Grade: B

I probably would have not gone to this movie, except Brian and Freddy really wanted to see this new version of Batman, and they rarely want to go to the movies with me anymore so I jumped at the chance! I’ve seen the other Batman movies, and didn’t hold out much hope for reviving the franchise, but I was pleasantly surprised. Christian Bale is a darn good Bruce Wayne, and an even better Batman! There’s actually a storyline that makes sense, and characters that you care about. Katie Holmes (Mrs. Soon-to-be-Tom Cruise) is the love interest, in her first real “adult” role. Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldham, all have strong character roles. It’s quite a cast! And it’s fun seeing the evolution of the Batcave and the Batmobile, and having that background into how the Batman character came about. Some intense scenes, so it’s rated PG-13 for good reason. But I’d say age 10 and up could generally handle it.