He's the bat, man!

Stayed out way too late for a work day, but it was worth it.

I'm not a fan of Christian Bale. Hated American Psycho, and haven't been impressed with anything else I've seen. Tonight, I was impressed. I forgot he was Christian Bale, his Bruce Wayne/Batman was that good.

The movie is dark and complex and rich. It feels long without feeling long, because you're immersed in a Gotham that is neither shiny-bright nor unbelievably dark. The Blade Runner feel is not overplayed, and the plot development is as organic as a tale about a guy who wears a mask can be. The supporting cast was great, for the most part. Michael Caine made a perfect Alfred.

The one annoyance was Katie Holmes. She's not interesting to look at, her acting skills are marginal, and her part was superfluous - oh, hey, we need a love interest. Thankfully, she wasn't on screen all that much.

This one is ripe for sequels. I don't think it'll be Spiderman, because it's darker and less kid friendly. But it's got legs.