Dark Knight Kicks Serious Ass

Rating: 10/10 (6 June 2005)

The film doesn't dunk you headfirst into a world of capes, Spandex and manly jaws. It builds the Batman universe in tiny, logical increments. Bruce Wayne's war on crime unfolds as a focused, military operation, and by the end of it all you're seeing Batmobiles and Bat-Signals and accepting them as absolute necessities, not the kitsch trappings of the Schumacher movies. It's far from po-faced, though  there's a lovely scene where Bruce and Alfred figure out how they can order custom-sculpted Bat-ears from China without arousing suspicion. At the same time, Batman Begins is rich and resonant with a sense of mythology. It doesn't wink at its pulpy source material but elevates it, convincing you that there is something inherently noble about putting on a mask and beating the living crap out of crims. And it is a brutal film. An initial, surprising burst of violence steels you for its visceral tone. It bruises, scars, punches your heart. It's hardcore.