Batman is a dark superhero, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in the 1930s, and published by DC Comics. He is the alter-ego of Bruce Wayne, millionaire orphaned at a young age. Following the TV series of the superhero's adventures with his sidekick Robin in the 1960s, in 1989 Tim Burton directed Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson in 'Batman', a very dark film which carried a '12' rating (first to have this rating) which was ater changed to a '15' and was both critically and commercially acclaimed. Then followed another 3 films centred around Batman, but each dwindled in quality, until the Dark Knight was wearing a brightly coloured uniform and equipped with snappy one-liners that, well, just weren't really very snappy. It was decided enough was enough with the feature films, until Christopher Nolan collaborated with the very thorough Christian Bale in 2005 to recreate Batman to bring him back to his roots, and to create a Batman film set before Burton's 1989 'Batman'. This was to be entitled 'Batman Begins' and waqs billed as really hitting home in terms of what Batman should be all about.

The story starts with the very young Bruce Wayne in the aftermath of his parents' deaths. Now heir to a fortune, Wayne grows up travelling the world seeking ways of fighting for justice and inciting fear on those who would in turn provoke fear on the innocent. He meets and trains with Ducard, and when he is ready, he returns to his home to take up his mantle as heir of the Wayne estate on the outskirts of Gotham City, fighting crime with a cape and mask to conceal his identity, the cape and mask of his alter-ego, Batman!

The lack of quality in the previous Batman films was mainly down to a bunch of unbelievable characters. This does not necessarily mean the actors themselves, but more the characters they played and the script they had to work with. In this installment of the Batman franchise, the actors are given a very well developed group of characters to work with, particularly Christian Bale's Batman. Bale's portrayal of the Dark Knight is very moody and sinister, with little or no humour attached. It brings Batman back to reality as the orphan who has all the wealth but i not happy with it, the Batman who fights fear with fear, and detests crime.

Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman provide good turns as Ducard and Commissioner Gordon, and a very scary Cillian Murphy outplays nearly everyone as the villain Scarecrow. Good performances from Tom Wilkinson as a mob boss and Katie Holmes as the love interest make this film all the more enjoyable. Watch out for a gadgetry performance from Morgan Freeman very much in the style of James Bond's 'Q'.

I was very apprehensive about this film. While I am a fan of Christian Bale, and indeed the rest of the cast, I was disenchanted by the idea of another Batman film, considering how low the previous efforts had sunk. Yet I was amazed by the response by Nolan as a director. It is almost as if all the other films had been completely forgotten, as he restored a Batman created all those years ago by Kane and Finger, the true Dark Knight. It reminded me of a similar film in Burton's 'Batman', which was also very dark and just what Batman ought to be in the minds of the makers.

The story is a very well worked one, not resting too much on any one point in the script, moving on quickly and creating a purpose to Bruce Wayne's alter-ego. The characterisation is extremely smooth, and the actors are believable in the roles, particularly Bale. It is reported that he bulked up extensively for the role, only to have to immediately go on a crash diet to film his part in 'The Machinist' only a few months later. Dedication reveasl itself on the screen, and it is no wonder that he is repeating his role in the upcoming 6th Batman film, 'The Dark Knight'.

There are documentaries showing the creation and reinvention of the Batmobile, Batcave, Wayne Manor and Gotham City, and one showing the CGI and other special effects involved in making the Monorail chase in the film. And for those who want to know why they reverted to a darker Batman, there is a docu entitled 'Genesis of the Bat', which is a look on how they recreated Batman for the film. The extras are very good and very comprehensive.