Why so serious?
Just before the Dark Knight, I watched the anime devoted to him: Batman Gotham Knight. It's not to gain new fans, no sir. It's solely for Batman-lovers. The short stories depicting random moments in his life are mediocre at best, yet so cool. Because that's exactly why we (i mean i) love him. He is human. No super-powers, no speedy-recovery, no coming back from dead a thousand times over. This is a man carrying too many scars, he bleeds and cries more than anyone should, and still does what he believes is right. Gotta love him.
And the movie. Oh, gotta thank them for bringing Batman to its rightful glory of the days from Tim Burton. Gotham is a dark place, a city of crime, dereliction ingrained not only in criminals but in its politicians, law enforcers, business-men, own residents too. What was done with Val Kilmer and George Clooney is a past-time for kids. Shamelessly ignoring the bitter truth of it and dangling colourfully clad clowns as villains with a few action-figures pursuing them.
Now this Batman - with Bale doing a great job - showing why he chose this path and why he can't give up, is so sincerely done.
And another plus for the movie is that the villains are human too. Sick, yes, but human. Flesh and bones. Heath Ledger did a brilliant job. Joker here, sees the worst part of people and uses them against each other. Brings out the evil in each and every one of them. Those as good as Harvey Dent even.
I'm not going to spoil the movie here. But ever wondered where Joker's scars came from? The things script writers came up with are brilliant, and disturbing. Then again, to get as twisted as Joker, something has to have happened, right? Could be your quiet neighbour, your step-mother, the man you see everyday at the bus-stop, anyone. It's in us, to inflict harm. Homo homini lupus, once again.
That's what makes Bat-verse so unique: No super-duper feats, it's human nature in its every aspect.