First off, let's get this straight for all those who would buy it for their children: this movie wholly earned its M rating!! It is most assuredly not for the young 'uns!
This is a film that belongs in pride of place in any self respecting DVD collection, heck in this case; even Blu-Ray, as it is one of the few films that merits the purchase either way! Personally, I have this on Blu-Ray and the quality is notably better!
As my review title suggests (a direct quote from The Joker) I enjoy movies like this based as much on the special effects budget as the acting… however, you will be hard pressed to discern which wins out in this case as both the acting and the special effects are truly amazing! I fear that this film is so dark that it added significantly to Heath Ledgers demise, this is plainly evident when we see the darkness of his role as The Joker. I was doubtful of him playing The Joker, as the majority of his roles have been much lighter, however in this case his performance is amazing and well deserving of whatever posthumous awards he should (hopefully in my opinion) receive.
The same can also be said of our Batman character (Christian Bale) – perfectly acted. The chemistry between Ledger and Bale is immense in every scene where they are together; they bounce off each other as though they literally are Batman and The Joker, which to my mind is the highest compliment I can give, because there is nothing of the actor in any of the scenes, purely the characters which they portray!
A darker and edgier movie than even Batman Begins, this brings home to me exactly what the Batman franchise is all about, and it is most definitely a future classic! Definitely one for the collection, if you rent it… you'll end up buying it anyway, so save yourself a few dollars (in the long run) and pick up your copy to keep today!