I guess that statement could be said about the prequel Batman Begins, and to a certain extent the Spiderman series too. However, this movie plays even less like a superhero movie and is definitely the best comic 2 film movie to date. If it weren't for the intense action sequences, you would think you were watching intese crime thriller in the tradition of Heat or The French Connection. I don't want to give away too much because you have to see this film to believe it. I will say that Heath Ledgers is tremendous. Yes, he honestly does deserve an oscar for it and no, it would not be a sympathy vote. It just made me extremely dissapointed that he won't be able to reprise this role in a sequel.