I’m usually not a fan of superhero movies or anything of that sort. A lot of my friends love all the Marvel movies, I never did. I think they come across as super fake and all the special effects I think are completely over the top. With this said, The Dark Knight is one of my favorite movies I have ever seen. It is a complete exception to this opinion of mine, and I think that makes it even more special. 

For starters, it is not overly fake. Obviously, it is fictional, but yet it still manages to feel realistic. The characters are real people and neither Batman or the Joker have any “crazy” superpowers that would usually make me feel disconnected from the film. 

Furthermore, the movie is centered around a very interesting plot featuring a mayor and DA trying to clean up crime in a city with a very dangerous and active dangerous mob running rampant. The Joker adds perfectly playing his role of trying to control the mob and destroy DA Harvey Dent. Finally, there’s the “superhero” Batman who tries to keep it all together, but is also a very well connected and successful man as Bruce Wayne when he’s not Batman. 

The Joker in this movie is the highlight of the entire movie. I believe Heath Ledger’s acting he did for the Joker in this movie is some of the best I’ve ever seen. He perfectly portrays the Joker in his own unique way that makes him – again – feel very realistic, but also perfectly encapsulates his evil. We get to see the master planning of the Joker starting from the first scene with the bank robbery all the way through the movie. However, his consistent lack of motive and demonstration of pure chaos always keeps you on the edge of your seat. You never know what is coming next, but you know it will be good. It truly adds an extra layer of suspense and intensity to the movie. 

Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors ever and is responsible for many masterpieces. Therefore, it’s not necessarily surprising that he would be able to make the best superhero movie ever. He does the perfect job balancing the use of special effects so that the audience gets that “coolness” that many love from traditional superhero movies, but it is not in your face. He helps portray the characters so that they are most impactful to the movie. I’m sure he’s the mastermind behind much of what makes this movie so great and his talent as director was on full display in this movie.