I don't often watch a movie more than once, but remembering how much I enjoyed it in 2005, and preparing to watch the second of Christopher Nolan's Batman series, my husband and I watched this last night. The first time I saw this, it changed my view of what could be done with one of the biggest comic book heroes if artists took charge of the story and did it right. On that basis alone, the movie was almost startling.
All I've seen of the previous movies were bits and pieces. Any clips just looked cartoonish with a false tone and lack of depth and bizarre casting.
Christian Bale is absolutely perfect in the role. His character is far from one-dimensional, and his acting is multilayered. He uses his voice beautifully to help construct Batman. Michael Caine...well who could possibly be better in this role?
The sets look realistic, the opening is gripping and wonderful and makes us want so badly for the rest of the movie to deliver. It does.
More than anything else, this is about Batman. The special effects, villians, etc. don't overpower him as the core of the film.
This is a very good time at the movies, even on the small screen. I would have just given it four stars, since it doesn't rate with the top films I've ever seen, but as a comic book hero brought to film and as a director and cast aiming to accomplish that to the best that it can be achieved, it would deserve 5 stars.