I'm Batman

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2014)

The movie doesn't simply supply Batman's beginnings in the tradition of a comic book origin story, but explores the tortured path that led Bruce Wayne from a parent-less childhood to a friendless adult existence. The movie is not realistic, because how could it be, but it acts as if it is.
The story of why he identifies with bats (childhood trauma) and hates evildoers (he saw his parents killed by a mugger) has been referred to many times in the various incarnations of the Batman legend; this time, it is given weight and depth. It give us flashbacks to establish the character's deepest traumas, including his special relationship with bats and his guilt because he thinks he is responsible for his parents' mugging.
"Batman Begins" is shrouded in shadow; instead of high-detail, sharp-edged special effects, we get obscure developments in fog and smoke, reinforced by a superb sound-effects design. And Wayne himself is a slow learner, clumsy at times, taking foolish chances, inventing Batman as he goes along.
The character resonates more deeply with me than the other comic superheroes, perhaps because when I discovered him as a child, he seemed darker and more grown-up.
After an eight-year hiatus, the Batman franchise has finally found its way.