ONE shouldn’t expect high intellectual stimulation from Christopher Nolan’s film about a man wearing a funny hat and a big black cape as he goes about ridding the city of bad guys.

Its theme of destroying the structure of modern government so the populace may do as it pleases earns few points for credibility.

While the film’s action passages and high-tech toys may delight older single-digit ages, the rest may be beyond their ken.

Adolescents may get a buzz from its mindless violence dragged out to excite minds yet to be fully developed.

Adults may recognise its references to the parlous condition of modern civilisation, but take scant satisfaction from the solutions it proposes. Realists who suspend their better judgement and see it anyway will likely come away wondering why.

Its 164 minutes running time may well tire all ages.

So what’s good about it? The editing may get a nomination at the next Oscars. Anne Hathaway is a shapely anti-heroine. Michael Caine as Batman’s major domo, Morgan Freeman as Bruce Wayne’s scientific adviser and Gary Oldman as Gotham City’s new police commissioner like his father before him, Tom Hardy as the biggest, nastiest villain wearing headgear reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter and Marion Cotillard as a lady who waits until the last reel to show her true colours, do their best within the parameters of the screenplay. Christian Bale as Batman does not thrill.

Batman traditionally eschews the use of fire-arms. Praiseworthy. But a disadvantage when confronting foes who use guns and rockets a lot. And the old chestnut about the hidden nuclear bomb with a timer ticking away is a Hollywood cliché long past its use-by date.

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