The Dark Knight

There is a tendancy for superhero movies to arrive cloaked in so much hype and anticipation that there is an almost inevitable sense of anti-climax watching them. Even the best of them can sometimes seem disappointing. Batman Begins was a very good film, but for me at least, never quite as good as it was made out to be. It does mean that, however, The Dark Knight arrives with a huge weight of expectation.

Added to that, of course, is the huge burden of Heath Ledger's legacy. There has been talk of a posthumous oscar - is that merely a sentimental nod to a lost talent or is his performance really that good.

It is a great pleasure, therefore, to be able to report that The Dark Knight doesn't disappoint in any respect. It is possibly the best superhero movie ever made , certainly putting into the shade any recent efforts. Director Christopher Nolan is perhaps slightly more comfortable with the quieter character moments than the action sequences, but the later will certainly not produce any complaints - from the great opening bank robbery sequence to the car chase and flipping of an articulated lorry, there are some superb moments here.

Its also among the more intelligent action movies you'll see. The themes of hero as flipside of villain may not be new, but they're very well handled and there are some fascinating psychological games and choices set up by the Joker. Above all there's a psychological and emotional depth that rings true across the board.

Then there's the cast to die for - Bale is reliable as ever in the lead, Gary Oldman likewise in support, Maggie Gyllenhaal an impovement on Katie Holmes as Rachel, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman add a touch of wry humour to proceedings. The undersung Aaron Eckhart makes a very convincing Harvey Dent, the crusading DA whose fate has been well signposted.

Then there's Ledger - no hype in talk of Oscar's, he's superb, brilliant, amazing. He puts Jack Nicholson's scene-munching caricature into the shade. Its more a tribute to the strength of the rest of the cast that he doesn't unbalance or steal the whole movie, so compelling is his turn. Much darker than previous incarnations, the decision not to give him a backstory (in fact, he plays games with cliched ideas of origins) or explain too much his motivation, work well and make him all the more chilling.

There are weaknesses here - its possibly slightly too long (although it does hold the attention). Caine and Freeman in particular are underused, and Harvey Dent's transformation feels a bit rushed and the Two-Face effects are not the best and seem slightly out of place in the film. From an action point of view it also ends with one of weaker sequences, although it works well from a psychological viewpoint. But these are really minor quibbles, given the quality of the whole.

Overall - 5/5. Possibly the best superhero movie ever and a poignant reminder to just what a talent we lost with Ledger's death. See it and be blown away.