 After George Clooney made a camptastic effort playing the Caped Crusader - adorned with fake nipples, I might add - we all thought the Batman franchise was dead and buried. But as soon as I heard Chris Nolan was going to direct a prequel to the last four films, I knew he'd take the Dark Knight to unchartered heights. I love being proved right . . . and that's why I've given it five out of five tubs of popcorn in my new ratings system. Batman Begins is the superhero movie we've all been waiting to see and it meets every expectation. A beefed-up Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne this time - fresh from losing an astonishing 63lbs to play an anorexic insomniac in The Machinist - and it was a role he was more than a little nervous about taking up. Starring in major blockbusters simply isn't his thing. Taking part in an all-powerful franchise isn't Chris Nolan's style either, as anyone who's seen Memento and Insomnia will know. Yet, together, star and director have somehow managed to make Batman Begins feel like an intelligent, independent story rather than a mega- movie. It starts with a very young Bruce Wayne who is left deeply traumatised after falling down a well into a cave, where he is attacked by thousands of bats. Soon after, he witnesses the death of his parents and blames himself, believing it was his fear of bats that led to their murders. This is something Bruce never comes to terms with. Later in life the mysterious Henri Ducard, played by Liam Neeson, gives him the chance to face his foes and fight for justice in the League of Shadows, a gang run by his boss Ra's Al Ghul. But Bruce turns the offer down because he's got vigilante plans of his own. Fear is the main theme running throughout the film . . . acknowledging it, confronting it, beating it and then harnessing it. And with the help of loyal servant Alfred, played brilliantly by Michael Caine, and Wayne Enterprises worker Lucius Fox, played by Morgan Freeman, Bruce channels his fear to create Batman, using all the cutting-edge technology of his dad's company. And there's not a plastic nipple or ridiculously camp car in sight. The costume, weapons and gadgets are fantastically realistic, practical creations and that new Batmobile is a beast of beauty. Batman gets into action just as a face from the past rears his head in Gotham City - Ra's Al Ghul - together with the chilling scarecrow, played by Cillian Murphy. The police aren't exactly chuffed by Batman's vigilante antics, but he's slowly becoming a legend among the cityfolk . . . and he's probably the only one with the noggin to save them. Batman Begins is by far the most realistic, engaging and emotional outing for the winged one and, as I hoped, it has a dark, brooding brilliance. Any humour is incidental because everything in this fantasy world is taken very seriously and there's some heavy issues being dealt with. Poverty, drug abuse and corruption are all treated with equal severity and it's clear that Frank Miller's Batman: Year One comic was a strong source of inspiration. The overall look of the movie is jaw-dropping. Dark tones and shadows dominate throughout and the cityscape of Gotham paints a hellish scene, reminiscent of the futuristic visions I've seen in Dark City and Bladerunner. Christian Bale nails the two sides of Bruce Wayne . . . the arrogant, tormented rich boy who, quite frankly, can be quite an arse, and his utterly ruthless alter ego Batman. He's surrounded by an awesome cast including Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer and Ken Watanabe. A top score for the Dark Knight . The franchise flies again. * Batman Begins opens on Friday. | 
