The Dark Knight is going to be huge. It has all the makings of a cinematic monster: Handsome leading man, high-speed chases, a core following ... and an awesome villain. The Dark Knight has a bittersweet card to play as well: That awesome villain is played by Heath Ledger, who died in January. It's dispiriting that scads of people are going to see the film as ambulance chasers, because his performance is as good as the early buzz said it was.

There's a lot going on in The Dark Knight, though the narrative is a reasonably straight-ahead cops and robbers tale with an unrequited love chaser. Returning director Christopher Nolan and his brother/writing partner Jonathan have packed a lot of information about future installments (star Christian Bale is reportedly contracted to two more films, Nolan to one) into a script with multiple dark vs light threads. Contrary to what the title might imply, the film is not based on any particular comic, specifically Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. But it is indeed dark. At the story's outset, Bruce Wayne is questioning his vigilante role, and has his hopes pinned on crusading district attorney Harvey Dent's honorable aim at making Batman redundant. That would mean he could go back to his old flame Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, an enormous improvement over the unconvincing Katie Holmes) and live happily ever after. Naturally, nothing is that easy.

Picking up after Wayne Manor burnt to the ground, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Bale) is helping idealistic Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Gotham's white knight Dent (a hyper Aaron Eckhart) clean up the town and put the mob out of business. The trio's dedication to wiping out crime and corruption has earned them serious enemies at every turn, with "The Batman" in particular drawing the negative attention of the underworld. Petty criminals are on the run, but the real power players, led by Maroni (Eric Roberts), are hanging on and trying to find a way to be rid of him for good. They turn to the Joker (Ledger), who promises to kill The Batman for a hefty sum - and because it will be fun to, perhaps, tease him into wrongness.

The film's standout element is Ledger's turn as the Joker. His take on the giggling madman in purple is a far cry from Cesar Romero's campy television version and Jack Nicholson's almost gentlemanly rendering in Tim Burton's Batman - and Ledger makes you forget them both. He brings a meticulous, anarchic glee to the role, playing up the Joker's joy at bringing chaos to order and striking fear into Gotham because of that. He's that most modern of boogeymen; he sets fires and robs banks (in a memorable opening sequence) not for revenge or wealth. He does it because he can. Much in the way No Country for Old Men refused to explain its vivid villain's motivations, the Joker simply is. He has no history (or a very fluid one), and there's no reasoning with him. He doesn't really want anything other than to play mind games and wreak havoc.

Memorable as Ledger may be, there's still Bale and an outstanding supporting cast of strong actors who are convincing enough to make this nonsense (honestly, a rich dude with a rubber suit and an armored car) believable for two hours. Bale remains the best Bruce Wayne yet; one whose struggle with his alter ego seamlessly informs it, and his few scenes with Ledger make you want more. The Joker's calculated tweaking of Batman's (and everyone else's) weaknesses is a highlight. Oldman is subtly empathetic as the future commissioner distrustful of the system he's a part of, and Michael Caine returning as Alfred, offers wise words that guide - and caution - Bruce/Batman in his vigilantism. They're all backed up by some blessedly old-fashioned moviemaking that's based on pyrotechnics and stunts as opposed to computers, providing a realism that adds a welcome frisson to the action.

The last curiosity, for this side of the globe, is how Hong Kong acquits itself. The short answer is vertiginously. Hong Kong doesn't double for Gotham (Chicago does), and so Nolan and company exploit the SAR's most vivid quality: Its height. To zoom in on Batman perched atop IFC (he does that a lot) after a sweeping aerial shot is dizzying in a good way (particularly in IMAX). The glassy grays and murky air create the perfect backdrop for the moment when Batman considers flirting with the dark side.

Above all else, The Dark Knight is a propulsive, high-impact adventure and good entertainment that fulfils its promise. Sadly, it will also serve as a fitting elegy for Ledger. It's a shame he won't be reprising the role and creeping us out a second time.

The Dark Knight opens in Hong Kong today.

(HK Edition 07/17/2008 page4)