Batman for a new generation

Rating: 9/10 (27 June 2005)

STAR RATING: ***** Unmissable **** Very Good *** Okay ** You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead * Avoid At All Costs
Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has travelled the world, studying the causes of crime. Having become a common thief in China, he has wound up in a tough prison, scrapping with bigger, tougher thieves, only to be recruited from inside by the mysterious Ducard (Liam Neeson) who trains him in the way of the ninja to focus his energies in a more positive way. However, he soon learns he doesn't have it in him to live their way and goes on the run. Arriving back in Gotham City, which has become over-run with crime and corruption, he becomes the legendary Batman and puts his skills to the ultimate test. However, old adversaries from his past soon arrive with a plan to pollute the water of the city that he must thwart.
I remember ten years ago when Batman Forever was released and the fever that whipped up (even though I considered it to be a rather poor film in the end.) This regeneration of the franchise seems to be a mix of the dark elements from the first two original movies and the lighter tones from the last two, with a new director in the shape of Christopher Nolan, whose previous work, Insomnia and Memento I've thoroughly enjoyed.
Going back to the plot summary above, I don't think I've done it much justice and described everything it's actually about (not least of which being the significant amount of characters involved!) That's partly a failing on my part, and partly I feel the first movie in the new series may have been a bit overly-ambitious and tried to cram too much stuff into the first instalment. I guess only you can ultimately decide that...
Like the new Star Wars movies, this new Batman series starts the new series off before the original films even began. I get the feeling the new Batman franchise is going to shape up to be a bit more enjoyable than the new SW films, but then if you'd have asked me how I thought the new SW films were going to plan out six years ago when I reviewed The Phantom Menace, I might have thought differently.
It may have just been the auditorium I watched it in, but there did seem to be an exceptionally large amount of loud bangs and thuds in the film that might be off-putting for someone of a , er, nervous dis-position. Also, Bale's Batman suit isn't as impressive as those worn by Keaton, Kilmer and the like...it's too squibby and rubbery as opposed to the more sturdier ones worn in the other films.
On the performances front, in the lead role, Bale has a quiet, mesmerizing aura to him as Wayne (which weirdly disappears and becomes really aggressive when playing Batman himself!) and Michael Caine is well cast as Alfred the Butler. Neeson is sharp and scary in the lead bad guy role, but as the love interest, Katie Holmes is overly-wholesome and not completely convincing (but very attractive.) But supporting players Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson and even video favourite Rutger Hauer (ebbing towards making an unexpected but welcome and encouraging big screen come-back with this and his appearance in the recent Sin City) are as reliable as ever.
It may be a bit too much on the first go, but second time round, Batman Begins really heralds Batman for a new era. ****