I think Christian Bale is a good choice for The Dark Knight, he has that sort of dark persona about him, that Val Kilmer, and George "I shouldn't have been cast as Batman" Clooney didn't. I think the lack of persona hurt those movies, more than just sheer star power.
Initially I thought Kilmer was a good choice, but after seeing him in the role it wasn't a good fit. Michael Keaton was perfect for the role, and I think Bale has those same type of Bruce Wayne qualities that Keaton had, and the same kind that Tobe Macguire has to be an effective Peter Parker, that will make this a successful movie.
The key thing I'm hoping for is a good script, and more importantly good camera work. The lighting has a big affect on a Batman movie, if too much is shot during the day, the movie will flop.
NICE