Anyone who knows me knows that Batman is my favorite comic book character.  When The Dark Knight was announced, I couldn’t be more excited to see it.  After all, I think Chris Nolan did a great job with Batman Begins.  With my high expectations - believe me, I tried to lower them - Farrah and I headed into the IMAX theater at the Metreon to watch The Dark Knight.  Did we like it?  What do you think?

Following my standard review format, here’s what I thought of the Dark Knight.

The Netflix summary:

Batman (Christian Bale) teams with Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to continue dismantling Gotham City's criminal organizations in this sequel to Batman Begins. But a psychotic new villain known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) threatens to undo all their good work. The star-studded cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Caine, and Eric Roberts.

What I Liked

The acting all around was great.  By now you’ve heard Heath Ledger does a great job as the Joker.  Farrah and I, as well as probably many others, found this a sad fact. It was such a well-rounded, strong, and memorable performance. It is a shame we will no longer see him on screen. But the acting by Christian Bale, Eckhart, Gyllenhall, and others are on par with Ledger, making this a well-rounded Gotham City.

Gotham City itself is impressive, as is Batman’s journey to other places.  The cool toys are just enough to get by, and the movie moves at an impressive pace.  It does not slow down, making the 152 minutes fly by.

What I Didn’t Enjoy

I still have an issue with Bale’s Batman voice, something I pointed out in my review of Batman Begins. It’s scary, I suppose, but something just does not click with me when he’s talking.

Final Thoughts

I would not think it possible, but The Dark Knight exceeded my expectations.  For me tops Iron Man (**** out of 5) and Indiana Jones (***) as my favorite film of the summer.

Rating: ***** out of 5