Ledger's Joker is superb, but Jack's Joker is better

Rating: 8/10 (21 July 2008)

I must admit Heath gave a superb performance in the movie, but his character comes across more like a thug w/ bad make-up. Despite the praises heaped upon the actor up to the high heavens, I'm not sure if his interpretation of the Joker embodies what the creator originally envisioned him to be. If the premise is to reinterpret the character from ground up and depart from the original vision, then we might as well call Ledger's Joker Mr Serious w/ the Mutilated Clown Face, no? Why continue to use the Joker's name for such a humorless portrayal? Contrast that to Jack's Joker who made us laugh & secretly cringe in fear SIMULTANEOUSLY. IMHO, that's the beauty of Jack's Joker & one tough act to follow, while Ledger's Joker is deadpan serious and is hell bent to terrorize viewers throughout the movie, and occasionally guffaws only when he's indulging in some sadistic act. Viewers deserve an occasional joke to break the serious undertones of the movie.