The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the greatest superhero movie ever made.  The film has an action-packed plot full of emotion, memorable characters that stay accurate to their source material, and an engaging soundtrack and realistic set pieces.  The Dark Knight excels at all the requirements to make a perfect superhero movie. 

            The plot of The Dark Knight is action packed, full of emotion, and concludes with a satisfying ending.  The action starts as soon as the movie begins.  The very first scene is a bank heist with a mysterious character being hinted at.  This scene embodies what most of the action scenes throughout the film entail: a thrilling action sequence with moments of emotion and important plot points mixed in.  As the movie progresses, it follows a pattern.  Every thrilling action scene is followed by a slower, story enhancing emotional scene that then leads into another action scene.  The seamless switching from action scene to emotional scene keeps the flow of the movie smooth, and the audience engaged in the story.  The slower, emotional scenes help the audience relate to the characters and become more attached and interested in them.  While the action scenes break up the emotional scenes to keep the audience engaged.  Lastly, the plot concluded with a satisfying ending.  The antagonist, the Joker, is stopped, but not without causing the protagonist, Batman, anguish.  Once the credits start rolling, there are no questions left unanswered, and the audience is left satisfied with the result.  The engaging plot could not have been as successful without powerful characters to complement the story. 

            Many of the characters of The Dark Knight are memorable, comic accurate, and realistic.  One character that stands out throughout the movie is the Joker.  Because of Heath Ledger’s outstanding performance, the audience is terrified and in awe of the realism of the Joker.  Instead of having very animated, more comical characters like many other superhero movies, Heath Ledger’s Joker is serious and creepy.  This take on the Joker adds to the realism because the audience feels as if Heath Ledger is as deranged as his character is, thanks to Heath Ledger’s incredible acting performance.  Other characters such as Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent, played by Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckhart respectively, are all unique, comic accurate, and perform their roles fantastically.  The audience feels as if every scene, because of the tremendous acting and script, is right out of a comic book panel and happening right in front of them, making the experience unforgettable.  Additionally, the characters feel realistic because of their emotions and feelings displayed throughout every scene.  The audience’s emotions and feelings for the characters is increased through the engaging soundtrack and set pieces. 

            Finally, the soundtrack and set pieces enhance an already stellar plot and cast of characters.  Every action scene is accompanied by intense music and realistic set pieces.  These keep the audience on the edge of their seat because every scene appears as if it could be happening right in front of them.  Additionally, the intense or tragic music, composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, enhances the already emotional scenes set up from the plot.  Many superhero movies rely on CGI effects in their movies, but Christopher Nolan made the correct decision to use practical effects to boost the realism of the action scenes.  One scene in particular that captures the audience is the tunnel chase scene.  During this scene, all aspects from the stunts and explosions to the cars crashing and semi flipping over, are all practical effects.  Therefore, these effects are real and add to the realism of the film.  Along with the practical effects, the intense music keeps the audience engaged and on the edges of their seats throughout the entire scene.  These effects, along with the phenomenal soundtrack, perfect the movie, cementing it as not only the best superhero movie but also an overall outstanding film in general. 

            To summarize the review, The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the best superhero film ever made.  It is the greatest superhero film because of the action packed and emotional plot, realistic and comic accurate characters, and intense soundtrack and realistic set pieces.  The Dark Knight is a perfect example of what every superhero movie should strive to be.