Unlike the narcissistic forays of weirdness brought courtesy of Tim Burton, or the campy digressions of Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan chooses to explore the origin of Batman in story that manages to successfully walk the tightrope between comic book lore and cinematic adventure.

The one thing Nolan's predecessor Burton did get right was casting, and how could it be possible to top Michael Keaton's Batman? Keaton's season in the cowl is legendary and if not for over-the-top performances by the likes of Jack Nicholson, Jack Palance, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jim Carey, Batman's reign over the box office would never have lasted as long as it did before Warner Brothers mercifully pulled the plug. (I don't even own a copy of "Batman and Robin." It's simply one of the worst movies ever made.) Adam West, Val Kilmer, and especially George Clooney never captured the essence of Batman the way Keaton did.

Keaton's turn as the caped-crusader is not lost on Christian Bale. Bale has been acting for most of his life (see Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun"). To date he is probably best known for his bizarre role in "American Psycho." That's all about to change. Bale looks fabulous in the cowl. Obviously he takes a nod from Keaton, but then proceeds to raise the bar. The Batman becomes the most menacing superhero on celluloid to date, which is as it should be.

Perhaps the best part of Nolan's take is the exploration of the relationship between Batman and Commissioner Gordon. No. Scratch that. Make it Sgt. Gordon. No. Wait! Now it's Lt. Gordon. Okay, we'll go just with Jim Gordon for now, the one good cop in a really bad town. Oldman's part emerges as the film progresses and, should Nolan be able to complete his rumored trilogy, it will provide room for ample character development in the future. Also previously ignored was Bruce Wayne's relationship with Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), which adds some levity to what is otherwise a truly dark tale.

Katie Holmes ("Pieces of April") is just plain cute. She's the only thing of beauty in this film, with the possible exception of the cinematography in the first act, and that's a compliment. Tom Wilkinson ("The Patriot") really outdoes himself as a seedy mobster and Cillian Murphy ("28 Days Later") makes for the perfect Scarecrow with his gawkiness and raw talent. Some of the sequences in this film are just downright scary. Liam Neeson rounds out the cast with the kind of solid performance we've come to expect from him.

Batman is my favorite comic book hero; consequently, I'm pretty cynical and critical when it comes to the representation of his visage. Michael Keaton aside, Batman finally gets the treatment he deserves thanks to Christopher Nolan and co-writer David S. Goyer. But it's more than that. Nolan and Goyer's screenplay is rife with subtext, especially the confrontation of inner-fear and mankind's differing notions of justice. It also manages to capture the intent of Frank Miller's "Year One" run in the Batman comics, which remains a standard of excellence in the industry to this day.

This one is a HOT DATE. Grab the family, sans the younglings, and head out to the flick this weekend!

From a Christian Perspective:

"Batman Begins" contains comic-book violence, a few mild obscenities, and several sequences of horror that might be too much for younger children. Be sure to heed the PG-13 rating in this film. Batman is a dark, menacing figure designed to strike to fear in the hearts of criminals throughout Gotham City. Bruce Wayne disguises his alter ego by acting like a billionaire playboy, pretending to womanize in drunken pleasure. It's difficult to pick apart a character that is so intricate, but Wayne's duplicity and humanity has always intrigued me as a Christian. Batman Begins is suitable for most moviegoers.

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-M. Chad Durham

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