An Expertly-Crafted Introduction, Stuffed with Memorable Performances

Rating: 9/10 (2 January 2013)

Easily the finest establishing picture a comic book character has ever enjoyed. The entire first act is a masterpiece, telling the crucial parts of Bruce Wayne's fabled origin while flashing forward to key moments in his early adulthood and laying the groundwork with an almost supernatural long-term training session. It's effortlessly cool and enveloping, a perfect hook that grounds the character in reality while also pre-explaining some of his more theatrical habits. The follow-through isn't perfect, with a few puzzling plot holes and a conveniently under-explained resolution to blame, but it does such a good job of maintaining its momentum that those tripwires are easy to brush off. Of course, an industrial-sized bucketful of wonderful performances from the cast doesn't hurt. It's just loaded with big-name talent and nobody's mailing it in. Christian Bale is fantastic as the multi-layered lead character(s), but Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Liam Neeson are right there beside him in a wealth of glowing supporting roles. It's a dream come true for fans of the character, and a great reintroduction for casuals who'd been led astray the last iteration.