Massively overrated

Rating: 6/10 (7 October 2008)

Forget all the hype of it being the best film ever and it being the best film of 2008 and Heath Ledger being fantastic. None of these things are true. Yes the film is good, bordering on very good. But that's it, no way is it as great as everyone is making out. Let's start at the beginning the story, the story is just not involving enough, there's a power struggle between gangsters and Batman/the police, the Joker offers to kill Batman in exchange for half the gangsters money. The end. That's it? that's the whole story? Yeah, OK we have the relationship angle with Rachel and Harvey and Bruce but seriously what a ridiculously dull storyline. The action is good without ever being exciting or involving, personally I didn't care how many anonymous henchmen Batman fought with or how many faceless extras were put in danger by the Joker. This film needed a major face off between the two and that just didn't happen. As for Heath Ledger's performance, the characters name is called the Joker, clue is in the title, he just wasn't funny. I can't remember a single wisecrack in the whole film. Joe Pesci in Goodfellas is the perfect template of how to play the Joker - likable, hilarious with a serious threat of explosive violence. Heath just wandered about looking like a mad goth grumbling in a Richard Nixon voice. As for Harvey two face what really was the point in introducing him right at the very end of the film? a total waste of a character. Overall I feel slightly cheated by this film. It's not the fantastic movie I was expecting, it's an above average sequel. Nor is it up there with THE great superhero films Superman - The Movie and Superman 2, Spiderman and Spiderman 2. These are great superhero films, these set the benchmark way above whatever this can reach. An enjoyable film but not worthy of it's overblown status.