This movie has very little or no hope in it; it is a classic superhero "we can never defeat evil, only make it less" story. But the scary part in this movie is that evil is seen in the good guys as well--it portrays the reality of life. Heath Ledger's character is one of the most dynamic and frighteningly real villains I have ever seen. A very good movie if you want to be left pondering evil in the real world.