I’m happy to say that The Dark Knight met or exceeded most of my expectations and didn’t fall into most of the traps I feared it would. I liked how its version of the character harked back to the noirish 70s Denny O’Neil version, though seen through a gritty, Frank Miller-ish lens. Some (slightly spoilerish) thoughts:

I still think, though, that Nolan’s Batman lacks some of the qualities of Tim Burton’s, namely its larger-than-life, gothic, and almost supernatural aspect. (Think, for instnace, of some of the iconic shots in Burton’s version like the scene when Batman comes crashing through the museum skylight.) By contrast, Nolan’s Batman, at times seems like a run-of-the-mill action hero in a weird getup, with his heavy, almost thuggish, fighting style and reliance on technology.

Heath Ledger was, as everyone says, brilliant. At times I forgot who was playing the part, so thoroughly did he vanish into the character. A bit too long and bloated, and I’m still not completely sold on how they handled the Harvey Dent/Two-Face character. But, all in all, excellent.