batman as its never been before - since frank miller anyway!!

Rating: 9/10 (2 September 2006)

YIPEE!!!! This is the first Batman movie in a while which can be taken seriously, and boy does it feel good to see Gotham City as a dark, crime filled "New York on steroids", as described by Christopher Nolan. This new vision of the batman world is something that continues throughout the film, including the cast.
Bale makes a superb batman, and keeping with the theme of darkness, portrays both Bruce Wayne and his alter ego as a man on the edge. Yet there always seems to be a cold calmness behind his rage.
The rest of the cast is also stand out: Neeson is a very convincing mentor to Wayne, Michael Cane's Alfred delivers some of the best lines in the movie, while Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy make excellent villains, with the latter providing a raging insanity behind cold eyes. And, as always, Morgan Freeman is in a league of his own.
The notion of going back to Batman's roots proves very successful, providing enough back-story to make Wayne's transformation all the more believable. It also makes the donning of the cape and cowl a very special moment.
One minor gripe is Katie Holmes' very unconvincing lawyer. Sadly, she seems to be part of a different film altogether. Thankfully, her appearances are kept to a minimum, so this should in no way put you off.
All in all, a brilliant film, and judging by the ending, we are hopefully in for another Nolan batman outing very soon.