Ledger's performance was stunning. Daniel Day Lewis stunning. He will be missed. Overall, the film was fantastic. Beautiful look and feel, superb acting by Ledger, Freeman, and Michael Caine, and an anything but boring storyline. For 2.5 hrs, it sure didn't feel like it. Still, there were some soft spots. Maggie was miscast, in my opinion... didn't care for her character. Christian Bale's raspy Batman voice was irritating and unbelievable... came off as trying-too-hard. Likewise, the performance of some of the minor-roll characters was poor. Nevertheless, an overall excellent movie. Highly recommend.