Batman Begins

Release Date: June 15, 2005
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenwriter: David Goyer, Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer
Genre: Action, Crime
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense action violence, disturbing images & some thematic elements)
Official Website: BatmanBegins.WarnerBros.com

Plot Summary: Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

Review by Peter Veugelaers © 2005
- Words escape me ... ecstasy

 At least Revenge of the Sith had a well publicised locomotive going with the origin of Darth Vader in its wings. Batman Begins is a better blockbuster. If Sith is supposed to be complex then I have been to the wrong movie. Director Christopher Nolan has made the blockbuster of the season so far, and after adept turns at low-medium budget thrillers Memento and Insomnia, he is effortlessly efficient with mainstream fare, about the origins of the Batman legend and the corruption of perennially criminally plagued Gotham City.

 Unlike previous Batman movies, including the Tim Burton directed techno-laden 1989 version, this Batman is a joy to behold. Its interesting and intelligent psycho-babble dialogue works a treat. Liam Neeson who plays Ducard, Bruce Wayne’s sword brandishing trainer cum mentor in the Eastern snow-peaked mountain tops, oozes presence when with ease off the tip of his tongue come give away mantras, which are intended to inspire the troubled Wayne into action. Neeson, who played the strong spiritual figure/hero in The Phantom Menace, resonates a natural dead calm authority and seriousness and distinguishes his lines when less naturally presenced actors would fumble.

 Not just an ideas movie, though, there is action and punch-em-ups, although for some this may be too talky and thoughtful and is rich in personal politics: Wayne confronts the criminal mastermind Falcone behind Gotham (played superbly by Tom Wilkinson), a District Attorney (Katie Holmes) is a spanner in Falcone’s dealings, and the movie’s psychiatrist deceitfully manipulates the movie’s most obvious comic book plot-line nuance, the thorough destruction of Gotham by infecting the water supplies. Gary Oldman is perfect and stands out as Commissioner Jim Gordon and Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine as Wayne’s right hand men are ably good.  

 Christian Bale, who has good and varied credits to his name in movies such as American Psycho, Captain Correlli’s Mandolin, and Shaft 2000, plays Wayne and altar ego Batman convincingly and is compelling to watch. With an understated performance, Bale as Wayne is complex due to his “issues” and because of a good script, and as Batman is appropriately earthy. Batman Forever touched on Wayne’s psychology; Batman Begins makes a movie about it.

 But why Batman Begins is such an invigorating blockbuster is because of the movie’s palette of shadowy and nightmarishly photographed images and intelligently packaged themes, directed deftly from a well-thought through and philosophically strong script, built on a solid beginning, which symbolises the genesis and fall of the Bible followed by an intriguing search for Wayne’s identity and redemption through sheer pugnacity and soul searching.

 Bruce Wayne wants to be a symbol – Gotham city needs this to ward off its enemies –and Batman’s line, it is not who you are, but “what you do that defines you”, makes Wayne’s crime busting actions into a symbol that is incarnational and meaningful. If that line sounds like Spiderman spouting “with great power comes great responsibility”, Batman Begins offers a more refreshing and compassionate symbol making the recent movie Spiderman look merely like a punitive vigilante. The latest Batman includes a late end full-powered action sequence to boot, in a lighter vein than what has preceded it, and the emotional pull is irresistible to help make this comic book adaptation a must-see, and much welcome.

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Trailer:

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