Good, not as good as the originals though

Rating: 6/10 (19 July 2012)

I have to admit, I am a fan of the original Batman films, Robin and all. I feel that any other Batman remake or reboot out there would be insufficient to me and would not meet my expectations like the originals did. This is the obvious reason why it's taken me seven whole years to sit down and finally watch the bloody movies (also the fact that I saw the preview for the dark knight rises, and it looked pretty good, so i had to do my homework beforehand).
With that being said, the movie is good. It's not as excellent as some have portrayed it to be, yet it is not a movie i didn't enjoy. There are highs and lows to every movie, and this one is no exception.
I'll admit, the first half of the film had more lows than highs. Christian Bale was a mopey, drab, depressing Bruce Wayne, someone I found I could not relate to nor enjoy as a main character. I know he was searching for himself and had lost his parents, but his overall dark mood left me a bit cold. While the movie itself was supposed to have dark undertones throughout, overall it was a bit TOO dark for me. Being over-saturated with drama and darkness does not make a movie great - rather, it's the humour (even subtle, made to match a dark movie), the action (or climax, depending on the kind of movie), the relationships and more that are all added together to make a perfect blend. For the most part, I do not feel that was attained.
With the second half of the movie though, it reached more of what my expectations were. The action sequences were full throttle and left me feeling revved up, Bruce was much more likable after turning into Batman, some subtle (but very well done) jokes were thrown into the mix, and the relationship between Bruce and his childhood friend (Katie Holmes) was much more believable than it was in the first half. In fact, by the end I was hoping they would get back together in DKR (but seeing as she's not credited for a role, i guess not). Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Alfred the Butler all deserve nods for bringing in some much needed alleviation from the gloom that is Batman Begins.
Overall, stick through the slightly slow-paced and sluggish first half of the film (save for a couple of fight scenes, primarily the one at the beginning), and you will very much be rewarded with the great second half!