Holy superlatives, Batman! 'The Dark Knight' reviewed

The Dark Knight

is an enthralling second instalment of director Christopher Nolan's bullish reinvention of the iconic Batman franchise.

And much like its hugely successful 2005 predecessor

Batman Begins

, it's brooding, serious and, yes, very, very dark. It's actually black.

But while

Batman Begins

memorably peeked behind the superhero's mask to explore his ambiguous origins,

The Dark Knight

is more than just your average stroll down memory lane - it's an epic journey into moral anarchy and degradation and dives headfirst into the jaws of crazed villainy.

Expectations have been sky-high for this movie.

Seasoned palates were whetted by Nolan's stylish and gritty

Batman Begins

, and hardcore fans knew that that its follow-up had the possibility to be as good as they wanted it to be.

Then there were the whispers swirling around Heath Ledger's crazed turn as The Joker, followed by his tragic death in January after an accidental prescription-drug overdose. It all added to the gravy, and created a buzz rarely witnessed before a film's release these days.

Why... so... serious?

The trouble with reviewing Ledger's Joker is the tremendous sense of expectation attached to his performance.

We've all heard the baloney that he was 'so consumed' by his role-playing as Batman's arch-villain, he turned into a recluse and supposedly became The Joker.

Then there's the eulogising. You can't speak ill of the dead, even if their acting was ropey. Mercifully, Ledger's nutty Joker is so captivating, sick and maniacal, you can't help be blown away. I sniff an Oscar.

True to expectation, Ledger's twisted Joker is a spectacular sneering villain. Actually, I'd go as far as to say that Ledger doesn't play the Joker, he is THE Joker. Forget about Jack Nicholson's campy take on the sniggering psychotic in 1989's Batman franchise opener - Ledger's interpretation makes Nicholson look like, well, a clown.

There's no mollycoddling or hand holding with this film - you're plunged into the deep end from the opening scenes; a bank heist that's ballsy and well executed - with unexpected and bloody consequences, obviously.

This is also your first introduction to the mastermind behind the mayhem, The Joker.

What follows is a white-knuckle sleighride into a world full of spectacular chases and flamboyant set pieces and a delve into the inner-sanctum of a superhero struggling with the conflict between order and chaos.

The Dark Knight

's backbone is its accessibility, and its sense of realism. Of all the comic book heroes, Batman is arguably the only one who lives in a world we can relate to. Plus, he has no supernatural powers, which makes him altogether a more vulnerable creature.

The scope:

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, he sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organisations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.

The good:

Strong performances from a stellar cast, including Christian Bale as moneybags Bruce Wayne and his Caped Crusader alter-ego, Batman.

Morgan Freeman is superb as Batman's right-hand man, and so is Michael Caine as his long-suffering and worldly-wise butler, Alfred.

Gary Oldman reprises his role as Lieutenant Jim Gordon, and is as intense as ever. Maggie Gyllenhaal as love interest Rachel Dawes is ultimately forgettable - her performance is what I'd call flaccid.

Just wait until you get a load of Aaron Eckhart's terrific portrayal as law-and-order stalwart and district attorney Harvey Dent. He's the man with enough gumption to take on and derail Gotham's mob, but as to where his morals and allegiances lie is another matter.

Heather Ledger. Say no more. He plays the man with no logic to his mayhem with impeccable precision and unpredictability. He's terrifying yet beguiling.

The bad:

The film's two-and-a-half-hour running time might put some people off. That's about it.

The verdict:

The Dark Knight

's jam-packed with visceral action, coupled with eye-watering cinematography and the kind of real drama that goes way, way beyond your typical good versus evil comic-book movie.

Undoubtedly the best thing you'll see this year. Go see it!

The cast of The Dark Knight talks about Heath Ledger's maniacal turn as The Joker:

* More cast interviews h

ere

.

* Click

here

to watch an exclusive new clip from

The Dark Knight

.

* Read a selection of other Dark Knight reviews

here

.

* The Dark Knight

opens in cinemas on July 24.