"The Dark Knight" delivers

Yes, it is that good - and that dark.

And yes, Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar nomination.

I saw "The Dark Knight" Sunday afternoon on Imax, the big, big screen. And while I'm not yet ready to join those proclaiming it as the greatest superhero movie of all time, it is fantastic.

It starts with an action-filled sequence and rarely lets go. There was only a time or two during the 2 1/2 hours that I found myself looking at my watch. Ledger truly is compelling as the Joker; you can't take your eyes off him when he's onscreen. But everyone else does a fine job, as well.

It reminded me - but only in one way, really - of Tim Burton's second Batman movie, "Batman Returns," with featured both Penguin and Catwoman. Just as "The Dark Knight" boasts both the Joker and Two Face. In each case, there's the risk of Batman playing second fiddle to the bad guys. But "The Dark Knight" is still Batman's story as he struggles with how far he should go in his war on crime. Some moviegoers, though, may be surprised to find out it is also Harvey Dent's story, who serves as Gotham's White Knight to Batman's Dark Knight.

The action sequences really are pulse-pounding, but the emotional undercurrents are never forgotten. And while I read some reviews that suggested there's no humor at all to lighten the darkness just a bit, that isn't true. It is serious stuff, though.

Early numbers put the weekend box office at about $155 million, fueling Hollywood's biggest weekend ever.