Seeing Batman: The Dark KNight is the event of the year. That makes it exciting. The problem with this film is that its too long. 30 minutes need to be cut out. The story is not sufficiently written to carry the film for its full length. Whatever any one says there is a load of padding in the filming to take it to its 152 minutes. Blockbusters need to be epics its seems. Even if the story has to be stretched to fill the time. How many times does Jim Gordon have to say "The Joker meant us to be here?" Christian Bale broods and broods and ... broods! No wonder we haven't heard very much about him in previews on his performance. He doesn't do very much. Aaron Eckheart's good guy DA is the only clear moral character out of all them in Githam. Its a dark and violent city returning to the original comic book stories. All very well but you need more story to support it. Heath Ledger as predicted steals every scene and is having wild fun with a huge character where everyone else is subdued compared to his Joker. It owes a debt to Jack Nicholson's Joker with whom it has been compared. Its largely good as a blockbuster but is over-hyped and the advertising surpasses its expectations