The movie lives up to its hype. Heath Ledger was incredible. This is definitely NOT a kids movie. While a little long, the movie grabbed you from the first 10 minutes and never let go. Bale's gutteral speaking as Batman was hard to understand at times. This movie is more in line with the darker story lines from the comic books, and miles away from the Adam West, Val Kilmer and George Clooney spoofs. This Joker is scary from his first scene and very believable as a psychopath. For fans of the old comics, "The Dark Knight" is the real Batman, and it is about time someone made this movie. See it!