I expected nothing more or less than to catch glimpses of some of my favorite scenes from the book interpreted for the big screen. Unlike the first film, there seemed to be at least some effort made to link the scenes together this time. I remain conflicted about the characters... of the main three, only Jacob is particularly likeable -- but that is very much the way they are painted in the book, as well. The Twilight series, it seems, will continue to suffer from the dilemma that the more faithful the translation, the clunkier the dialogue and the shallower the characters. Fans of the book will be happy enough with this effort, but I'm not exactly sure that this offering will make anyone else care.
From the stunning visuals, to the breakneck action sequences, to the emotionally charged drama, this film left me speechless and wanting more. Heath Ledger in particular, as has been stated by others, creates a force of nature in the Joker. This film pulls no punches, and many knocked the wind right out of me. Gotham City _was_ my reality for two and one half breathtaking hours, and I hope to return soon.