Batman - The Dark Night hit theaters on Friday morning, ands fans from around the U.S. were eagerly waiting in line to catch the latest tale of our hero Batman. Would it live up to the hype?

I remember sitting in the theater on opening night, all eyes eager for the movie to start as the previews played for a good but painful fifteen minutes or so. Would 'The Bat' live up to the newest standards placed by the previous movie Batman Begins? Did Heath Ledger really pull off a stunning performance as 'The Joker' or were people just being nice because of his unsightly demise?

To put it simply without giving away any spoilers, we are introduced to Batman's newest villain 'The Joker'. The Joker is a dark psychopathic killer with no rules out to kill Batman and do a bunch of other bad stuff I'm not going to mention. Heath Ledger is frightening yet you can't help but laugh at some of his strange antics. He's the bad guy you love and hate, and so far I'd go as far as to say one of the best villains I've ever seen in a movie. Heath Ledger is so unlike Jack Nicholson version of the joker in the 1989 version of "Batman" it's unbelievable.

Christian Bale kicks major butt as Batman with plenty of new gadgets, crazy stunts, and action packed fighting moves. The Batmobile is no longer like a car, but more like a giant tank strapped with machine guns and other cool gadgets, this baby can hits tremendous speeds and jump like the car in Speed Racer. Not to mention it transforms...let's just say it's a very good asset to Batman.

The story is riddled with excellent actors such as Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, Michael Caine as Alfred, Maggie Gyllenhall as Rachel, Gary Oldman as Lt. Gordon, and the always present Morgon Freeman as the weapons and gadget specialist named Lucius. With a extremely creative script these characters come to life and the story literally takes huge turns instead of the usual forgettable tiny twists found in other movies.

Despite the other great performances, Heath Ledger takes the center stage as 'The Joker'. Heath's performance is genuine and out of this world. Heath did not just play the role, he was the character. He'll put butterflies in your stomach and scare the living daylights out of you. Just wait till he tells you why he's always smiling.

As viewers near me un-tightened their hands that were folded together, moved back on their seats, many gazed and then stood up and gave a huge applause after the movie was finished. This movie was a work of art that brings you in and never wants to let you go. Go see this movie; it's as simple as that. (c) tPC