Best Batman since "Batman"

Rating: 8/10 (21 June 2005)

I was very impressed by the unwillingness of this film to give into superhero movie clichés and maintaining it's dark, but very "Batman", tone throughout. The flashbacks were done well. The action scenes were tight and watchable. The production design was fantastic. In short, this movie was by far the best "Batman" film since Tim Burton's excellent "Batman". One does not expect to see actors like Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Micheal Caine in less than leading roles, especially in a summer, superhero film. I suppose the quality and success of the "Spider-Man" series has changed Hollywood's outlook somewhat.
Liam Neeson was serviceable in his dual role as mentor/tormentor although his performance lacked originality. The pacing and editing was very quick and kept the visual suspense at a very high sustained level. The "scarecrow" effect was great. I actually caught myself smiling as I watched it. I must admit I was worried about how they were going to make a lame villain like "Scarecrow" scary. (I dare them to make "Toyman" the bad guy next time!)
I would recommend seeing it in the theater.