The more realistic portrayal of the characters over the first series of Batmans is more attractive and gripping. Heath Ledger's performance definitely lives up to the hype.
The movie runs a little long, but at such points there is a lot more action. So, it ends up being worth it. Also, I saw the 11p show, so that may have played into the fact that I wanted it to be over towards the end.
Overall, I liked the movie and highly recommend it.