After the taut little thrillers Memento and Insomnia, director Christopher Nolan spread his wings with the gloriously epic Batman Begins. It's a distinctly classy comic-book yarn and Christian Bale imbues the Caped Crusader with beguiling dignity - even in silly pointy ears. Nolan does away with the hyper-stylised visuals imprinted on the franchise by Tim Burton and the knockabout comedy baddies subsequently employed by Joel Schumacher. Instead, he offers a darker, more gripping psychological portrait of Bruce Wayne and his painful evolution into Batman. Bursts of adrenaline-pumping action relieve all the brooding, although the plot sometimes creaks under the strain of so much going on. It also lacks a truly terrifying villain, but a sterling cast (including Liam Neeson, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman) stands persuasively for lofty ideals as a climate of fear threatens to bring down Gotham City. Batman Begins swoops you up and doesn't let go till the end. Nolan's sequel, The Dark Knight, was released in 2008.

Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.