The Masterpiece of Masterpieces

Rating: Null/10 (12 August 2008)

I have been following this movie for over two and a half years, checking my sources daily for any new information that was available. And it is safe to say that is surpassed ALL expectations.
I will not be giving anything away, so there is no need for a spoiler alert to those of you that haven't seen it.
This movie was and is one of the greatest movies of all time. When you watch it, you don't feel like you're watching a comic book, but you are instead watching a crime epic like Heat or The Departed.
Christian Bale plays both a convincing Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight himself, Batman. He brings this character to a new level that far surpasses any other Batman, be it Michael Keaton in Batman '89 and Batman Returns, Val Kilmer in Batman Forever (my personal favorite out of the Burton/Schumacher films), and George Clooney in Batman & Robin (by far the worst Batman/Bruce Wayne in all 7 installments of the live action Batman franchise --yes, even worse than Adam West). Bale was far superior in The Dark Knight, than even his outstanding performance in Batman Begins.
Maggie Gyllenhaal was an upgrade from Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, the original actress to play the love interest of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins. In the Dark Knight as she takes on the difficult love triangle between Bruce, herself, and Harvey Dent --the new district attorney.
Aaron Eckhart was perfect for the role of Harvey Dent, a.k.a., Two-Face. You'll have to see him for yourselves, to understand his true volatile nature, and why he was so perfect for this role.
Others who reprised their roles from Batman Begins, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Gary Oldman as Lt. Jim Gordon, and Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred, are once again outstanding. And everyone from Eric Roberts to Michael Jai White, to Monique Curnen was great in his or her roles as well.
And last, but definitely not least, the one who stole the show, Heath Ledger as the vile and twisted JOKER. The Late actor gave us one of the most memorable movie characters of all time, not to mention one of the best portrayals of a villain, which greatly challenges other great villains from Hannibal Lecter to Darth Vader. Heath's performance touches you in a way that has you leave the theater shaking. As you watch him, he constantly surprises you, and everything he does makes you glad that he was chosen for this role. His performance far surpasses that of Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman '89.
It is not only wrong to assume that this brilliantly played role, perfectly executed by the late Heath Ledger, is what led to his sad and untimely death, but it is also extremely insulting, both to Ledger's talent as an actor, and credibility as a person. Shame on everyone who assumes such a thing.
If he does not get at least a best supporting actor nomination for an academy award, I would like to see the performance that beats his. And if he did actually win an academy award for his performance, it wouldn't be a sympathy win, he really truly deserves a win, or at least a nomination. Even Michael Caine was suggesting Ledger's performance Oscar-worthy, even before Ledger passed away. Now, the whole cast is backing that suggestion up.
I say the same, that this movie at least deserves a Best Picture win or at least a nomination. I don't say this because I am a die-hard Batman fan, but I say this because this is one of the greatest movies of the to ever make it's way to the big screen. Not only is this possibly the greatest comic book/ Superhero movie of all time, but it's possibly one of the greatest movies ever MADE.
It was and still is a MASTERPIECE. A masterpiece in story, character development, visual effects, cinematography, MUSIC, and anything else you can name. It was the fastest 2 hrs and 45 min of my life. Not once did I look at my watch and say, "Man, when does this end, it's 2:00 AM!" The midnight showing was awesome! But hey, don't take my word for it. Go see it for yourself. It's going to be in theaters for a long time. All I can tell you is, expect the unexpected.
I'll close with one word of advice. Try and see this as many times as you can before it leaves the theaters. I've seen it thrice!