OK Here's an honest review...

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2008)

People here who say they hated this movie sound a little jealous? Not sure why but it is in no way a bad film although not the masterpiece the hype has built. It is filmed very well, great editing, rich colors and shadows and is light years above the two Tim Burton movies although I like them a lot (the later ones really sucked).
But there are issues.
HERE'S THE BAD - why is the Scarecrow in this in the beginning for like two minutes? Here he's not even the Scarecrow any more just a guy with a mask and is with a team of supposed do-gooders? Didn't he go nuts in the first movie? Kind of a pointless scene. Which leads me to another point, too many sub-plots, sub-characters, etc, which is why it runs about 20 min too long.
I'm sorry but Maggie Gyllenhaal is real tough to look at. She is not a pretty lady and compared to Katie Holmes an actual dog. I hate to sound piggish but she is a distraction, I don't feel for her as a character and her acting is so sluggish and dull you almost hope she gets it to get her off the screen. One line the Joker has to her is "hello beautiful" and "and you are beautiful" which was laughable. Why a billionaire like Wayne who trots around with models would be into her is stupid, it's hard to believe Holmes is only a year younger.
Why are they obviously in Chicago? Gotham City is NYC.
Batman changes his voice so dramatically from that of Bruce Wayne's it is frankly annoying and you can barely understand him half the time. Also his character is not very interesting this time around, the action is great but he is dull as Wayne.
The plot is a bit silly because of the outrageously bad police work going on, Gotham's finest seemed to be fooled at every turn, they can't keep one guy in a cell and who's ranks are so corrupted no one can be trusted, it got a bit dumb after a while.
NOW THE GOOD. Heath Ledger is really great as The Joker, he puts a twist on it that is really creepy and he should get an Oscar nod, dead or not. The Joker himself is not a very threatening guy in theory but his ways and means to go to the ultimate levels of nuts made the whole film possible. Only I was disappointed with no end shot of him in the asylum in a straight jacket. Also Two Face's build up was very good, Aaron Eckhart did a fine job, but it is a little strange that he died so quick as he has been in the comics books for many a turn.
All in all a fun time at the movies, well worth the price of admission. Good and dark the way batman should be.
BTW This is not for kids at all, I saw several people leave during it with little kids, this is why they have ratings morons. No, your kid is not different or smarter. I mean 5 guys get killed in the first 5 minutes alone, some very brutal violence, this is not Batman circa 1967. I would say ten is old enough.