This movie definitely lives up to all of the hype and expectations that were put upon it by the fans and media alike. Heath Ledger was brilliant as the Joker---truly a maniacal character. Bale was good as well. All of the acting was pretty good. I really didn't care for the casting of Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel--I really think that they could have picked someone better for the role. But she was adequate. The movie was full of action, had a great storyline, and a lot of little twists. And for being as long as it was, it sure didn't seem like it was that long. There really weren't any times that I felt a scene was just thrown in with no meaning. Overall, it was a fantastic movie that I plan on seeing again, most likely in the IMAX format this time though.