The Dark Knight blows away the previous movie. Although I have never adjusted to Bale as Batman (although anyone is an improvement over Clooney), Heath Ledger is perfect for his role as Joker. He plays the character as diabolical as possible and never quits. The Chicago buildings are very predominate (even though the directors tried to hide the landmarks. This is a long but a "must see" movie in the theaters. I hear they offer it in IMAX. Even better!