An absolute masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2008)

I can safely say that this movie is going to set the standards for a long time - not just in the superhero genre, but almost every action, crime, and drama film that comes after it. Beyond simply upping the ante from Batman Begins, The Dark Knight both in film and character managed to surprise me.
A short plot summary will suffice. It's been approximately a year since the events of the first movie. Bruce Wayne is still Batman and he now lives in his Wayne Tower penthouse while the manor is still being rebuilt. Most of the city's criminals are running scared and frightened, now that the Gotham PD has been purged of its corrupt elements and that it's backing Batman through the newly formed Major Crimes Unit, headed by Lieutenant Gordon. Another threat to the criminal underworld arises in Harvey Dent, the newly elected District Attorney, an idealist and a fearless prosecutor.
However, a new threat arises as a mysterious figure with no apparent origin seems to come out of the darkness and take control of the criminal underworld, a sinister mastermind known as the Joker. Batman is tested to his greatest limits to try and stop the Joker from exacting a reign of terror upon the city.
Beyond just the fantastic plot, the film manages to reach a level of acting, cinematography, and action choreography that few if any before it have been able to master. Bale is perfect as Batman, and Heath Ledger was the perfect role for the Joker; despite what the critics say, his untimely demise had nothing to do with the popularity of his role, his acting speaks for itself. Aaron Eckhart deserves a lot of attention for his role as Dent as well, making his transformation into Two-Face plausible. Maggie Gyllenhaal serves as a fantastic replacement to Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, both in acting capability and in role. Although her role in the movie is quite limited, she manages to make the best possible thing out of it.
A must-see, possibly the movie of the year. Don't miss it!