I loved Batman Begins. I am a huge Batman fan going way back and was eagerly awaiting the new movie. So, I packed up my step-son and his best friend and headed to the theater last night to check it out.

Let me first say that I am always sceptical of movies where the hype is everywhere - and with this one I mean everywhere. But, let me also say that this one lives up to, if not surpasses, the hype. Wow - what a movie.

Heath Ledger is everything his performance was billed to be. Just as Christian Bale redefined the role of Batman and has washed away any memories of who played him in the past - so has Ledger with his portrayal of The Joker. This movie was great. It was superbly cast and extremely well written and I can’t wait to see it again in a few months when it comes out on DVD.

There are some great action scenes in this one - but that’s not where it excels. There’s actually a great story and excellent dialog throughout the movie. I told my wife last night when I got back that it was the first time I had seen a fantasy movie like this where you could actually believe that both the characters and the plot could happen. I mean this version of The Joker is possible in real life - in my opinion.

Anyway - go see it. It’s a great movie - the bigger the screen the better. I’m hoping to get the chance to catch it on an IMAX screen before the run is over.