Stunningly good

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2005)

It's not merely the best Batman movie, it's quite possibly the best comic-book movie ever crafted. Seeing it on the big screen last night was a thrill, the kind of thrill provided by the original "Star Wars" or "Raiders."
Breathtaking cinematography combines with genius editing to replicate the comic experience in a way no movies have-- the experience of gorgeous art telling a tale in panels that aren't necessarily sequential nor do the spell out what's happening in a pedestrian way.
I'd suspect that Frank Miller would be impressed by this film.
The action sequences are so well-crafted and presented in such a unique way, I was reminded of the feeling I got watching the U-Boat landing in the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan." The difference is that Spielberg shot his wad in those first grueling minutes and was unable to return to that momentum during the rest of "Ryan." In the case of "Batman Begins," Nolan teases us with an ingenious prison fight sequence that is actually built upon--even topped--as the movie progresses.
This is finest E-Ticket ride, a roller-coaster that builds momentum to a thrilling conclusion that leaves the audience in wild applause. An intelligent, complex, brilliantly executed piece of film-making that just so happens to present the most authentic picture of the Dark Knight we've ever seen. Go ahead, file away that old 1989 copy of Tim Burton's "Batman"-- there's a new sheriff in town and his name is Christopher Nolan.
It just doesn't get any better than this. Can't wait to see it in IMAX.