Batman Begins Reviews

''You traveled the world... Now you must journey inwards... to what you really fear... it's inside you... there is no turning back. Your parents' death was not your fault.
Your training is nothing. The will to act is everything. If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely...Are you ready to begin?''

The story of how Bruce Wayne became what he was destined to be: Batman.

Christian Bale: Bruce Wayne / Batman

Batman Begins(2005) helmed by 21st Century Hitchcock-esque English Director Christopher Nolan, has more than proved he can deliver a dark and gritty Batman film without resorting to unrealistic qualms.
Nolan gives us a gritty city with rain drenched slums that echo Ridley Scott's Bladerunner, and he makes it dark enough to be captivating, mysterious and yet strong, seductive and oozing style and intelligence without making it look unnatural. Gotham City is supposed to be ugly and decayed, a virtual urban cesspool of crime, and a nightmarish realization of corruption and fear.



I loved as a child Burton's Gothic flavour in Batman, but now I watch it and I see so many inadequacies: He just couldn't capture realism or be taken seriously with his 1989 cartoonized affair. Everything felt like fantastic escapism, yet with Nolan, the king of puzzle and twists, he gives us something that we can take very seriously and yet still be entertained. Part of the nature of this film is the internal eternal nature of fear and the beginning of how the Batman is born. Fears, primal impulses, what drives us to do the things that we do. How does a pure person venture a path of corruption? What is a person willing to do for justice and is it different from vengeance? These are the deep topics the other films never truly studied, or if they did, it was never done successfully. This film does that and more in ways that are deep and meaningful. It's gritty, it's a crime movie, it's a graphic novel adaptation and story of a beloved character adored throughout the World.

''Only a cynical man would call what these people have "lives," Wayne. Crime. Despair. This was not how man was supposed to live. The League of Shadows has been a check against human corruption for thousands of years. We sacked Rome, loaded trade ships with plague rats. Burned London to the ground. Every time a civilization reaches the pinnacle of its decadence, we return to restore the balance.''

"Gotham's time has come. Like Constantinople or Rome before it the city has become a breeding ground for suffering and injustice. It is beyond saving and must be allowed to die. This is the most important function of the League of Shadows. It is one we've performed for centuries. Gotham... must be destroyed."

This is a film that should shatter the preconceptions the inferior films left behind.
Batman Begins delivers an intelligent mature plot (which easily comes straight of the pages) which involved three villains; Ra's Al Ghul, Carmine Falcone, and Scarecrow, and then balances them perfectly keeping everything in the realm of believability. Bad guys shouldn't be scheming one dimensional stereotypes, they should be real people with real agendas and real goals. It's the first film to understand the psychology of Batman. It's adult, without being imprisoned, it's entertaining, without being mindless, it's visually stunning without being unrealistic, and finally the performances give life to everything mentioned prior.
When we are faced with a story, a film which deals with loss, love, revolution, family, revenge, justice, friendship, learning... A scene between mentor and pupil sticks in the mind because I certainly can relate to having lost someone or something in my own life. It is powerful in the sense that we face a society and world in which nothing is certain. We have the challenge of finding those with honour, dignity and respect whom wish to fight for a way of life free from corruption and criminality. When your home or love is taken away there is often an unrelenting thirst for vengeance and to fight the very enemy and source that was responsible:

Henri Ducard: You're stronger than your father.
Bruce Wayne: You didn't know my father.
Henri Ducard: But I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger strangling the grief, until the memory of your loved ones is just poison in your veins. And one day you catch yourself wishing the person you loved had never existed, so you'd be spared your pain. I wasn't always here in the mountains. Once I had a wife, my great love. She was taken from me. Like you, I was forced to learn that there are those without decency that must be fought without hesitation, without pity. Your anger gives you great power, but if you let it, it will destroy you, as it almost did me.
Bruce Wayne: What stopped it?
Henri Ducard: Vengeance.

Bale was born to play Bruce Wayne becoming the dark knight.
Katie Holmes pulls off Rachel Dawes effectively if you can get past qualms of Dawson Creek series star tackling a role as a Lawyer. If you're a fan of hers, you'll love her in this, especially visually.
Cillian Murphy, much like Bale, was fitting as Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow. He executed the performance effectively; creepy, intelligent, everything the Scarecrow is without going overboard.
What Nolan Goyer and Murphy have done here is bring the Scarecrow to life, possibly making him one of the coolest on screen villains in the history of film. That's a bold statement, but I think it's warranted. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, do I need to say anything about these legends? They were fantastic. Most noteworthy for the comics fans, we have a James Gordon whom looks like Gordon, and works with Batman in memorable parts where Gordon uses the Bat vehicle and helps save Rachel. We also have another great Alfred. Comical, fatherly, and all around impeccable, yet with Micheal Caine the presence of such a renowned artist and acting talent the audience is spoilt by another fine example of casting.
I'd also like to address how awesome it was that Linus Roache was cast as Thomas Wayne, a solemn heartfelt father figure.
Liam Neeson also oozes wisdom, mental and physical prowess regarding a challenging, enigmatic, visionary and legendary role.

