The Dark Knight : 5 of 5

Until now, Batman Begins was the best Batman movie ever made, and now it's been topped by this incredible sequel! All of the fantastic dark, serious, and realistic elements of the first movie are back in full-force, completely embracing the nature of Batman as merely a human who constantly must keep his own sense of justice in check. This is exactly why the Joker is such a perfect villain, since he represents an even darker side of the Dark Knight, and this film's new version of this classic character is sheer genius. Heath Ledger's development of the Joker is so perfect, since his voice and mannerisms transform him into a deranged nerd gone wild - even though no true backstory is given (since the Joker's own story telling changes on a whim), you can almost imagine his personality and events that might have lead to his crime spree. The musical score really adds to the Joker's scenes as well. At certain moments a long, slow crescendo begins that keeps rising until a dramatic moment explodes on the screen, and it certainly adds tension and apprehension that something is about to erupt! As soon as I heard the name Harvey Dent in the trailer, I knew there was a second villain in the mix as well (minor spoiler!), but it's a shame that a cool character like Two-Face has such a short time in the movie. Actually, my only complaint is The Dark Knight really seems like two movies pushed together, which could have easily been made into separate normal-length films (although I'm sure the director must have a had a reason, which will probably come out in the third movie!). Of course, the action and effects are incredible and the Batpod is really cool, but they don't overshadow the actors or take over the story at all. I can't decide if The Dark Knight is the best super hero movie ever, but there's no doubt that it's earned the title of "best Batman ever"!