This has been one of the movies I’ve been looking forward to most for a long time. There aren’t usually very many summer movies that really pique my interest, but this year is a good year for movies. Along with the Star Wars finale, Batman is my number one movie for the year. On wednesday, I got the chance to see this new incarnation and revisioning of the franchise, and I must say.. I was blown the hell away.
“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.”
I can’t narrow down the problems of the previous films since they were so ridden with atrocious fallicies, but for every problem that the past films had, Batman Begins has a positive point. It totally nails it. Every character, every plot point, every gimmick and device, it’s all in line with the original Batman mythos and stays true to the nature of the character. Looking back at past representations of the characters from previous films, we can see some severely innappropriate performances. First example, George Clooney as Batman. WTF. In the comics, Commissioner Gordon is represented as a thin built white haired and mustached man with glasses. The first four films have him as a short, stubby, over weight dark mustached dude. Arnold as Mr. Freeze? He would have made a better Bane. Oh god… Bane. A mentally retarded plant-based lackey buffoon?? Jim Carrey’s over the top performance as the Riddler, turning him into a poor man’s Joker rather than the calm, contemplative, intelligent logician that Edward Nygma truly is. Nipples… on the batsuit. What other evidence do you need to know that the later Batman movies were bastardized and turned into just as much of a campy spectacle as the original Adam West enterprise.
The Story
The story, as crafted by screenwriter David Goyer, does not disappoint. It’s been said that the film reflects a similar pacing as Sam Raimi’s Spider-man, showing the progression of the protagonist through personal events, culminating in the creation of the Batman persona. This pacing keeps the story fresh and flowing. There is pretty much always something going on, so there is no lack of content. I never once found myself getting bored during the film, and was refreshed at the longer running time.
This is not a traditional superhero movie, as it focuses alot on the anger and turmoil within the Bruce Wayne character. There is an ever present layer of drama just beneath the action/adventure that gives the film substance. We see how this one event destroys who Bruce is as a child and shapes him into a new persona, a darker persona. We see how his anger takes a hold of him and he’s left with no other alternative but to leave the world he knows and seek out a new identity for himself. He travels the world, finding himself in a mountain top monastery where he hones his fighting skills and learns to control his anger, and most importantly his fear. When he returns to Gotham City, he sees that the only way to fight injustice is to use fear to become a symbol. A symbol of justice and vengeance.
The Cast
First and foremost, I need to resolve something. Christian Bale IS Bruce Wayne. No doubt about it, he is the perfect man for this role. Not only does he have the handsome, rich boy/playboy look, but he has the intense, hard boiled, grave attitude that makes the Bat so scary. Bale does a good job of switching back and forth between personas, and shows the clear contrast of how Bruce struggles with the balance between maintaining the facade that is Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy, and his true core, the Batman. This is one of the major themes in the film, as clarified by the following quote: “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”
Michael Caine is one of this generation’s greatest actors, and his involvement in reinventing the Batman franchise is invaluable. The character of Alfred Pennyworth is a conflicted one, and Caine does a great job showing his pain and fear of seeing the Wayne heritage destroyed. Alfred is the only family that Bruce has left after the death of his parents, and he is also the only father figure, the only guiding light to guide Bruce on the right path. Like any father and son relationship, there are concerns about Bruce’s future and tension about decisions that are made in life. Caine demonstrates the light-hearted concern and devotion to his surrogate son and really exposes the loving relationship between the two.
Another great actor and excellent addition to the cast is Gary Oldman as Sargeant Jim Gordon. As one of the last honest cops in Gotham, he is the likely choice for Batman to turn to for help in his war on crime. Oldman shows Gordon’s genuine concern for maintaining the law and the conflict of being a part of a corrupt police force, knowing there is nothing he alone can do to make things right.
One of my favorite performances in the film was that of Cillian Murphy. As the Scarecrow, he was a genuinely scary presence. The special effects used during his fear-inducing sequences were pretty unique and really cool to watch. I was sceptical at first because of the lame mask/dress suit outfit, but now that I see how he does things, the costume works. Murphy’s performances without the mask, as Dr. Crane, are also very well done, and the actor’s charisma comes across on screen.
All together, this is an extremely well done film, and possibly the best comic book movie ever done. It definitely trumps any other Batman movie ever made, and totally recreates the franchise the way it should have always been. Christian Bale has just entered the role he was destined to play and is about to become a household name.
My Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Batman Begins
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine
Rated PG-13
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