Really minor spoiler but great movie!!

Rating: 9/10 (16 June 2005)

They let me out of the basement last night so I skipped over to the local theater-near-you to see Batman Begins *starry eyes* Mmmmm, my faith in comic book movies has been restored. Don't get me wrong; X-men, Spider Man, Constantine and Hellboy were a lot of fun, but they missed a lot of the mood and character involvement that comic books have to offer. Sin City was faithful but awkward at bridging the gap between graphic and cinematic. Batman Begins was faithful, artful and didn't gloss over the fact that you have to be pretty buggered to dress up and fight crime every night.
Batman Begins is the best comic book movie that I have ever seen. Christopher Nolan and David Goyer have skillfully revived the series from the depths of mediocrity and presented a dark somber portrayal of the Dark Knight. Christian Bale was an inspired choice for the role, his work on American Psycho proves he is comfortable playing to the more sinister aspects of human nature. I found he played the twisted and conflicted Bruce Wayne more adeptly than the Batman. There were moments where you could almost hear something inside of Bruce Wayne snap, pushing him further down the path of legend, and always, whether presented with grappling guns and other goodies or facing his former master in a crowded party, there is a heavy sense of consideration surrounding him. Bale had no need of comic thought bubbles or clumsy narrative to demonstrate that he was in deep thought, nor did he require the arched eyebrows and pensive study sitting to show he was broody. As Batman, Bale's voice was worthy of a death metal band, an almost feral growl I would not want to be on the receiving end of, though a few of the more 'sentimental' moments were clumsy and stiff I can forgive it. After all, someone as messed up as Bruce Wayne would be uncomfortable with any strong emotion which wasn't anger.
The supporting characters are well fleshed out as well, Alfred is endearing and strong willed. You understand his loyalty without having to belabor the point, and I am eternally grateful to Mr. Nolan for not beating us over the head with it.I am a sucker for training segments in movies and Batman Begins deliver in lush monastery-on-a-mountain spades. Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon-Jin-was-a-way-cooler-Jedi-than-Mace-Winduso-there) plays the all knowing sense, and I enjoyed the rapport between he and Bruce. The character of Mr. Fox, played by Morgan Freeman, is sharp and enjoyable to watch. You get a sense of a smooth front superimposed over a layer of child like wonder and a strong sense of morals. There is a scene where you get to understand his thought processes (through demonstration!! Not statement) which is one of my favourites. Lt. Gordon shines as the only good cop left, you feel exhausted and worn down watching him struggle with that burden. Katie Holmes' Rachel actually has her own life and her own mind, which seldom happens with love interests, and I admit that I cheered when she dumped Bruce Wayne because while she recognized the need for Batman, there's just some crap you can't go home to every night and a man who dresses up as a giant bat to fight crime and do nasty things to criminals is pretty high on that list.
And the villains! Hallelujah! Any great hero is defined by his great foes which has always been a cornerstone of the Batman comic books. Seriously, who is more fucked up than the Joker? I always found most Batman villains more frightening than, say the Fantastic Four variety, simply because they were more believable. I could imagine someone like the Joker, completely insane, murderous because he likes causing pain, smelling blood and screwing with the minds of his enemies just because he can more readily than a despotic ruler of some obscure Eastern nation with grand schemes to take over the world every other week. I digress. Arkham Asylum features prominently in this movie, in all of it's Mckeane-esquire glory. Scarecrow is a genuinely creepy villain, but even the corrupted businessmen, officials and mob bosses are meaty enough to be convincing. Gotham City is truly rotting from the core and it will die if somebody doesn't step in.
As for the more technical aspects of the movie, anybody who's had a bad acid trip will understand when I say "Bravo!!" They got the disorientation, inability to focus, maddening images in the corner of your eyes, blurry frightening things from your own mind and the RUSH as they bombard you perfectly. One wonders if Mr. Nolan didn't go to Burning Man to do his field research ^_~ No Schu-mockery going on here, the effects were subdued and used to add to the film, not overtake it. The Bat Cave is a real bat cave, Arkham Asylum feels like Session 9 and pan views of Gotham make it look like a seedy, sleazy cess pit. Which was the point.
In short, go see it. In Imax if possible.
In leaving I give you Batman Haiku
For those who are tired Craving substance over style The Dark Knight awaits
Batman rules! *runs*