Marcella and I contributed yesterday to the box-office of The Dark Knight. We were really happy to see it. It’s a marvelous movie—simultaneously good summertime action adventure movie, crime drama, and morality study.

Ledger’s performance has gotten the most press, and it is very easy to see why…he is absolutely riveting as the Joker. This is simply one of those moments when someone transcends the expected.

But he’s not the only thing good about this movie. Performances are good all around. The script is solid, and the overall direction is good too. There is really very little wrong with this movie, and there are a few moments that will make you squirm in your seat—like when the Joker is telling a story about how he got his scars, and other moments that will make you go, “holy cow!”—like when Batman deals with the Joker and a tractor-trailer.

This movie is also very dark. There is chaos and death. That is what the Joker trades in, and he delights in setting people impossible choices that usually lead to someone dying, and the movie doesn’t pull its punches in that regard. People do die in this movie.

I absolutely do recommend you go see this film. This is the greatest example yet of what a superhero movie can truly be.

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