Unabashedly, I must proclaim that I found the latest of the Batman franchise thoroughly enjoyable. This shit is awesome, probably the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen, and probably one of the best mainstream movies I’ve ever watched. Action, suspense, drama and a killer story, weaving together two titular characters who have up til now, remained as simply ridiculously costumed figments of imagination.

A guy in a black suit with a cape is not really my thing. Sure, Batman is kinda cool and he’s inspired loads of kids the world over. For me, I always wondered what the fuss was about. The Dark Knight does little to dispel the notion that Batman is simply a bumbling fool who means well. But it does wonders to raising this idea of a hero in the truest sense of the word. As in, the fall guy. The guy who takes one for the team because he’s got some misguided sense of righteousness beyond the call of reason and intellect. Conversely, the Joker, played admirably by the late Heath Ledger, is the complete opposite, an unreasonable jerk, the complete asshole who does shit just because. The lawful good paladin versus the chaotic neutral dragon. Its a titanic clash between order and chaos. I really haven’t seen 2 polar opposites pitted against each other in such spectacular fashion.

But its not just about two guys going at each other’s throats. There’s also the wonderfully crafted story, led by the Joker’s maniacal whims, which manage to follow a distinct order of its own. His brilliance, intellect and madcap sense of cause and effect is what drives the film. The character is really well fleshed out despite the fact you don’t get to know all too much about the man himself. You only need understand that his order is in complete disorder. His fetish is to get the ultimate concept of law & order to stop and giggle for a bit and that’s what makes the film such a treat.

The film is really superb in almost every aspect, from the action sequences to the twist and turns in the plot. I was frustrated with the “good” guys’ ignoramy in general as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal’s mildly irritating character but these were essential elements in moving the film along as well. Perfectly acceptable in my book because the main guys, and there are 3 of them, do their job so stunningly well.

A 5 star movie if I ever saw one.