The continuity bothered me a bit. The party scene that just ended (maybe the deleted scenes on DVD will reveal why the Joker didn't actually bother to keep looking for Dent.)

The cellphone 'sonar' imagery was imaginative but ridiculous.

There were too many complications with the plot that didn't go anywhere and seemed unnecessary (like the mobster tipping off the cops before the money burning scene - where were the cops?).

How the hell did Two Face get out of the hospital?

Batman's voice was terrible.. and why did he talk in that voice to Rachel when she knew who he was anyway?

Gordon's speech at the end was cheesy as fuck and his kids should have been MUCH more traumatised.

The scene where the Joker's going "come and get me" or whatever with the batbike and the end scene where he falls off the building and BM catches him were very reminiscent of the Jack Nicholson film (if you trade the bike for the batwing and if Ledger hadn't been saved).

BUT... why so serious?

This is the best film I've seen in years. Ledger was possibly the best movie character I've EVER seen. I was blown away. The scenes where they fall off buildings actually gave me vertigo and I didn't even see it at IMAX.

So other than the various things which have well and truly been covered to death now, this is a must see and hands down deserving of the highest gross.
Oh and my favourite bit was also where he mouths 'six'. I was actually imitating him in my seat!

And Two Face looked awesome!

what about the next movie it helps if all of the same people are in the movie......

I thought it disappointed.
Its a movie only nerds would be interested in seeing. It was pedestrian,it had a pre-packaged feeling about it.
Ledgers performance was overrated.

I switched off around the halfway point; its not a movie you need to pay attention to.
The lowest point was the mandatory hostage situations near the climax.

Bad movie; only highlights are the special effects and caine and Eckharts performances, but even they are merely just good.

Q: How do you describe 'Genius' in two words?

A1: The Joker

A2: Heath Ledger

A performance like none other, a movie rivetting, gripping and dark enough for you to knock on your folks' bedroom to sleep safe.....for one night only.

The Dark Knight just plain DESERVES to be the highest grosser. I won't elaborate on Ledger's role, it's unnecessarily good. However, I'm pretty inclined to think that had he been alive for the release the outcome would have very much been the same. His death, I feel, was very much a peripheral thing, such as news reports surrounding Ledger's death seemed to always be aired separately from anything released about the film in general. Essentially, the Ledger ordeal became a media party in its own realm, the other details involving the film itself were somewhat sidetracked. Furthermore, the film is beyond amazing, word would have spread after the fist couple of hours and if the trailers didn't give you goosebumps than I'm not sure what will. As for nitpicking the minute technical details of this film (or any) I think it's a waste of time, energy, breath and the electricity you're using to write and submit such comments. It's a film, it's art, it's fictitious. If the Nolans wanted to shoot Batman and Dent running out of an exploding building without any defect then they would've covered Aaron Eckhart in gasoline, blown the building and told him to kiss his ass good-bye. If you're watching a movie that closely you either- A. Can't enjoy film
B. Know it's amazing and have to mentally exhaust yourself trying to pick out imperfections
or C. Liked the Schumaker films and if that's the case, God fucking help you.

The Dark Knight was brilliant, Ledger's status aside, I believe it can and should gross higher than any other film this year. It has far too much heart and vision not to.

I seriously think that this movie has been one of the bests to hit the box office in a long time. It has an excellent combination of the batman we all know and love and the same idea of him trying to catch the joker with a new twist. There are more elements of drama and many plot twists. Whenever you go to the movies you think, they won't kill the girl, she's the main character, next thing you know you're watching the warehouse explode that Rachel was held in. It had me entranced by the incredible acting, the action, and especially the story line. I have already gone to see this movie three times and I hope to go see it a couple more times before I can finally get my fill until it comes out on DVD. This movie was epic because it made you think, would you be a Bruce Wayne/Batman, and keep your faith in people and continue to be an hero, or would you fall like Harvey Dent/Two face and turn as evil as the men he put behind bars. It shakes you to the core because it makes you think about the question, is anyone still noble? In the end we see that people are more reliable than you think, but it makes you realize not everyone is the hero you think they are. Overall, this movie was outstanding and everyone should go see it.

