Ledger Amazing! Gyllenhall Not.

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2008)

I went in skeptical that Ledger could pull off the Joker, but was proved wrong immediately. All of the hype about his portrayal is well-deserved. Gyllenhall was a casting mistake though. Her delivery is flat and uninspired. She's utterly unconvincing as someone who inspires the love of two of the main characters. Fortunately, Ledger, Freeman, Caine and Eckhart do a wonderful job. I walked out of the first viewing thinking that the movie ran on too long. Most movies based on comic books, including Batman Begins, have a somewhat campy feel to them, something that reminds you that this was once a cartoon or targeted to the youth. This one lacked that almost entirely. It's dark. Very dark. I found it difficult to sit through it's oppressiveness for 2.5 hours. Now that I know what to expect though, I plan to see it again to more fully appreciate what a fine movie Nolan has created.