In just a few days, the most highly anticipated film of the year, The Dark Knight, will be released in theaters — theaters which are selling out shows at a rapid pace — and we geeks are just on the edge of our seats waiting oh so patiently for July 18 to come.

The Batman Begins sequel sees the return of director Christopher Nolan at the helm with Christian Bale back in the cowl as Batman. This time around, Gotham City has a new class of criminal in Heath Ledger‘s Joker, but Aaron Eckhart‘s Harvey Dent is the new DA with a plan to rid the city of crime.

Our own MajorJJH all the way in Australia is off seeing the film right now and we’re all so very jealous! While we wait for his review to come in, we’re gearing up to see it ourselves. Here’s why…

Movies at Midnight
Save for perhaps the most bitter diehards and knit-pickers, no one will be walking out of the theatre come July 18th with anything less than an ear-to-ear smile on their face, your humble reviewer here included. But with the joy that will surely be The Dark Knight hitting theatres in less than a week, comes also a bittersweet time. I’m talking of course about the end of the viral marketing. Will the theatrical release, which it seems we’ve been counting down to ever since the rumblings of Rory’s First Kiss, mean no more new Gotham-themed websites and internet pranks pulled by The Joker? Or, will it merely rollover into marketing what will be the inevitable smash DVD release of the holiday season, which in turn will rollover into hyping up the third as-yet-untitled Batman film? Here’s hoping for a continuation of these multi-media spectacles, which have created a living and breathing entity that will be harder to kill than ol’ Bats.

Dr. Royce Clemens
Batman Begins was one of the best films of any kind in 2005, bringing a plausibility to a guy who dressed up like a rodent to beat up bad guys. The Dark Knight, helmed by Christopher Nolan (who hasn’t made less than a four-star film since Memento seven years ago), looks to continue the tradition of treating comic book fans like reasoning, thinking grown-ups… But don’t bring your kids. We all know how that worked out last time. “Mommy, why does that Doctor-Man have maggots crawling out of his face? Can we go home?”

JackBauerstein83
I am totally jazzed for The Dark Knight. The commercials look hot and I am liking the idea of Heath Ledger as The Joker more and more! With the introduction of Harvey Dent and an appearance by Anthony Michael Hall, I have no doubt in my mind this movie will make money. How much money remains to be seen, but I am sure this movie will please both critics and fanboys alike. Do yourself a favor and see this movie.

Henchman21
Why am I excited for The Dark Knight? Hmm, let me think about this. It may take me a while to come up with something…

Okay, well it’s the friggin The Dark Knight, the movie all film fans have been looking forward to. Basically the whole cast and crew are back from the excellent first film. You’ve got the great addition of Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. And then you’ve got what could be one of the great performances of the year, Heath Ledger as a truly creepy Joker. There is nothing that I have seen or heard about this film that hasn’t made me more and more excited for it. So, yeah, I can’t wait to see this, and I’m sure you’re in the same place that I am.

Neverwanderer
The time has finally come. Ever since the final scene of Batman Begins, we’ve all anxiously awaited the cinematic return of Batman’s greatest villain. We scanned the websites, we hung on the word of every rumor, we cheered and booed every confirmation… and now it all reaches a head. The Dark Knight holds the sort of promise, elevated on the wings of bated breath, that could either fullfil or destroy the hopes of an entire generation of fanboys (and girls!). It’s reached Phantom Menace levels of anticipation, even moreso than Batman Begins did three years ago. It’s the sort of anticipation that just BEGS to be deflated… People have invested so much hope in this movie that they’re just BEGGING to be let down…

But the early reviews are positive. The buzz is high, and all I can hope for is to feel my ears pop as geeks the world over breath a heavy sigh of relief on July 18.

I’ve got my chewing gum ready.

Obi-Dan
The only time I will ever admit to being excited about seeing a man in a tight, black suit and wearing a cowl is when the next Batman movie rolls into town. And what makes me doubly excited this time is getting to see another Joker. Sadly, it is impossible to talk about The Dark Knight without mentioning the late Heath Ledger. I admit I was not entirely pleased when I learned of his casting, but the trailers have shown a sinister, evil performance that I cannot wait to see. His voice alone makes me want to take a sofa to the cinema just so I have something to hide behind.