A different kind of superhero movie. Go. See it.

Rating: 9/10 (20 June 2005)

Not for children.
Not a "comic book movie." A number of critics decried the lack of biff-pow, obviously totally missing the point. While this uniquely American legend was engendered by a comic, it can stand alone, as well.
The Gotham of Burton was fantasy: the architecture in particular. The Gotham of Schumacher was loud, garish, over the top, both overtly and suggestively.
This Gotham is a more realistic landscape filled with characters that can be believed as well as those that must be imagined.
I didn't think I'd like Bale, but in one scene in particular, his anger was so palpable as to be genuinely intimidating. Wow.
While Katie Holmes' character did have its place, I was left without much impression of her.
Gary Oldman proved once again that he is a chameleon. Just a great job, ditto Freeman and Neeson. I couldn't imagine an Alfred other than Michael Gough, yet Michael Caine was a pleasant surprise.
What startled me among the cast, however, was the first appearance of Cillian Murphy. I had never seen him and was astonished at his appearance, which was Tom Welling with a Dean Cain overlay. Looking at photos later, I found pictures of Murphy and Welling that could have been the same person, and couldn't help but wonder if Murphy had ever been considered for Superman.
Whatever tack is taken on the Joker, next time, it will be quite different than Nicholson's, of necessity-- most likely, playing up the deeply evil nature of the crazy beast without much of the humor that made Jack palatable. The Joker's humor was horrible, sick, anything but funny. It will take a masterful rendition to match the rest of the characterizations thus far.
And, finally, thank God there was a real music score! No transitory pop, no hip-hop, no blare in your ear garbage that panders to kids, but a real, orchestral treatment of emotion that enhanced--effectively, understatedly--everything else that was going on. If only other movies would recognize the value of treating music as of creative importance to a film.
Altogether, a fine, fine effort. Now that the stage is set, the next installment should point up refinement and execution of the Batman's strategies...as well as his thinking on the fly...