Neal's Batman Report Card

From the top to the bottom, this movie is about character, reality, and motivation, as opposed to gadgets, special effects, and popcorn crap. For this reason alone, the movie shines enough to be a movie of the year.

But there are gadgets, special effects, and great villains, and believable performances...there is very little in this movie that doesn’t work.

A believable Scarecrow, Ra’s Al Ghul as he was always meant to be portrayed (minus the Lazarus pit and Taliya, but that may yet be rectified), and a veritable TON of drops for the comic book geek in Falcone, Zsasz, and other elements of Batman history here lovingly preserved for the first time on film.

Music by a personal favorite, James Newton Howard (Unbreakable), incredible dialogue, and a nice, slow pace.

The plot to destroy the city is standard fare, but somehow it slips that noose. The Scarecrow is comedy in certain ways, but played so seriously that you are afraid to laugh. Katie Holmes doesn’t deliver an Oscar, but unlike Uma Thurman, she plays her role in this film, subdued, honestly, and well.

The story is a classic, and is played as such. Batman’s training is shown, his world is revealed, he’s not just a putz in pleather, he’s a man driven. Luscious Fox on screen, finally, and Comissioner Gordon spot-on, an Alfred we can care about…there is little in this film that is not executed well.

Only the moment after he says, “I’m Batman.” when he then turns to the bum and says, “Nice coat.”. A good attempt to make a connection, but it comes across as too light in an all too serious moment. Other than that, primo!

If you only see one movie this summer, see Star Wars. But if you don’t then go and see Batman, I’m gonna smack you.

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