"Gotham City Protector"

Rating: 7/10 (18 January 2013)

Finally seen the Nolan/Bale Batman. And to tell you the truth, i was not that impressed. I have always like the Burton /Keaton one.
It was not bad, but it wasn't that great either. Too much hoopla i believe.
Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman was the youngest I have seen so far. Nice touch he added of changing his voice when he was Batman but I heard it made Bale lose his voice for real a couple of times! He did a good job though anyways.
Michael Caine as Alfred was...OK at best. I would have had Caine in the Wilkinson role as Falcone.
Liam Neeson as Ducard was really good. He almost stole the movie from Bale. I like how he truly underestimated Wayne/Batman in that he would not kill him but didn't think that Batman would not save him! He just closed his eyes and just let destiny happened. Nice.
Mrs. Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, as Rachel Dawes did a OK job. She and Bale did not have any chemistry but she did not do such a bad job.
Gary Oldman as Gordon did a good job also. He even gets to drive the Batmobile! ha ha ha.
Cillian Murphy as the scarecrow was OK at best. All he had a weapon was some kind of hallucinating gas. I like how Batman gives him a test of his own medicine. Classic.
Rade Serbedzija as a Homeless Man was somewhat pointless. He scene was basically a cameo and very brief. Maybe he wanted to be in a Batman movie or knew the director or something.
Rutger Hauer as Earle was so-so. I would have had him tackle the Alfred role. That would have been interesting. But in the Earle role he really didn't have much to do but be a treacherous traitor. A thankless role for this great actor.
Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone was not too bad but like I said I would have had Caine tackle this Falcone role. i would have had Wilkinson tackle the Earle role instead.
Ken Watanabe as Ra's Al Ghul had a basically nice cameo. But was wasted in this thankless role.
And last but not least, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. I really feel Morgan was wasted in this pointless role that somewhat just diminished the Alfred role! I believe there really wasn't any justification to have this character in the film in the first place. I also believe Caine could have done this or the Falcone role way better. Freeman would have made a very interesting Alfred, but I'm thinking people would have been in a uproar just because he's an Afro-American in a servant role to a white man. Would have also brought some echoes of Driving Miss Daisy references. But I'm thinking Freeman could have adopted a British accent and made a very interesting take on Alfred. Come on, Keaton as Batman, nobody could believe it yet Keaton did a fantastic job! The whole take of Wayne as a white man only trusting Alfred who is black, would have been excellent But alas, it is what it is. Maybe when I directed my own movies someday, I will be able to do that type of casting that way...