Director Joel Schumacher earned the wrath of Batman fans by turning the Caped Crusader into the Camp Crusader with Batman And Robin and Batman Forever.
Those pantomimes were a far cry from the Gothic stylings of Tim Burton, who understood perfectly the terrible demons that haunt Bruce Wayne.
Batman Begins takes the self-appointed guardian of Gotham City back to his origins, imagining a deeply flawed hero struggling with negative emotions that will destroy him, if he allows them to.
In the wake of the senseless murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) uses his vast inherited fortune to travel the world, searching for a means to restore justice to a corrupt world.
His voyage of self-discovery leads him to the Himalayas, where a wise man called Ducard (Liam Neeson) tutors him in physical and mental disciplines. Wayne returns to Gotham, where rampant crime and corruption hold the city to ransom, much of it perpetrated by Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson).
Key figures in the political and justice system are on Falcone's payroll, making it virtually impossible for Wayne's childhood sweetheart, Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes (Kate Holmes), to secure a conviction.
Wayne turns to his trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and to technical genius Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) to unleash his winged alter-ego.
Possessing the same sense of menace as the graphic novels, Batman Begins is a masterful reinvention of the superhero, confidently directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento).
The film strikes a pleasing balance between spectacle and angst, spending 45 minutes wading through the traumas of Wayne's childhood before the Caped Crusader makes his first appearance.
A plethora of thrilling action set pieces conveys the movie to its adrenaline-pumping finale.
Bale is particularly strong as the (anti)hero who threatens to lose sight of his humanity in his quest for revenge. Caine offers sporadic comic relief and Freeman, Neeson, Wilkinson and Murphy impress in supporting roles.
The closing minutes of Batman Begins suggest that the Dark Knight's nemesis in the sequel will be far more formidable.
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