Don’t slam me but I’m not a big Batman person. I never have been. Sure, he was kind of cool looking and I actually liked Tim Burton’s “Batman” with Michael Keaton inside the pointy-eared hood. I had a slightly less enthusiastic response to Burton’s “Batman Returns” and absolutely hated “Batman Forever” and “Batman and Robin.” I know ‘hated’ is a strong wrong but it’s really how I felt about those two films. Campyness in movies is fine when it serves a purpose, but those two films took things way past the point of tolerance. But the character of Batman, the guy dressed in black with the cool car, did nothing for me. That is until “Batman Begins.”
Christopher Nolan, David Goyer, Christian Bale, et al have made a deep, meaningful, fully fleshed out film that just happens to be about a comic book superhero. Forget the story’s based on a world created in comic books. This film is able to stand on its own, which makes it especially appealing to moviegoers who don’t know the backstory of Batman, his friends, or his enemies. Yet I’ve heard from some Batman geeks (and I say that with affection – they know who they are) who claim this is the movie Batman fans have been clamoring for.
“Batman Begins” works on multiple levels, something the other films in the franchise failed to do. Rich in story, with a logical plot that centers around how we deal with fear, love, madness, corruption, lust for power, and the levels we’ll go to to seek revenge, “Batman Begins” is absolutely compelling entertainment.
As advertised, “Batman Begins” really is an origin story. Tracing young Bruce Wayne’s fear of bats, through the years following the death of his parents, up through how the adult Bruce Wayne learns to fight, “Batman Begins” adheres to a carefully plotted course that patiently builds up to Wayne collecting cool gadgets, taking ownership of the batmobile, and donning the famous batsuit. Nothing’s rushed and realism is the key to “Batman Begins.” There’s a logical reason behind how Bruce Wayne comes to possess each and every weapon, a logical reason why he’s able to overpower even the most skilled villains.
The plot itself revolves around a plan to rid Gotham City of corruption at the expense of destroying the entire city, innocent citizens be damned. The city must fall for the common good. And how will this be accomplished? A special weapon will release a fear-inducing toxin into the water supply. The citizens will turn on each other and Gotham will cease to exist.
Goyer and Nolan have reinvented a franchise that was all but left for dead after “Batman and Robin.” There’s still a few one-liners tossed out, but the movie’s tone never falters. This is a dark, serious, intricately woven story about a child who witnesses a horrible tragedy and how that devastating event affects every aspect of his life as he grows into a man. It’s the story of how one man turns his own greatest fear against his enemies, how he handles the guilt of seeing his parents murdered, and what he ultimately decides to do with all of his anger.
As for Christian Bale, he is Batman. Bale should be – at least until he’s too old to play the part – the only actor allowed to play Batman again onscreen. Period. End of story. Bale transforms into this tormented, angry, menacing figure who commands both fear and respect. He had indie cred going into “Batman Begins” and comes out of this big budget epic with credibility intact. Bale’s perfect both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman.
Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Katie Holmes as Batman’s long-time friend and love interest, Liam Neeson as Bruce’s mentor Henri Ducard, and Gary Oldman as James Gordon make up the strong supporting cast and each are terrific. But of the supporting players it’s really Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow who grabs the spotlight. His performance is all in the eyes. If the eyes are truly the windows to the soul, then trust me you don’t want to meet Murphy in Scarecrow mode in a dark alley.
A plea to Warner Bros: Please, please, please give director Christopher Nolan whatever he wants in order to make sure he comes back for the next couple of “Batman” outings. Nolan’s a consummate storyteller who’ll get better at the action sequences with more experience, so give him another shot. Do whatever it takes to keep the team of Bale and Nolan intact.
“Batman Begins” is going to be the summer movie to beat. It’ll probably also be the movie all upcoming superhero movies are judged against. A decent story, beautiful sets, topnotch acting – “Batman Begins” has it all.
GRADE: A
"Batman Begins" was directed by Christopher Nolan and is rated PG-13 for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements.
