The plot: Batman, DA Harvey Dent, and Lt. Jim Gordon, are on a quest to clean up the streets of Gotham City by cracking down on mob activities. Unfortunately, the mob becomes the least of their worries when the insane criminal mastermind The Joker wreaks havoc on Gotham. Can the Joker be stopped or will his actions cause irreparable damage?

As a longtime “Batman” fan who has suffered through countless miserable theatrical, made for DVD and televised films/shows, I was absolutely overwhelmed with joy after seeing “The Dark Knight.” ‘Knight’ is the “Batman” film I had been waiting to see my whole life. Gone is the campy humor, the neon colors, the unfaithful to the comics material, and the corny villains that plagued the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films. Instead, we have a rich and deep “Batman” tale about crime, politics, law, corruption, anarchy and good and evil thanks to screenwriters Jonathan and Christopher Nolan. These guys clearly know their “Batman” as they really captured the spirit of “Batman” from classic stories such as “The Long Halloween” and “The Killing Joke.” More importantly, the writers nearly nailed the character of Batman and the universe he inhabits. Sure, we can argue that Gotham City should have looked less like Chicago and that Batman shouldn’t have used guns, but the Dark Knight has never been more like the Dark Knight on screen. It’s nice to see him do detective work, work with Gordon, and act like a vigilante hero who must make difficult (and law-breaking) choices in order save the lives of others. That’s the Batman we know and love.

As for the cast, you really can’t ask for a better group of actors and actresses. First and foremost, Heath Ledger steals the show here. He gives an absolute tour de force performance as the infamous Joker. Rarely have we seen such a psychotic and scary villain in all of cinema. Not only does he appear to have no motive, but his murderous actions have a real impact on the city and the characters. Equally superb was Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent and Two-Face. His transition from an honest, good man to a madman was utterly believable. As for Christain Bale, he certainly nails Bruce Wayne, but I still have issues with him as Batman. He tends to try too hard to disguise his voice and it sometimes comes off as comical. I’m hoping he can improve his voice in the next film. Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine also give their usual great performances.