Review: Batman Begins

Directed by …Christopher Nolan
Christian Bale …. Bruce Wayne/Batman
Michael Caine …. Alfred
Liam Neeson …. Ducard
Katie Holmes …. Rachel Dawes
Gary Oldman …. Jim Gordon
Cillian Murphy …. Dr. Jonathan Crane
Tom Wilkinson …. Carmine Falcone
Rutger Hauer …. Earle
Ken Watanabe …. Ra’s Al Ghul
Mark Boone Junior …. Flass
Linus Roache …. Thomas Wayne
Morgan Freeman …. Lucius Fox

Grade: A (Prime Cut)

Quite simply, I believe this is the best movie of the year so far. Everything that I had expected the Revenge of the Sith to be, this movie delivered. It delivered on spot.

Warner Brothers has been watching Fox go to town with the Marvel (X-men, Fantastic Four, Daredevil) franchise and making some bank. They are tired of this, and it shows. The WB threw some heavy names into this film, in hopes that it would return some on the investment. It does.

Gone are the campy 70’s Batman and Robin, gone are the cartoony and quickly forgettable villains of the first four films. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the first Batman. Tim Burton had a vision, and he pulled it off. The Joker was a riveting and evil Villain. The other films lost their way though, embracing the camp, while not realizing the true source of which the story came, the Dark Knight.

The filmed is helmed by Christopher Nolan, who made Memento. Writing is done by Nolan and David S. Goyer (Dark City, Blade). Nolan appears to understand the ability of music and the physical sets to set mood. Christian Bale (Equilibrium) is Batman. He plays all the nuances of the Dark Knight almost perfectly.

We begin the movie with the back story of Bruce Wayne. In the present day, Bruce is trapped in an Asian Prison, fighting to survive. In flashbacks interspersed through the film, we find out why Bruce fears bats, and why he holds himself responsible for the death of his parents. As he looks for justice for his parents, he tries to understand how the criminal mind works.

There is a sense of a yearning for justice, not vengeance, that Bruce is looking for. Part of this is in thanks to Rachel Dawes, an old playmate. Katie Holmes plays this part, and is probably the weakest part of the film (Maybe due to the fact she’s dating Tom Cruise?).

Bruce is approached by Ducard(Neason), leader of the “League of Shadows” He is shown how to face his fear, and how to inspire fear in others. That is the crux of this film. Fear.

The League decides that it needs to clean out Gotham, since the city has become so corrupt. Bruce doesn’t see the world in such absolutes, nor does he find that he must be the executioner, so he has a parting of ways (not all that well mind you) with the League. He then goes on to set up a one man shop in Gotham.

It’s from there that we see how Batman became Batman. Why he chose what he did, how he got his gear. We also watch as he balances his life as Playboy, Bruce Wayne, and Batman. Christian Bale is able to deliver on all three points. As Bruce, he works to be his fathers son, as a playboy he works to fulfill his role in society, as Batman, he snarls out his lines. This is the first Batman in which you don’t see Bruce Wayne behind this mask. When Bruce puts on that mask, he becomes someone else.

Morgan Freeman shows up as Lucius Fox, a kind of Q (007 fame) character who works for Wayne Enterprises (and was once on the board) and prototypes a lot of cool gadgets. Gary Oldman(Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Fifth Element) is Sgt Gordon, a straight cop and Cillian Murphy is the villain Scarecrow/Dr. Crane.

Through a masterful weaving of back story, and the balancing for the need for revenge versus the need for Justice we learn what makes up the thought process of the Dark Knight, and we get the explosions and destruction that are the prerequisites of a Summer Blockbuster. I expect to see this film once again very soon.

The end of the film also leads into the potential for the next film. What could make this any better you ask? Mark Hamill is being rumored to be in the lead for the Joker. I do believe that would rock.

I give this film 5 out of 5 neon-skittled colored neon dancing muses.

Go see it. Go see it now.