I need to lower the marks for the other movies I rated

Rating: 10/10 (28 June 2009)

Giving a movie 10/10 can and should be considered a cop-out. First of all, nothing in this world is completely perfect, no matter how much we think something is at any given moment. Later on, I will probably see this movie again and will not be as emotionally shocked as I was when I fist saw it. However, I am writing this review as I judge it at this very moment...which is all I am capable of doing.
The movie is about Batman and his continued struggles with fighting crime and leading a normal existence as a regular human being at the same time. A powerful crime syndicate rises up and threatens the very fabric of Gotham itself, but the real danger soon materializes in the form of a singular crazed lunatic called The Joker. Unlike other Batman movies, the Joker character is not given an origin story within the framework of the movie. The Joker himself offers several explanations as to why he is the way he is during the movie, but he is shown to just be a crazy goof making the stuff up as he goes along. Harvey Dent, the Gotham DA, is hell bent on rounding up the criminals and fixing Gotham without having to break or bend the laws that he believes everyone must follow. Dent is seen as Gotham's savior in Human form and is a perfect perpendicular to Bruce Wayne's Batman. They work together to catch the Joker and deal with the arrival of Gotham's newest enemy, Two-Face.
Without giving any spoilers away, this movie is the bomb-diggity. To me, the human condition is the greatest character in this movie. The true inner nature of people and how each one of us has a constant good vs. evil battle going on every day is what is explored throughout the story. Sadly, the good part does not always win.
Of course, Heath Ledger was great as the Joker. He reinvented the character and played it completely differently than Jack Nicholson did in the original Batman movie. This Joker was ruthless and very, very scary. Two-Face was a sympathetic character; you felt for his plight and knew that since he had little to live for, it would end badly for him. Batman / Bruce Wayne is simply caught in the middle again and is misunderstood by everyone except his butler. Michael Cane, by the way, is the quintessential Alfred; I really enjoy when he is on screen.
I laughed, I cried, I was amazed. This movie had pretty much everything in it. After Spiderman 2, I thought that was the greatest movie I had ever seen. After watching it several more times, I realized how silly some of it was. This movie is not silly at all; it is a serious and poignant take on a character and universe. 10/10