“Batman Begins” combines an all-star cast, stellar fighting scenes and special effects with a deep and intricate storyline, making this film the best big screen adaptation of the caped crusader ever.

What makes “Batman Begins” such a fantastic movie is that for the first time, the story of Bruce Wayne takes center stage and is finally explained in a manner that is extremely enjoyable and thought-provoking. Blaming himself for his parents’ death, Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale (American Psycho) takes it upon himself to clean up the city his parents couldn’t. After a half-hearted attempt to kill his parents’ murderer, Wayne travels to the Himalayan Mountains, where he crosses paths and eventually trains with Ducard, Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Shadows.

Ducard, played by Liam Neeson (Star Wars Episode I, Gangs of New York) teaches Wayne to eliminate his fear and in the process makes Wayne a true warrior, immune to fear and corruption. Neeson sparkles as a master of the unknown and teaches the young and stubborn Wayne everything he needs to become what the Gotham Knight embodies.

Soon after his training is complete, Wayne finds out the League of Shadows is attempting to destroy Gotham City, and is asked to join in the attempt. Wayne then refuses to join the League of Shadows and sets fire to their training center. Escaping the burning building and saving the life of his mentor, Ducard, Wayne then heads back home to Gotham to prepare for the imminent attack. Upon arriving home, Wayne crosses paths with the Scarecrow, played by Ireland’s own Cillian Murphy (Cold Mountain) who unknown to Batman, is working for Ducard and the League of Shadows.

Any other Batman movie would have the majority of the story revolve around the villain, and despite a solid performance by Murphy as the deranged and maniacal Scarecrow, the story doesn’t need a great villain in order to succeed. This time around there’s no Mr. Freeze with an Austrian Accent or a ditsy Batgirl that seems to take up space. Director Christopher Nolan (Insomnia, Momento) has finally given comic book fans and movie buffs what they’ve always wanted, a first hand glimpse into the mind of Batman that offers the hard and edgy sense of reality that one would expect from a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Bale shines as the young Batman who must control his anger in defending the city he loves, while simultaneously leading a life as a rich playboy. It’s entertaining to see how well Bale makes the transition from a filthy-rich bachelor swimming in restaurant pools with European models, to the mysterious and brooding Batman. Michael Caine (The Italian Job, Austin Powers) does a fantastic job as Alfred Pennyworth, Wayne’s butler and best friend. The relationship between the two characters is enhanced by great chemistry between Bale and Caine that will definitely benefit future installments of the series. Gary Oldman (Dracula, The Fifth Element) and Morgan Freeman (Kiss the Girls, The Shawshank Redemption) also provide stellar performances as Jim Gordon and Lucius Fox.

Despite some horrible reviews from other critics, Katie Holmes is a believable Rachel Dawes and does a solid job as the young Bruce Wayne’s love interest. While her performance may not win her awards any time soon, her appearance in the movie does not hurt the overall product one bit.

Anyone looking to see a great movie, regardless of his/her interest in the caped crusader or not, needs to look no further. Comic book fans will rejoice in the realm of darkness and despair Nolan has created called Gotham City, while movie buffs that were turned off by Joel Schumacher’s renditions of the Gotham Knight will wonder why “Batman Begins” didn’t come out a long time ago.

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