What happened? Movies nowadays aren't SUPPOSED to be this good

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2008)

I have come home from the theater and I am simply floored. Not since the Lord Of The Rings films have I left my local multiplex in this much awe.
I hadn't seen any of the summer blockbusters this year. "Indiana Jones"... "Iron Man"... "The Hulk"... I let them all pass by. So I think I can safely say that if you can only see ONE of the summer blockbusters of 2008, make it "The Dark Knight".
Heath Ledger (rest in peace, you wonderful, wonderful maniac) portrays the Joker like no one ever before (Jack who?). He truly creates what the Joker is supposed to be: a fearless, sane madman who truly is the only person in the world that actually frightens Batman. It's not a spoiler to say how much I loved the Joker's magic trick with the pencil.
Apart from that, the movie also explores exactly how outside the law Batman is, and what lengths both he and Commissioner Gordon will travel to bring the Joker to justice. Stunning, dramatic and unpredictable- and there's not one slice of "cheese" (you know, what has plagued ol' Bats ever since he first stepped in front of the cameras) in this whole film.
...Downsides? Christian Bale could probably stop growling so much, but that doesn't warrant removing a star. 10 out of 10.