REEL CRITICS:

Mamma mia! “The Dark Knight” — how can I resist you?

Sorry, ABBA fans, Batman doesn’t sing, but you’ll still feel giddy after seeing Christopher Nolan’s latest superhero epic. This movie totally lives up to its hype — a stunningly crafted adrenaline rush that showcases an excellent cast and the creepiest villain since Hannibal Lecter.

Picking up where the 2005 film left off, Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) appears to be keeping a lid on crime in Gotham City, yet he still can’t get no respect. The press labels him as a vigilante, and love of his life Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, a welcome replacement for Katie Holmes) has given her heart to another man.

That man is Dist. Atty. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), whose golden good looks and character seem too good to be true.

As the maniacal Joker, the late Heath Ledger steals the show with his crazy-funny, slurping speech and grotesque clown face. As he says, “This town deserves a higher class of villain, and I intend to provide it.” He revels in pure chaos, without any conscience or set agenda.

The Joker’s diabolical knack for bringing out the dark side in his adversaries soon has the line between good and evil as blurred as his makeup.

“Knight” is mysterious and complicated, a challenge for the brain as well as the eyes. It’s almost too much to absorb in one viewing.

Whimsical ABBA-based movie is not for the guys

A bizarre concept takes visible form in the movie version of “Mamma Mia!” The long-running stage play now features major actors on the big screen singing the fluffy pop songs of ABBA. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried belt out the tunes with gusto. Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan look a little less comfortable with the whole concept. But Christine Baranski steals the show as a feisty middle-aged femme fatale.

Streep and Seyfried play a mother and daughter about to celebrate the young woman’s wedding at mom’s remote hotel on a Mediterranean island. The arrival of three older men who could all be the father of the bride complicates the situation. The resulting farce is the basis of the lightweight comedy that follows.

As in most Hollywood musicals, the players all burst into silly songs at the drop of a hat: “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” meets “Hello, Dolly!” with “The Music Man” on the arm of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” It’s all a joyous, mindless escape.

Suffice to say this is a shameless chick flick devoid of any testosterone influence.

SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company. JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office.