Best comic book film ever

Rating: 10/10 (19 March 2014)

When it is discussed what is the greatest comic book film of all time I understand why some people will pick films like The Avengers, however, this film has no equal and is the greatest comic book film of all time. This film is set almost a year after Batman Begins with Batman, Lieutenant Gordon and new District Attorney Harvey Dent taking down the mob until the criminal known as The Joker brings a reign of terror to Gotham. First of all Christian Bale is the best Bruce Wayne/Batman we have ever had as he personified the split personalities that Wayne has to go through and he really nails the way his character has to interact with different characters in different situations. The supporting cast are also all awesome and you can't talk about this film without talking about the late Heath Ledger's Oscar winning performance as The Joker. This is easily the greatest performance in a comic book film ever with Ledger personifying the character of The Joker with the terrifying nature and also the dark humour the character truly has. Michael Cain returned as Alfred and his role was great with his comic relief providing a great contrast to the dark tone of the film. Aaron Eckhart was a bit of a surprise as Harvey Dent and he was fantastic with this performance showing his true acting ability giving the character justice with this phenomenal performance. Recasting can be difficult for some people but I think Maggie Gyllenhall did a good job as Rachel Dawes with her chemistry with Bale being good and her role being important to the overall story, also it must be mentioned that Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman return and once again do great in their roles. The story really links to Batman lore and adds layers to what could have been a simplistic story, it also adds shocking moments that make the story feel just epic. The script is superb with the dialogue being superb and the back and forth between characters especially Joker being phenomenal. The style is perfect for the film, with the dark, gritty style really working for this more realistic world that this Batman is set in. Overall this is one of the best films of all time and is phenomenal, I am glad Heath Ledger got this phenomenal performance before his tragic passing and I hope he is remembered for this epic performance.