The fans of Gotham City’s most famous vigilante prefer different incarnations of the dark knight for different reasons. Some people like to be ironic, and claim that the 1960′s Batman TV series and film (starring Adam West) were their favourite, despite it being universally ridiculed for its’ high dose of camp. Other people relish the dark and gritty Tim Burton films, Batman and Batman Returns, for their unique style. Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever catered to a more colourful 90′s culture, while his sequel Batman and Robin found fans in people who like cheesy one-liners. Then, of course, Christopher Nolan’s addition to Batman’s on-screen saga garnered incredible enthusiasm from fans and initiates alike for removing the cheesiness and replacing it with drama in a more realistic tale: Batman Begins. His sequel, The Dark Knight is favoured by many as the best Batman movie for its’ complex plot and thematic significance. However, there is another deserving candidate for the best depiction of Batman on screen in the television show Batman: The Animated Series. Volume one of this outstanding series has been released on DVD in Australia for some time, bringing with it the one of the strongest senses of style I have seen in a western cartoon. The problem is volume two hasn’t been released in the years since.

The most interesting element of many science fiction films is the future projection of the human race. These films paint a picture of our moral philosophy and how it could change from the introduction of new technologies. Although many of these projections are extreme, they provide an insight and comparison to current moral thought. They also show the end result of many possible ‘slippery slopes’ discussed today. Following in the footsteps of films like Blade Runner, The Final Cut, I Robot and Minority Report comes Repo Men. No, this isn’t a sequel to Emilio Estevez’ colourful movie of the 80′s – but it is grotesque.

As a gamer myself, I have always dreamt of seeing big budget adaptations of my favourite video games. Unfortunately, The Legend of Zelda, Fallout or Shadow of the Colossus haven’t made it to the silver screen. Some fans, however, would dread the production of these titles – for good reason too. The general consensus is that film adaptations of video games are poor and unsatisfactory viewing experiences.

You would be forgiven for expecting a lot of sharp comedy from Grant Heslov’s The Men Who Stare at Goats. The plot contains an interesting mix of elements that should act as seeds for engaging, thematic humour. Unfortunately, the film restricts itself to a few moments of hilarity, leaving the rest of the story to become ‘quirky’ and rather average. It is by no means bad, of course, but rather a case of what ‘could have been’ that becomes the disappointment in the end.

Magic is a fascinating art form because it plays with our need to discover the illusion, whilst feeding our desire for it to be real supernatural power. Neil Burger’s The Illusionist takes this desire and runs with it, constructing a world where the audience is asked to question whether events in the film are mystical or trickery. The same technique was used in Christopher Nolan’s thriller The Prestige with great success. Unfortunately, The Illusionist provides a less stimulating experience, falling short of the rewarding turn of events in Nolan’s film. However, Burger’s movie still executes an intriguing plot with a decent cast and a strong visual and aural atmosphere.

Pixar movies have become quite serious of late. Ever since Finding Nemo was released in 2003, comedy began to take a backseat to drama and stronger themes. I do not deny the increasing popularity and critical acclaim of recent Pixar films, a company who have replaced Walt Disney Animation Studios as the top dog in children’s storytelling.