Review of "The Dark Knight [Blu-ray]" by

"The Dark Knight" is the second Batman movie starring Christian Bale as The Caped Crusader. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Gotham's new District Attorney is on a crusade to wipe out the crime rings that are strangling the life out of the city. Faced with a police force and city bureacracy that is riddled with corruption, Dent turns to Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and together they put the pressure on, with the help of the mysterious masked crime fighter. Faced with this new triple-threat, the crime bosses accept The Joker's (Heath Ledger) offer to kill Batman.

It's a whirlwind adventure that speeds along the streets of Gotham to the skies over Hong Kong. The story keeps a firm grip on reality while allowing us to marvel at Batman's spectacular vehicles and devices. We watch as Bruce Wayne cringes when the object of his affections, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), starts to date Harvey Dent. The simmering rivalry that brews between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent is a source of constant tension that climaxes when Rachel is kidnapped and Batman must choose to save her or throngs of innocent civilians.

The Blu-ray version presents all of the glory of the theater experience with special cuts of widescreen scenes, such as the breathtaking view of the Hong Kong skyline and the exciting scenes of Batman riding the Batcycle through the dark city of Gotham. The second disc in the set includes two "making of" documentaries, as well as several featurettes - the most notable of which is the one that showcases composer Hans Zimmer. The Blu-ray version also includes a digital copy that you can download to your PC, iPod, or other portable player.

The movie is spectacular, and the bonus features are a treat for fans. All in all, it's a treasure.