There's no doubt in my mind that Heath Ledger should "receive" the Oscar for his performance in this movie--hands-down. Forget the cartoonish version of the joker played by Jack Nicholson; Ledger's joker is an eerily realistic, blood-thirsty psychopath that would not think twice to slit your throat and laugh about (in fact, that method of death would likely be a little too quick for him). Throughout the movie, this character walks the fine line between comedic and scary (I have to admit that I fealt guilty for laughing at his antics at one point in the movie). All BS aside, Ledger paints the perfect picture of a deeply disturbed madman who is thrilled to the point of physical sensation--displayed by his frequent twitching and high-pitched laughing fits--at the sight of pain, death, chaos, and destruction.
Add another stellar performance by Christian Bale as a truly hardcore version of Batman and the surprise emergence of another all-too-real villain and you've got not only the best Batman I've seen, but the best superhero movie I can remember. What made this movie so great is that the characters make you believe they could be real instead of some far-fetched supernatural being.
THIS IS NOT ONE FOR THE KIDS, so get a babysitter and go check this one out. You'll be blown away...