The first "Batman" movie that does NOT suck !

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2005)

I am officially IMPRESSED by "Batman Begins". It exceeded by many, many, many orders of magnitude all of my expectations (meaning, they were very low). I had no idea I could be so enthusiastic about a (recent) movie.
Where do I begin ? Well, the subject: Batman. The only well-known character worthy of the name "superhero" that isn't "super" at all, which says a lot. You might even say this movie isn't a "prequel", but a whole new restart of the entire franchise, and I hope that WHEN (not if) they decide to make the next one, they'll maintain same style.
The actors ? Most of the main characters were almost perfectly casted. Christian Bale (Equilibrium) as Bruce Wayne was just the right mix between muscle and looks, and even if he does seem pretty stiff at times, he fits the character perfectly. Michael Caine as Alfed (the butler), Morgan Freeman as Fox (call him the "tech guy") Liam Neeson as Ducard (the "inspiration" figure)... they all fit the roles they played like a glove, I couldn't even imagine who else would have been better instead. Gary Oldman as Gordon was slightly disappointing, but only because he had way too little screen time. Katie Holmes as "the girl" was so-so, I would have expected a less cute-and-cuddly-looking actress casted for that part, but she also played her role quite well.
The plot ? Ah, the weak spot of all comic-book adaptations. Now, THAT one was the biggest surprise of all, and a very pleasant one indeed. There is NO major bullshit in there. Almost everything makes perfect sense. Only in a very few short scenes you start to go "now, wait, that can't really happen, now can it?", but those moments are quickly dismissed by the ensuing action or plot development. There's quite a bit of "deviation" in the story from what you might come to know from the established franchise, but all of them are for the better (and more "believable").
There's so much more to say, but I don't want to spoil the fun. GO SEE THE MOVIE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.