Rich Kao

Wow.  Mesmerizing.  Stunning.  Scary.   Troubling, and yes, dark.  It's a movie that will make you squirm.   There are scenes and dialogs that make you say "don't go there."  Yet  in the midst of all these elements, a story emerges that is amazing, especially for those of us who see the parallels to human nature and redemption as the bible tells it.   The movie keeps you on edge because of it's twists and turns (you think the movie will end at about three different spots), incredible scoring, visual effects, and character development.   The late Health Ledger could very well win an Oscar posthumously; his role so well done he makes even legendary Jack Nicholson (a former Joker in a previous Batman movie) look small.   I like movies that make you think and this one did it on multiple levels - just keeping up with the plot was tough enough (I think it will take another couple viewings for me to catch all the nuances), not to mention the moral questions that were raised and acted out (the two boat dilemma in the late scenes was masterful).  But it was the end that left me stunned, and marveling at the genius of the storytelling (a tribute to human creativity and insight).  This was where the "darkness" comes to its climax, and the theme of redemption is played out with subtley.  It's depressing yet impressive at the same time.  I don't want to say too much more for those who have not seen the movie, but I like how the movie does in fact take us to the end of what we are like - as much as we don't want to see it. 

Interestingly, there was nearly unanimous agreement among the secular critics that this movie is too intense for kids and youth, and that the PG-13 could have easily been a R-rating, even though there was no "skin" that usually merits such rating.  The subject matter and the Joker's troubling behavior is what pushes it a near R rating.

For me, it's the best movie I've seen all year, and in my top 10 all time list.