Newer and Better Batman

Rating: 8/10 (24 June 2006)

The original Batman in 1989 is the only one of that series that holds any weight. With each successive iteration, the movies got worse and worse. That is until last year when I saw this redefining version which was better than all its predecessors - even the original by a some. The cast features some of the best actors out there including Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkerson, and Michael Caine. Christain Bale was decent choice for Bruce Wayne as well. The film does a good job of getting at the roots of the cape - crusader. It has a good story with the requisite chase scenes and combat. There is a lot of character background hence the title.
If anything it needed a more involved villain, or at least more screen-time for scarecrow. Also Katie Holmes doesn't really cut it - she's too homely. But these are rather minor grumbles. The film packs in action, emotion, and a great look. It leaves all the fluffy humor of the Burton series out as well as the zaniness which gave the first films sort of a circus-like atmosphere. In fairness, they seemed to be more like the television series. This film however redefines the series and emboldens it. Looking forward to the next movie. Worth the purchase.