Not as original as it thinks it is

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2005)

There's no doubt that Batman Begins is well cast, well directed, well designed, and well shot. But for all its grittiness and crunching violence, its plot is as formulaic as its predecessors. There's a well-scripted first hour, going over (in more detail than Tim Burton deemed worthwhile) the minutiae of the psychological genesis of Batman, the reasons Bruce Wayne is so messed up, and exactly why he chose bats to be his symbol. This is all good, if a little slow-paced. Liam Neeson continues his new line in 'mentors that teach the hero to fight, and then die' roles, and does it well.
But the second hour provides little inventiveness, giving us another supervillain who wants to destroy/take over Gotham City through an over-elaborately technological plot device. Yawn. The design of the elevated railway depressingly mimics the excesses of the previous two Batman films. There is one new element to the formula: the continual signposting of a brand new theme! Fear! Fear! The movie is all about different kinds of fear! Fear you confront! Fear that inspires you! Fear you create! Fear! Got it yet?