Holy Excellent Movie Batman!

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2005)

Wow, I was really impressed with this movie. I honestly wasn't expecting all that much, and I can't say that I'm the biggest Batman fan or comic-book movie guy. But that stuff doesn't matter because this was just an excellent movie - simple as that.
The story was tight and the plot moved along quickly - quite a feat considering its long running length - there could have been many dead spots, but there wasn't a wasted frame in that movie; every shot, every scene, told another part of the story - the hallmark of great storytelling.
The special effects were amazing; I was particularly impressed with the shots of the city, and the train especially. I think I even said "Wow" out loud. I probably do that a lot, but after having scene "Revenge of the Sith" three times this summer and "War of the Worlds" once, I can honestly say that this is a better film than both of those and deserves to be rated as highly as it is in the IMDb charts.
One surprising thing about this movie was how genuinely scary the "halluciation" scenes were; I felt a little woozy myself after the first time Crane used it on the bad dude. The best part was when Batman used it on him and looked like a black, oozing demon - awesome, scary stuff!
The performances were also terrific (and how about that cast!!!); everyone seemed to be on board with the gritty, realistic tone Nolan was going for - It was a gamble, considering how far removed from the neon-glow world of the last couple of Batman films it was, but it was a strong, confident choice for the design, look, tone and "reality" of this film, which presented us with a much more realistic (and believable) Batman than ever before.
The ending was also great, because it set up the "reality" of the Batman we are used to: Bruce Wayne, Alfred, (soon to be) Commissioner Gordon, future enemies, etc. - this reality, however, is now infused with this gritty sense of reality this film brings. Excellent! I'm looking forward to Batman Returns, I mean, Batman Continues (or whatever they decide to call it...)