Studios still not brave enough to show the real Batman?

Rating: 4/10 (22 June 2005)

I am sourly disappointed with this movie. Don't get me wrong.. the performances, the story, the casting, everything is great. The movie is also a very well done movie. It's just not a very well done Batman movie.
Why do they call the Batman the Dark Knight? Not (just) because he wears a dark suit, but because his personality and persona are dark. He is tormented by the death of his parents, his thirst for revenge against every representation of evil, and the knowledge that no matter how hard he pushes himself, his revenge will never be complete. (Later, he is also plagued by the deaths of his sidekicks.) The Batman is not a hero, but more of an anti-hero. He is evil in the eyes of the evil, lacking any hint of compassion for his enemies. He has no qualms about breaking bones, cracking skulls, and doing everything to the bad guys just short of killing them. His methods are debatable and justly so, causing a rift in public opinion about whether he is good or bad.
NONE of this is portrayed in the movie, despite all the pre-release hype of how they would show the real Batman this time. Instead what we get is just another cool hero who's got great ninja skills, a great costume and a great car. Another good guy (who seems to reveal his real identity a little too easily to both his love interest and Morgan Freeman's character, though not explicitly with the latter). The Batman is not a good guy.. at least not in the conventional sense. He is cursed and bitter, and he lets it be known.
Audiences walk out the hallway unanimously feeling good about Batman. In my opinion, the film should have been such as to generate mixed feelings. THAT would have been a great Batman movie.
Despite my opinion on the matter, Batman Begins still gets 4/10 (below average) from me for its good characterizations (except Batman's), a decent story, and some nice one-liners. The car by the way was designed and built specifically for the movie (several cars in fact), and the leap through the Batcave's waterfall is a real stunt in a real car.