Yea, it is definitely worth the hype. By far one of the best written stories. Lots of twists and turns. Very fast paced and the action sequences are actually more believable (considering it is based on a comic book) than other action flicks like Die Hard.
I hadn’t seen the first one since I saw it in the theater several years back, so I watched Begins just before watching the Dark Night.
As a result, the one thing that disappointed me was replacing Rachel (Katie Holmes) with a new actress. The new one wasn’t bad, but it’d be like replacing April O’Neal mid-stream. Heretical!
The script was very witty and actually provided a good aura of mystery throughout its entire duration. Heath Ledger was fantastic, so much more engaging than Jack Nicholson’s portrayal two decades ago. And Aaron Eckhart also provided a pretty good performance, although I didn’t really buy his “attitude” later on (he was fantastic in Thank You For Smoking).
Thus, in retrospect, the Tim Burton films were awful in comparison. What was that guy thinking?
Note to self: when I get a butler, they must act and talk like Michael Caine, at all times.
Verdict: 5 out of 5. Watch this one in the theaters.