Critics have hailed Heath Ledger's performance in the new Batman movie as his finest, and now the tragic actor has been widely tipped to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination for his performance as the psychotic villain who battles Bale's Caped Crusader in the superhero sequel, The Dark Knight.

The family of the late Heath Ledger made an emotional journey to New York for a special showing of The Dark Knight. Ledger's father Kim, sister Kate, mother Sally Bell and his ex-girlfriend, actress Naomi Watts, joined stars including Christian Bale and Sir Michael Caine.

Caine, who plays Batman's butler Alfred, said the Australia actor deserves an Oscar.

He said at last night's screening: 'He was extraordinary. I think he'll get a posthumous Oscar nomination at least.'

Great performance: Late actor Heath Ledger has been widely tipped for a posthumous Oscar for his role in Batman sequel The Dark Knight

Reviews for the film, out here on 25 July, have raved about  Ledger's performance, and the buzz surrounding a posthumous award at the Oscars has begun in earnest.

The Sun raved: 'Ledger seems to have got into the chaotic mind of the comic book character. And terrifying he is. He deserves all the talk of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.'

While US magazine Entertainment Weekly said: 'In this, the last performance he completed before his death, Ledger had a maniacal gusto inspired enough to suggest that he might have lived to be as audacious an actor as Marlon Brando, and maybe as great.'

The Mirror's critic wrote: 'Heath Ledger is a dead cert to scoop an Oscar for his chilling portrayal of The Joker. Caked in mascara and with a horrifying maniacal laugh, the late Australian actor is the brilliant heart of a superhero movie that’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.'

Mesmerising: Critics called his performance mesmerising, maniacal and extraordinary

And Associated Press said: 'Nolan was wise enough to give Ledger plenty of room to shine - albeit in the actor’s indelibly perverse, twisted way. There’s nothing
cartoony about his Joker.'

The Washington Post called Ledger's performance mesmerising, and added: ''Audiences with high expectations shouldn’t be blamed — once they see Ledger’s mesmerising take on The Joker—for wondering why the whole movie couldn’t just be about him instead.'

Influential weekly Time wrote: 'This Joker is simply one of the most twisted and mesmerising creeps in movie history.

'Echoing the sly psychopathy and scary sing-song voice of Anthony Hopkins in The Silence Of The Lambs, Ledger carries in him the deranged threat of a punk star like Sid Vicious.'

The star is now favourite to receive the best supporting actor award for his last fillm role as The Joker.

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Oscar buzz: The nominations will be announced on the anniversary of Ledger's death, as they were last year

The buzz means Ledger could end up as the second performer to win Hollywood's top honour after his death.

British actor Gary Oldman who co-stars as noble cop Jim Gordon said: 'He may be the first actor since Peter Finch. He may even win the damn thing'.

Actor Finch is the only person to win posthumously, earning the best-actor prize for 1976's Network two months after he died.

Ironically, the news of Ledger's death at age 28 from an accidental drug overdose broke just hours after the Oscar nominations were announced last January.

The nominations next year fall on the anniversary of Ledger's death because they were moved back two days from their traditional Tuesday announcement to avoid conflicting with the presidential inauguration.