Living up to all its hype, which a film rarely does, is just one of the things that sits The Dark Knight apart. The acting, script depth, and over all dark energy of the film puts it above all "comic book" movies to-date.
I wish i could say Heath Ledger's "Joker" was the star of the show, but as it is...only the Joker is the star of the show. Not once can you say...there's Ledger! Heath does not exist in this role. An Oscar is worthy.
While the film may not be perfect with and may contain plot holes, they are small and insignificant to the power this movie envelops the viewer.