The first good comic book movie in a long time.

Rating: 1/10 (21 July 2005)

Quite possibly the last good comic film was probably Batman Returns or so. Since then, we've had a few more DC movies, and an over abundance of Marvel movies, as well as a few other flicks(League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Sin City, etc.), but they've all had one thing in common: They've been terrible. It doesn't matter what, whether it was the acting, the script, the FX, the music, or everything together.
So here comes Batman Begins, a new imaging of the Batman series that ignores everything of the previous four films, although considering Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, that's a definite good thing, and gives the Bat-films a fresh start. And guess what? The story actually works this time around, as it tells a tale of Bruce's origins, which eventually form him into the vigilante he will be known for, and after setting him up into the guise of Batman has him investigating a strange drug that may drive all of Gotham City insane. The visuals are topnotch, and the music fits. The scenery fits the dark, moody atmosphere of Gotham dead on. And the acting is for once top notch. Bale gives a believable performance as Bruce Wayne/The Batman, leaving you actually feeling that Bruce is just a "mask," so to speak, and Batman is the true persona. Neeson and Murphy are great in the villain roles, with Murphy actually giving off a truly creepy vibe. Gary Oldman, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and the others are also fantastic. I have a feeling that Bob Kane would be proud.
This may not be the best movie of the summer, but it's a great action film(and surprisingly intelligent) that I suggest most people should see. One can wonder if Bryan Singer's Superman Reborn will be able to have this same magic this did next year, but considering his work on the X-men films I for one am not holding my breath. Still, even if that, and any possible Batman sequels, wind up being a bust, we'll still at least have this gem to remember.