I knew it was dark, but I wasn't expecting something this disturbing. The frenetic pacing doesn't allow the audience to relax, as the mayhem continues to ramp up. The Joker keeps Gotham City on edge, and the audience is on edge too, knowing that any character (save Batman) could die at any minute. The fact is, this movie is too extreme for mainstream audiences. There will probably be a big dropoff in box office next weekend, unless the older audience decides this comic book film is worth seeing. As for the two characters who died, one really wasn't part of the comic canon, and the other was a one-trick pony who didn't have much else to offer after this film.

I am still waiting for the "detective" Batman film. After all, Batman started out in Detective Comics. Sherlock Holmes is as popular as ever, with two films just announced for pre-production, so a Holmes-tinged Batman film would be an easy choice. And this would allow for a lighter, more deliberate story without moving backwards to the old mindless action standbys. Possibly the toned-down Riddler (in the form of a Moriarty) would work for this kind of film, although a heretofore unseen in the movies villain would also be welcome.