It is very odd that Batman himself is the weakest part of The Dark Knight. Christian Bale makes for a great action hero and fits Batman well and he is also believable as the aimless playboy he pretends to be as Bruce Wayne. It is when he has to portray the inner struggle that his alter egos are going through that his performance suffers. Good thing then everybody else in the cast is perfect. Gary Oldman continues his great work as James Gordon, Aaron Eckhart is amazing and reflects perfectly how Gotham changes from a world with hope to a world gone crazy. Michael Caine as Aflred and Maggie Gylenhaal as Rachel Dawes also turn in wonderful performances. And the masterful Oscar worthy performance by Heath Ledger as The Joker has to be seen to be believed. His portrayal of Batman’s nemesis as a deranged clown and sociopathic criminal committed to the cause of chaos is more unsettling and disturbing than any horror movie. Astounding set pieces that serve the plot and not the other way around, and an astonishingly beautiful take on the gritty city of Gotham confirms that, luckily, this movie is not about Batman, it is about Gotham and how it changes because of Batman. Five Stars.