the most respectful treatment of the character by far

Rating: 9/10 (16 June 2005)

While predictions are always hazardous and opening night excitement has been known to taint even the most objective of critics, I will put myself out there in saying that this is the definitive BATMAN film. Nolan, an admitted newcomer to the mythology of the character completely grounds the, at times, fantastical elements in a very healthy and believable environment. This has simply never been done. Of course the camp-fest of the '66 Adam West joint to The Great Schumacher Disaster were abominations in the eyes of the Lord, even the brilliance of Burton's visual ambiance did not completely justify the narrative logically and often swept the rich history of the fractured psyche of Batman aside. This film not only lucidly demonstrates that this character can be grounded in reality, but also, in drawing from the almost seventy-year history of Batman writing, that the mythology of the character can be read on a very intelligent level.
The cast is also an enormous part of the gravitas of the film. When a film contains two Academy Award winners, a few nominees, and indie heartthrobs, you know it's doing something right. The affectionate performance of Michael Caine is by far the best (much love to Michael Gough) Alfred depiction. The commanding on screen presences of Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Tom Wilkinson, my man Gary Oldman, and of course Christian Bale ground the film in a sense of seriousness unparalleled in other superhero films. Unlike Gene Hackman's unfortunately, inexplicably obsessed with the abstract concept of "evil" Lex Luthor or the silliness of Caesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, and Burgess Meredith the villains are also grounded in reasonable motivations albeit, super-villainous ones.
But, I would not say that this is the greatest complete film I have ever seen. There is some "I'm the crazy villain" lines in the action movie/comic book dialogue. However, this I credit to the genre. A comic book movie cannot completely sever all ties to the original source material, and comic books are infamous for their Stan Lee "Hey, true believers!" bad dialogue. This film successfully straddles the line between enough and too much. Likewise with the action to plot-driving dialogue ratio. Instead of only using the dialogue as a vehicle to more CGI effects (which are, thankfully, infrequently and tastefully used) the dialogue is witty without being corny, urbane without being cumbersome, intelligent without being inaccessible to a crossover audience. This film, of course, has its pros and cons like any other film, and much of the brilliance can always be subjectively hyped this close to the release. I will, however, say that it is the most thoughtfully, masterfully crafted film pertaining to comic book characters that I have ever seen.
***SPOILER--of a sort**** Gary Oldman driving the Batmobile, what can I say?