This was the first superhero movie I've seen to deliver well beyond what is expected at the face level. With the reinvention of the joker, it becomes more than just good vs. evil, but plays on much deeper issues present in society. The way the joker is portrayed has morphed him from a silly villain to perhaps the most frightening and effective of all time. The movie is awesome on all levels, but the joker's presence overshadows it all. It was truly a performance that cannot be replicated.