"This is at last the Batman movie I've been waiting for." - Roger Ebert.

Batman Begins is the first Batman movie to be truly faithful to the comic. The earlier movies, directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, seemed more like vehicles to show off the directors' vision of Batman. Burton's version was dark yet absurd and clowny with its over the top villains. Schumacher's movies were simply big-budget schlock using the campy 60's TV show as a template more than the comic book.

Batman Begins is simply a Batman movie. Sure, you have to suspend disbelief with any comic storyline, but the movie stays grounded in the mythos of the "world's greatest detective." Everyone turns in a good performance, and there's enough humor to keep an audience entertained between the intense scenes.

We saw it on an IMAX screen and I was impressed at the clarity and sharpness of the movie. I definitely recommend the movie on IMAX if you can get tickets.

In other news I rode the Son of Beast coaster at King's Island last Sunday. It's scary alright. And painful. The Gs are so strong through the hard turns that my spine felt compressed and I had to forcibly keep myself sitting up straight. It was also so bumpy that I couldn't talk without sounding like I had swallowed an eggbeater.