Batman Begins true to Nolan gives a twist in the guise of enigmatic great leader Ra's Al Ghul. One of the deepest Batman characters to be captured upon the screen rivaling and shadowing even the intelligence or logical chaos of The Penguin or The Riddler.
So a new beginning for Batman and also a deep study into the realms and intricacies of fear in which the story and screenplay revolves around.

''It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me.''

While Tim Burton's was the first to finally introduce the down to earth grittiness that revealed Batman as the real badass that we who read his comics knew that he really was, there was still a certain flamboyancy ( as is in all of Burton's films) that allowed those filmmakers whose followed in this franchise after Burton, to systematically bring the Caped Crusader down almost to the level of Adam West doing the bat-toosie.



This reboot came along & completely eliminated the almost unrepairable bat-damage still lingering in the minds of general movie-goers.
I remember sitting thru the first scene of this film & thinking to myself that it was hard to believe that what I was watching was actually a superhero movie. I can even overlook the fact that the Bat-Mobile was now more of a massively unbatlike tank/dune-buggy hybrid than it was an actual sleek yet indestructible @ss-kicking ride that we all average joe mortal-types like to fantasize about owning.

An enjoyable film. I think it's a great restart to an excellent story that was sold a bit short with the last round. The thing that sold me the most was Gary Oldman and their choice of villains.

I love Gary Oldman. He made this movie worth watching for me. And you could tell he was having fun, too. Particularly when he got to use the Batmobile. And I love that they showed his family. Also, Ra's Al Ghul's part in the story was perfect. I had my doubts when I saw that the person playing him wasn't well-known, but trust me...he's PERFECT. Also, I loved that they used Crane/Scarecrow in this very first story. It ends up setting up everything to come.

Things that I particularly enjoyed: the training sequences, particularly the final training fight between Christian and Liam, which was excellently choreographed.

I also enjoyed how they played up the Wayne corporation in the movie. The idea that Wayne Enterprises was being run by a board worked well with the idea that his father was a doctor in canon, so it was a nice nod to why there was a corporation. And Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. And he was excellent. And the fact that he knows about where all the bat-toys come from. "Mister Wayne...Don't think of me as an idiot."

The slow development of Bruce Wayne, depressed and guilty millionaire's son to Batman was just about perfect. The final scene with Gordon and Batman on the rooftop (another great line... "I couldn't find a mob boss"), and his clue for this Arkham criminal Batman's going to have to capture (no, I won't say which. It's obvious when you see the clue, but it's a biggie. ;D ) were excellent. Gives me hope for good movies in the future.

The not-so-great stuff: I felt rather beat over the head with the "Fear" mallet, specifically at the beginning. And they didn't follow through on it nearly enough. They were obviously having too much fun with the car-chases, blowing things up, and other action scenes. Also, I don't hate Katie Holmes, but does she have any other acting style? I swear she was just being Joey from Dawson's Creek. Not what I wanted to see. I would much have preferred to see Talia (Ra's daughter) as a love interest. Seeing as how she really didn't do much for the plot, and their "romance" was nonexistent. Michael Cane was nice, but felt mostly unused. I would have liked something more for him to do than snark sweetly at still-evolving Bruce.

Overall, I enjoyed the film, but there is definitely some growing room that they took great advantage of in the sequel. Definitely worth a watch.

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."

Tim Burton revitalised the Batman movie franchise in 1989 when the world witnessed the release of Batman. Burton's original film is still possibly the greatest superhero movie of all time. This was the first live action interpretation of Batman since the unbelievably campy TV series and movie of the 1960s that had just about done it in. Director Burton had gone to the graphic novels of the Dark Knight, infusing his two Batman movies with a moody, noirish tone that left fans satisfied and transformed non-fans into believers. Little did Burton know that director Joel Schumacher would hijack the series after Burton created Batman and Batman Returns. After director Schumacher created the mediocre Batman Forever (a fairly dismal title), he then buried the franchise six feet under with the indescribably bad Batman & Robin. The 1997 release of this terrible aforementioned film effectively derailed the Batman express for the succeeding 8 years.

In 2005, renowned director Christopher Nolan returned to square one to start all over again to repair the damage. Nolan was already famous for such films as Memento and Insomnia. In hindsight, this director was the perfect choice to instigate the birth of Batman Begins...the best escapade of the Caped Crusader since Tim Burton's brilliant 1989 blockbuster. First of all, it's extremely important to note that Batman Begins is in no way related to the preceding Batman films. Instead, director Nolan opted to start the series at the beginning. This is a different timeline...essentially an entirely different universe for Batman. To ensure no disasters like Batman & Robin ever occur again, all the previous Batman films are completely disregarded.

Although a bold move, the efforts of the creative team are virtually impeccable. With modern technology in place, the visuals look fantastic. I must state, though, that this interpretation of Gotham City is far more regular than Burton's mind-blowing vision. It essentially resembles any city in America. Nonetheless, every other location is delightful to behold. From the Batcave to Bruce Wayne's estate...to glorious locations displayed at a training facility in the middle of a snowy climate. Batman Begins is a phenomenal film, and while it doesn't invoke the effective mystique of Burton's initial movies, it has abandoned the look of an old comic book for the darker, more realistic aspect of a graphic novel. Gone is the campy dialogue, the detestable corniness and the embarrassing screenplays exhibited previously (in all the non-Burton films). In its place is a gritty, realistic, highly entertaining film guaranteed to please fans of all ages.

