What a movie!!!!!!

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2005)

I was dubious before the screening of Batman Begins  I indeed felt the fear (coincidently this is the theme of the film) of disappointment. Schumacher's effort was as camp as a row of tents and relied heavily on Fx, silly gadgetry & overblown villains to wow and amaze us  sorry Mr Schumacher you failed miserably. Burton's world was better and his typical dark eeriness made the film enjoyable, but it still lacked the edge of the early Batman comics. Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins however has raised the bar so high even Spiderman with his fantastical web shooting powers couldn't swing over it. This film is surely now the benchmark we have to mark future comic book films by. Nolan's Gotham City is for want of a better word 'real', it could be any major city in the US and that's part of this film's huge appeal. The writing and plot are first-rate, I was relieved as my expectations of the writer who gave us XMEN and the Blade trilogy was very high  he hit the nail right on the head and knocked it in with a single blow. As for the bat himself played by Christian Bale  all I can say is he's truly tremendous in this role and is now the only person I could ever see in the infamous bat cape. He acts his socks off in this film and what a show he gives us  brooding, dry (watch out for the birthday party scene), injured as Bruce Wayne and then as his alter ego he rules - terrifying Gotham's villains as well as kicking the crap out of them. This is definitely Bale's film but the support of a stellar cast makes this film truly great. Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy (excellent as the Scarecrow), Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman & Michael Caine are fantastic is their roles. My only nit pick would be Katie Holmes never quite impresses as Bruce's childhood friend Rachel Dawes, don't get me wrong she is by no means below average (just see Pieces Of April for example) but it is hard to see her as a grown up Assistant DA  I blame Dawson's Creek Also Tom Wilkinson's crime lord character Carpone is a little too hammy for my liking, disappointing as he is one of the best British actors around at the moment However minor issues aside this is an excellent film for adults and teens alike  a word of warning for parents, the 12A certificate given in the UK is a little lenient in my opinion  some scenes (mainly the scarecrow fear scenes) are a little too much for the little 'uns. You have been warned! Overall rating *****