entertaining yes, but still a comic book story

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2008)

I enjoyed the film, but can't go along with the many raves that have been posted here. I will agree that the performances of all the actors (especially Ledger) were very well done, which is a credit to the director. I think I should warn parents of pre-teens that this movie has several scenes which are too intense for younger viewers and I'm glad that I've not seen any fast-food chain tie-ins to market this movie. It is definitely for adults. The main reason that I can't rate this movie any higher is that it had a number of plot elements that just jolted me back to reality and made me realize that my "suspension of disbelief" just wouldn't stretch that far. For all the carefully written dialog, special effects and cinematography, it is still a comic book story that did not draw me into the characters lives and move me in any profound way. Just my opinion, but a "great" movie should do that.