Well, here we go everybody - it’s currently 3:30 am, I just got home from seeing The Dark Knight and I have to work in 2 1/2 hours.  I popped a 5-hour energy just a couple hours ago and plan on taking one more, so it’s looking like an all-nighter for me…and I couldn’t be happier.  Before I continue on, I have just a few things to say - if you haven’t seen this movie yet, GO!  NOW!!  TIME’S A-WASTIN’!!!

Trust me, this is an entirely SPOILER-FREE review.  And it’s not as much a review as it is a complete and utter rave about this film and the experience that came along with it.

Folks, I’m completely serious when I say that The Dark Knight is by far one of the greatest films I have ever seen.  I hesitate to call it “the greatest” because I went into the film as a huge Batman fan and, if it’s even possible, came out an even bigger fan.  And I’m sure there are plenty of movies that already exist or will exist that will surpass it.  But in the end, The Dark Knight will go down as one of this generation’s greatest masterpieces.  It’s been called the “Godfather” of our time and, as a full-blooded Italian, it pains me to even consider that…but it’s true.  People will talk about this movie for years to come, and rightfully so.

Don’t get me wrong - this was a long, long, long movie and many people have criticized that already.  But I wanted it to go on even longer than it did.  There’s nothing to criticize about this movie at all, other than it’s excessive awesomeness.  Seriously, even for the non-Batman fans out there, this movie has something to offer - drama, action, romance and - hell - even a little comedy.

Heath Ledger, God rest his soul, does deserve an Oscar nomination.  He provides the perfect combination of a raging psycopath, cold-blooded killer and stand-up comedian - and I found it nearly impossible to dislike the guy.  Sure his death will persuade a lot of people into going to see this movie and especially into liking his performance more than they might normally.  But, in the end, even if Heath was still alive, this performance goes down in history…no matter what.

The brilliance of this film all comes down to Christopher Nolan though, the director.  This man is simply incredible.  For anybody who ever followed the Batman story, Nolan does it complete justice and then some.  The special effects are outstanding.  The plot and characters are perfectly complete, intricate and complex all at the same time.  He simply made the impossible possible with The Dark Knight.  Bad guys turn good, good guys turn bad - he leaves you curious and pondering every little detail.  And a Best Director nomination will undoubtedly be in his nearby future.

In the end, I’m probably the last person that should be reviewing this movie because I’m biased as hell toward this character and story.  I would say that it left me speechless, but if you’re reading this you know that’s not true at all.  The only word I can think of to describe The Dark Knight is “masterpiece.”  It will forever be known as just that.  Maybe not an Oscar-winning film, maybe not as a fan favorite - but as a masterpiece nonetheless.

Lastly, for those of you out there who see this film and claim that you don’t like it, well, I have three words for you:

WHY SO SERIOUS?!?! (cue the dramatic music)