I've long found the idea of Batman—a billionaire playboy who dresses as a bat to fight crime—just a little too ridiculous to take seriously (and I guess I'm not alone in that thought, given the cartoonish approach taken with the character in the past); however, after the Clooney-Schwarzeneggar debacle that was Batman and Robin, which took camp to a whole new level, a darker, grittier look and feel was inevitable for any franchise reboot.

Directed by Christopher Nolan, Batman Begins portrays Bruce Wayne/Batman (played by Christian Bale) in a far more sober and reflective manner than ever before; the script, by David S. Goyer focuses strongly on Wayne's inner conflict between seeking revenge and delivering justice (while neatly addressing some of the character's more questionable issues—most notably, how he learnt to fight and where he gets his cool gadgets from).

With a fine supporting cast, impressive production design (Gotham city is suitably gloomy and rain drenched and Batman's suit, accessories and vehicle are impressively utilitarian) and top-notch special effects, I certainly can't accuse Nolan of not pulling out all the stops.

And yet Batman Begins still feels strangely lacking. Nolan's fussy direction is partly to blame, the action scenes a chaotic blur of close-ups and quick edits that seriously diminish the level of excitement, but perhaps the film's biggest problem is the simple lack of fun and imagination. Compared with the 80s/90s movies, Batman Begins' new approach feels frustratingly conventional, afraid to be even the slightest bit daring or playful for fear of being compared to its immediate predecessor.

I'm not for a second suggesting the reinstatement of rubber nipples on Batman's body armour, but Nolan's grim vision has gone just a bit too far in the opposite direction for my liking.

6.5 out of 10, but not good enough for me to round it up to 7 for IMDb.