8 years seemed to be enough as director Christopher Nolan took the reigns. After making mind-bending thrillers Memento and Insomnia, this was definitely an ambitious choice by the studio
I remember at the time not caring for it. But that was mainly due to me not being being as much of a film nut as I am now. I also did not know who Christopher Nolan was and was still remembering how bad Batman & Robin was.
However, it seemed Nolan respected the source material and gave us a Batman we have not seen on the big screen.
Nolan and his team managed to make a world where everything seemed plausible and therefore draws you in a lot more then your usual superhero film.
The first hour has so much character development that it feels more like an art house film trapped within a big-budget blockbuster. But it seems the power of Nolan can make any studio go with the plans that he has for any film, even one such as big and popular as Batman.
Despite this being rated a 12A, this is definitely not for youngsters. It takes a while before you actually see Batman begin. There are also some genuinely scary moments mainly involving Cillian Murphy's creepy and slimy psychotherapist character.
Speaking of characters, the ensemble cast is quite exemplary. Christian Bale is such a big draw as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I was not sure how he would do in this. But it is totally a believable performance.
Liam Neeson was really imposing and makes us forget how good of an actor he can be outside of the mindless action flicks. Katie Holmes was a strong presence, Gary Oldman played a really good in a subtle supportive role as Detective Gordon, like I said Murphy is super creepy in every scene and Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are as good as you expect them to be. Also, despite the questionable accent, Tom Wilkinson was a pretty good villain.
While Nolan concentrates on making in-depth character and story development, there is still great action. The fights are well choreographed, the big final act has a great chase sequence involving the best Batmobile imaginable. Known as the Tumbler, the design is truly amazing. It is probably as real as a Batmobile can get, if Batman existed in the real world. The vehicle is like if Lamborghini made tanks.
While the previous Batman's are either solely aimed at kids or has enough for the kids to like. This is much more mature with such a dark and gritty tone that no other superhero has done.
Nolan has manageed to break into the mainstream with a Batman film that no-one thought would make this franchise rise from the grave back into the light once again. It is amazing how real the world Nolan and his team have created. The character and story development is spot on. Nolan is the modern day pure cinematic director. He knows how to make well-rounded characters and fully detailed story.
The cinematography by Nolan regular Wally Pfister is gorgeous to look at and the score by Hans Zimmer is some of his best work.
This was my first experience of Christopher Nolan and I love it the more times I watch it.
Rating: 9/10
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