A satisfying reinvention of the dying movie franchise.

Rating: 7/10 (19 June 2005)

Another long-awaited cult movie comes to the theaters! As a fan of the Bat, I was very pleased with this film. It was neither over-dramatic nor incredibly bright and terrible like the other Batman sequels. For those who are expecting it to tie in to the other films, this is a complete remake. There is no Joker killing Bruce's parents or anything involving the other films. I found the most pleasing thing about this film was the beginning which focused on Bruce's conflicts as a child dealing with his fears and a man looking for his path. I may be biased because I like ninja action, but I definitely enjoyed the parts before he donned the cape and cowl. Professor Crane, played by Cillian Murphy, had a most unnerving presence with his unemotional voice and cold stare that really seemed to look right through others. He was scarier without the Scarecrow mask in my opinion. Liam Neeson also does an excellent job in this movie twisting our expectations about. Instead of relying on overblown set design and garish special effects, Gotham is depicted as a real city with grimy bums, regular skyscrapers, and normal back-alleys and streets. One particular scene shows Batman perched on a a ledge looking down, but the background looks as if it is completely believable with no CG alteration at all. A nice touch, in my opinion. Some of the dialogue was cliché along with the concepts of good and evil in the city, but idealism is an accepted part of comic book heroism and where would we be without it? If you can make due with some of the cheese and Batman's silly gruff voice (honestly Keaton will ALWAYS be the best in presence and voice as Batman), then this film is a satisfying reinvention of the dying movie franchise.