Vivid re-imagining of the superhero

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2005)

When the Batman series crashed and burned with "Batman and Robin", many thought the Dark Knight's cinematic adventures were over for good. But the series has now been reinvented with this new picture from revered independent director Christopher Nolan ("Memento"). This film does what it says in the title, giving a detailed study of Batman's origins.
Essayed by Christian Bale, millionaire Bruce Wayne is first seen languishing in a downtrodden Asian prison. He is a tortured, haunted soul plagued by his pathological fear of bats, and how this indirectly prompted his rich parents murder at the hands of a random mugger, himself eventually destroyed by the corrupt system that created him.
Wayne is recruited by Ducard (Liam Neeson), emissary of Ra's A'Gul (Ken Watanabe), leader of a gang of mystical international vigilantes known as the League of Shadows. Ducard trains Wayne in the shadow arts, who then returns to Gotham City, now rotting from within from crime and corruption. With the help of his family butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and the resources of his father's company, Wayne pieces together a new identity to tackle crime and injustice in Gotham City...Batman.
The story is impressive, tackling a great many details and issues previous films left out. We get to see the training of Bruce Wayne, and how he creates the Batsuit, Batmobile and the Batcave, and where he procures the technology to do so. Even Batman's "flair for the theatrical" is given satisfying explanation. The thematic emphasis has changed, however. Instead of vengeance, what Wayne desires is justice and harmony, and using his Batman identity to restore it to Gotham and himself.
Keeping him in check are Michael Caine as Alfred and Katie Holmes as childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes. Both actors make the best of their roles, although Caine comes off slightly better, using his natural Cockney charm to bring the butler to life. Gary Oldman is very good as Jim Gordon, one of the few straight coppers left in Gotham City.
The villains are very well realized and worked into the plot. British actor Tom Wilkinson hams it up as Gotham's chief gangster. Cillian Murphy (who was in line to play Batman) is brilliant as slimy psychiatrist Jonathan Crane, who routinely drives his criminal patients insane in his identity of the Scarecrow. Liam Neeson's Ducard is a much darker take on his Jedi Master role in "Star Wars".
Rounding out the cast are Rutger Hauer and Morgan Freeman as the chief executives in charge of Wayne's company. Respected British actors Gerard Murphy and John Kazek appear in minor roles.
Technically, owing to the plot the film is almost unavoidably too long and occasionally the dialogue is inaudible in some scenes. But the fights and special effects are exceptionally good, and whilst Danny Elfman is gone, this film still gets a powerful, exciting soundtrack.
If this is only the first movie, I can't wait to see what the sequels have in store if the standard remains this high.