So I just saw The Dark Knight today (same movie, just a few days later) and here is my SPOILER FREE commentary on the film.

The Dark Knight is the sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. First off, I have to say every movie-goer this year has to witness this movie. It would be a shame not to see Christopher Nolan's interpritation of the Caped Crusader. Now, let's proceed. I will break this down into a few sections:

-- Entertainment -- No other movie this year (for me) has delivered such intensity as The Dark Knight. The explosions, incredible. The acting, superb. If you are to pay $10 on a movie, let this set the bar for the standards. High action, with few slower moments. But I didn't even care if things ran a little dry, becuase the movie flows in a way that carries the plot and story throughout the entire experience. If you see one movie in 08, make it The Dark Knight. [5/5]

-- Acting -- Christian Bale's performance as Batman shows no mercy on the previous iterations from the likes of Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton. Heath Ledger's take on the Joker is chilling and disturbing, yet relatable. The way he brings in his back story peels back the layers of the character. I actually missed not seeing Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, but Maggie Gyllenhaal did a fine job bringing her flair as Gotham City's DA. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent / Two-Face added was a great addition to an already amazing cast. (Honorable mentions also go to Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman) [5/5]

-- Presentation -- As I said, Christopher Nolan's take on Batman and Gotham City is a masterpiece in itself. The camera work is incredible (I didn't view the movie in IMAX, but it looks great wherever it is shown), and the cast does an amazing job of bringing the city to life. The Dark Knight takes you through the entire city of Gotham and shows what it would be like if the city actually existed, and all in a glorious manner. Some scenes were a little hard to view, but that is just my take, not a complaint. [5/5]

-- Overall -- Hands down, The Dark Knight has to be seen. It is one of the best movies this summer, and for good reason. A five star cast, a brilliant vision from director Christopher Nolan, incredible presentation, and quite possibly one of the only comic-book movies to do the genre right. Go watch this movie, it is worth every penny.

5/5*

*(The opinions of this critique are my own, and in no way does this reflect the views of this blog)