the Dark Knight: a tale of epic proportions

I was a little wary of watching the Dark Knight. With so much hype around the film and Heath Ledger, I figured that it was just an overreaction to a highly anticipated summer blockbuster. Oh, and the crowds. Gawd, the loud, gaggling crowds on opening day would make me want to tear off a limb and beat people with it.

The entire sold out theatre was pin-drop quiet throughout the whole movie. And boy was the hype, the lineup, the wait, the $10.....TOTALLY WORTH IT.

I will avoid spoilers here, but be aware that all the media coverage around this movie will not lessen your enjoyment. It surpassed all expectations. In fact, Christian Bale (the fine, superb actor that he is) was overshadowed by other characters.

Heath Ledger isn't getting all the rave reviews because he's dead. He's taken a character that was never really seen as a serious villain and turned him into one of the darkest, most twisted criminal minds ever, delivering chaos for the pure joy of it. The walk, the talk, right down to the small mannerisms and smacking of the lips, he's made the Joker a villain to really fear.

The movie goes at a nice clip--not too fast, and not too slow. The action keeps on coming in a way that keeps you piqued and not pooped at the end with parts of oohing and aahing in between. Two and a half hours feels like nothing.

The Dark Knight isn't just another superhero movie. It has transcended superheroism. It's a movie that has pulled away from the Batman franchise and stands magnificently tall on its own, raising the bar of what comics to movies can be.

I can't decide on whether I want Christopher Nolan to make another Batman. It will be incredibly hard to try to top this one.