Spoiler ahead. If you prefer the suspense, click here.
Those naysayers who question Ledger's prowess may keep quiet now. Ledger had delivered the goods, and delivered them well. While Nicholson's Joker resembled a histrionic mobster in clown makeup, Ledger's was one whose personality flaunted deep childhood scars, both emotionally and physically as evidenced by his Glasgow smile. In the movie, he tried to tell three versions of his childhood trauma, first to Gambol, one of the mobsters who wanted him dead for half a million dollars ("My father was a drinker, and a fiend...He looks at me and says, 'Why so serious so?' He comes at me with a knife...'Let's put a smile on that face!'"), and the other one to Rachel Dawes, Bruce Wayne's childhood friend ("...I had a wife who's beautiful...who gambles and gets in deep with the sharks. One day they carved her face...She can't take it...So I stick a razor in my mouth and do this..."), and last to Batman, who shut him up by giving the Joker another scar.
I actually watched Joker's scenes over a dozen times, marveling at how well he portrayed this villain who, in Ledger's own words, is a "psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy". As for Batman...I almost forgot he's the supposed star of the show. The Joker definitely stole his thunder. To give Christian Bale credit, he looks spectacular in his batsuit. Other than that, he has too much of a blunted affect than I would have liked, I can't even tell if he really loves Rachel that much. And then there's his excessively raspy voice, I almost expected newly appointed Commissioner Gordon to offer him lozenges. Batman really shouldn't have a dialogue longer than five words. Half the time I can't understand what he's saying as Batman, and the final scene of him talking to Gordon about covering up Harvey Dent's tranformation from white knight to two-face...if I didn't watch it, I don't think I would have missed anything. As far as I'm concerned, the movie ended when Joker makes his final cackle while suspended by his ankles high in the air.
Other than that, the other actors all did a superb performance, from Michael Cain (Alfred) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel Dawes), to Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent), Lucius Fox ( Morgan Freeman) and Gary Oldman (Commissioner Gordon), even to the supporting characters (the one who played the avaricious Coleman Reese succeeded in annoying me). Cinematography is spectacular. One of my favorites is Joker's bombing of Gotham General, as well as Batman's tracking of Lau to Hong Kong and his eventual capture of the Chinese mafioso. Of course, as far as scenes are concerned, my favorite would always be the conversation between the Batman and the Joker in the police station (Batman: Why do you want to kill me? Joker: [cackles] I don't want to kill you! What would I do without you?...You...you...complete...me!). Oh, and did I mention how many times I listened to the Dark Knight OST by Hans Zimmer and James Newton? I especially like the track "Like a Dog Chasing Cars".
It was a full two weeks before my Joker mania (Heath Ledger's Joker, that is) trickled down to quiet awe and respect for the actor who could have been granted many Academy nominations, if not awards. Certainly, the Dark Knight raised the standard of superhero movies that will be difficult to equal, if not beat. I wouldn't be surprised if the Nolan brothers are scrabbling right now in coming up of a better one for the third Batman installment, particularly now that the actor who contributed much to the movie's success is now gone.
My rating: 9.5/10. Aside from Batman's sore throat, there's this recurring statement in the movie ("...play things pretty close to the chest") mentioned both by Bruce Wayne in his conversation with Lucius Fox, and Harvey Dent when Commissioner Gordon frees him from the police van. Were the Nolan brothers running out of worthwhile phrases?
Memorable scenes: Mostly Joker scenes ^_^
> The Joker crashes the mob's kitchen meeting and offers his services, for half the mob's total earnings.
> The Joker tells Gambol the origin of his Glasgow smile scars (the first version).
> The Joker tells Rachel the second version of his scars story.
> The convoy around Harvey Dent (who pretends to be the Batman) is blasted to smithereens by Joker and company.
> The Tumbler transforms to the Batpod.
> The Joker's truck makes a perfect 180 degree turn, from nose to tail, after Batman, riding his Batpod, winds some kind of wire around the wheels of the truck.
> The Joker and the Batman have a conversation in the police station (Joker: ...I'm not a really a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve.).
> The Joker (in a female nurse uniform) and Harvey Dent (now Two Face) talk in the hospital where Dent is admitted (Joker: [smiling his yellow smile] Hi.).