It then chalked up another $300m a week later – making it the 26th highest grossing film of all time within just 10 days of its release.

The record-breaking release marks director Christopher Nolan's second chance to take the Batman franchise for a ride, and the result is a rollercoaster.

Nolan's breathtaking blockbuster sequel follows Batman (Christian Bale) who is tiring of being Gotham's sole protector.

Constantly resented by the people he is trying to protect, he is all but ready to hang up his cape when a new villain emerges in the form of the psychotic Joker (Heath Ledger).

With the help of an ambitious new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and a newly appointed Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) Batman must once again take to the streets.

Darker

As its title suggests, this sequel to Nolan's 2005 film, Batman Begins, takes a much darker turn and dives deep into the seedy underworld of the franchise created by the famous comic book series.

From the opening shots the scale of Nolan's film is made clear, epic panning shots across a sprawling city show the intent to make this the most ambitious superhero film made to date. And it is hard to deny that the British director manages to reach the high expectations set in the build up to the film's release.

Nolan's competency as a director shines throughout the film, with spectacular set pieces which are capable of amazing without straying into the ridiculous.

The film is also stunning to look at, with incredible panning shots across the Gotham City skyscrapers and high speed chases through the city streets.

Much has been made of Heath Ledger's show-stealing performance in the lead up to the release of The Dark Knight.

And although hype may, at times, have got the better of his portrayal of The Joker, an Oscar nomination should at least be secured for the late Australian.

Ledger's depiction of the iconic villain is not quite as flawless as some have made out in the wake of his death, however for the most part it is a hauntingly psychotic performance, at times both terrifying and mesmerising and one which he will certainly be remembered for.

Bale continues to impress as Batman, showing a sleazy arrogance as Bruce Wayne while teetering on the brink of madness himself as Batman – reflecting shades of The Joker's own insanity in his bid to get justice at any cost.

Intricate

The Dark Knight is however let down in places by a slightly ropey storyline, which at times requires you to ignore the fact that the action has inexplicably come to a halt and moved on.

Despite this the script, written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, is almost flawless throughout and allows the quality cast to convey the more intricate sub-plots of the film with ease.

Nolan's film is the new benchmark for superhero films, a 152-minute masterclass in how to make a blockbuster. And although not wholly perfect, this is pretty close to it and easily the best film of the year so far.

RATING 5/5