I don't know if I'll say anything new about this great movie but...

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2008)

...so here we are, less than 24 hours away before the release of "The Dark Knight," and I now feel the urge to write the 2,418th comment on "Batman Begins." For I too, like many others, must praise this great film before it's (hopefully) great sequel storms into over 4,300 theaters. I'll probably be repeating a lot of earlier statements here, but I can't help but agree with numerous previous comments. This is a great movie.
For one, director Christopher Nolan puts a lot of trust in his audience. He doesn't play the dumb card by creating cliché situations or cardboard heroes and villains. He develops a real story here, one with depth, heart, and characterization. And what a story it is! For the first hour or so, we never see Batman or some "villain of the day." Instead we see the engrossing tale of Bruce Wayne, and how he was permanently haunted by the memories of his childhood, how he became reckless in his early 20s, and how he transformed into a justice (or revenge?) seeking man driven by his past. Here, we have a film about Bruce Wayne, something that no Batman movie previously touched upon, or at least, well enough. In this sense, Mr. Nolan has remembered what Sam Raimi remembered with "Spider-Man 2": two people must be characterized here. And of course, it would have all been for nil had it not been for the great performance by Christian Bale.
When we return to Gotham, we don't return to a city beyond our dreams or with an alienating feel to it. It feels and lives like a real city. Now the world of Batman has become accessible to us. Nolan organized a screening of "Blade Runner" for his crew before production began, to show how he wanted this movie to be made. Great move there; the city feels immense but dull, and feels like it needs some hope injected into it. The production design and visual effects are also great too.
But the story is still not forgotten. We watch Bruce begin to use the tricks he was taught in Tibet, watch him perfect his art of being Batman. Other characters are brought into the mix, including his butler Alfred, his childhood friend Rachel Dawes, and the Lieutenant Gordon. In this sense, "Batman Begins" becomes more of an ensemble film, with all of these various characters becoming fleshed out and relatable. But Batman, nor Bruce Wayne, is forgotten. Nolan's vision is as straight as an arrow here; he never loses focus on who is important and when.
And the villains; these are some scary guys! No makeup, no costumes, just seemingly ordinary people that are capable of dangerous things. Cillian Murphy probably gives the most under credited performance as Dr. Crane (aka "Scarecrow"), who's manipulative intentions are bound to give anyone the creeps. (MAJOR SPOILER IN NEXT SENTENCE) And Liam Neeson too; his insistence to destroy Gotham had me more pinned to my seat than any cackle-ridden plan Jack Nicholson's Joker could have ever delivered. I think the reasons these villains work so well is because they're grounded. In fact, the whole movie seems very grounded. It's a superhero film that feels more on our level. This unique factor, coupled with Christopher Nolan's intelligent direction, is enough to make anyone gripped by the story.
And finally, the acting. Almost every person nails their role. Michael Caine as Alfred, I'll never forget his undying loyalty to "Master Wayne." Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox also gives a small but pivotal role some bite. Gary Oldman plays a good guy for a change, and earns our sympathy as Mr. Gordon. Katie Holmes underplays Rachel Dawes, but still turns in an alright performance. Also in is Rutger Hauer as the businessman Earle, Tom Wilkinson as the sleazy Carmine Falcone, and Ken Watanabe as the (mostly) silent Rha's Al Ghul. Perhaps the best thing about the acting is that these people don't play their characters as one dimensional. They feel as though they have real histories behind them, even if the story doesn't necessarily reveal all that. In that sense, this is a great ensemble performance.
Overall, this is a great achievement. Some would even say unqualified, seeing as no previous Batman movie even comes close to what "Batman Begins" does. But seeing as this film consists of one great all-star cast and one great director, I think this is very qualified. This is along the lines of other great comic-book movies such as "X-2," "Spider-Man 2," and "Iron Man" (which it no doubt influenced in its writing, acting, and focused direction). Moreso, it was one of the best movies of 2005. Sadly, I never saw it in theaters, but I will not make that mistake come this weekend.
Now I just have to forge out twelve (turned out to be fourteen!) bucks for the IMAX showing. May this movie give way to a great sequel! 9.5/10