10 Reasons The Dark Knight Is Still The Best Comic-Book Movie Ever
1. Heath Ledger's Joker
Heath Ledger's Joker has already been described with every superlative under the sun, so it seems fruitless to add more. But it's not faint praise; without his performance, the film simply doesn't work as well as it did.
The main reason for this is that the central theme at the heart of The Dark Knight is duality - law and chaos, officials and vigilantes, justice and revenge - and the Joker, as a character, thrives on taking the 'good' side of this coin (law, officials, justice) and flipping it over. He kills a judge, turns our hero into a vigilante and makes Harvey Dent abandon the path of justice in favour of some bloodthirsty revenge.
The Joker's nature, as a character, perfectly complements The Dark Knight's core theme, and that's why Ledger's role was invaluable to the production. For a film that's all about the chaos derived from breaking the rules of civil decency, there's only one Bat-villain who can deliver on that promise - and you all have his card.
What do you think of The Dark Knight? Where does it rank in the pantheon of comic-book adaptations? Share your thoughts in the comments below!