First off...I got to see this tonight on an IMAX screen for free. I heart the Producers Guild of America.

Next up - this movie is fantastic. It's basically everything you guys are hoping for, and possibly more. To shoot down any concerns - the 2 villain angle is handled far, far better than any film that's tried it prior. In fact (and this could be considered a spoiler but it shouldn't surprise anyone who knows anything about Batman) - Nolan did a Q & A after the screening and likened the Joker to Jaws; a driving force for the rest of the characters rather than a character with an arc of his own. I couldn't have put it any better.

Heath Ledger doesn't just give a great performance - he truly does steal every scene he's in; so much so that when you see him on screen, you start looking forward to the minutes that lie ahead. Gary Oldman is definitely great in this one as well. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman do their things and really add quite a bit to Bruce Wayne, as they did in Batman Begins. All in all, the acting is there - even from Maggie Gyllenhall (sorry, I am not a fan).

The action sequences are amazing, and the flick has these serious peaks to it. You aren't quite sure when things are going to wrap up, either. It's 2.5 hours long, and it does feel like it, but it still moves by incredibly quickly with ABSOLUTELY no added fat that could have been trimmed. Every scene is essential. Films that don't do that drive me up the goddamn wall, so that was a huge plus. I definitely recommend seeing this on an IMAX. The city shots are breathtaking.

All in all - this is going to be a tremendous hit, but above everything else, it really is going to please most everyone who sees it. I loved it, and it seemed everyone else in the theater did as well. I'm not going to say it's a masterpiece or anything, but it's a GREAT piece of work.