Now wait just a minute...

Rating: 9/10 (18 June 2005)

...It might just be me, but aren't the newer Batman films supposed to be increasingly sub-standard in overall quality? I seem to remember Tim Burton directing two quality films around 15 or so years ago, but then seeing the Batman film franchise take dramatic plunges toward suckiness. This new film, directed by the ever-admirable Christopher Nolan (Insomnia, Memento), stands in sharp defiance to this trend. And to think I had all but given up hope on the Dark Knight. Silly me.
Having viewed the trailer, I honestly wasn't that interested in seeing this movie. The trailer did not appeal to me. It looked as if this film was going to be just another cookie-cutter action flick with a popular and well-known comic book hero stapled onto it. The PG-13 rating threw me off as well, since it seems to be that more and more films are trying to attain that specific MPAA label rather than portraying the story as it was originally intended. I've seen too many trailers that left me unfulfilled when I see the actual movie. I'd see the trailer, then see the movie, but I wouldn't get much out of the movie because the trailer already showed me all the interesting parts. Having seen the film in its entirety, I'm happy to say that this is one of those rare instances where the movie trailer showed all the WORST parts of the movie. Take what you see in the film's preview, and know that it only gets better from there.
One of the things that makes Batman such a unique and likable character is that he's human. He doesn't have any radioactive spiders or mutagenic superpowers like all the other comic book heroes out there. He's Bruce Wayne. He's a regular guy who shares many of the same weaknesses as all of us. This latest incarnation of the Batman story impressed me in that it portrayed Batman in just that way. You really get a feel for the human side of him, especially with the intimate father-son relationship that he held with his dad. A welcome change from the previous films, in my opinion.
Until now, we have not yet seen a storyline in a Batman movie as complex as the one seen here. I'll not give away any details, but I will say that it is engrossing, entertaining, and surprisingly intelligent. The plot line flows very nicely and takes a few stabs at moral and philosophical questions along the way. Some of the characters seem to be a bit stereotypical, but the actors are some of the best you'll find, and they're working from a script that was obviously very well-written. Christian Bale does a fine job as the title role, and the rest of the cast is both diverse and powerful. Of course, Gary Oldman is his usual extraordinary self, but that may be a bit of a biased opinion from a fan.
"Batman Begins" is a very appropriate title. The movie really does feel as if it were made in total disregard to the four Batman films produced in recent decades. This, I think, is just what was needed. This was the right way to go. Batman was in desperate need of a rebirth, and here it is.
Granted, this movie is not a pinnacle of perfection, but it certainly was much better than I expected. It has been a long time since I felt this good about seeing Batman on the big screen. If you're skeptical about this one, as I most certainly was, I'd say go see it anyway. You might be surprised.