This is one of the few times where a movie lives up to its hype. Bale, Eckheart, Oldman & Caine all turn in top notch performances; however, it is Ledger's mesmorizing performance as the Joker that makes the movie. Both his performance and the movie deserve Oscar nominations. The movie flies by even at 2 1/2 hour run time. Strong script, amazing cinematography (I-MAX is the way to go on this one) and solid direction backed by all actors on full cylindars. A caution to parents, this is a violent movie and deserves a PG-13 if not R rating, see it first before taking the kids. By all accounts this is a must see.