The Dark Knight is easyly the best film of the year. The Joker was out of this world. The pincle thing was a big surprise!! After the shock, ( I was one parent that took the kiddys to see it) I was rolling on the floor laughing! I think even if Heath was still alive it was have done just as well. Only because he took The Joker to another level that we have never seen or thought it could have been taken. He has my Oscar vote! I didn't see it on IMAX, with 3 kids with me that could get pricey. But I will see it again with a friend at the IMAX. And f.y.i., the kids did say it was scary for them. I didn't have any idea it would be that scary. (ex wife was not happy...) But I for one was totally blowen away by the film. No other comic book film has ever been made like this. Just as people were blowen away by Superman The Movie, this film is just that much more. And it sucks that Heath passed on, he was a great actor. No one will be able to fill his (Joker Laugh), if The Joker returns in another film. I was rooting for The Joker more than Batman. I just couldn't get enough of him. I kept wanting more and more of The Joker! I give this film an A. And I think it will keep going strong for at least a few more weeks.

Also i cannot forget when we see Ledger's face without the makeup. That really shows that he is a human being in the movie not a make up wearing clown. To me it was a bit nostalgic. I dont know why but it was for me.

I think without Ledger's death it still would have been as big because even before he died everyone was saying that he did a fantastic job with the movie.

P.S. i recommend seeing it in IMAX. it is better and makes a difference.

Going back to will it continue to sell. Yes it will and the DVD will break records also i bet.

Someone mentioned earlier that The Joker was holding a knife as he exited the cell, even though he had been thouroughly searched. It was a piece of glass from when Bale smashed Ledger's face into the window.

Also, as the same person said, Dent has a great immune system. Well, he might, but it was also still the same day within the movie. He got disfigured that night, then the next night, he died. I've never had a cut that got infected the same day.

While for the most part I do agree with "John's" Comments about "ED", I will politely point out that before you insult someone's intelligence, you should probably know the difference between "hole" and "whole". Great now I'm one of you self righteous morons.

P.S. Who the hell writes on a blog in text lingo? You're an idiot (Note the appropriate punctuation, really not that hard).

and jus to comment on my own my fav joker scene was either when hes clappign for the commissioner in the cell or every second hes in the interrogation room. When the guy goes oh yeah and killed six of my friends he jus looks at him and mouths six to him i was histerical. If he doesnt win an award no1 should.

i believe the image that sticks in my head from the movie is when the joker escapes from mcu and is hanging half way out of the cop car, then the music cues down low. that scene is remarkable

"What makes you so different? I'm not the one wearing hockey pads."

With the Dark Knight on everyones lips, it's hard not to step back and ask yourself,Is this one of the best movies ever made. A very large amount on people, myself included, would agree that the Dark Knight is ten steps above any pre-existing movie to it's cataloge.

It is a factor that with Heath Ledgers death more people were interested in seeing the movie. But death asid he still played the roll of the Joker better then anyone else could have imagined. In one of his final interviews before his death, Ledger said "The Joker was the most fun I have ever had playing a roll, probably the most fun I will ever have (freaky huh?)

It does seem like a good amount of people are making his death the main reason to see this movie. If so that's your opinion, but there are countless other reason to see the Dark Knight. PERFECT Cast, PERFECT Director, PERFECT story, just PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT.

All of the Joker scenes were memorable:

The Joker tag-teaming with one of his goons against Batman, kicking Batman in the chest with his shoe-knife.

The Joker hanging out of the window of the police car, complete with no sound and blazing, police lights.

The Joker doing the pencil trick - I think it went into one of the mobster's eyes.

The Joker driving the 18-wheeler, saying "Ha. Missed." And then Batman's cable yanking the truck high into the air, backwards, surprising the usually unsurprisable Joker.

The Joker in the nurse's outfit, clutching a clunky, almost toy-like remote control.

Ledger was terrific. He deserves an Oscar. Not because he's gone - it is very sad that he's no longer around for his family and friends - but because he stole the show onscreen in a film riddled with excellent actors and characters. It's the only time I've seen an actor steal (unintentionally) the thunder of Gary Oldman in a movie. Ever.

The most obviously but thankfully, only bad thing about the Batman films are his ladies.

When the Joker made the "pencil disappear" to kill one of the syndicate's goons...
where did it hit?
the forehead or one of his eyes?
i think one of his eyes...
so the pencil hit his brain...
thats why it killed him...

This was an amazing movie. Not a moment wasted. Ledger. Just Brilliant. My two favorite scenes with the joker are when he gets out of the flipped semi and stumbles, firing off the machine gun and then guns down some poor sucker in a cadillac and after killing rachel and destroying harvey, his head outside of the police car. That moment was just chilling. I'd also like to say that the score was amazing, the single note of the violin/cello has just stuck with me for days. Masterpiece.

