Where do I begin? The Dark Knight is, without a doubt, the best comic book movie ever made. It is among the best crime films ever made. It might be among the best films ever made. Everything in this movie is extraordinary: the acting, the script, the cinematography. It all comes together into the most perfect cinematic portrayal of the dark, brutal world of Gotham City ever.

One cannot say enough about Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker; at last, the character is portrayed as the gleefully psychotic mass-murderer that he was when he was first introduced in the comics. And yet, this is a distinctly modern, unique portrayal of the Joker. He is more like a terrorist whose only ideology is chaos than a comic book supervillain. This is a Joker that people in the 21st century can believe and fear. Ledger deserves every bit of the posthumous praise he has received and more.

Although none of them match Ledger, the rest of the cast is also fantastic. Christian Bale reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and the focus has shifted somewhat since Batman Begins. Less attention is paid to his tortured past, and the movie focuses on his stringent moral code, which handicaps him against the murderous Joker, a man with "no rules." Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Sir Michael Caine all return to their roles, and they are excellent, as they always are. Aaron Eckhart plays District Attorney Harvey Dent, and the character's story arc is a brilliant foil for Batman's, in ways that I won't reveal. If one complaint can be levied against the cast, it is that Maggie Gyllenhall is no better as Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes was. This really is the fault of the character, though. Here's hoping that when The Dark Knight Rises arrives, Selena Kyle and "Miranda Tate" do not follow Christopher Nolan's track record of shallow female characters.

The scope of this film is absolutely epic. The story is intricate, and brilliantly written. Wally Pfister's cinematography conveys the incredible size of the film, and the extensive use of IMAX is absolutely stunning. Christopher Nolan's meticulous hand is evident in every shot of the film, and each one is a visual treat. Hans Zimmer's score is equally sweeping. Unlike so many superhero films, this is not only directed at the geek who loves comics. This is a movie for anyone who likes movies. Perhaps the only downside is that you will start comparing every movie you see to The Dark Knight, and just about all of them will fall short.

I don't even think i can put words to it simply amazing truely the best outside of my imagination growing up with the comics couldnt have picked a better actor for the joker ledger(RIP) was a great pick. Theres no other way then to say souly this movie was insane.
For ever a ladybat -Lydia

I'll admit, I'm a Batman fanatic. I've got a Batman and Joker tattoo, I've spent thousand collecting Batman memorabilia. One would think that a simple 'this movie is perfect' review would suffice...but I'll go deeper. Deeper as to why The Dark Knight is the perfect movie, action packed but complex. Wonderful, yet bleak. Christopher Nolan gives us the ultimate crime drama, superhero, action, character study ever put to film.

First, the characters. Christian Bale is perfect as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Charming, witty, still driven by guilt and fear..fear of never fully avenging his parents. As Batman he's cold, calculating...stoic. Heath Ledger is the clown prince of crime, The Joker. Insane, a raging dog unleashed...yet beneath the corpse paint and insanity, a sense of intelligence. We know he's always thinking, always scheming. Gary Oldman plays Commissioner Gordon to a subtle perfection. He's the perfect foil to Batman, still needing to follow the word of the law, but torn to his loyalty to the Dark Knight as he knows it's the only way to stop The Joker. Aaron Eckhart is Harvey Dent, and later Two-Face. The perfect opposite to Batman. The white knight, Gotham's face of purity and good. Bathing in the light of the media; not hiding in the shadows.

Christopher Nolan sets up a gritty, realistic Gotham for our characters to interact in. It's fantastical, yet rooted in reality. It could be any major city, it could be our city. Just as it appears Batman and Gordon are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of crime Gotham's been crawling through, The Joker appears. A man with no motive other than chaos. He just wants to watch the city burn. Batman must face The Joker but also himself, in a battle that will change everyone forever.

What also makes The Dark Knight great is the deeply layered, complex story. Everyone has their ulterior motives, their fears, their pride, and their love to deal with while the events unfold. The Joker plays on it. He knows how Bruce feels under the cowl. That he'll never fully belong. That his decision to fight crime as Batman has forced him to the fringe of society. Like The Joker, he's a freak, an outcast. Trying to show that what he's doing is what he feels he should be doing, but that Gotham will never fully understand that.

Batman knows this, he knows what The Joker is doing. It's this type of mind game that is the heart of The Dark Knight and the story it's telling. Underneath all the action, explosions, gunfire, and darkness...there are people. People that must find a way to co-exist, or die trying.

I recommend this movie to anyone on the planet. It's directed perfectly, paced perfectly, acted perfectly. There is no higher praise I can give to a film that's so ambitious and bold. It will stay with you forever.

This is my all time favorite movie!!! The story kept me hooked all the way through the movie. Usually, longer movies make me lose interest but this movie had my attention the whole time. This movie keeps you actually scared by Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Heath Ledger's performance was breath taking. To me, he is the best Joker! But I might be biased by being a huge Heath fan but I think he earned his spot in the Villain Hall of Fame and the Best Performances in Movies Hall of Fame. If you haven't seen this, then you are missing out. R.I.P. Heath!

So right off, I'm not a huge fan of the super hero stuff. But the thing about Dark Knight that goes for me, is that it's so much more than just another comic book hero type of movie! Batman is brought to life, through a combination of fantastic acting and the magic behind taking the classic story and creating a feature movie out of it. It's hard to describe how great the overall production was, because there was just much that went into making it fantastic. The shifting balance between good and evil in Gotham, and in some of the main characters themselves. The heartbreak of tragedy and the chaos of catastrophe and overall the masterful terror seen in one of the greatest villains ever- The Joker. Heath Ledger will always be remembered for his terrifying laugh and his now classic lines as the villain behind this blockbuster movie. If Batman himself lacks in acting skills (what's up with the deep voice?) his greatest foe yet certainly has the talent to make up for it. Loaded with action and emotion and even some politics, Dark Knight is a film to be remembered. I fully look forward to seeing Batman face off with Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in the coming film.