They got it right

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2005)

Finally a Batman movie that gets it all right. Christian Bale is the first actor who can play both roles, Batman and Bruce Wayne, perfectly, and is truly believable as both. Michael Caine is the best Alfred since the Television series. Liam Neeson, while not a traditional Ra's Al Ghul, is great. Gary Olman's Gordon, a cop who still believes in justice, is also a brilliant portrayal. The only weak link is Katie Holmes, who I generally like, but who never gets a handle on her character. With great special effects, and solid directing this is the movie that true fans have been waiting for. Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox, a later addition to the cannon, is a wonderful character. At last we have a full explanation of where Batman gets all of those wonderful gadgets. If you are not a Batman fan, or a fan of movies derived from comic books, you may not enjoy this film as much. The viewer is required to suspend disbelief, when confronted with an insane asylum placed on an island in the middle of the city, and when dealing with the abilities of the Batman, as well as of some of his opponents. But, it is all great fun, and the action is fast-paced, with plenty of character development. This is probably the must see movie of the year.