The movie was very good. I think it's been more than a little overhyped, however. I heard one review where they said all they could do was "stagger" out of the theater when it was over, they were so in awe. OK... it wasn't THAT fantastic. But it was very entertaining. The special effects were great. However the story line was distractingly disjointed in places and the "new" Rachel was bland. And Heath Ledger as the Joker was so brilliant in his portrayal that he badly upstaged Christian Bale's Batman. You found yourself waiting and anticipating the Joker's scenes instead of Batman's. All in all, a fun ride and well worth every dollar to see.