"Swear to *me*!"

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2006)

First, a recap - after the success of the 1978 Superman film, Warner Brothers was eager to bring another DC Comic book character to the big screen, so naturally, they turned their eyes to the only other DC character who could rival/match Superman for pop culture icon status, Batman (although Wonder Woman is in third place). For ten long, seemingly fruitless years, Warner Brothers and DC struggled to bring Batman to the big screen in hopes that the Dark Knight could have back-to-back success with his big brother the Man of Steel (at the same time, sadly, Superman's film franchise went into a slow, steady decline), with various writers, directors and actors coming, going, jumping on, jumping off, jumping back on, jumping back off again, etc. But then Tim Burton, then a new visionary talent on the rise, came along with just enough familiarity with Batman and just enough strength of will and vision to make it happen, and with the backing of the success of "Beetle-Juice", Warners Brothers were just crazy enough to let Tim have a go at it, even if it meant hiring the seemingly less than ideal but in the end very effective Michael Keaton to play the title character. Then in the summer of 1989, with Superman's never ending battle for truth, justice and the American way having died on the big screen, Batman stepped in to fill the void, and a phenomenon of epic proportions so rarely seen before or since was born. Then came 1992's "Batman Returns", which was also a mega-hit but inspired a backlash from parents who found the film to be too dark and mean-spirited for their kids (parents reportedly had to drag crying children out of the theater that summer). In response to this and speculation that Batman couldn't hold the fort, Burton was politely asked to step aside and his friend Joel Schumacher came on board with a new Batman, Val Kilmer, stepping in for an MIA Keaton, with the flashier, more light-hearted "Batman Forever", which was also a hit despite taking a great deal of flack over stuff like rubber nipples on the bat suit. But then everything came falling down with "Batman & Robin", which many complained was too campy while the 2nd film had been too dark, and which featured another new Batman, George Clooney, playing the Dark Knight as a light-hearted scamp (Kilmer at least tried to capture the essence of Batman) in a film that proved to be too much of everything - too garishly bright, too over the top in spectacle, too overly produced and over-exposed it forced the WB to give Batman a time out, leaving Joel Schumacher with a long and bitter battle on his hands as he fought to rebuild his reputation as an actually good director while Clooney went on to bigger, better things.
But Warner Brothers wasn't quite done with Batman just yet. After all, he's one of the great iconic comic book characters alongside the X-Men, Spider-Man and of course, big brother Superman. And once again the WB and DC struggled to get the movie Batman back on his feet, but it would require slimming/trimming/toning it down and going back to basics. Once again, writers, directors, and actors came and went in the seven years between now and then, but finally things came together with director Christopher Nolan, writer David S. Goyer and star Christian Bale. But how to make it fresh, appealing, new, not simply a rehash of the previous films but still undeniably Batman? By going back to the beginning, delving into what the earlier films only hinted at or lightly touched upon, so much so to the point that in the beginning it doesn't even feel like a Batman film.
The result is the familiar but well told origin story of how Bruce Wayne lost his wealthy and warm-hearted parents to a random mugger, Joe Chill, but still in connection with criminal kingpin Falcone (Tom Wilkinson). Years later the conflicted, spiritually lost adult Bruce (Bale), torn between a genuine desire for justice and his thirsting for revenge, embarks on a journey unto which he confronts his deepest fears, trains and hardens himself to his very limits and then, coming back to Gotham City to become symbolic avenger of injustice, the Batman, aided by loyal man-servant/surrogate father figure Alfred (well played by Michael Caine). Additionally, Batman must fight not only Falcone but the Scarecrow/Dr. Jon Crane (a lightweight Cillian Murphy), and Ra's Ah Guhl (played by Ken Watanabe and Liam Neeson, the latter in a rare villainous/anti-hero role that he plays very well), and he must reclaim his father's company from the unscrupulous Rutger Hauer with help from Morgan Freeman as Luscious Fox, make an alliance with Gary Oldman's Sgt/Lt./eventually Commissioner Jim Gordon, and rescue his foxy/sexy childhood friend turned lawyer brunette Rachael Dawes (Katie Holmes at the beginning of the Tom Cruise fiasco).
Batman/Bruce Wayne is well played by Christian Bale. At times reusing his "American Psycho" performance, Bale hits a few flat notes but on the whole he's the best new Batman anyone could hope for: 6-feet tall, good looking, muscular, and actually possessing good solid acting ability, here's hoping they don't lose him.