Kicking Schumacher's Batman In the Nuts

Rating: 9/10 (16 August 2005)

Finally, a big screen Batman that is free of the emasculating forces of Joel Schumacher. From disastrous nippled costumes to ridiculous villains, the Batman movies of the past ten years have been depressingly absurd. This film however, goes back to the very darkest aspects of the Dark Knight's comic book roots, with a leading man who can finally fill the cape of this disturbed hero. Christian Bale, (of "American Psycho" and "The Machinist") is no stranger to the role of the disturbed leading man, and he manages to bring just enough insanity to the role of a man who spends his nights dressed as a giant bat. The film opens with a drawn-out history of Bruce Wayne, which details the death of his parents, the dawn of his lifelong fear of bats, and the beginning of his relationship with childhood friend and eventual love interest Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes). The audience is then sent through an extended foray into Wayne's tutelage in the Far East at the hands of Raas Al Guul (Ken Watanabe) and his associate Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) among a clan of ninjas. Despite the interesting depth this sequence gives the character of Wayne, and his quest to fight evil, this portion of the film did feel a bit drawn out. As soon as Wayne returns to Gotham, however, the film moves into overdrive. From his interactions with Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), an employee of Bruce's father's company, to the acquisition of his costume, car, various toys, and headquarters, one can not help but be excited by the manner in which this previously unexplored aspect of Batman's history is related to the audience. The series of action packed scenes that follow and lead to the climax of the film are dark and disturbing as well as exciting. To any fan of such comic book adaptations as "Sin City," this film will not disappoint. The only glaring weakness was Katie Holmes. Though her character did not have much depth, Holmes was not up to the task of keeping pace with Bale and Neeson. She came across as Joey from Dawson's Creek, a little older, and a District Attorney, but still the same character that she has played in every role she has been given. Her ineptitude does not ruin the film, but is a definite limiting factor.