This is the the type of movie comic book hero buffs have been waiting for. The Spiderman series was appreciated because they bulked up the story telling. However, much of the action was computer generated, which left you feeling short changed. Not so with Batman. So many of the stunts looked so real that you felt as though was possible to have something like this happen. Nolan ruined a very solid Batman Begins with the wholly unbelieveable Gotham elevated train scenes. However, he stuck to what was available in the streets of Chicago and didn't overenhance this time. The result is a visual masterpiece of action filmmaking. But that is not what took this movie over the top. It was the acting. Bale, Ledger, Caine, Oldman, and Freeman all brought their A games and it translated into some of the best chemistry ever seen in this type of movie. Now pair the realistic scenes, great acting, crisp storytelling, and some sprinlkings of IMAX WOW, and you have the best comic book hero to big screen ever. If every comic hero from this point forward aspires to this level, summer blockbusters have just been redefined to a level its fans have been craving for decades!!!!
I wasn't sure at first because I grew up watching Iron Man. The effects, while not groundbreaking, were used spectacularly and most importantly, at the most appropriate times and with the highest quality. They enhanced great performances and build up a familiar story line. This movie DEFINITELY makes you want more!!