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The Dark Knight is out, and it’s sitting atop the IMDb list of the top 250 greatest movies of all time. Does it deserve really deserve that top spot? Probably not, and it will probably come down after a time. But it’s still one heck of a movie, and one everybody should see.

The story is dark, complex, and plot heavy, and it clips along at a fast pace. With twists and turns, you’re always on the edge of your seat, and there is never a dull moment. All the performances are outstanding, especially that of Heath Ledger. He truly makes the Joker his own, taking it far beyond anything done before. He is just so evil, yet so funny and he’s having so much fun that we can’t help but be drawn to him. The way he walks, the inflection of his voice, everything is so superbly done. He’s really chewing the scenery: in one scene where he crashes Bruce Wayne’s dinner party, he’s actually grabbing stuff off the tables and chewing it. You can feel the energy in the room whenever he walks on screen. When asked about why he cast Heath Ledger, director Christopher Nolan said: “He’s fearless.” This really is a fearless performance, and I think he should definitely win a posthumous Oscar for it.

We all like movies, right? I know I do. If you want to see the best movies, there are two lists that you need to know. The first is a little more common knowledge than the second. It’s the IMDb Top 250 list, as voted on by the users of IMDb.com. You can find it here. This is pretty much a popularity contest for movies, but it’s still a terrific list, with great movies like The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, and Casablanca in the top 10. However, great older movies are getting bumped off by more recent fare that may not deserve to be there, like V For Vendetta.

The second list is located at theyshootpictures.com. It’s their list of the 1,000 greatest films of all time, and can be found here. Unlike the IMDb list, this list is formulated with the compiled votes of “1,604 critics, filmmakers, reviewers, scholars and other likely film types.” It’s basically the 1,000 best films according to critics and the like. It’s a great list, with movies like Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo topping the list. It has more older movies and classics on the list, because these have stood the test of time and have accumulated critical acclaim over the years. With these two lists, you’re set to see the greatest movies of all time.

And for those of you who may not like old movies (someday they’ll learn), theyshootpictures.com has you covered with their 21st Century list.

In this, the first edition of Critical Analysis, I will be watching Meet the Spartans. Throughout the movie I will keep a log, which you can read below.

00:00:27 - Titles! Oh boy, I can’t wait
00:01:01 - Baby Shrek vomited on a prophet
00:02:32 - Leonidas got his nuts bit off
00:03:49 - A racist black penguin just defecated on Leonidas
00:05:23 - Boobs
00:06:49 - Child abuse
00:08:05 - Mouth to mouth male kissing, with Spartans
00:09:25 - Nike sweatshop
00:10:50 - Kicking down the well meme begins
00:11:12 - Down goes Britney Spears!
00:12:01 - K-Fed!
00:12:15 - Sanjaya!
00:13:01 - American Idol judges down
00:13:07 - Ryan Seacrest - Out!
00:13:26 - Kicking down the well meme ends