It will gross more than any other film. i'm may be pushing it, but could it beat Titanic? think about it...

my favorite seen was when Gary Oldman's character(can't catch the name) gets promoted in the jail and the Joker is clapping. i don't know why, but it haunts me

one last thing... next week we have Step Brothers and X-Files coming out(neither of which hold a candle to TDK). TDK could hang on to the top spot for one more week. there really isn't some super blockbuster movie left this summer. only hopefuls. i think TDK will make 50 Mil next week. then after that it will make 20 mil consistently and will end up with a pile of cash

I am going to watch it!!!! I hope it's good !!!

It seems just about every scene Heath Ledger was in has been cited as the most memorable, but one that really stuck out for me which nobody is mentioning is the hand-held video he made which was aired on the news, of him interogating the phony Batman wannabe. This is the man who fought crime in hockey pads, who we (and Batman) scoff at when the film begins, now a pathetic blubbering mass trying desperately to explain to the Joker why he admires Batman so, and why he wants to emulate him. The Joker's mockery of him, of everything he believed in, really got to me. I was furious, sad, and felt intensely guilty for laughing at this wannabe Batman earlier in the film. And within the context of the film, I think this is the precise feeling the Joker wanted to instill in Batman (and, judging by Bruce Wayne's reaction, I think it worked). This scene is probably more a credit to Christopher Nolan and his screenplay than to Heath Ledger, but so be it; when I closed my eyes after leaving the theatre, I saw that man sobbing as the Joker's hand reaching out from the camera and disdainfully tore his mask off.

Uh, the movie brought in 153. whatever million dollars its first week and you're asking if it will be the biggest movie of the summer. Let me respond with an arousing DUH!!!! Yes it will be!!! This is how you make a good movie. This film has the all the elements of a very good movie. Great acting, character development is incredible, and good story telling. Christian Bale is cool as ever and the late Heath Ledger is pretty darn near close to mesmerizing.

The scene I remember is the one where everybody's clapping for Gordon, and the Joker keeps clapping...hes like a cobra: he may be imprisoned, but hes still dangerous; and when he says "i think we'll be doing this forever". a brilliant performance; nolan's casting was a stroke of complete genius

400 million and I've seen worse from PG13 films. The scene that haunts me is the Joker riding in the back of the police car, wind blowing through his...I dunno why. Can't shake it.

I have to admit that with the late Heath Legers death it added to the hype but also whether it was fate or something supernatural ALL of the acting in the movie was superb. I literally felt like the crowd was walking the Jokers knifes edge of empathy and disdain for the villain. Ledgers performance is LEGENDARY he disappears into the role, so to answer the question; had Heath been alive to see this premier it would still gain the notoriety that it justly deserves...

i thought the film was good, not great.. heath ledger's performance is overrated. aaron eckhart is the true star of the film, he is the only one with substantive character development in this film. the failure to give the joker any depth made the joker's role and the joker's motive to be evil and wreak havoc very hollow. i think heath did the best that could be done with it, but the main flaw was with the script. it should have been simplified to exclude the whole mafia element and simply play out the battle between good and evil with aaron eckhart as the pawn, and fill the time with more character development for batman, bruce wayne and the joker.

i think batman is one of the most amazing big budget films of the past few years i left the theater and could hardly sleep when i got home.

i couldn't take my eyes off ledger and i believe he would be getting all this hype even if he hadn't died. the only thing people will think is it a pity we will never get to see him act again as he was a brilliant actor who had only just started to get some credit recently in hollywood, if you want to see how great he was check out some of his smaller australian films.

this film will be the biggest film of the year and deservedly, it has one of the greatest performances i've seen in years and a great cast. iron man was good and downey jr, was excellent but dark night has done something new and great is usually missing in comic book pop corn flicks. this movie is hopefully going to change the way big budget movies are made.

"You can't be serious about Indy?" Ha-ha-ha. Travers, yet again, manages to prove himself the world's biggest bandwagon jumper. God forbid anyone enjoy a fun, pretension free movie that doesn't feature some bloke getting half his face burnt off. Shame on modern, working families. How dare they try to escape the grey, dreary depression of day-to-day life by watching something that's actually fun. And that's why I hate Peter Travers. He can't think for himself.

