There have been many portrayals of the Batman and Joker over the years but only one stands out. This is none other than Christian Bale and Heath Ledger’s portray of these characters in the The Dark Knight.

These men took their roles so serious that one of them never got to see the premiere. Christopher Nolan presents us with the most unique superhero movie to date and gives us two actors that will change their characters forever.

This movie is the second installment to Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. It shows us the struggle Bruce Wayne has to find love while also being the Batman. We also get introduced to the genesis of the Joker. While we get a new villain, we also are shown how easy it is to fall from justice to injustice with just a flip of a coin.

The reason The Dark Knight stands out from all the rest of the superhero movies we have seen so far is how unique it is. It is unique for many reasons and one I have already mentioned. It shows us how quick a good person can turn evil if pushed in the wrong direction. Even the best of us can be turned bad. It is also unique because of how dark the movie is. Most superhero movies are bright with sunshine and rainbows while you can say the protagonist does not even win in the end.

The casting for this movie was beyond exceptional. Christian Bale gave us another outstanding performance as Batman. I still cannot believe that he does the voice on his own. He provides us with an even darker Bruce Wayne that troubles to stop a new foe.

But it is Heath Ledger who stands out. His take on the Joker won him an Oscar. He was so committed that he died to give us his best performance yet. His preparation for the role was nothing more than extraordinary. He shows us how Joker has no remorse and no care for another human being. He also shows us the ability Joker has to be multiple steps ahead of Batman and how he is not afraid to use Batman’s no kill law against him. Ledger shows us a side of Joker we had never seen in a movie before and the feedback showed how good he did. This was a role Ledger was not used to either, but he still gave us the best villain performance ever.

The fact that a cast can be so deep with talent that each supporting character gives an amazing performance is ridiculous. Christopher Nolan did his homework and it shows. Aaron Eckhardt’s performance as Harvey Dent was amazing. He demonstrated the downfall of a city hero to a villain perfectly. He showed all the good parts of Dent and all the bad parts of Two- Face. Michael Caine gave us another wonderful performance as Alfred as well. He continued to show us how much he loves Bruce Wayne and how far he is willing to save his feelings. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives us a great first appearance as Rachael, Batman’s reason to give up the cowl. Finally, Gary Oldman shows us he can do as good of a performance as Jim Gordon as he did in Batman Begins.

The special effects were great in this movie. There is one scene that sums up how well they did. They managed to explode a hospital in the movie and make it seem so real. It was when the Joker explodes Gotham General and it felt as if they really blew up a building. The makeup was also excellent. Harvey Dent’s face after the explosion looked so real, I remember looking away the first time because I thought I saw real bones. The effects look ahead of their time and amaze the audience.

Thus, this movie will always stand out amongst the greats and will never be forgotten. It will always be known for starting a new era in the world of superhero movies. Heath Ledger’s Joker portray will go down as the best villain of all time and Christian Bale will go down as a great Batman. The Dark Knight silences critics and gives Christopher Nolan the respect he deserves as a director.