I’m going to go ahead and say it; Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” is the best movie I’ve seen this year. This movie is going to be HUGE and it deserves to be. Not just because of the tragedy behind it but because it’s that good of a film. The regulars are back from “Batman Begins”, Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Michael Caine as Alfred, the fantastic Gary Oldman as Lt. Gordan and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. Added into the mix is Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaces Katie Holmes, as Rachel Dawes and, of course, Heath Ledger as The Joker. This movie is Heath Ledger’s movie. His portrayal of The Joker is manic, intense, and delightfully insane. Throw out Jack Nicholson’s Joker because Ledger’s is truly in a class of its own. While Nicholson’s Joker was sly and clownish, Ledger’s is terrifying and unhinged. He is the ultimate foe for Batman and it’s as if one couldn’t survive without the other. Aaron Eckhart is great as Harvey Dent, The White Knight of Gotham, and his transformation into Two-Face is heartbreaking. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a relief after Katie Holmes. While Katie Holmes was cute and girl-next-doorish, Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Rachel as sassy and no-nonsense, which I feel is a better character choice. “The Dark Knight” blows the rest of its summer competition out of the water. The performances are well-crafted. This isn’t your typical summer blockbuster. Now the question is, will they make it a trilogy?