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Into the gutter: The latest revival of the Batman story adds the grit that its predecessors lacked.

Bat to the beginning
Batman Begins
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe and Katie Holmes.

PTE John Wellfare

Rating: 4/5

CHRISTOPHER Nolan’s rejuvenation of the now 66-year-old Batman story has injected something into the franchise that apparently hadn’t occurred to the many previous directors – an element of realism.

Not a lot of realism – this is a story about a billionaire vigilante ninja, dressed as a bat, fighting crime in a fictitious city – but enough realism to avoid the eye-rolling moments induced by previous attempts on the franchise.

Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman was more murky than dark, while Batman Begins turns Gotham City into a truly sinister, brooding metropolis of mass poverty, corrupt officials and evil villains.

The “bad guys” now have everything to fear from the Dark Knight as they’re picked off one by one, disappearing into the shadows with a terrified scream and a flutter of cape.

George Lucas could learn a thing or two from Nolan, who put his all-star cast to work acting out every scene, rather than lounging around letting the special effects do the work.

Strong characters, an engaging storyline and fast, potent action sequences make this superhero movie almost invincible.