The movie isn't too much of a blockbuster or anything unique if you took out two face, and the Joker from the equation. It has gotten so boring that the second viewing, I simply can't watch it (unwatchable) that I simply had to fast forward and just look at The Joker. In fact the beginning of the movie, that begins with the robbery is just too much of cliché. Surprise me! This followed by ho hum Bruce Wayne talking to his Butler, and other parts are just humdrum. The only reason why the movie's rating are so high in a 5 minute scene where the Batman interrogates the psychopathic Joker. I think the best part of the movie is actually the makeup artist that makes the Dark Knight like Friday the 13th. In all fairness, this is the only installment of Batman that gives that look and feel of a flick B movie horror, instead of a blockbuster, which I believe a 9.1 IMDb Rating(November 2008)is just a passing fad. I guarantee that it isn't as gripping as The Godfather. A really good dark Batman I believe is the early installment of Batman with the Penguin, which is quite dark. That baby scene when the baby was abandoned into the river and float on one very dark night allowed to float away by their parents just still haunts me. Perhaps the reason why The Dark Knight is highly overrated is the very sad passing away of a really brilliant and promising actor, Heath Ledger. Aside from that, Two face played a fairly good scene, although, I still believe The Oscars should be given to the makeup artist (much like the move The Fly) to give it a look and feel of the only horror movie genre in the Batman series. What the studios are doing I believe is to redefine who is Batman, into horror and psycho (but they didn't they only looked at Joker and Two face completely IGNORING Batman), such as James Bond in Casino Royale, into more meaty type movie such as The Scorpion King genre. I think people today simply got sick and tired of all the polished CGIs and wanted to move to more reality type show, more meat (ala Casino Royale), more horror (ala The Walking Dead) type of movie. In all fairness, the story and directing is woefully sleepy (if it hadn't been for the Joker Scene during interrogation or his blood curdling description of a knife cutting up a smile), it really resembles the same bore I have received watching Angelina Jolie, Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life. Sure all the action sequences are there, but it has been done with outright cliché, that you can just go to sleep as the men jumped from building to building using a wire. Oh I seen that before, I think it was in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, played by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Give me a break. Killing the robbers amongst themselves to reduce their share loot is a stale cookies. Do something different! Batman in this movie needs to be a little maniacal or extreme obsession in getting the criminals, that was the key missing issue in this movie. The other thing I would like to see added is hallucinations of dead innocent people, his father, mother, and perhaps his deadly madness for revenge. This would add a little flavor to the vanilla type Batman. If the directors have lack of imagination, learn that a Batman can have the same craze personality and scenery as that of American Psycho that Christian Bale played in. Haven't anybody learned? At least that would give it a kick. Still, personality aside, the plots and story lines doesn't have the twist and turns and emotional element filled atmosphere as that of The Negotiator, played by Samuel L. Jackson. The movie needs to have a more convincing story line. Sure, Mafia are competing for territories and robbery is spoiled by Batman. Gee, what else is new. The basic story premise should be changed when the police are the real mafia who used Batman for their own gains would have been more exciting along the lines of "The Departed" played well by Leonardo DeCaprio. I keep the best for last: the best movies anyone can make is an outstanding premise of the story. The premise of this story is simply Joker wanting to rid of Batman because he is interfering with crime, isn't an interesting premise. It's hardly an interesting story to begin with. Try a more interesting premise: Batman is being used by the police force so that Joker can monopolize the criminal gang warfare. But his methods are psychopathic and strings of "Jack the Ripper" type horrific murder. Isn't that a nicer premise. Greeks teaches the importance of a good story is the plot. Well the Premise is even more important the plots because the premise is the guiding light to the entire plot of the story.