A kick up the arse to the whole franchise

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2006)

I am reluctant to jump on the bandwagon of either loving or hating this film, because it appears that is the popular thing to do when reflecting on the films of 2005. I still feel that it is worthy of a great deal of praise as it brought new life to Batman after a series of failed films in the 90s.
This is the story of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), the man behind the mask, and how he came to be Batman. When he returns to Gotham City after a long time of absence in an unnamed Eastern country, he is met by a brutally corrupt world of organized crime and few traces of the city his parents once built. Bruce isn't fighting one villain like most superheroes, but an entire hierarchy of bad guys.
As far as superhero films are concerned, Batman Begins is a fantastic achievement. It features an equally fantastic cast and while each actor perhaps does not get to shine to their fullest in their respective parts, you feel the weight of such a respected ensemble at all times. It is also a positive thing that every individual cast member does not overshadow the film and instead they are almost chameleon-like in their parts, like Gary Oldman as inspector Gordon. They all just add up to the greatness of Batman Begins. The film is not completely flawless in its casting or in all respects for that matter (Cillian Murphy and Katie Holmes were simply not good) but these 'flaws' are are not really harmful for an otherwise great film.
Batman Begins has all the lighthearted comedic relief that is necessary for a successful superhero film AND complexity and darkness to give it depth. Best of all, it never varies between these extremes, but has an even balance of comedy and tragedy throughout. I did not like Spider-Man because it was too stupid and I did not like Hulk because it was too dark. Well, I have found my favourite in Batman Begins and it brings the best of both worlds. 9/10