The Dark Knight

Alright...for all you movie fans, don't worry, I'm not going to put any spoilers about the movie in here...I know how much I hate that crap. Last night, Hessica managed to score two free tickets to a sneak preview of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. She tells me we need to meet at 6:30 at the Metreon to get in line.

When I meet her and her friends there, we walk upstairs and the line is huuuuuuge. I'm looking at it thinking, "there's no way we're getting decent seats here." It's at that moment that we walk up to a girl with a clipboard who has our names on a list, and they send us in. Security for this is tight. They're checking everyone with a metal detector and double checking you with a hand stamp before you go in, making sure that your cell phone is off. They're very clear about this...not on silent, not on vibrate, OFF. They inform us on the way in that any on cell phone will result in you getting booted from the theatre.

Now remember, I said I wouldn't spoil any of this movie for you. But I will say that it was better than the first one (Batman Begins). I'll tell you that the scenes shot in IMAX film are spectacular, a view of the Chicago cityscape and intense action scenes like you've never seen before in a movie theatre. This isn't like the Matrix where they project a regular film onto an IMAX screen...this is actual IMAX footage and at times it's breathtaking as you see aerial shots that make you feel like you're flying. Chicago in these shots looks larger than life.

I'll tell you that Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is everything it's been hyped to be and more. So incredibly frightening and disturbing, it's one of the best, if not THE best villain portrayal I've seen in a movie. You have to remind yourself who's underneath all that make-up to even remember it's Ledger. Every scene brings something different, from humorous to angry to disturbing and unhinged. His unpredictability even further ingrains the Joker's instability.

The action sequences are tight and well focused. Christopher Nolan makes excellent use of camera angles, and, more importantly, Batman's abilities. What stands out here is that the movie is an action movie, it's a superhero movie, and it's a drama, but it never has to choose one over the other...it's balanced so well that it's all of them at the same time. Because most of the action was done without the help of CGI, it's unbelievable to watch and never feels fake. And at no point does Nolan sacrifice character development for any of this.

I'd love to say more, share a few favorite scenes and lines, but I know how I feel when I get spoiled, so I'll just say go see it. And make sure you see it on IMAX.