It'll be the big one of the year, for two very different reasons:

1) Heath Ledger's untimely death gave this film a resonance that a superhero franchise normally wouldn't carry. It would have still opened well, but probably not as big.

2) Word of mouth will send people who would have ignored a superhero franchise to the movies to see a great film. It helps (as it did Iron Man) that the reviews are glowing across the board.

Will it be the big box office winner? Hard to say, with a classic Pixar movie also reviewing well and easier for the little ones to watch. Wall-E and Dark Knight will be the two big box office champs; can we even remember a time when two very good movies were the top of the box office?

I've heard complaints that "The Dark Knight" isn't fun enough, I suppose audiences and reviewers alike assuming summer flicks have to operate at the mental capacity of "Transformers."

I'm not sure if I should be cynical or hopeful with "The Dark Knight." No one can argue the film's power, addressing our lives at multiple levels, but do "people" want this kind of entertainment? I think this could be a sleeper hit, raking in dow slowly but surely over the summer. I don't think people, like myself, will see it multiple times for the engaging story, but maybe for the semi- that gets flipped over vertically.

*Wall-E is in a similar predicament: low expectations from the audience clashing with a film that tries to engage you

I think everyone has mentioned great Joker moments and I'll just add one more that definitely stuck with me. The moment when he realizes that the people on the two boats aren't going to resort to chaos and killing each other is priceless. There's a mili-seconds glimpse of doubt. Maybe people aren't all evil and they won't all turn against you. And you kinda get the feeling that he wants to believe in that and everything that Batman believes in but life has taught him otherwise. Maybe I'm reading too far into one wayward glance, but it seriously struck me.

favorite image: The Joker sticking his head outside of a cop car: soaking up the aroma of anarchy and chaos that he created....it plays out as slow motion...and has no music with it...it's startling a man can possess such hate and love every ounce of it

This film was an absolute masterpiece in my opinon. The whole cast was great without a doubt. Everything you can say about Ledgers performance has been said, he was fantastic. It is so sad he cant reprise his role in the next chapter in this franchise and also other films. He disappeared into the character. To those who say the movie was too long: Why So Serious? It was perfect.

easily the best comic movie ever made, but also deserves respect simply as a great film. its got serious philosophical undertones, and plays unapologetically and fearlessly. i think ledger's death adds some buzz for some viewers, but his performance stands on its own. he found the depth in a character that has been traditionally over(under?)acted. in fact, everyone is on their game in this. understand that people think two face had a short-lived screen life, but if the quality writing, acting, and directions continues, there are plenty of other villains to explore. hopefully the watchmen will maintain the grit of the novel, but the dark knights a damn tough act to follow.

The scene that I love which had me sitting on the edge of my seat like a child in anticipation(Im 28) was the chase between the semi-truck and the bat pod. When the batpod rode up the side of the wall to spin around I could barely contain myself from not cheering outloud. This is what has been missing from films since the advent of CGI; a true sense of excitement & danger. It was like seeing THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, TRUE LIES & BATMAN(89) for the first time.
And what an ending, damn near Shakesperean if I must say; especially Oldmans response to his son. If anything happens to Bale, that last scene of him on the batpod will be on a constant loop.

Its not a perfect film, but like THE DEPARTED it's a commercial film that harkens back to a Hollywood when a little class, story, talent was put ahead of marketing and pretty faces.

The scene that pushed me over the edge was when The Joker was revealed in the trailer of the semi truck. I can't believe how insanely cool that looked.

Well, obviously there has not been enough said about the joker, lol. I will say that Bale delivered once again as batman, Playboy during the day, and law-giver at night. The movie was absolutely brilliant. Even from the start, at the bank, you knew there was going to be some interesting twists. Without taking credit away from Ledger, the entire cast did well in contrasting the insanity of the joker. I am, however, a little sad, since the ending leaves our crusader fighting a one man war.... Come back Fox!!

the image of heaths joker alone was enough to get me excited about this movie regardless of whether he died or not. the fact that he did die may have even made it worse for me because the hype rose so much being his final performance and that lingered in the back of my mind a little too much. All in all though the movie was very fun and pleasing, of course, however I am kind of disappointed in not hearing enough talk about the script. The acting was obviously brilliant. I thought the script in begins had a lot of great ideas and the vision was all there and then there were the lines that stuck out and were cheesy and reduced the movie a bit from being more than the average superhero movie. The same lines sprinkled this movie, however i thought there were many more genius bits in this one (the changing stories of the scars on the jokers face!) Many will say these lines are just an attempt to make the movie fun, but for me the fun is all in the darkness of it and when these cheesy lines come up (i wish i could give an example) they just kinda make me cringe...does anyone else know what im talking about?

