"It's called hide the pencil...."

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2008)

Now get that mind out of the gutter. This is my "The Dark Knight" official review. No Spoilers, no worries.
I just want to say that right off the bat (no pun intended) Nolan is a genius. Technically he stole my idea...but I'm okay with it. He didn't have opening credits....I thought of that idea when I first started getting into film four years ago. So he got the nod from me quickly.
The music was amazing. Why? Because if you were to listen to the first two pieces of the film without watching the film, or know where it was from, you would be creeped out or just drop your jaw. Not to mention it is so different from the score of Batman Begins.
The writing for the film was impeccable. Well done by both the Nolan brothers. I did hear a couple complaints about the dialogue being some-what "unconventional." However when have you ever watched a good film with anything but it. Excluding stupid comedies. I think this was the most I have ever really read into what people were saying during any film I've seen.
The shots are amazing. Because all of the stunts are real and they don't use much CGI it almost makes you nervous for the actors, but it made it that much more enjoyable. Which in turn made the shots indescribable.
The directing was immaculate. I would expect nothing less from Nolan. I can't really put into words what he has done for the Batman World. All I can say is: In Nolan We Trust.
Now the acting. Bale was as good as he was in Begins, if not better. For those of you that discussed Begins with me, know the only problem I had was his voice under the cowl. In this it didn't bother me as much. Michael Caine, disappointingly was not as present as he was in Begins, but he still had the British charm, and had some key lines that really hit me. Morgan Freeman played a much bigger role in this film. And I enjoyed him more in TDK. And it has left me intrigued to see what direction they take his character in the next one. Maggie Gyllenhaal! What a surprise she was. Wayyyy better than Katie Holmes. And I think she definitely added some sex appeal to the film. Aaron Eckhart, was very very convincing being Harvey Dent. I was a little concerned about how well the Bruce/Harvey story would go because in the comics they were good friends. They developed that well, and a very friendly rivalry also went on between them. But how friendly was it really? Now to the guy. The one name that deserves his own paragraph. Heath. Before I write about his performance, I just want to say. I had my doubts. I kind of was unsure about an Oscar nod. The Oscar system is a tough one to infiltrate in the acting world. However, after seeing this, in my mind he was hands down the best villain I have ever had the enjoyment of watching. In some instances, I couldn't breathe while watching what he was going to do next. It is definitely Oscar worthy. The biggest thing that did it for me was his voice. If you have ever heard what Heath really sounded like, and what he sounds like in all of his movies, but haven't seen the movie, see it. It is worth the 10.25 or 14.50 for the voice alone. Oddly comical, convincingly evil and just a creepy son of a bitch. Well done Heath.
As for the movie as a whole, I have never given a 5/5 or a 10/10 in any movie ever. I always find a problem or an issue. Even in The Prestige, which was the closest to my favorite movie as you are going to get, had issues with me. But this movie is the only, and probably will always be the only, film I will give a 10/10 score. So, that being said, well done to everyone involved. And enjoy making 200 million + this weekend.