Best Batman Movie Yet?

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Just saw The Dark Knight yesterday and it was awesome. I plan to see it again, but next time on the Imax. This is definitely a movie to watch on the biggest screen you can. This is the best Batman movie of recent years, but I still don't know whether it tops the original.

Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker is fantastic. Does it surpass Jack Nicholson's? Not exactly. Different is a good way to describe it. Ledger's Joker is so much darker and a pure representation of evil where Nicholson's Joker was a great portrayal of a comic book character brought to life. Both actors did an exceptional job while sporting the maniacal grin.

The rest of the cast of The Dark Knight is in top form as well, except Maggie Gyllenhaal (why exactly was she cast as Rachel Dawes?) who is just kind of there. Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart were especially great.

Brothers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan wrote an awesome screenplay and Christopher directs it splendidly. Though the film runs 152 minutes, I didn't want it to end. The action is great and the cinematography breathtaking at times.

Better than the original Batman or not, The Dark Knight is definitely something to see and the best superhero movie in years.

EDIT: Okay, I went back and watched the original Batman last night. I think I have been swayed, The Dark Knight is definitely the best Batman yet. I am still a huge fan of the original and think that all Batmans since are indebted to it, but there are just too many things The Dark Knight gets right to not say it is the best. A couple of flaws I found in the original that I had never noticed before:

1) At the end of the film, Joker takes Vicki Vale up to the top of the chapel tower. They climb a huge rickety staircase while Batman follows. When Batman reaches the top, suddenly there are four of Joker's thugs. Where did they come from? Joker's helicopter hasn't arrived yet and the baddies never climbed the stairs. Were they just chillin' there waiting for the inevitable show down in the tower?

2) Joker takes out the batjet with a handgun. I find it odd that bullets galore can't pierce the batmobile but somehow Bruce neglected to employ the same armor on the batjet.

I still think Michael Keaton is the best Batman though.

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