"The Dark Knight is that most uncommon of movie sequels, as virtuous as The Godfather II or Aliens: it doesn't just expand a previous storyline, it immeasurably enriches it by adding shadings of character development and moral complexity that were only hinted at in Batman Begins, the 2005 series rethink by director Christopher Nolan, who rescued Bob Kane's comic book creation from camp hell."

"More important than this, however, is the idea that Batman is not just a guy in a suit, but a symbol and there are people in the film most notably The Joker who want to destroy that symbol. While Batman's identity remains secret and his motives unknown to Gothamites, he represents hope in a city that has little to spare and embodies a pursuit of justice and further, a code of behavior that quite literally threatens these criminals' way of life. By throwing Gotham into chaos and testing the limits to which Batman holds himself, The Joker is not merely plying death and destruction but willfully destroying the philosophical foundations of organized society. The closest such examination another comic book-oriented film has ever attempted was the emotional throughline of the Spider-Man films. Peter Parker's struggle was almost exclusively personal, whereas Wayne not only has to find a way to maintain his moral compass, but consider what the repercussions of his heroism are to both the public and the criminals themselves."

"“Batman” isn’t a comic book anymore. Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” is a haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy. It creates characters we come to care about. That’s because of the performances, because of the direction, because of the writing, and because of the superlative technical quality of the entire production. This film, and to a lesser degree “Iron Man,” redefine the possibilities of the “comic-book movie.” “The Dark Knight” is not a simplistic tale of good and evil. Batman is good, yes, The Joker is evil, yes. But Batman poses a more complex puzzle than usual: The citizens of Gotham City are in an uproar, calling him a vigilante and blaming him for the deaths of policemen and others. And the Joker is more than a villain. He’s a Mephistopheles whose actions are fiendishly designed to pose moral dilemmas for his enemies. The key performance in the movie is by the late Heath Ledger, as the Joker. Will he become the first posthumous Oscar winner since Peter Finch? His Joker draws power from the actual inspiration of the character in the silent classic “The Man Who Laughs” (1928). His clown's makeup more sloppy than before, his cackle betraying deep wounds, he seeks revenge, he claims, for the horrible punishment his father exacted on him when he was a child"

"Pitched at the divide between art and industry, poetry and entertainment, it goes darker and deeper than any Hollywood movie of its comic-book."

"Breaking from a more sprightly, brightly-colored tradition of comic book films best exemplified by Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man pictures, Nolan nudged the genre in the direction of hard realism. Bale’s Batman doesn’t behave like a valiant defender of the defenseless, rather like a hard-nosed cop unencumbered by legal codes of conduct. The Joker, a role that enshrined Heath Ledger in myth following his untimely passing, is no mere super villain, either. He’s an ideological deviant, referred to at least once in the script directly as a “terrorist”, compelled only by the love of violence and chaos. His agenda is chilling in its indifference; he gleefully sets a mountain of money ablaze in full view of the crooks he took it from, just to show them that this is a war fought on principle. He’s the closest thing to nuance that the DC rogues’ gallery has ever seen, and characteristic of a film founded in social theory. The Joker’s grand evil scheme? Sociology thought experiments … made real!"

"Commissioner James Gordon: Goddammit, will you stop pointing that gun at my family?!"

"[to Dent] You know what I've noticed? Nobody panics when things go "according to plan," even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gangbanger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all "part of the plan." But when I say that one little old mayor will die — well then, everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I'm an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair!"

"[to Dent] Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just... do things."

"[to Batman] Don't talk like you’re one of them! You're not! Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me. They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper. See, their "morals," their "code"? It's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these, ah, "civilized people"? They'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve."

"[to Gambol] You wanna know how I got these scars? My father was a drinker, and a fiend. And one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that — not... one... bit! So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me, and he says, "Why so serious?" He comes at me with the knife: "Why so serious?" He sticks the blade in my mouth: "Let's put a smile on that face!" And — [looks suddenly at Gambol's henchman] Why so serious? [kills Gambol]"

"[to bank manager] I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you...stranger."

"Tell your boy it’s going to be alright, Gordon. Lie, like I lied."

"Have you ever had to talk to the person you love most, tell them it's all going to be alright when you know it's not? Well... you're about to know what that feels like, Gordon. Then, you can look me in the eye and tell me you're sorry."

"You think I wanna escape from this? There is no escape from this!"

"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

"The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming."

"We don't know how far the ripples of our decisions go. We kill one, and maybe save a thousand. That's the code of the Fraternity. That's what we believe in, and that's why we do it."

"Wanted may be the most absolutely stone bonkers, crazy-good movie of the century. Or it may be a gargantuan piece of trash. Chances are it's a combination of the two. But man, does it rock. ... The level of invention and energy in this movie makes your typical Hollywood blockbuster action flick look like little girls in pink dresses petting fuzzy bunnies in slow motion. ..."Wanted" takes a leap of faith — actually, it takes about 10 leaps — and it certainly isn't for everyone. It's bloody, far-fetched, loud, leering and half-mad. But if you're into hardcore action, it doesn't get any better than this."

"Everything they told you was a lie. ... You are my son."

"Now, if any of you feel the need to follow the code of the Fraternity to the letter, I invite you to take your gun, put it in your mouth, and pull the trigger. That is what Wesley demands. Otherwise, shoot this motherfucker, and let us take our Fraternity of assassins to heights reserved only for the gods of men! You choose."

"Your task is not to interpret but to deliver."

"We call this the Loom of Fate."

"Welcome to the Fraternity."

"It's a choice, Wesley, that each of us must face: to remain ordinary, pathetic, beat-down, coasting through a miserable existence, like sheep herded by fate, or you can take control of your own destiny and join us, releasing the caged wolf you have inside. Our purpose is to maintain stability in an unstable world — kill one, save a thousand. Within the fabric of this world, every life hangs by a thread. We are that thread — a fraternity of assassins, weapons of fate. This is the decision that lies before you now: the sheep, or the wolf. The choice is yours."

"Insanity is wasting your life with a nothing when you have the blood of a killer flowing in your veins. Insanity is being shit on, beat down, coasting through life on a miserable existence when you have a caged lion locked inside and the key to release it."

"You really want to know who you are?"

"We trained him well."

"His name came up. … So did yours."

"You're a wasting my fuckin' time! Why are you here?"

"Your father died yesterday in the rooftop of the Metropolitan Building. He was one of the greatest assassins who ever lived. The man who killed him is behind you."