The Dark Knight lives again with Batman Begins, a stunning big-screen reintroduction that resurrects a crippled franchise.

Rating: 8/10 (4 May 2010)

Batman Begins is a carefully thought out and consummately well-made piece of work, a serious comic-book adaptation that is driven by story, psychology and reality, not special effects. As a child, Bruce Wayne sees his parents killed by a criminal, and grows up uneasily to assume the mantle of crime fighter.
It's easily the best Batman picture in 20 years, with director Christopher Nolan and leading man Christian Bale doing sterling work. Nolan has taken the franchise back to its basics, clinically tracing Batman's personal history and psyche. Shot on an epic scale, it's both thoughtful and exciting, though perhaps too intense and complex for kids.