Christian Bale returns as billionaire Bruce Wayne, now a limping recluse with bad cartilage in one knee who has unceremoniously retired his alter-ego, the vigilante Batman, after the Caped Crusader's reputation was unduly tarnished in the advent of Harvey Dent's death. However, with his fingerprints stolen, his millions wiped out, and the board of trustees of his estate taken hostage by a raging psychopath who talks through a voice-box like Darth Vadar, it may be time for Batman to reemerge. Assaultive installment in the "Batman" movie franchise is so ugly, so irredeemably brutal and mean-spirited, that even a first-rate cast and the incredible special effects fail to make much of a difference. Director Christopher Nolan leaves his audience beaten and bowed--much like Bruce Wayne!--while plot-threads are shuffled about, wounds (such as a stabbing near the finish) are miraculously healed, and characters enter and exit and reenter following scenes at a lightning pace. The whole explosive thing is hyped up on angry adrenaline, becoming a series of staccato clips which aren't so much disturbing in their content as they are unnerving in their execution. **1/2 from ****