Not perfect but darned entertaining

Rating: 6/10 (18 July 2008)

So this movie has been mega-hyped and I did see it on opening day. I enjoyed it, though I'm not sure I'd sit through it again.
First, the positive points. There is nice eye-candy for the female movie-goer in Bale and Eckhart. The performances all around are stellar. Obviously, Ledger's Joker is amazing. I personally found it to be one of the best performances I've seen in an actor (this may be ironic but I found it as chilling as Nicholson's role in The Shining). He was superb and I found myself waiting for the scenes in which he would reappear. I also though Gary Oldman did some very nice work. His performance was restrained in the right places and emotionally wrought in others. Eckhart and Caine were really terrific in their roles as well. Freeman played the same character he always does and that was fine. Maggie Gyllenhaal was unwatchable. Horrible acting on a horribly written character. And I don't mean to be rude, but she is way too homely looking for the viewer to believe uber-hotties would be lusting after her. She was terrible.
The negatives: The movie is way too long. I found it uncomfortably long. Bale's Batman voice grated on my nerves. I appreciate the intensity and artistic style of this movie, but it just wasn't a whole lot of fun. It was dark, heavy, brooding, and a bit depressing.
Recommended but not loved.