A masterpiece - Likely to constitute a serious indictment on the Oscar system...

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2008)

First things first.
This film is not a comic book movie. It is not an action movie. To reduce it to these archetypes would be completely unfair.
To fairly represent this movie it must be seen for what it is - It is a dramatic suspense film that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the surprisingly long running time (surprising in that it goes by so fast, and also that the studio allowed Christoper Nolan to cut it this long) Batman Begins was seen by most to be a triumph in the comic adaptation genre. However, it did remain a comic adaptation in many ways.
The Dark Knight goes beyond that. This film blows suspense up to a city-wide level, and raises the stakes to a breathtaking level. It recalls the suspenseful nature of films by the likes of David Fincher, Ridley Scott, and even the master, Alfred Hitchcock.
It's crafted in such a way that each action seems both inevitable and unbelievable, and so even for fans of the comic book who believe they know where it is going, it is an astounding achievement.
The film looks spectacular, thanks to Nolan's regular cinematographer Wally Pfister. Gotham city looks brighter, yet more ominous during the day, and danker and more dangerous at night.
The performances are as spectacular as many had expected and/or hoped. Bale returns in fine form as the titular character, and can't be faulted too much. Eckhart debuts as District Attorney Harvey Dent, and the storyline effectively revolves around him and his war on organised crime in Gotham. There are fine supporting performances from the returning Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, as well as the newcomers Eric Roberts, Nestor Carbonell and Maggie Gyllenhaal (who thankfully takes over from Katie Holmes as Bruce Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes).
However, if the action centres on Harvey Dent, then the action IS Heath Ledger's performance as the maniacal Joker. In one of the finest film performances of the last decade, Ledger puts in what will end up being an unforgettable final (complete) performance that will have almost everyone buzzing about a potential posthumous Academy Award.
I cannot reiterate enough - Not only is this film excellent, and highly enjoyable to watch, but it is of such a fine quality that it should really transcend the typical box created for films that are deemed to not contain the correct "subject matter". Much in the way Rocky transcended the typical "sports movie", so this transcends the typical "comic book movie" - It is much more than that, and should legitimately be considered come Oscar season. If this movie cannot earn some consideration by the Academy, they might as well come out and call them the Academy Awards for slow-paced, moody dramas, because this is the best film I have seen in a long time, and that's including the crop that were nominated for best picture last year.
In short, go see this movie. If you, or your friends, or anyone you know has been excited about this movie to come out, then just know that everything that they were excited for is justified.
Go see it - You'll enjoy it, because it's terrific. There's not much more to say.