This year? Any Batman fan knew that this movie was coming out by Thanksgiving of 2007, which caused high expectations. I had high expectations for Indy 4 and Iron Man, but I can say I was not impressed when I saw them. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DARK KNIGHT IS IMPRESSEING. I think it will stay strong for the rest of the year because it was a good movie. Spiderman 3 was a great disappointment with bad acting. The Dark Knight was more than a superhero movie.

I have been around Batman my entire life, I am 18. I was interested in Batman Begins but not so impressed. The Dark Knight was more than I though Batman could be. Ledger took the Joker to a place that Jack Nicolson never would of. Ledger deserves all the praise he is given. Nolan made Batman real and the Joker psycho. WALL-E was a good movie, but Batman surpasses it in everyway. Iron Man was good, but Batman surpasses it in everyway. Indiana made me sad, no praise, it can go away with it’s spaceship.

I could of told you Heath Ledger was crazy good in this movie from the previews. It means something when the preview scares you. True that Heath Ledger’s death caused a big stir, but you cannot deny the fact that he put so much depth into a character with no specific back ground. He was going to be something great in the next few years. If he was still here people would want to know how he could act that crazy and where it came from, that is what I want to know. I think it would of still have been a big hit, and still took the BO records.

“What about a magic trick?”. That scene with all the gangsters, it was ingenious how witty the Joker is and impressive with everything he does such as wiring himself with the grenades. That scene was AMAZING!

Close to $500 Million when all is said and done…

It is the best movie of the year, and deserves to break every record, even the top grossing film ever that I think Titanic holds. Weather it does or not. The best scene is when the Joker is baiting the cop about how many of his friends he's killed and mouths six back to the cop, and starts asking for his phone call. Ledgers deaths plays no roll for me, I liked him in 'I'm Not There' and was excited about this movie regardless, but it does draw some viewers to watch the "car crash." Its an instant classic with classic performences. Enjoy, its better the second time, which is the true mark of a great film.

That interrogation scene is amazing. I couldn't agree more with Peter; to me perhaps the highlight of any film I've seen this decade, and that's including some of the more intense scenes in films like There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men - scenes more recent in memory.

I saw a 6am Friday showing before work, and I wasn't right for the rest of the day. Personally I see the character Nolan and Ledger created for the Joker to be a sort of anti-Obama. He is the opposite of hope. His ability to tear down Dent from his pedestal is terrifying. And perhaps the worst part in all of this is his anonymity. He wears unmarked clothes, has no prints, no identity. He is as faceless as any terrorist the western world has come to fear. We identify the character because we have feared him for so long already.

No where is this more clear in the film than in that interrogation scene. Ledger becomes a mirror for the fear already intrensic in our Post 9/11 souls. Brilliant.

I strongly believe if Heath were here, he'd still be a shoe-in for an award.

I havent seen anyone mention this but what about when...
after the joker had been defeated, is hanging upsidedown, and still gets the last laugh regarding harvey dent. it sent chills down my spine even already knowing what he had done and capped of a hurricane of violence that was the joker tearing through the screen.

No, It would have opened probably in the 120s and grossed just over 300 million, and hey, the reiews wouldve been a little less stellar too. It would still be a three and a half star movie, and heath ledger would be getting oscar buzz, but it wouldnt be quite so overwhelming, and regardless of what they say about not changing the advertising direction, ledgers face wouldnt be eveywhere the way it is now. Heck, before his death I couldnt even find a clear picture of what the joker looked like. And that was a better advertising idea. His face wouldve been more shocking if we didnt see it until we sat down to watch it. Now his characters appearence is all that more sterlized since we've been bombarded with it since his passing. So thanks to the rampant exploitation, i think this movie ticks passes the 400 mark, but comes up well shy of Titanic though.

This movie will shatter Spiderman 3's final gross because word of mouth will be absolutely fantastic. Plus, repeat viewings including me. I agree there are so many images and quotes that stick in my head, and they all include the joker and the chase scene. The opening bank robbery, disappearing pencil, prancing out of the hospital w/ detonator, interrogation scene, the party crashing scene.

