Batman reinvented as a truly dark knight!! - Batman Begins Reviews

Okay...When I went to see this movie, I was already familiar with all the new age cartoons depicting Batman as a dark, Ninja-like character. This story has been around for a few decades, which takes the original Batman, as being an ordinary man with a great analytical mind,known as the "World's Greatest Detective", and turns him into a cross between Charles Bronson in "Death Wish" and James Bond, complete with all the gadgets that "Q" can dream up. The movie does a great job in developing each and every aspect of Batman, from his fragile psyche to his futuristic equipment, which allows him to appear supernatural...which is supposed to be "State of the Art" circa 1950; but goes too far, in that this equipment wouldn't even exist today. And while this plays well in the movies and to a generation that has no idea what Batman would do without a grappling hook gun and a Batmobile that is 4 parts tank and one part Transformer, it left me just a little short, in that the story does not stay true to itself, and develops no other character, other than a "good cop" named Gordon...(True fans know what is in his future) played by Gary Oldman. We are left thinking that Batman is a vigilante who won't kill anyone...directly. Bale is good as Bruce Wayne..and passable as Batman...But there was something missing when he donned the mask. Some will say that he is the best to play the role..and I would put him right behind Michael Keaton...Bale lacked tortured soul look in his eyes that was necessary, given the story line. He did mean and angry well enough, but lacked any real soul. Katie Holmes is awful, in a role that is just absolute fluff. She adds nothing to the movie, other than something cutesy to look at amid the darkness of the movie. I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone, but the rest of the story has been done many times before, and even done recently... All in all...good movie...for the new ADD generation...but not Batman.