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| Release Date: | June 15, 2005 (US), June 16, 2005 (UK) |
| Runtime: | 140 min |
| Rated: | PG-13 |
| Genres: | Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller |
| Directed by: | Christopher Nolan |
| Written by: | Bob Kane, David S. Goyer |
| Starring: | Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman |
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 Like many people of my generation, we’ve been let down a lot by movies in the last ten years or so. The new common saying is that studios are running out of ideas, and the statement couldn’t be any truer. Reruns, sequels, and bad spin-offs are flooded the cinemas these days and I’m not really sure if America is sure of it? With all interest surrounding the human waste called “Reality TV” its no wonder studios are playing the safety card and going for the common character of years past. But, all this aside, there are a few people out there in the industry that have a vision to repair the past to make a better present for you and I.
Batman Begins happens to be one of those projects that novel directors like Christopher Nolan dreamt could be better. Sure it may be another sequel of a series that died a horrible, horrible death at the cold lifeless hands of Joel Schumacher; a series that was a renovation itself from a tasteless camp TV show to a superior attempt at the famous DC Comics comic book character. Nolan has done some brilliant work with some of his previous movies like Memento and Insomnia but he truly outshines his other work with this gritty dark and realistic version of Bruce Wayne’s origin.
Bruce Wayne is, as we all know, a rich kid whose parents were mugged and shot right before his eyes. He then dedicates his life to fighting crime as the masked vigilante, the Batman. In Batman Begins, we get to see every bit of Bruce Wayne’s transformation into this legendary character. This is something all the previous films really lacked and that, in fact, weakened the credibility of the persona. In the comics, we know how involved and brilliant Batman is through monologue and flashbacks and it’s nice to see Nolan giving us the long and gritty road of how Bruce Wayne trained to become the Dark Knight. However, to keep the movie interesting, writer David Goyer and Nolan involve some villains into his foundation to further elevate the story telling throughout the film.
Christian Bale dons the cape in cowl in this film and unlike some of his predecessors; he has the look and the build to play this obsessive hero. Plus, when Bale is in the batsuit, he not only changes his voice from Bruce Wayne to the Batman, he also changes his attitude. He is vicious and animalistic, a side we never have seen before of Batman on the screen. There is one point where he is interrogating a crooked cop and he sounds as though he is growling like a rabid dog. This time around we also get a new Alfred played superbly by Michael Caine. I enjoyed Michael Gough as Wayne’s butler in the past four Batmans but there was something more authentic about Caine in the role that gave the character much more meaning. Gary Oldman also achieves a much truer version of pre-Commissioner Gordon. I can see his part becoming bigger as the sequels start pouring in.
The character that stole the show, aside from Bale as Batman of course, was the mysterious Ducard played by Liam Neeson. Ducard is basically the man who trains Wayne to face his fears and learn the art of ninjitsu. The character is a great integration into the Batman origin because he wanted to help Bruce Wayne become a warrior but was clouded by his loyalty to their secret ninja clan run by the ruthless Ra’s Al Ghul. Ra’s Al Ghul, played by Ken Watanabe turns out to be a very refreshing villain with a twist at the end. The other villain, Dr. Crane, AKA the Scarecrow, brought to life by Cillian Murphy was a very frightening and lucid baddy. The villains were surprisingly a lot better than anything we’ve seen since Jack Nicholson as the Joker.
There’s so much in Batman Begins that revitalizes this character, I could go at this all day. From all the little nuances I picked up relating the film to Batman: Year One by Frank Miller to all the astonishingly good performances by supporting actors like Morgan Freeman, Linus Roache and Rutger Hauer. The rumors however are true, Katie Holmes flops big time as the love interest, and which isn’t a bad thing seeing how Rachel Dawes isn’t an important character in the future. Point is, she didn’t belong in this dark of a movie; she needs to stick with bubblegum teenager roles.
For those who haven’t seen this summer blockbuster, you need to turnoff the latest episode of Who Want to Marry Joe Millionaire the Apprentice on a Castaway Island and get your ass to the theater, DVD store, or whatever and watch this movie. It will re-win your hearts back from the damage Batman & Robin ensued. I promise.
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