 |
 |
| 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 |
|
 |
 I'm not lying when I say that Batman, the superhero, had a big impression on me as a kid. I was alive and sentient when Batman Returns hit theaters, and at 6 years old, it was one of my big reasons for being. I wanted all the toys that McDonalds put in their happy meals (instead I got at least three of those Frisbee tops to their large-size cups); for my birthday, I got the Batman-themed curtains, the Batman sheets and pillow cases, and the Batman blanket; I dressed up as Batman with the rubber mask, cape, and Batman-emblazoned T-shirt for Halloween. Even though Batman isn't as big in my mind as I used to think of him, he is still one of my favorite superheroes because he's just so damned dark, probably standing as one of my first tastes of the nocturnal, starting the cravings that would develop in later years. So, naturally, old as I am now, I desired treatment of the character capable of taking me back to the days when the Dark Knight was king in my eyes. And I'm glad to say that Batman Begins did just that.
Batman Begins is essentially the story of how Bruce Wayne came to be Batman, part Frank Miller's "Year One" series and part other stuff. The story begins with Bruce (Bale) deteriorating in an Asian prison. He is released and offered redemption by Ducard (Neeson), a servant of Ra's Al Ghul (Watanabe). Soon Bruce joins the "League of Shadows", Al Ghul's ancient gang of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of decadence. When he discovers that the League of Shadows may be more dangerous to the world than they seem, he escapes and returns to Gotham City, where he resumes ownership of the company left to him by his father. Problems arise instantly, as expected. His childhood friend and now love interest, lawyer Rachel Dawes (Holmes), is put in danger trying to stop crime boss Carmine Falcone (Wilkinson) from corrupting all of Gotham; Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka "The Scarecrow" (Murphy), is in league with Falcone, using Falcone's drug shipments to obtain the ingredients for his fear-inducing spray; Wayne Enterprises is in danger of being overrun by the original trustee, Earle (Hauer); and the League of Shadows is starting to resurface. Along with the help of Dawes, Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Oldman), trusty butler Alfred (Caine), and technology expert Lucuis Fox (Freeman), Bruce vows as his alter ego Batman to save Gotham City from the forces of evil, thus setting into motion the legend we all know and love.
There are a lot of good reasons why Batman Begins works. I'd like to list them:
- All the actors do an excellent job, seeming to pick up that this wasn't just any old Batman movie. Three really stick out in my mind: 1. Liam Neeson, seeming to exhibit an enthusiasm for his role as Ducard not typical of your everyday villain actor. He never exaggerates his emotions but always keeps it fresh. 2. Gary Oldman. Here, we don't see the typically wild actor who attacked slightly over-the-top roles like Count Dracula from Bram Stoker's Dracula, Stansfield from The Professional, or Drexl Spivey from True Romance; here Oldman changes into the wise and quiet Lt. Gordon, a type of role that is probably a change of pace for him. And it's a good one, too, because it works. When I saw Oldman onscreen for the first time, I thought to myself, "This guy is Gordon. And if he gets the chance, he should continue to be so if any later installments arise." 3. Christian Bale. For years now, Batman's character has been pretty ho-hum thanks to so-so acting; Michael Keaton, as hard as it is for me to say it, is guilty of the same lack of emotion that Val Kilmer and George Clooney brought to the role. I understand that Batman is a character who is trying to keep his emotions bottled up, but not to the point of looking like an insomniac. Bale, however, fills his version of Bats with the pent-up rage and smoldering hatred you'd expect a young Bruce Wayne would harbor for years of coping with the death of his parents and the deterioration of his city. Bale's performance as the Dark Knight is a breath of fresh air, and I would love to see him donning the cape once more.
- Christopher Nolan, a filmmaker who impressed me with the indie hit Memento, does an awesome job assuming the role as the director behind Batman Begins. Ever since Joel Schumacher destroyed any credibility the Batman movie series had with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, turning Batman's seriousness into a horrible cartoonish mess (I'll never get over that Batman credit card joke), I thought that Batman would never again reach the quality that Tim Burton started it out with. However, Nolan takes the frayed remains of the series and turns out a great movie, keeping a good steady amount of action and comedic moments but always maintaing that foundation of dramatic interaction that made the original comic book such a hit. Notable is the direction Nolan takes with Gotham City; it is again the dank and claustrophobic dungeon that it was meant to be.
- The Batmobile is an awesome improvement. One of Schumacher's many sins in the Batman department was changing the Batmobile from an imposing and remarkable vehicle into a glowing blue turd with wings and wheels. The version showed here is a primeval beast, a tank-like creature capable of 0-60 MPH in 6 seconds, a top speed of 106 MPH, and the ability to crash through cement walls and upturn cars. Trading the first Batmobile's versatility and endless bag of tricks & gadgets for sheer brawn and endurance, this edition of Batman's steed is a good move, reflecting the development of Bruce himself; raw and raging, but still touching upon the refined work it would later become.
And finally...
- No more nipples on the Batsuit, and no more suit-up scenes where the focus is placed on the ass and the groin. Neither one was a good move, and should be reviewed as horrible movie-making decisions for any aspiring filmmaker to take note of.
I think I've done enough noodling about how great this movie is. Let me just sum it all up in one sentence, in case I haven't made it clear: Batman Begins is a highly impressive movie, and takes it back to the quality it lost with Joel Schumacher's replacement of Tim Burton. Take it from me - this is one little boy who wasn't disappointed. |
|
|
|
|
Jesse Rose
Back to top