Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is Gotham City’s billionaire philanthropist (gives money for good causes). The public loves him, and he has his own butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) to help him out.

But when Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) shines the Bat signal into the sky, Bruce becomes Gotham’s vigilante protector, Batman. Batman kicks bad guy’s behinds, and does a good job at it. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) designs the gadgets that help Batman do this. Unfortunately, a new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), is becoming Gotham’s new day hero, and putting Batman’s reputation in the dark.

If that’s not enough, Batman must also deal with the city’s newest villain, The Joker (the late Heath Ledger), a madman who has a scar in the shape of a smile on his face and has more tricks up his sleeve then you would expect. Joker starts causing crime in Gotham City. He also is intent on going after Batman, and will do anything to do that, even if it means kidnapping Batman’s friends Dent and his girlfriend, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), with disastrous results.

Later in the movie, another villain appears and Batman must stop the two villains before Gotham goes down.

This film has many action sequences that were beautifully done. The acting was good, but Ledger is the one that pulls the acting together. He was the most charming villain ever, and he really made you fear The Joker from a new angle. The plot is complicated, however, thus making it possible that the frequent “Mommy, I don’t get it” line will happen. The movie has also a certain level of creepiness, so I would recommend you don’t bring your crying five-year old. Under no circumstances should you see it in IMAX. You or your child could have nightmares if you do this.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace.

****

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