>> Batman Begins
He might have had more incarnations than Dr Who - some good, some not so good - but the appetite for the adventures of the DC Comics hero Batman is still insatiable.
From the pow! sock! and bam! of the 1960s television series to the dark and brooding carnation of Michael Keaton in 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns, the persona of the hero has undergone many interpretations in its long history.
With British director Christopher Nolan in the director's chair and Christian Bale behind the cape, expectations for this latest offering in the Batman series are high. Pembrokeshire born Bale has selected diverse and challenging roles in his 17-year long career: his performances in American Psycho and The Machinist are testament to the dedication and intensity he brings to them.
Batman Begins takes us back to the beginning of the hero's legend, unlocking the mysteries behind the birth of the Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne's story begins with the horror of witnessing his parents' murder as a boy. The industrial heir's luck spirals even further when his chance to wreak revenge is snatched cruelly away by fate.
Bruce escapes to the east to seek counsel with a ninja cult leader before returning to a Gotham City beset by crime and violence. Horrified at what he sees, Brucey yearns to fight injustice but he lacks the means. The rather fortunate discovery of a cave beneath his mansion, complete with a prototype armoured bat costume, appears to be the answer. With the aid of an old family ally, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Bruce becomes the infamous bat-eared one. And so the crusade of Batman begins.
In his mission, Batman will face the mafia, drug dealers and a third party waiting to strike him. It must be like living in Penzance. Pow, sock, bam indeed.
Batman Begins promises to be the most intriguing instalment in the Batman saga yet, with both Nolan and Bale determined for Batman's persona to reach out and grip the viewer in the manner of the original comics and graphic novels.
Beccy Matthews
Director Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman