A fine return to form for the Batman franchise

Rating: 9/10 (15 June 2005)

A brilliant, a brilliant film, cast in lavishly dark tones, supported by an amazing cast and coherent storyline. Christian Bale rightfully inherits the Bat-mantle from the stellar Michael Keaton, and crafts a character that is layered yet far more interesting to watch than any of the latter incarnations. The scenery is amazing, and the cinematography is spot-on. Christopher Nolan's Gothic vision of Gotham is the best I've seen so far. The Scarecrow is a truly horrifying villain, and Ra's Al Ghul and Henri Ducard make very worthy foes additional foes. I left extremely satisfied by the amount of information they packed in. I would have enjoyed a little bit more of Gordon, but more can be done with him in future films. The last scene is a killer.