Pretentious remake

Rating: 5/10 (19 March 2014)

I was not a great fan of the Burton Batman movies, but at least they captured a sort of semi-serious camp that befits a caped crusader who gets the police to project a bat sign into the clouds to fly in for help and justice.
Nolan has made a couple of very good movies (including the time-reversed Memento), but once he gooses up with Hollywood, the charm quickly dissipates.
With a lot of hollow pseudo-philosophy, the film stretches its characters well beyond the limit they can support. Why the good Dr. Villain can't afford a gas mask and has to make do with a burlap sack is not explained. And the 'evil mastermind destroys the world' sub-plot ends in one of the most inane climaxes put to film in a long time: a little microwave generator is supposed to blast toxic wastewater underground pipes open, but it seems to have no effect on the rain and wet streets that are mere meters from said pipes! Then the evil mastermind plummets to his death. And this story features one of the most trusting yet rapidly promoted cops you have ever seen.
There is too much dark camera work, perhaps to hide the wooden acting by the major players and get the rating down from R, a mediocre score, and a 'love story' between two characters devoid of the slightest bit of chemistry.
For some reason, this movie has attracted a lot of "1" and "10" votes. I would say a 5 is more like it: mediocre Hollywood 'reboot' fare, with a few brilliant actors (Caine, Freeman) wasted in brief scenes. I hear that the 2nd installment is better, but after seeing the 1st one, I have not been temped to replace the meme of campy 60s TV action yet, even though I'd like to.