Getting Back Up Again

Rating: 9/10 (23 August 2006)

I find this project that steers away from any past representations that include feminine Carreys or frostbitten governators to be a fantastic superhero movie. Unfortunately, most anybody who is not in a profession that doesn't directly correlate with the movie industry may find quite a few things abnormal and/or wrong with the film.
From an acting standpoint, hardly any harsh comments can be made. Christian Bale, an actor I still have trouble believing is Welsh, makes an okay Batman, but on the other hand, he is without a doubt the best Bruce Wayne ever seen in any of the Caped Crusader's franchises. The screenwriters, along with Bale, obviously realize that the honest identity of the two is Wayne, a billionaire (not an "aww, shucks" Peter Parker or Clark Kent type) who witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, was beaten to the punch at literal revenge to his benefit, has spent a chunk of his life in hiding and toughing up, is moral enough to keep from being a murderer, and is professional enough not only to deal with personal matters but all seedy actions. Batman isn't just another identity; it's Bruce Wayne's night job, and he doesn't get paid for it. He's a ninja with ears, a cape, and modernized gadgets.
...Which brings me to the rest of the cast. Recent Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox, Wayne's down-to-earth "Q" who provides a tough costume, spyware, and an early jet- tank-like model of a Batmobile, as the lovable, reactive Freeman he usually is in film. Katie Holmes, playing the love interest since childhood, does her best work when she's poisoned and delusional, but in every other scene she still had teenage mannerisms. Tom Wilkinson takes the role of the kingpin of Gotham City's crime and cheeses it up a bit with a stereotypical goomba dialect, but due to his awesome-as-always timing and focus, I'll forgive him and let him have fun. Cillian Murphy plays the Scarecrow with the realism director Christopher Nolan anticipated for this adaptation, but he was just too youthful to play the ward of an asylum (kudos to Murphy for apparently making the casting director forget this slight problem when he was being considered for the role). Liam Neeson seemed like the only natural choice to play Wayne's past trainer Henry Duccard and fully captured the spirit of the character. My only complaint with Neeson is this is, like, the bajillionth time he's played a character like this. He had a protégé in The Phantom Menace, he had a protégé in Gangs of New York... enough with the typecasting already! Neeson, you're above that! Finally, the two best performances of the movie are thanks to Michael Caine and Gary Oldman. Oldman, a master of dialects, plays the not-yet-commissioner Gordon with spot on confusion of his new masked accomplice and sincere, heartfelt, untarnished devotion to his career. The actor knows the difference between when Gordon is supposed to feel like he's "seen it all before" and when to be taken back by those formerly rare moments of surprise. I haven't seen the best of Oldman's work yet, but by this performance alone, Academy: You're telling me this guy has never even received a nomination for an Oscar? That's pre-Batman Gotham City politics (or in one word: criminal).
As for the butler of Wayne Manor, Alfred Pennyworth, if you're like me, the face of Michael Gough is forever embedded in your memory in association to the character. The newest Michael to play Alfred (Caine) takes the character down a different path from overemphasizing the age; he plays Alfred like the foster parent he is, more or less. If any character shares Wayne's loss for his parents and embodies the helping hand when times are difficult for Batman, it's Alfred, and Caine plays the real hero of the movie with sheer confidence.
The movie itself is obviously trying to be a front runner for the technical awards and will most likely earn those nominations (the sound editing's amazing). The fight choreography might have been good, and I could tell you for sure if there hadn't been such close close-ups and such quick film editing during the action. However, the story is exactly what the title implies: the beginning of Batman. Personally, I was afraid the filmmakers would take their project far too seriously since the last Batman movie was so campy and horrible, but to my pleasure, they still had moments of humor. My favorite scene was Batman's first encounter with crime on a shipping ground. The thugs of the scene share their timid and frightened anticipation with the audience; it's like watching Jason Voorhees stalk his prey... if Jason were a ninja who didn't stalk and kill the innocent.
I've seen the movie three times now. It has its flaws, but trust me, people who take their comic-book-reading seriously need to see this movie. If you want campy fun with soap opera-like plot, stick with the Spider-Man flicks. If you want a perfect balance of both the cheese of the comics and deeply thought out world symbolism, X2: X-Men United is still the best.