Long live Batman!

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2005)

Having grown up loving Batman, and having seen the previous films, I can honestly say that I'm now dying for the sequel! The final scene lays out the HUGE potential of this dark crusader as an inspiring fighter for the truth and good confronted with dark times.
After plasticky, stylised, pseudo-Gothic, and downright camp, we get to the REAL, DARK, VERY BELIEVABLE Batman. For the comic's fans it's a rare pleasure, to see Batman rise out of the ashes like a Phoenix and walk Gotham as it always should have been. Much has been made of its reality. Let me tell you, it's all true. Aside from the utterly solid cast, the choice of villains, the set, the action, it is all spot on.
Though different, this sets you up like Star Wars did for Empire, T1 for T2, let's hope the powers that be are never tempted to go for the quick buck. Thought was put into this film. Pure enjoyment is the end product. Skeptical fan delighted to be proved wrong urges you to see this whole new start to an age-old story.
You may as well pretend the previous 4 Batmans never happened, sorry Keaton... But this is where it all starts!