KC and I went to the movie Batman Begins on Friday night. I know it’s been a couple of days, but hey - I’ve been busy. Anyway, I thought this was far and away the best of the Batman movies. First and foremost it is true to the DC Comics original novels. So many of the superhero movies stray from their comic book roots that it makes watching them somewhat painful; this is definitely NOT one of those times. I especially liked the way that Batman was portrayed by Christian Bale, who I have enjoyed in a number of other movies. He portrays Batman as the dark hero that he is - a kind of tormented soul who fights crime but could easily be misunderstood as a bad guy. He also plays Bruce Wayne well - a kind of aloof playboy who tries to forget his parents’ death.

I don’t like giving away plot lines, so you won’t find that kind of thing here. I was surprised at the number of big-name actors who had small roles or even less than small roles. Liam Neeson plays Ducard/Scarecrow, Batman’s first enemy. Michael Caine plays Alfred, the Wayne family butler who is so much more than a family servant. Gary Oldman plays a young Lieutenant Gordon, who you can see begins a special bond with both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Rutger Hauer plays the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wayne Enterprises. Morgan Freeman plays Dr. Lucius Fox, a genius inventor for Wayne Enterprises who creates all of the gadgets on Batman’s famous Utility Belt. Lots of star power with these actors. And, of course, what DC Comic would be complete without a love interest for both the hero and his alter-ego; enter Katie Holmes as Assistant DA Rachel Dawes. While her performance here is just OK, the rest of the actors shine.

The plot is excellent; the direction is very good. Both are true to the DC Comic of being dark and foreboding. The special effects were very good; the “scary” effect created by the Scarecrow’s mask was quite frightening. I thought the story answered a lot of questions that were there from the first Batman movie that starred Michael Keaton (Batman/Bruce Wayne) and Jack Nicholson (Joker), and led in to that movie perfectly.

All in all I’d rate this movie a 9 out of 10. I would like to see it again in the theater, and I plan to buy it when it comes out on DVD.