So, I saw it.  I went and saw The Dark Knight.  I could write a review, but that is what we have critics for.  Here is one such review:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2008-07-16-dark-knight-review_N.htm

I am here to comment on Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker.  Anyone who knows me knows that Heath is one of my favorite actors, right up there with Christian Bale and Gary Oldman, who both happen to be in the film...lucky me!  So when I found out about Ledger playing the Joker, I was both excited and anxious.  I knew he could pull it off, and I knew he would be smart enough to not try and rip off Jack Nicholson's portrayal.  Yet, there was an anxiety about it because he is one of my more favorite actors and I knew that taking on such a role could either make or break him.  It really did not matter what he had done in the past, if he didn't pull this one off, he would have instantly become a laughing stock.  Some of the critics would have said, "Heath was good in '10 Things' and 'A Knights Tale' but the Joker was out of his league...he didn't have a chance against Jack Nicholson's iconic portrayal."  So, in part, I knew he could and would pull it off, but I was nervous for  him.  I don't typically get nervous for actors...but I was in this case.

Well, Heath did more than pull it off.  He stripped the ownership of the role right away from Nicholson.  Ledger portrayed a Joker who could make you laugh nervously as you awaited his next move; his portrayal left you wondering if he was going to tear through the screen and make you his next victim.  Unlike the 1989 film, they didn't give an origin to the Joker in this one, and quite honestly, that made him freakier because you didn't have a chance to build up a sympathy toward him.  People are afriad of the unknown, and the Joker's motive is simply unknown.  He is mashochistic, sadistic, psychotic, and downright maniacally homocidal!  That is not to say he is without laughs, after all, he is The Joker!

Trust me, I am not saying this lightly, as I totally respect Nicholson and his portrayal of the Joker...but Ledger's performance makes Nicholson's Joker look more like a joke.  He is astounding and mind blowing in the film.  Heath is barely recognizable and he left us with a final testament to the caliber of actor that he truly was.  He will be missed.

Here's a great way to pay your repsects...go see The Dark Knight, you won't be disappointed!