Rarely have I sat and watched a movie and had butterflies in my stomach from the excitement. This movie did that for me pretty much the entire running time. This movie will be remembered decades from now as the benchmark for sequels, comic book movies, crime dramas, you name it. I didn't want it to end. I could have watched a 4-hour version. Everyone involved deserves the success so much.

I have to say that "The Dark Knight," despite it's record-breaking box office, will not be the top earner of the year. That award will go to "Iron Man." Don't get me wrong, the "Knight" will have outstanding legs and Nolan's style of narrative pays dividends with multiple viewings. But "Iron Man" has more of a family appeal to go with it's great hype and positive reviews.
I personally went to see the movie for several reasons. After the great revitalization of the Batman franchise with "Batman Begins," it was a must-see. I have always been a fan of Nolan's work, so that was another reason. The film is loaded with overqualified actors. There's a third reason. But the amazing nature of Ledger's unforgettable swan song performance made it a must see and ultimately led to it's massive opening weekend.
"Wall-E" was fantastic and daring on a totally different level and both it and "The Dark Knight" were epics in their own ways.
There are too many memorable Joker moments to count, but one I enjoyed and was haunting was a time when he didn't say a word. When the Joker sticks his body out of the cop car window, riding with glee after causing chaos and tragedy of the highest order (mentally and physically disfiguring Dent, killing Rachel Dawes, getting one over on Gordon, leaving Batman standing iconically over/in ruins), it is a haunting portrait of evil triumphing over good.
Oh yeah, and the final gross will be $317 million.
Travers.

1. Yes, this movie can maintain the momentum. Reviewers and movie goers alike are throwing much deserved praise on this film. It's got people talking and word of mouth is going to keep it going. Batman is an American icon. People have fond memories of Michael Keaton as Batman 20 years ago and that will help. A lot of people didn't even know what an Iron Man was when the movie was released, and it has gone on to do well for itself. A character like Batman so ingrained in U.S. culture (I'm not sure about the popularity of the character worldwide), will be able to hold on. While Indiana Jones, also a beloved character, has started to run out of steam, it's important to remember critical praise has been less for this installment and lots of people were left poo-pooing it coming out of theaters.

2. I don't think Heath Ledger's death is really propelling this vehicle. His performance is. He did quality work in a quality film. If he were alive, people would still be coming out in droves to see his interpretation of what might be the definitive take on the Joker. When he died, the question on a lot of minds was, "Did he finish his role in The Dark Knight first?" A lot of the success this movie is based on is due to the quality outing that was Batman Begins. People that loved that movie wanted to see more from the same people.

3. As for the most unforgettable scene: take your pick. Is it the bank robbery that surpasses the one in Heat? The Joker's "magic trick"? The semi truck getting flipped head over heels? The interrogation scene? The list could go on.

4. This movie could eclipse $400 million easily. The summer movie season is winding down. The other big name releases are mostly comedies (Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express). The Dark Knight is the only game in town if you want superhero crime drama. The only other true blue popcorn flick of the sumer is a new Mummy movie that no one asked for. Plus, The Dark Knight met and exceeded expectations, a rarity for something as hyped as this movie is. Repeat viewings abound.

In the interrogation room, the joker provokes the guy guarding the door into attacking him. The joker keeps badgering the cop, "How many of your friends died?"

After some deliberation, the man reluctantly says, "Six."

The joker mouths "Six!" but hardly makes any sound, like we might say "ouch!" with a grimace when seeing a bone-shattering play in football. Of course, the joker had a hand in the deaths of those six guys, but the way he maintains his composure and demonstrates such perfect yet ironical pathos is brilliant. It shows that he has an extremely deep understanding of human nature, and it really made me see the character as not someone who's missing a few lights in the attic, but rather someone with shocking clarity and perspicacity who has reasons deeper than insanity for his actions.

And I think those moments give the film its depth. We see this person not motivated by the usual ideological suspects or mental / emotional deficiencies, but someone uniquely perceiving who has seen and embraced something dark he has found in human nature. He is the antithesis of Batman, instead of seeing these 'evil' things and combating them, he sees a poetic beauty in people destroying each other, betraying one another, and suffering. He is Jean Genet with a violent twist.

Pivotal Joker scene (are there any others?) for me was the Joker in the cell clapping when Gordon was named the new commissioner.

Also the heart to heart he has with that poor sucker of a police officer. "How many of your friends have I killed?"

Whether or not people went to see this movie because of the instant posthumous legacy that Heath Ledger will inherit, upon exiting the cinema all you can talk about is the caliber of his performance. His death has to be an afterthought after seeing an all out balls to the wall performance like his in "The Dark Knight."

