Prior to this movie, Batman Forever was my favourite Batman movie. Now those true hardcore comic fans may cry foul that I actually liked some of the more recent flicks, but I am an average movie watcher, not someone who is interested in the details and "trueness" of the comic movie genre.
That being said, though, Dark Knight was awesome. Felt longer than 2 1/2 hours, but I think that's a good thing. To me, that means they fit in more story than should be able to during that timeframe.
The action was spectacular, the acting above par. All in all a great show. Most people will be talking about Heath Ledger simply because he is no longer with us, God rest his soul, but I think he's the stand out actor in this movie because he made the character his own.
Even for those non-Batman fans, or average movie-goers like me, this is an excellent movie to catch.