Batman: The Dark Knight First View

On July 18th, 2008 your experience at the movies may get a little darker. Not just dark, but sadistically dark...meaning, you'll have a joke of a time. Alright, that was a corny joke but it's the truth. The mentioned date is the day that Batman: The Dark Knight is released in the US, and by all first reviews, it's everything short of amazing...well, perhaps it is amazing. It stars Christian Bale (The Machinist, Batman Begins, 3:10 To Yuma) as the Caped Crusader himself, Bruce Wayne. Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain, Four Feather's, A Knight's Tale) gives the performance of his career as the Joker, he actually brings a new level of villain to the big screen. If you thought Jack Nicholson's portrayal as the Joker in Tim Burton's Batman (1989) was great wait until you get aload of Ledger's character. It's almost fitting that Ledger's last roll was his best...he will undoubtedly go out on top with an Oscar for either Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor in next year's Academy Awards. Aaron Eckhart (Black Dahlia, No Reservations) plays Harvey Dent, Gotham's District Attorney who is a close friend with Bruce Wayne, but also has a thing for Wayne's girlfriend, Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhal).

Director Christopher Nolan has brought the Batman Franchise back to respectability with Batman Begins and looks to take it into "Godfather" territory with The Dark Knight.

It has become this summer's Must See movie...it could perhaps be the movie of the year. If I could choose to see any movie this year, it would definitely be TDK. Remember, July 18th...be there.