I went into this knowing it was an alternate retelling. Overall, I was pleased to see the changes, as they made the story fresh for anyone who had already watched the series. Occasionally, I would have small issues with the scripting (like the use of the term "robot") and I could see how the film might confuse a first-time viewer (less time to flesh out the movies concepts). Still, I walked away feeling my ticket money was well spent. And I will be buying it on DVD as soon as it hits shelves.
It's often tough to tell, when going to see a popular new movie, how much of the acclaim is hype and how much is real movie goodness. Honestly, in the case of Dark Knight, I wasn't remotely worried. And the movie delivered - oh, how it delivered. The writing was top-notch, the acting phenomenal, and the action had intensity like I haven't seen in years. And the whole time, Ledger was freaking me out. I was completely sold. Now I can't decide if I want another sequel or if it should stop here. I don't know what it would take to top this one. Seriously, see it. And if you already have, see it again.