'The Dark Knight' is still a masterpiece 18 years later and a reminder of Christopher Nolan's greatness.

Do you know where you were on this day 18 years ago?

You probably don't, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at the movie theater known as the Ridge Cinema in Davie, Florida, watching “The Dark Knight” on opening day with a group of my closest friends.

I remember this partly because of how impressive the movie was (more on that in a bit) but also because some guy had a heart attack in the front row and I had to run to the concession stand and tell some poor young summer worker to call 9-1-1.

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He survived, but they had to end the movie early and give us vouchers to watch it again later for free.

I didn't see the climax and resolution until the DVD was released, and I did still he thought “The Dark Knight” was the greatest superhero movie ever made. It was that good.

18 years later, and I still have that idea.

Sure, movies like “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War” were bigger spectacles, but Christopher Nolan's steady and dignified take on the swashbuckling crusader remains a timeless masterpiece nearly two decades after its movie release.

I thought with all the controversy surrounding Nolan and his questionable decisions regarding his latest blockbuster, “The Odyssey,” it would be nice to look back on a film from a director/producer who is almost universally loved.

The word “perfection” is used a lot, and while I don't think “The Dark Knight” is perfect (and I don't think any movie is, for that matter), it's pretty close to a blockbuster movie.

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Let me preface a lot of what I have to say about this: I'm not a film buff and I'm not an age-trained critic, but I think that's what makes my opinion good.

In a way, I represent the masses, the common low, if you will.

So when I tell you that this movie is almost perfect, I'm not coming from a snobbery, but just as a fan.

One of the biggest conflicts with modern superhero movies is that they are too bloated and filled with unnecessary protagonists and antagonists.

Watch “Avengers: End Game” without sitting through the other 24 movies you should watch before getting into it, and your head will be spinning by the 10-minute mark.

“Who is this blue chick and why is she hanging out with Iron Man?”

Even if you've never seen “Batman Begins” and come into “The Dark Knight” fresh, Nolan does a great job of introducing new characters and establishing old ones in the same breath.

You don't need to know who Rachel Dawes is from the first movie, because in the first 15 minutes of “The Dark Knight,” it's revealed that she's a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's for whom she has unpleasant feelings, while she's in love with a new district attorney.

Bam. Did I get it? Good.

Speaking of characters and antagonists, “The Dark Knight” begins by introducing the Joker and does a good job of setting up the story.

That way, when the movie starts, it doesn't conflict when he shows up and finds himself in a battle between the mob and the organizing forces of Gotham.

Speaking of the Joker, it's almost a side story at this point, but Heath Ledger's heartbreaking turn as the Prince of Crime is pretty damn good.

Michael Caine and Heath Ledger as the joke breaks up (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images; Warner Bros/Dc Comics/Kobal)

He owns every scene he's in, and his portrayal at the beginning of the film is still as striking as it was 18 years ago.

A lot of people praise Ledger at the expense of other actors, but that's not fair to all the other actors in this movie.

Everyone is top notch in “The Dark Knight,” especially Christian Bale as Wayne/Batman, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Even supporting characters like Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) can be scenes.

Everything about the film is memorable, from the dialogue to the settings and even the plot.

Nolan's take on post-9/11 America and the dangers of the Patriot Act was a bit controversial in 2008 but has aged like fine wine and made the movie a compelling watch in 2026.

The way he seamlessly integrates the public's fear of the surveillance state into the third act of the movie – with Batman's sonar technology that turns all the phones in Gotham into a tracker to catch the Joker – is incredibly “supported”, especially when you think about why Nolan is in hot water these days.

“The Dark Knight” is one of the most quoted movies of all time, too; the rarity of any superhero movie that avoids the “thousands-quips-a-minute” type of Marvel dialogue that's been so ubiquitous and weird over the past decade.

Lines like “you can die a hero or live long enough to see yourself as a villain” and “why are you so serious” became so ubiquitous and “memorable” after “The Dark Knight's” release that they still find their way into the cultural zeitgeist to this day.

Even the source Nolan drew inspiration from for this movie is a love letter to die-hard Batman fans.

“The Dark Knight” has elements of classic Batman comics like “The Long Halloween” and “The Man Who Laughs,” which shows that Nolan at least knows his stuff in the area about Gotham's guardian.

I could go on and on about what makes this movie great, as we are 1,000 1,000 words and I have never discussed the basic facts of Batman and his rogues gallery or the clever story that seems to be moving with twists and turns all the time, but it has all been said before.

Nolan received criticism on social media for his historically incorrect decision-making while filming “The Odyssey.” (VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images)

Suffice it to say, “The Dark Knight” was such a sensational movie that every other superhero movie, even Nolan's follow-up, “The Dark Knight Rises,” fails in trying to live up to its legacy.

As DC continues to try to catch the lightning in a bottle that was the Nolanverse, a simple truth remains: every other superhero movie from now until the end of time plays second fiddle.

Even calling “The Dark Knight” one of the best superhero movies of all time is doing it a disservice. It is part of the group of best movies.

Time.

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So while you're taking your (well-deserved) jabs at Nolan for his stupidity with “The Odyssey,” just remember the gift that is his magnum opus.

There was a time when Christopher Nolan was untouchable, and “The Dark Knight” represents the man at the height of his powers.