Latest 'Batman' movie called a stunner

Batman returns to the big screen in "The Dark Knight," one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the year.

The action-packed film, filled with cool new gadgets and menacing new villains, is the sequel to the 2005 film "Batman Begins" and, like its predecessor, is a darker, grislier version of Batman younger viewers may find frightening.

On the Screen: Opens Friday

The Plot: The Batman, along with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, declare a war on organized crime and proves to be successful, until encountering the Joker, a psychotic criminal mastermind who creates chaos in Gotham City and forces Batman to reexamine his beliefs as he walks the line of hero and vigilante.

Length: 2 hours, 32 minutes.

Rating: PG-13. Intense violence sequences and some menace.

Director: Christopher Nolan ("Batman Begins," "Memento").

Written By: Christopher Nolan, John Nolan ("The Prestige").

STARS

Batman/Bruce Wayne - Christian Bale ("Batman Begins," "American Psycho").

Joker - the late Heath Ledger ("10 Things I Hate About You," "Brokeback Mountain").

Harvey Dent/Two-Face - Aaron Eckhart ("The Black Dahlia," "Thank You For Not Smoking").

Rachel Dawes - Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko," "Secretary").

I'M BATMAN
Five actors have portrayed the popular DC Comics character in feature films. They are (in order): Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale.

FAMOUS VILLIANS
When it comes to Batman movies, people aren't just talking about the actor who dons the mask - several famous actors have portrayed some of the caped crusader's most notorious foils. They include: Jim Carrey ("Riddler"), Danny DeVito ("Penguin"), Tommy Lee Jones ("Two-Face"), Liam Neeson ("Henri Ducard"), Jack Nicholson ("Joker"), Michelle Pfeiffer ("Catwoman"), Arnold Schwarzenegger ("Mr. Freeze") and Uma Thurman ("Poison Ivy").

THE BUZZ

Here's what critics are saying about the latest installment of the Batman film series.

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: "Head's up: a thunderbolt is about to rip into the blanket of bland we call summer movies. ‘The Dark Knight,' director Christopher Nolan's absolute stunner of a follow-up to 2005's ‘Batman Begins,' is a potent provocation decked out as a comic book movie."

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.com: "Dark, grim, haunting and visionary, ‘The Dark Knight' is nothing short of brilliant, the best and scariest comic hero adaptation you are likely to see this summer season, and perhaps during the whole year."

Todd Gilchrist, IGN Movies: "‘The Dark Knight' qualifies as the first official comic book adaptation that truly succeeds in being a great artistic achievement in its own right."

David Germain, Associated Press: "The buzz for the last several months over Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight' was justified. With his final full film role, Ledger delivers what may be remembered as the finest performance of his career."