Like Harvey Dent’s gruesome alter ego in the second half of the film, The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s second installment of the franchise that shares its titular character’s uncanny resilience, has something of a split personality.  On one side are the script, a stiff Christian Bale, and three under-utilized iconic actors of their time.  On the other are the action, the set pieces, and an absurdly engrossing, scene-chewing Heath Ledger.

When the Joker is off the screen, the movie is rigid and without the gritty edge that made Batman Begins so enthralling (and refreshing amid a gaggle of cartoony comic book reprises).  The lines fall flat, sometimes reminiscent of even the ghastly Schumacher treatments the franchise received in the 90’s.  Batman Begins succeeded because it took itself seriously as a film, side-stepping the pitfalls of the comic book medium while still showing the utmost respect for its source material.

At times, The Dark Knight comes off as another victim of sequelitis: a studio throws $180 million in the follow-up to a hugely successful first film and waters it down to secure a hefty return on their investment.  The dialogue, especially the first half an hour, is stilted and too expository.

Luckily, the film completely transforms and exceeds the original every second Heather Ledger is on-screen (and he’s there a lot).

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