Imprisoned in a Chinese jail, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne is sprung by the mysterious Ducard, who invites him to join "The League of Shadows" in a bid to fight global injustice. After intensive ninja training and a clash of ideals, Wayne heads back to Gotham, determined to save the city from insane criminal masterminds with the help of a cape and a pair of pointy ears…

The screenplay by Nolan and "Blade" scribe David S Goyer is clearly a dark labour of love. They spend the majority of their time building Wayne's character, making it crystal clear to the audience where his motivations come from and making him a more layered individual than in previous movies. There's less emphasis on the colourful villains and more on his inner turmoil, showing him to be a dangerous vigilante in his own right. Supporting characters aren't as well-written, but this is forgivable as fans of previous films or the comic books will recognise them and know who they are destined to become. Though Bruce Wayne clearly takes himself seriously, there is a dark vein of humour running throughout the film. Certain characters have been updated to provide a little light relief; Alfred is no longer the toadying butler but an irreverent sidekick who treats his employer as a slightly irresponsible equal. As a result he isn't adverse to the odd piece of sage advice, put-down or quip. Though this character adjustment works well, it doesn't quite gel with Jim Gordon, who is sidelined as a rather buffoonish second-string character. The real meat amongst the supporting players is to be found in the villains, who are more rounded and therefore believable than past incumbents of the franchise. So we get a reptilian crime boss and a frankly creepy psychologist-cum-mad-scientist who is all the more frightening because he is sane (at least in the beginning). The dialogue is slick but never camp or self-consciously cool.

The supporting cast is of a remarkably high quality, featuring a roll-call of famous names. The most marked feature of all the performances is a tendency to talk in a lower register than normal giving everything the players say a more serious tone. Michael Caine plays yet another variation of himself as Alfred. But he's clearly having such a good time and has great rapport with Bale that it's easy to accept him as the character, especially as he hints at layers that make him better rounded than the script allows for. Liam Neeson continues his run as mentor figures as the shady Henri Ducard, the least French sounding Irishman I've ever heard. He approaches the role in his usual measured manner and gives it life, but with such a dodgy moustache you know there's something more Machiavellian about him from the off.

The real stars are the bad guys. Tom Wilkinson shows his range as slimy mob boss Carmine Falcone. He shows a propensity for cold-blooded cruelty as a man so powerful he is foolish enough to think himself invincible. However his megalomania is nothing compared to that of twisted psychiatrist Dr Jonathan Crane played with disconcerting intensity by Irish actor Cillian Murphy. Just one look at his piercing blue eyes and you're under no illusion this man has a God complex he's willing to act on. Rutger Hauer impresses in a small role as Earle, the bureaucrat determined to strip mine the assets of the Wayne Corporation for his own benefit.

The stunts throughout are confidently choreographed and performed, from the Samurai sword-fight on frozen lake, to the ninja training exercises and the Batmobile chase through the streets of Gotham that has the vehicle flattening everything in sight. The fights are brutal and occasionally painful to watch, but that's just because they look real. There are also some impressive pyrotechnics that Michael Bay would be proud of and the pleasing use of miniatures in the finale that shows there are some things that don't need CGI to be effective.