The Joker stole the show

As I had suspected, The Joker was the true center of attention and literally stole the show in the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Sure the rest of the cast was great and the movie itself was great, but Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker was simply off the charts. It was right up there as one of the all-time "best" villains. He was simply exquisitely evil, with all the right mannerisms and facial expressions, tone of voice, snappy one-liners, and bizarre clothing. He was able to get under everybody's skin in the way that only a purely evil villain ever could. I am actually not a Heath Ledger fan per se or even a Batman fan (well, maybe a little), but from the first time I saw the trailer or even the poster, I could tell that this Joker was really and truly sick.

I did not know that Heath Ledger was the actor when I first saw the trailer and never would have guessed in a million years. That is a sign of truly great acting, the kind that deserves an Oscar.

The Joker would certainly have my vote for "Best Actor."

And, I will probably go see the movie again, maybe in IMAX this time. Of course, it is sold out here in Manhattan for some time, except maybe for 2:00 a.m. late night shows.

-- Jack Krupansky