I predict that the numbers will just keep rising. My 19 year old son (who prefers independent films over Hollywood blockbusters) has already made plans to see it for the third time.
Also major kudos to Imax. The experience at our local Imax was like nothing I have ever experienced. The sound system was cranked up to the max and you could physically feel every shotgun blast. The vistas of Gotham City / Chicago were truly breathtaking. Destined to become a classic of the genre. The bar has been raised.

Haven't seen Wall-e yet, but will. Indy was popcorn fun, but ultimately inferior to Raiders (how could it not be?!) and Iron Man was great because of RDJ.

Dark Knight benefitted big time from Ledger's death. No question, without that morbid appeal it would NOT have broken the record. That said, I thought it was well done, but too long by 30 minutes and too relentlessly dark (it could have used a laugh or two like the "weaponized hallucinogen" bit in Batman Begins). A classic for the ages? Only time will tell, but I blame the box office on people's morbid fascination with dead celebrities.

All of the comments have been pretty good... but what about burning the huge pile of money? That adds another level of depth to the whole character. You have no doubt as to any motive he may have after that. The whole bit about TNT and Gasoline being cheap- what it does is make all money-hungry villains in any other movie look cheap. (Pun intended) I found myself only wanting to see the next "Joker" scene. What was the next scene going to reveal? How twisted could he become?

The depth to this movie sets it apart- people will be captivated by this Ledger performance for years. It would not surprise me to see the face of the Joker in this movie become an iconic staple. I guarantee you will see some 18-yr old at a My Chemical Romance Show with the Joker tattooed on his arm in the next year.

The image that can't be erased from my memory is when Ledger puts the gun to his own head. Kudos to Nolan for leaving it in.

The Dark Knight will definitely go on to be the top grossing film of the year. The universal acclaim is still buzzing and people have still yet to see it. All this positive buzz will push TDK to the top of the box office by the end of the year.

The unforgettable image of The Joker for me is when you see him in the hospital in the nurse outfit. That's the kind of image that sticks to the back of your head as a true nightmare.

The Heath Ledger factor is undoubtedly another driving force of both the acclaim and the box office. It is one of the most superb performances ever. Having seen it, I can safely say that it must be nominated at the very least for an Oscar. We still have the fall season of Oscar movies to go through, so I'd prefer not to jump the gun and say that he will win it, but he has a strong chance. His memory would be stamped into history of he did posthumously win the Oscar. Hell, Oscar or not, his memory will be remembered as an incredibly talented actor who's career went out on the top his game.

What a great film. The Dark Knight still has me talking. It's the reason I love movies so much. I've gotta go see it a second time now.

As much as I enjoyed watching Wall-E and Iron Man the experiance was nowhere near what I felt during the Dark Knight. The movie is 2 hours and 30 some minutes and to me it only felt like an hour. I plan to see it several more times and I think the general audience probably will feel the same.
Heath Ledger's portrayal of the joker was one of my favorite parts of the film and I think I can honestly say that I would have been equally enthusiastic if he was still alive (RIP). I can't speak for every viewer but when I watched the joker I wasn't watching Heath, it felt like I was watching something new and brilliant.
I loved the scene in the police station as well. The interaction between Heath and Christian Bale was electrifying and a joy to watch. But my favorite scene was (and I don't really remember when this was) when the Joker said "I don't want to kill you. What would I do without you?" a total insight into their complex relationship. Although who could ever forget the Joker in drag greeting Harvey Dent with a hilarious (but creepy!) "Hiiiiii......"
I think due to the excellent reviews (that will probably continue to draw people in) and the rewatchability of the film Th Dark Knight will be the highest grossing film of the summer.

Spider-Man 3 and Dark Knight both attempted to take an excessive amount of plot points and make them coherent. Raimi failed miserably, where Nolan met and exceeded the challenge. I think the Dark Knight will be the years' highest grossing film, because unlike the previous record holder it's going to have long legs at the theaters due to its outstanding quality.
There is something near (and I stress near) Shakespearean in Nolan's writing...secret identities that give the viewer knowledge of what the villain doesn't know, love triangles, the corruption and destruction of once noble characters, dualities and the shades of grey that lurk between them. The use of clearly overdone dualities of dark/white knights, murkiness of good/evil, etc, well when they're done right they aren't overdone. They're compelling and tragic.