"The Dark Knight"

Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery and Thriller. Rated PG-13.

Chaos and anarchy starts to simmer in Gotham City, as the Joker begins his reign as the Crown Prince of Crime, and it is up to Batman to bring law to this lawless maniac as The Dark Knight.

Christopher Nolan takes up the director's helm once again in the sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, the film that resurrected the superhero onscreen. Christian Bale returns to wear the cape and cowl, as this time the stakes are high for Batman. Also returning is Michael Caine as trusty butler/father figure Alfred; Gary Oldman as honest cop Jim Gordon, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

It's been three years since Bruce Wayne became Batman, but now he thinks it's time for him to hang it up. He finds an successor in "white knight" Assistant D.A. Harvey Kent [future Two-Face] (Aaron Eckhart), who's also involved with Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Bruce's childhood friend and love interest. But the Joker (the late Heath Ledger) sets out to bring disorder to the people of Gotham City, forcing Batman to take an harder look at who he is, and what happens next will alter the lives of those around him forever -- even himself.

Much buzz of The Dark Knight has been due to Ledger, who died earlier this year from an accidental overdose. Critics as well as actors Bale and Oldman has stated that his performance could lead to an post-humous Oscar nomination. Still, Ledger was amazing and brilliant in creating an iconic villain that is also psychotic, sociopathic, crazy, insane, and over-the-top -- doing so with such passion, intensity, and dedication from an actor that goes too soon before his time.

The Dark Knight has up the stakes even more not just in breathtaking action and stunt sequences, but also in storytelling with adult and mature themes. The film explores walking the thin line between right and wrong -- good and evil -- when it comes to Batman dealing with the Joker -- especially with our brooding and tragic protagonist deciding if he's either an hero or vigilante. Is Batman doing more harm than good? But the film also asks this question: Can you stop evil by becoming evil?

Choose to die as an hero or live to become the villain when seeing The Dark Knight, now available in theatres.