has improved in becoming the darker, more pensive Batman.
Though the Joker is the poster-boy of The Dark Knight, the film is mainly focusing on the transformation of Harvey Dent into the Joker. If you're looking for drama, this movie works on all levels. Even the significance of the name, The Dark Knight. Harvey Dent is the White Knight of Gotham City, a hero without a mask. As the movie progresses, you'll see the darker evils of what a man will do when he loses what he cherishes most in life.
Other thoughts? Batpod introduction was brilliant. Joker's performance only gets more wicked and twisted in the second and third acts, with a twisted smile and plenty of makeup, showing you how insane he truly is. Michael Caine is wonderful as always, and Morgan Freeman as Luscious Fox was fun to watch.
This is the best movie of the year. Period.