I remember 1989. I remember anxiously looking forward to Batman. I was not into movies as much then as I am now, but I do remember that I could not wait to see Batman on the big screen. I knew it was Tim Burton and he had already impressed me with Beetlejuice, but I was wondering about Michael Keaton. I did not see him in the cape and cowl. Anyway, the movie proceeded to greatly impress me. Of course, the series went downhill from there, ending with the goofily awful Batman & Robin. That movie seemed to kill the franchise, but then 2004 happened.

Christopher Nolan, director of the magnificent Memento, signed on along with Davd S. Goyer to reinvigorate the franchise from the ground up. That collaboration resulted in the finest Batman film to date, Batman Begins. In no way did I think that feat would be beaten; the most I dared hope for was a movie that approached matching its accomplishment, then The Dark Knight happened. Not only has Batman Begins been surpassed, as good as it is, that film has been completely blown out of the water by The Dark Knight. Not only has it instantly become a high water mark for Batman films, it could prove to be a film that helps redefine the idea of what a superhero film can be. I know that is no small praise and only time will tell how ultimately deserving it is, but when basking in the afterglow the praise does not seem to reach the same heights that the film climbed.

The Dark Knight is a complex film. It does not offer up any easy answers, but instead adds layer upon layer of depth. The characters grow, breathe, change, develop, and become more than mere characters. All of the primary players take on important roles in a play that reaches Shakespearean heights, as they are forced to make more difficult decisions than they had ever had to make in their lives. Bruce Wayne is faced with the moral dilemma that being Batman brings, his responsibilities to himself, to Gotham, and his place within the crime fighting hierarchy. The Joker introduces all manner of new situations, causing chaos as he goes, fading into and out of the darkness. Harvey Dent deals with becoming the new public figure for fighting crime, and the direct line of danger that it puts him and his loved ones in. On top of having to make those decisions, the script develops in a way that keeps you guessing just what direction they are going to go.