The Batman franchise has always captivated audiences of all ages. Batman Begins was a breath of fresh air for most of us who grew up reading the actual comic books. This new installment of one of the greatest icons in American superheroes, is one that outdone previous films and with The Dark Knight, director, Christopher Nolan and his inspiring cast have surpassed themselves. The action is just as amazing as Batman Begins as well as the storyline. This is without a doubt, Heath Ledger's greatest performance as an actor. He really did delve inside the psyche and personality of the Joker to deliver a performance of the Joker that will be remembered for years to come as the greatest performance within this character. It's a shame that we will never see Ledger stun us with his talent as much as he has in this film. Once again, Christian Bale has shown us the most indepth portrayal of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Michael Caine and Aaron Eckhart also wowed many of us with their supporting roles. On more negative side of this film, I really wish that Katie Holmes would have reprised her role as Rachel Dawes. Maggie Gyllenhaal did an okay performance as Rachel, but she really lacks the beauty and talent that Katie Holmes brought to the screen. The film is long which isn't really the problem if it were any shorter it wouldn't have done the story justice; however, who has 3 hours to spare to watch a film. In summary, The Dark Knight was a perfect blend of great acting, awesome action and effects, and an amazing story that brings the story of comic books to life. What else can you do with Batman?