As the title suggests, the film dives into the origins of Bruce Wayne and the Batman legend. The whole story is absorbing and complimented with amazingly effective (and compelling) drama mixed with exhilarating action aplenty. The first half of Batman Begins recounts the genesis of Batman: how infuriated, disheartened young billionaire Bruce Wayne (Bale) travels the ends of the Earth to examine the criminal mind and struggle with his own fears, forever seeking a means to combat the injustice he sees around him. Wayne seeks training in an ancient society known as the League of Shadows: centuries old and with an impressive reputation, they are committed to checking world balance. Here he learns to look inward, confront himself, and employ his inner as well as outer strength. When Wayne returns to Gotham City he finds his home governed by corruption, fear and crime. In the film's second half, we watch the transformation of drab billionaire to a caped superhero dedicated to erasing crime. The film takes great pains to offer every facet of its plot and characters as things that could truly happen, no matter how outrageous. There isn't any radioactive bat biting Bruce Wayne to transform him into an instantaneous superhero with mystical powers. Wayne is a commonplace human with extraordinary susceptibilities, a robust physical make-up, access to high-tech gadgetry, and masses of money.

Director Christopher Nolan clearly distances his film from those preceding it. Personally, I found the film to be energetic, exciting, exuberant, involving, compelling and enthralling. There's plenty of drama to exhibit with equal amounts of action. However, Nolan's style isn't without flaws. For starters, it seems Nolan believes everyone expects the irritating close-ups and quick-cutting. Not just for the action, but for the entire film. In action it's detracting albeit still exciting. Nevertheless, I must give credit to the entire creative team for pulling off an incredibly atmospheric adventure. Burton's 1989 film had equal amounts of drama, comedy and action. Nicholson's embodiment of the Joker made us laugh constantly. He was comic relief mixed with psychopathic undertones. Instead of conforming to the set standard, Nolan opts for straight-up drama. This could have proved disastrous as the comics are mainly aimed at younger viewers who may find so much seriousness off-putting. However this style works! The visuals are impressive enough for kids to be excited about. Even during the drama, kids won't be bored (except for perhaps some instances when Batman isn't anywhere to be seen).

The cast is filled with some of the biggest names from the last few decades. Leading the cast is Welsh-born actor Christian Bale. While Michael Keaton shall always remain my all-time preference as Batman, Bale comes in at a close second. It's an extremely close call. Bale easily beats Val Kilmer, although granted Kilmer's interpretation was still highly impressive. Even easier, Bale is far superior to George Clooney (Even Adam West was better than George! It's amusing to note that George apologised for being part of wrecking the Batman franchise, and he even offered to refund the ticket price to anyone who saw the film). Christian Bale is charming as billionaire Bruce Wayne, and perfectly makes Batman his own. His strong jaw-line looks particularly good while under the mask. I will admit that his voice was sometimes slightly over-the-top. Occasionally it just sounds like he has a sore throat. Also in the cast are Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine (in my opinion surpassing Michael Gough as Alfred the butler), Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson and even Rutger Hauer. Everyone is perfectly cast with the exception of Katie Holmes who seems extremely lightweight in an otherwise solid bunch of actors. Holmes should never be given the opportunity to reprise this role. Sorry, Tom Cruise, but your wife is an underwhelming actress. (Funny thing is...Katie won a Razzie Award for 'Most Tiresome Tabloid Target' shared with Tom. Katie was also nominated for a Razzie Award for 'Worst Supporting Actress'. Who's to quibble? She sucks!)

Overall, Batman Begins clearly surpasses Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin with flying colours. It's still not as brilliant as Burton's 1989 Batman, but the film is certainly on par. Considering the diminishing quality of the previous two Batman outings, it's easy to discern why it's a fantastic choice to reboot the series. The creative team underwent a labour of love, painfully researching the source material for maximum quality. This film is only marginally flawed by slight over-length, the sometimes detracting shaky cam and by Katie Holmes' disappointing performance. Despite a number of shortcomings, the style is essentially perfect and the atmosphere is effective. If you consider yourself a fan of the comics or the character, watch this film without hesitation. Followed by The Dark Knight.

7.9/10

…the best Batman movie to date. The script is first rate and actually helps to give a plausible reason behind the villian’s mad scheme to destroy Gotham City. The cast has some of Hollywood’s best supporting actors. Casting such movie heavyweights as Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, and Gary Oldman only adds to the film’s richness. Not to be overlooked is the film’s musical score, arguably the best movie soundtrack of 2005. Parental advisory: Batman Begins is violent, dark, realistic, and could be terrifying to a small child or an easily shaken pre-teen.

Perfectly portrayed batman. They got the character spot on, the tone spot on and the origin was excellent. There's a great cast here as well as a great score. This is porbably a top 3 superhero movie. Can't wait for the next one.