TIS, I agree with Capo in that you should at least try to rent BATMAN BEGINS. Not a fetish for art direction like Burton or for stupidity like Schumacher, Chris Nolan shoots BEGINS as a myth, as it should be because its one of America's great contributions to the world pop culture along with Superman, Davy Crockett, and the Wild West.

If anything, its a very detailed myth, explaining throwaway ideas like why Batman's moral code doesn't include firearms, how he smuggles his gadgets/parts without being detected.

BEGINS has probably the best casting ever for a so-called "comic book picture" in Oscar-nominees/winners like Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe, outright legends like Gary Oldman and Rutger Hauer, and a current cream of the crop like Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy. Outside of Bale and Caine, all those other actors could have jobbed it considering their small parts and the material, but Nolan gets them to deliver the goods, and it shows.

Anyway, Roger Ebert just gave 4 out of 4 stars to THE DARK KNIGHT: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/REVIEWS/55996637