The Dark Knight (2008)

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APOLLO: I felt out of my element. The darkness is no place for a hero. Why not show his face in the broad light of Apollo? But the movie won me over with it's rational use of the prisoner's dilemma, a subject of much philosophical debate. Thumbs up.

DIONYSOS: It was the irrational that drew me. We can understand the vengeful lust of Two-Face, but the motivation of the Joker is a mystery. He is madness itself, a villain after my own heart. Meanwhile, the hero's sanity is tested, as he must decide whether he can only defeat the villain by sacrificing his moral code. Thumbs up.

On a more controversial note, much has been made of Ledger's untimely demise after the filming. Are we deifying the man for this?

ADONIS: The cult of the adored who dies young is old as time itself. Will Ledger take his place alongside myself, Osiris, Tammuz, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, and Marilyn Monroe? Judging by his performance, which rivals that of Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's Batman (1989), I would be honored if he did. Thumbs up.

The Batman mythic cycle continues with The Dark Knight (2008). Christian Bale (Batman Begins) returns as the brooding, nocturnal crimefighter. Aaron Eckhart as District Attorney Harvey Dent devolves into the multifaceted Two-Face. But the show is stolen by an unnerving performance as the Joker by none other than Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain).
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94% fresh

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DID YOU KNOW? Apollo, popularly known as lord of light, music, and poetry, was also a god of plagues, rats, and divination.