by Heather Lyon

Created on: July 19, 2008   Last Updated: July 20, 2008

This is the best film I have seen this year. This movie is tell your friends and family to go see it for full price worthy. Although I see many, many films a year (I have counted 1400+ to date) I haven't seen anything lately as elegant and as well done as this film.

I enjoyed Batman Begins and Dark Night because they are elegant, cinematic, and more real than the previous Batman films. It makes on believe that these characters could almost exist somewhere beyond the comic book and screen. This movie is not a comic book movie, this is a real film based on a comic book. Batman Begins and Dark Knight have entered a realm no other comic book film series has entered before.

Health Ledger gave an excellent performance of Joker. If the Academy doesn't give him a posthumous Oscar, then they don't know what good acting is and they should all turn in their voting rights.

In Dark Knight, we go back to Gotham. Batman has been doing a good job of cleaning up the city. In fact he has done the job so well that the new DA, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is able to put a lot of the criminals behind bars. This has go the mob bosses in a bind. They can t carry out business as usual with Batman putting all their comrades behind bars (especially since all the money launderers have been locked up). Enter the Joker, a psycho that plays by no rules, and wants nothing but chaos. Nothing but his slanted version of fun motivates him. He offers get rid of Batman for the mob bosses for half of their money. Knowing that they cannot begin to do their dirty deeds again until Batman is gone, they agree. And the Joker is off, killing and creating chaos in Gotham that Batman has to stop and clean up after. How many will die before the Joker is stopped and what will be the consequences?

The effects were fantastic. There were some great scenes including lots of fights, car chases, and explosions. All of the scenes nicely done and coordinated and nothing was over the top (too much). A lot of things you won't expect, they just happen and surprise you. I love a movie that takes me for a ride and what a ride this movie is.

The acting was beyond fantastic. Heath Ledger's role was outstanding. I can't even imagine the place he had to go to pull this role off. There is nothing of him in the role, it is all Joker. Christian Bale is again excellent as the stoic Batman and the rich, seemingly fun loving, trust fund kid. I am a big fan of Aaron Eckhart and I thought he did an awesome role as Harvey Dent. Watch out Eckhart will surprise you with the depth of this role. Michael Caine is again the perfect Alfred. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a really good replacement for Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. She plays the role well and looks a lot like the original Rachel. I like how she is a strong character. I really like the grit and strength she shows in some of the final scenes of the movie. She shows us that Rachel is not just another hero's girl, she is her own character. Gary Oldman is once again solid as the Lt. James Gordon. He is great as the head of the police department looking but not looking for Batman. And of course who could forget Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Batman's Q. He makes Batman's toys. Freeman is always solid in any role that he plays. And this one is no exception.

Overall this is probably the best film you will see this year. I would go to the theater to see it again, and I am definitely adding it to my movie collection. I sat for two and half hours enraptured with this film and never once looked at my watch. I was truly entertained by this film. You don't want to miss this one.

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