Too dark, too violent, too long! Heath Ledger is terrific, but the story line is not compelling in any way. Special effects and actiion scenes are well done, as you would expect, but by the third hour (!), the viewer tires of all the crashes and booms. Christian Bale is a suave Bruce Wayne, but as Batman he more resembles a poor man's Darth Vader, especially with that annoying breathy voice! Meanwhile, fine actors like Michael Cain and Morgan Freeman appear to be sleepwalking through their slender roles. By the time it's finally over, the Dark Knight has deteriorated from dark and haunting to merely grotesque and annoying.