The Dark Knight is pitch perfect from beginning to end. Heath Ledger plays a Joker so fearsome that he could carry the movie on his own. Luckily he doesn't have to because all the other actors are firmly entrenched in their characters. Christian Bale plays an increasingly reluctant Batman while Aaron Eckhart is the up and coming DA Harvey Dent out to clean up Gotham the legitimate way.
While a little long and dense, the story never loses pace. It will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole 2 and a half hour run time.