Co-written by the team of David S. Goyer (a veteran comic book writer) and director Christopher Nolan (Memento), Batman Begins is a welcome return to the grim and gritty version of the Dark Knight, owing a excellent debt to the graphic novels this preceded it. It doesn't have the razzle dazzle, or the mass appeal, of Spider-Man 2 (though the Batmobile is cool), and retelling the origin means it starts slowly, like much "first" superhero movies. But it's certainly the excellent Bat-film since Burton's original, and one of the excellent superhero movies of its time. Bale cuts a good figure as Batman, intense and dangerous but together with some of the lightheartedness Michael Keaton delivered to the character. Michael Caine offers much of the film's humor as the family butler, Alfred, and as the love interest, Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek) is surprisingly believable in her first adult role. In addition featuring Gary Oldman as the young police officer Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman as a Q-like gadgets expert, and Cillian Murphy as the vile Jonathan Crane. --David Horiuchi