Batman Begins, a Return to Darkness

For serious fans, Batman has become a laughing joke. If memories of Adam West in awful tights and cheese dialogue didn't make you want to forget your childhood Halloween's dressed as the 'Caped Crusader,' then banter between George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger did. The Batman franchise if protected properly, however, is worth millions in movie sales alone, include toys and endorsement deals and another horrible Batman movie would be throwing away millions.Warner Bros knew this going into the production of Batman Begins. This movie was either going to restore the legacy that Tim Burton painstakingly helped recreate or be the final stake in the heart of a once profitable movie dynasty.For traditionalists Batman Begins is a breath of fresh air; a return to the dark, gritty tone that made Batman so popular in the early '90s. Batman always has and will be the story of a tormented man seeking revenge. It was this tension that was missing in the last Batman movies and caught so much flak from die-hards. While the last two Batman's didn't capture the multiple dimensions of the dark knights' character, Batman Begins makes an effort to show a regular man on a quest to find himself and revenge for his parents untimely death. In paying attention to the inner workings of a split personality and the fear that drives it, Batman Begins picks up where Batman Returns left us.

Taking place before a villain like the Joker was ever conceived, Batman still finds lots to keep him busy in Gotham city. Organized crime and crooked cops have left Gotham city on the verge of complete breakdown. Here the movie beautifully follows young Batman through trials and tribulations that later define his crime fighting style. Most importantly it finally answers that famous question "Where does he get those wonderful toys."