Batman Begins

After eight years with no new Bat-flicks, Christopher Nolan took the reins for this superb comic-book action prequel. Christian Bale excels in the duel Bruce Wayne/Batman role, ably supported by such A-listers as Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Rutger Hauer. Bruce Wayne, a privileged young man traumatised by the violent death of his parents, returns to Gotham City after being trained by an elite vigilante group, the League of Shadows. Finding his once peaceful home in decline because of crime and corruption, Wayne becomes the shadowy crimefighter, Batman. Just in time too, as the League of Shadows, led by Liam Neeson’s Henri Ducard, unveils a terrible plan to wipe out Gotham completely. An intelligently scripted, action-packed, hugely imaginative reinvention of the DC Comics superhero.