Great stunts, make up and doesn't rest on one man's shoulders

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2010)

I'm not really a huge fan of Batman films so I wasn't itching to go and see this. I read excellent reviews and I must admit I was curious to see this amazing performance by the late Heath Ledger. As soon as I booked the tickets I put in a copy of Batman Begins just to catch up and I loved the new take on this story. Probably not convincing to some but I loved the reality of it. By the end of the film I couldn't wait to see The Dark Knight. I was worried it would be a huge anti-climax as I hadn't read one bad review. I needn't have worried! I sat there mouth open wide with a gob full of popcorn and just sat there mesmerized when the Joker first made an appearance. It wasn't just the Joker's ability to make the audience laugh and terrify them at the same time it was the amazing stunts (one in particular involving a police van, the Joker and Batman). Christian Bale was brilliantly convincing as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Negative points some reviews choose to include were that the film sagged when the Joker wasn't in it which I don't agree with. Ledger was amazing in it I have to agree but you only have to see it for yourself to know that this film's success doesn't rest on one man's shoulders. I would give the cast and crew A lot more credit than that. Special mention to the special effects makeup team for Aaron Eckhart - just excellent and scared me so much that I was scared to go to the toilet while he was on screen. The only downside was that I wasn't keen on Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel. I wouldn't knock her as an actress because I liked her in Stranger than Fiction but I think once an actress (Katie Holmes - Batman Begins) has already made the role her own it is hard to imagine anyone else as the character. I loved the new take on this film and would definite be up for the next one.