If I had to pick one word to sum up The Dark Knight, it would be intense. This movie grabs you and does not let go for 2.5 hours.

The Dark Knight delivers on so many levels that it makes me want to destroy all of the other Batman movies in my DVD collection (except Batman Begins).

Writer/Director, Christopher Nolan, has done an amazing job here, making a sequel even better than the original, and turning a comic book into a crime thriller on par with films like Heat and The Departed.

Fair warning, though. This is not Iron Man or Spider-Man. The Dark Knight is, well, dark. The Joker is the most disturbing comic book villain ever, and the way that he is brought to life on screen is brilliant!

All of the praise for Heath Ledger as the Joker is deserved and not hype. I don't even think that I can watch Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's Batman without cringing.

Christian Bale continues to shine as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, but, he really needs to work on his Batman voice a bit. There are moments when he comes across very nasally and I could barely understand what he was saying as Batman.

Aaron Eckhart is perfectly cast as Harvey Dent, Gotham's "White Knight" district attorney, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes makes us forget about Katie Holmes in Batman Begins.

Gary Oldman really gets to shine as Detective Jim Gordon, and the always fun to watch, Morgan Freeman, delivers as always.

The Dark Knight will likely be the #1 movie of the summer, and professional critics are already talking numerous Oscar noms, including Best Picture.

So, don't wait to see this one. Beat the heat outside and prepare to see one of the best comic book movies ever and the best movie of 2008!