The prologue to Christopher Nolan's second Batman movie is more akin to a crime thriller than a superhero blockbuster, as a group of masked thugs execute a meticulously planned bank heist. The orchestrator of the heist reveals himself as The Joker to William Fichtner's bank manager, famously declaring that 'what doesn't kill you, only makes you stranger'. The opening scene reveals plenty about The Joker's motivations, despite the fact he doesn't reveal himself until the job is already done. Showing smarts, the robbery is planned to perfection, with the masked assailants doing The Joker's dirty work for him by eliminating themselves. Taking money from a mob-controlled bank highlights that the character has no fear, and is intent on stirring up trouble in the criminal underworld. Crashing a big yellow bus into the building and casually gunning down the driver shows a penchant for the anarchic, while the smoke grenade caps things of with a signature dose of The Joker's twisted sense of humor. Heath Ledger's tour-de-force performance completely erased memories of Jack Nicholson's take on the character in Tim Burton's Batman, and deservedly earned a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In a mere two minutes, Ledger gave a hint of what was to come in the rest of the movie with an introduction that showcased The Joker's cunning, as well as his inherent craziness.
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