With rave reviews leaking early, talk of an Oscar for the late Heath Ledger and advance tickets selling for screenings that start at midnight tonight, it seems a foregone conclusion: You'll soon be seeing "The Dark Knight." Here's what to look for after you've settled in with your popcorn:
THE SETUP No back stories here: The Joker (Heath Ledger) simply bursts upon an unsuspecting Gotham City to wreak havoc on citizens, criminals, cops and, of course, Batman ( Christian Bale).
THE FIRST SIX MINUTES The opening bank robbery counts as one of Hollywood's hardest-hitting action sequences in years, an ominous storm of violence with bodies that fall like dominoes and several unnerving wild cards. It all sets the tone for a film that's dark, complex and always one step ahead of its audience - when's the last time you saw one of those?
HEATH LEDGER Any Oscar will be awarded on sentiment rather than merit, but Ledger is wickedly brilliant as the Joker. He revels in his spaghetti hair and maimed-clown makeup, but it's his delightfully nasty delivery and twisted posture that transform him into a force of nature. If Alfred Hitchcock was right that a film is only as good as its villain, that explains the success of "The Dark Knight."
