As a long time fan of Batman, I was had a white knuckle death grip the entire 2 hour and 40 minutes and still wanted MORE! This is a sequel to ends all sequels. Bale, without question is one of the best actors of our time. His portrayal of Wayne and Batman will cause Hollywood to never make another if he is not in it. As far as the Heath Ledger as The Joker. It was a breath of fresh air when you leave a house fire. Ledger was AMAZING. It is truly sad that he is no longer with us. And also that The (true) Joker died with him. The future role of The Joker will be less then perfect without Ledger. Not since Batman Begins has there been a comic book movie worth the cost of the used "BUY 4 FOR $20" DVDs at Blockbuster. Now make that girl or boy fall madly in love with you by taking her or him to this movie. I wont promise anything but you might even get lucky.